1996 Honda Accord: Recalls, Problems & MPG
Here are the deets on the 1996 Honda Accord: 1 recall, 472 owner complaints and up to 25 mpg combined.
Recalls
1 vehicle recall from the manufacturer, plus 12 equipment/tire recalls that can apply. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.
Electrical Vehicle recall #98V231000 · 1998 · 967,771 vehicles
What's wrong: The factory installed air conditioner wire harness was improperly routed allowing some wires to rub against each other, eventually causing a short circuit.
Why it matters: The short circuit canpossibly cause the underhood wireing to overheat and smoke, causing a fire in the engine compartment. A short circuit can also result in a blown fuse or dead battery.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the vehicles for proper routing of these wires. Any harness improperly routed will be inspected for damage and the routing will be corrected. If any insulation is worn through and the copper wires are exposed, the harness will be replaced. Dealers will also install plastic…
12 aftermarket equipment / tire recalls replacement parts sold to fit this car, not the car itself
Exterior lights Equipment recall #06E023000 · 2006 · 292,000 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain anzo combination headlamp assemblies sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles. Some combination lamps are not equipped with amber side reflectors which fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Why it matters: Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
The fix: Anzo will notify owners and replace the headlamps free of charge. The recall began May 9, 2006.
Exterior lights Equipment recall #06E025000 · 2006 · 1,450 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain poli-auto combination headlamp assemblies, p/nos. 11-728, 11-728d, 11-710, 11-419, 11-713, 11-703, 11-704, 11-708p, 11-735, 11-725, 11-726, 11-716 (p&c), 11-721-1, 11-733, 11-729, 11-730, and 11-732, sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles. Some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 108, "lamps,…
Why it matters: Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
The fix: Poli-auto will notify owners and offer to repurchase the headlamps at its original purchase price. The recall is expected to begin during April 2006.
Exterior lights Equipment recall #06E026000 · 2006 · 61,944 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain pro-a motors corner lamps, turn signals, and headlights sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles listed above. Some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Why it matters: Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
The fix: Pro-a motors will notify owners and offer to repurchase the lamps. The recall began on April 3, 2006.
Exterior lights Equipment recall #06E032000 · 2006 · 845 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain Eagle eyes and sonar headlights and corner lights sold as aftermarket for use on 1988-2005 Honda civic, 1990-2005 Honda accord, and 1990-2001 Acura integra passenger vehicles listed above. Headlights and corner lights that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Why it matters: Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
The fix: Tom motorsport will notify owners and offer reimbursement for the purchase of noncompliant lights. The recall began April 17, 2006.
Exterior lights Equipment recall #06E040000 · 2006 · 1,648 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain e speed racing combination lamps sold as replacement equipment for use on certain passenger vehicles listed above. Some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Why it matters: Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
The fix: E speed racing will notify owners and offer to repurchase the lamps. The recall began May 10, 2006.
Exterior lights Equipment recall #06E044000 · 2006 · 1,215 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain j & a auto accessories combination headlamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above listed passenger vehicles. Some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Why it matters: Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
The fix: J & a auto accessories will notify owners and offer to repurchase the headlamps. The recall began on July 10, 2006.
Exterior lights Equipment recall #06E049000 · 2006 · 27,176 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain ck motorsports combination headlights, clear corner, bumper, and side marker lights sold as replacement lamps for use on the passenger vehicles listed above. Some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Why it matters: Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
The fix: Ck motorsport will notify owners and replace the noncompliant lamps free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2006.
Exterior lights Equipment recall #06E060000 · 2006 · 87,745 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain aai motorsports combination lamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above list passenger vehicles. Combination lamps not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Why it matters: Lack of amber side reflectors in the lamps will decrease lighting visibility to other drivers and May possibly result in a vehicle crash
The fix: Aai motorsports will notify owners and replace the lamps free of charge. The recall began on August 1, 2006.
Exterior lights Equipment recall #06E064000 · 2006 · 4,029 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain tradesonic combination lamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above listed passenger vehicles. Combination lamps not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Why it matters: Lack of amber side reflectors in the lamps will decrease lighting visibility to other drivers and May possibly result in a vehicle crash.
