no report yet
Ignition: switch
Risk. WORN CONTACTS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
1997 Honda AccordProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 460 owner complaints about the 1997 Honda Accord, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 7, 2023. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 1997 Honda Accord has problems
460 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
113Air bags20 crash/fire/injury
96Electrical system9 crash/fire/injury
48Engine and engine cooling2 crash/fire/injury
38Vehicle speed control17 crash/fire/injury
33Power train2 crash/fire/injury
32Service brakes, hydraulic3 crash/fire/injury
28Suspension
23Seat belts
16Tires
8818 other systems9 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 113 | 20 |
| Electrical system | 96 | 9 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 48 | 2 |
| Vehicle speed control | 38 | 17 |
| Power train | 33 | 2 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 32 | 3 |
| Suspension | 28 | 2 |
| Seat belts | 23 | 1 |
| Tires | 16 | 1 |
| 18 other systems | 88 | 9 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
1997 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
Control arm: lower ball joint
Risk. THIS CONDITION WOULD RESULT IN VEHICLE DECELERATION AND A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER.
no report yet
Wiring: front underhood
Risk. THE SHORT CIRCUIT CANPOSSIBLY CAUSE THE UNDERHOOD WIREING TO OVERHEAT AND SMOKE, CAUSING A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.
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?
76kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 25 air bags complaints. 72% were reported before 100,000 miles.
Only 27% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.
2under 30k miles18under 100k miles7100k 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.
Air bags
18 owners mentioned a cost$800median
Middle half: $715 – $829
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
1997 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
00022710722135411188861922122061863695434724601,2001,1351,1839221,0501,9871,0186564335241,5217275812963741,4279826026135421,9027023702482679115710315
'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
1997 Honda Accord safety ratings
1997 Honda Accord 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Side barrierNot rated
- 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.
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND MY SRS LIGHT CAME ON AND HAS NOT WENT OFF. I HAVE NOT HIT ANYTHING AND I WAS JUST DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN IT JUST CAME ON.
THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY ARE CHARGING A LOT TO REPAIR IT. I HAVE NOT DONE THE REPAIR. HOW COME AIR BAG RELATED SRS LIGHT CAN COME WHILE JUST DRIVING AND WHY DO I NEED TO PAY FOR IT ? IT SHOULD BE COVERED BY MANUFACTURER
THE SRS LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING AN AIRBAG PROBLEM WITH MY HONDA ACCORD AT APPROX. 130,000 MILES. THE DEALER CHARGED ME $90 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WITH A 8-5 INTERNAL FAILURE CODE. DEALER WANTS TO REPLACE SRS UNIT AT A COST TO ME OF $1100. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE COVERED…
Own a 1997 Accord?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.