There are 23 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 1996 Honda Accordin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
ONE DAY JUST LIKE THAT I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND I CAME TO A RED LIGHT SO AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN MY CAR WAS ON IN DRIVE AND I ACCELERATED AND THE CAR JUST WOULDN'T MOVE. GOT IT TOWED AND I GOT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CODES AND IT WAS P0401 AND P0108 SO I CLEANED THE EGR VALVE AND BOUGHT A NEW MAP SENSOR AND INSTALLED IT. THE CAR HAD A NEW BATTERY, THE TRANSMISSION OIL WAS FULL AND WITH NO VISIBLE BLACK COLOR OR SMELL, THE CAR STARTED BUT WOULD NOT GET INTO GEAR AND JUST WOULDN'T MOVE. CALLED A SPECIALIST MECHANIC AND HE BROUGHT HIS TOOL TO CHECK THE WHOLE COMPUTER PART OF THE CAR WICH IS THE NEXT BEST THING TO TOWING IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP, THE RESULT CAME BACK INCONCLUSIVE WITH ALMOST CERTAIN TRANSMISSION FAILURE. AFTER CORONA A LOST OF VEHICLE AND JOB I AM JUDT ABOUT TO SELL IT AS IS CUT MY LOSSES AND MAYBE BUY A BICYCLE FOR NOW. I JUST NEED TO LEAVE ABOUT ONE HOUR BEFORE WORK AND BUY A GOOD AXE BODY SHOWER SPRAY AND ATTACH LIFE ONES AGAIN.
96 HONDA ACCORD LX 2.2L TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 79,758 MILES. A REBUILT TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED ON 11/28/08 DUE TO TRANSMISSION CONSTANTLY SLIPPING AND ACTUALLY LEAVING MY 23 YR OLD SON, AWAY AT SCHOOL STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EXPRESSWAY. I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT MANY HONDA ACCORD OWNERS HAVE HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AS WELL. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT AMERICAN HONDA NEVER CONTACTED US REF TO THE EMISSIONS WARRANTY BEING EXTENDED TO 14 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES [BULLETIN 98-081 HTTP://WWW.EPA.GOV/OTAQ/CERT/RECALL/FR33394.HTM ]. WE FOUND OUT OURSELVES WHILE ON THE INTERNET LAST MONTH DOING RESEARCH ON HONDA TRANSMISSIONS. THE REBUILT TRANSMISSION REPLACED 11/28/08 FAILED US AGAIN WHEN OUR SON WAS RETURNING TO ORLANDO. WE HAD TO GO AND TOW THE CAR BACK TO MIAMI FOR ADDITIONAL TRANSMISSION REPAIRS. THIS TIME IT WAS DUE TO A TORQUE CONVERTER FAILURE. *TR
WHILE DRIVING ON THE NJ TURNPIKE, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION UNEXPECTEDLY SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL (SLIPPED FROM D4 TO NEUTRAL). ENGINE REVVED TO RED LINE BEFORE I PULLED OVER. JUST NARROWLY MISSED GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT. *TR
KEY COMES OUT OF IGNITION WITHOUT TRANSMISSION IN PARK. CAR IS A 1996 HONDA ACCORD. *JB
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
STARTING IN SEPT. OF 2001 MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT CHANGE FROM 3RD TO 4TH GEAR. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. AFTER CHECKING IT WITH HIS COMPUTER HE FOUND NO PROBLEM, RESET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. HE RESEARCHED THE VEHICLE AND TOLD ME THAT HONDA WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSIONS WHEN IT WAS HUMID!?!?! SO I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD SEE IF IT CONTINUED TO DO THIS WHEN IT COOLED OFF. IT HAS AND IT HAS GOTTEN TO THE POINT THAT EVERY MORNING IT WILL NOT CHANGE GEARS UNTIL I HAVE DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE, STOP AND GO AGAIN. EVEN THEN SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T CHANGE.*AK
TRANSMISSION HAD DEVELOPED A GRINDING NOISE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID COULD NOT FIND WHERE THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM. DEALER STATED THAT IT HAD BEEN A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. *AK DEALERSHIP STATED TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, HOWEVER HONDA IS NOT WILLING TO COVER ANY OF THE COST TO REPLACE IT, VEHICLE HAS LOW MILEAGE TO BE EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *SLC
WAS MAKING A TURN AND HEARD A LOUD NOISE. PULLED OVER AND NOTICED ENTIRE LEFT FRONT WHEEL HAD SEPARATED. CONTACTED A TOW COMPANY, AND WAS INFORMED AFTER ARRIVAL THAT THE CV JOINT HAD BROKEN. *AK *SLC
REPORTING OIL SEAL CAME LOOSE AND CAUSED LOSS OF OIL / LEAKAGE WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND UNWILLING TO ASSIST IN THIS MATTER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK
SECOND FAILURE OF SEAL.SEE PREV. QUESTIONNAIRE FILED . REF. #827854, 14 SEP 1998. *AK
THERE IS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM TRANSMISSION DUE TO TRANMISSION BLOWING OUT.CONSUMER HAS TO REDUCE THE SPEED IN ORDER FOR THE NOISE TO STOP. *AK
OCCASIONALLY WHEN VEHICLE IS PUT INTO REVERSE GEAR THE VEHICLE WILL GO FORWARD.
MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 35,000 MILES THEY REPLACED IT AT NO CHARGE. NOW AT 46,000 MILES THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND IVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIPS ABOUT 4 TIMES THEY CANT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT BUT I KNOW ITS THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN BECAUSE THE CAR IDLES ALL THE TIME LIKE ITS GOING TO DIE OUT ON ME AND IT HAS DIED OUT ON ME IT RUNS CRAPPY THIS IS MY FIRST CAR AND I PAID ALOT FOR IT HONDAS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE RELIABLE AND THIS ONE SURE AINT! THEY CANGED A COMPUTER PART OF THE EMISSIONS CONTROL THEY SAID THATS WHY THE LIGHT COMES ON BUT I TOOK IT HOME AND A WEEK LATER IT CAME BACK ON. SO MONDAY THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE THE TRANSMISSION OUT AND CHECK IF ITS BURNT OUT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND IF IT IS THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE IT AGAIN!!
TRANSMISSION GEAR STICKS.
WHILE ENGAGING INTO REVERSE GEAR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LUNGED FORWARD CAUSING A COLLISION.
TURNED IGNITION OFF, PULLED HAND BRAKE UP, TRANSMISSION STILL IN REVERSE, VEHICLE ROLLED OUT OF THE GARAGE, HITTING A FENCE POST, PARKING BRAKE STILL ON AND TRANSMISSION IN REVERSE.
TRANSMISSION FAILED, REPLACED AND STARTED TO FAILED IN 1999 AGAIN. YH
AXLE SHAFT SEAL FAILED.
FIVE TIMES THE COMSUMER HAS PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE, THE GEAR JUMPED OUT OF REVERSE INTO DRIVE AND THE CONSUMER COULD NOT GET IT INTO REVERSE. PLEASE DESCRIBE IN DETAIL. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
Showing 1–20 of 23 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026