The fix: Tradesonic will notify owners and replace the lamps free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during July 2006.
Exterior lights Equipment recall #06E065000 · 2006 · 3,593 vehicles
What's wrong: Certain aj motorsport combination lamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above listed passenger vehicles. Combination lamps not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Why it matters: Lack of amber side reflectors in the lamps will decrease lighting visibility to other drivers and May possibly result in a vehicle crash.
The fix: Aj motorsport will notify owners and offer reimbursement for the lamps. The recall began on July 31, 2006.
Exterior lights Equipment recall #08E050000 · 2008 · 1,921 vehicles
What's wrong: These headlamps are missing the amber side reflex reflector which fails to conform with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Why it matters: Without the amber side reflex reflectors, the lighting visibility May be affected, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
The fix: K2 motor will notify owners and offer a full refund. The recall began on decemeber 17, 2008.
Exterior lights Equipment recall #09E025000 · 2009 · 42,540 vehicles
What's wrong: Dope, Inc. is recalling 42,540 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors.
Why it matters: Decreased lighting visibility May result in a vehicle crash.
The fix: Dope, Inc. will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on July 28, 2009.
Most-reported problems
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component. One complaint can list several components. 3 mention a fire, 24 injuries and 1 deaths were reported.
What owners describe
- Airbags (109): the most common themes are warning light on (25), fails to deploy (19), deploys unexpectedly / inflator (5).
- Engine & cooling (96): the most common themes are leaks (30), warning light on (17), stalls / loses power (8).
- Brakes (hydraulic) (74): the most common themes are leaks (19), brake failure / soft pedal (14), warning light on (13).
- Electrical (40): the most common themes are electrical failure (12), stalls / loses power (9), door / lock issues (6).
The 1996 Honda Accord has 472 owner complaints, ranking #21 of 37 Accord model years for complaints (about average; the typical year has 653). Complaints peaked in 2000 (68 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 4 years old, at a median of 106,602 miles. Neighboring years: 1995 (543 complaints, 2 recalls), 1997 (460 complaints, 3 recalls).
Engines & fuel economy (EPA)
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2 L 4-cyl | Manual 5-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 22 | 29 | 25 | Regular |
| 2.2 L 4-cyl | Manual 5-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 22 | 28 | 24 | Regular |
| 2.2 L 4-cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 20 | 28 | 23 | Regular |
| 2.2 L 4-cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 20 | 26 | 22 | Regular |
| 2.7 L 6-cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 17 | 23 | 19 | Regular |
Want the full repair deets? Get the factory manual.
Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the 1996 Honda Accord.
Closest thing to the factory manual for most years. Pay once, keep it.
Most $25–$78, one-timePro-shop repair procedures, wiring diagrams and TSBs for your exact car.
From $19.99/mo · $39.99/yrOEM procedures, specs and recall/TSB info, the same source many shops use.
From $19.99/mo · $59.99/yrStep-by-step photos written from a real teardown. Great for first-timers.
Books ~$30–$40 · AllAccess $34.99/moHeads up: we may earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. Prices checked 2026-10 and can change. We never host or link to pirated manuals. Disclosure
FAQ
Does the 1996 Honda Accord have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 vehicle recall for the 1996 Honda Accord, plus 12 equipment or tire recalls that can apply. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, no matter how old the car is. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common 1996 Honda Accord problems?
Owners have filed 472 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are airbags (109), engine & cooling (96), brakes (hydraulic) (74).
What gas mileage does the 1996 Honda Accord get?
EPA ratings run up to 25 mpg combined (2.2 L, Manual 5-spd), across 5 engine and transmission combos.
Where can I get a 1996 Honda Accord repair manual?
eManualOnline sells downloadable manuals, Mitchell 1 DIY and ALLDATAdiy sell online access to factory repair data, and Haynes sells printed guides and online access. Pick a download if you want to keep it, or a subscription for wiring diagrams and TSBs.