Menu

1996 Honda AccordProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 472 owner complaints about the 1996 Honda Accord, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

52
CarFlaw IndexSolid year7% below the Accord median · #21 of 42 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints47277 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage108kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 14, 2023. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1996 Honda Accord has problems

472 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags10929
Engine and engine cooling962
Service brakes, hydraulic7412
Electrical system405
Vehicle speed control2915
Power train270
Tires211
Visibility211
Structure190
16 other systems9711

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

1996 Honda Accord recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Wiring: front underhood

Recall 98V-231 · Sep 22, 1998 · 967,771 vehicles

Risk. THE SHORT CIRCUIT CANPOSSIBLY CAUSE THE UNDERHOOD WIREING TO OVERHEAT AND SMOKE, CAUSING A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Honda.

Mileage at failure

When do air bags problems start?

108kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 31 air bags complaints. 42% were reported before 100,000 miles.

Only 18% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
0under 30k miles13under 100k miles18100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine and engine cooling

15 owners mentioned a cost

$653median

Middle half: $497 – $750

Service brakes, hydraulic

10 owners mentioned a cost

$1,413median

Middle half: $1,025 – $1,600

Air bags

9 owners mentioned a cost

$800median

Middle half: $750 – $1,200

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

1996 vs. every other Accord year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Accord median. How we score

'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

1996 Honda Accord safety ratings

1996 Honda Accord 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words

What Accord owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The contact owns a 1996 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the SRS air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the SRS unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The…
Complaint 11520429 · May 4, 2023 · 100,100 miles
SRS My safety and other person in my car in case of accident worries no air bag protection in case of accident.. YES. Diamond Valley Honda code 7-2 need to start with replacing SRS unit, 2 to 3 wks. to repair meanwhile no transportation. Who knows what els entails. NO not that I know of. It’s in…
Complaint 11473940 · Jul 14, 2022
TAKATA RECALL. I WAS IN A ACCIDENT ON SYCAMORE STREET IN BATON ROUGE LOUISIANA ON 1/3/18 AND A PIECE OF METAL SHARD PUNCTURED MY LEG AND FRACTURE MY TIBIA. I WAS TREATED FOR CONTUSIONS OF CHEST WALL ALSO AT OCHSNER ON O'NEAL LANE. I'M CURRENTLY ON BEDREST AND HAVE TO REMAIN OF MY LEG AND CAN'T…
Complaint 11061252 · Jan 8, 2018

Own a 1996 Accord?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.