1998 Honda Accord reliability record
NHTSA consumer complaints and recall campaigns for the 1998 Honda Accord from the dataset labeled 2026. The source file does not provide an exact snapshot date. Use the reported issues to guide further checks; these counts do not establish failure rates or repair costs.
- NHTSA complaints
- 1,429
- Dataset year: 2026; snapshot day not provided
- Top problem area
- POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
- 204 complaints
- Recalls on record
- 1
- see below
- Reported harm
- 133 reported crashes · 95 injuries · 3 deaths · 3 fires
How this record compares
raw NHTSA counts, not defect ratesCounts are not adjusted for vehicles sold, time in service or reporting frequency. A larger count does not establish a higher chance of failure, and these comparisons do not set the maintenance budget in our calculator.
Complaint rank
#192
of 4,194 vehicle records
Vs Honda median
+1,099
median 330 across 215 Honda records
Vs 1996-2000
+1,161
median 268 complaints in 623 records
Top component share
17%
Electrical System: 241 complaints
What owners report fails — 1998 Honda Accord
- POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 204
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH 143
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 98
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER 50
- AIR BAGS 49
1 recall on record for the 1998 Honda Accord
- NHTSA 20V026000 · 2020 · AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MO In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the
Estimate the 5-year cost to own a 1998 Honda Accord
Build a separate budget with your purchase price, insurance quote, mileage and maintenance estimate. Complaint counts do not enter that calculation. Unknown local taxes and fees stay listed as costs to confirm.
Open TCO calculatorThese are unverified consumer reports and manufacturer recalls filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — not validated defect rates, and not adjusted for how many 1998 Honda Accord units were produced or sold. High-volume and older vehicles naturally accumulate more complaints. Use this as one research signal, not a verdict on any individual vehicle. Dataset year: 2026; exact snapshot day not supplied. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (public domain).
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Honda Accord reliable?
NHTSA has 1,429 consumer complaints on record for the 1998 Honda Accord and 1 recall. The most-reported problem area is power train:automatic transmission (204 reports). These are unverified consumer reports filed with the government, not validated failure rates, and are not adjusted for how many 1998 Honda Accord units were produced — popular vehicles naturally accumulate more reports.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Honda Accord?
Owners most often report problems with: power train:automatic transmission (204), electrical system:ignition:switch (143), electrical system (98), unknown or other (50). Each figure is the number of complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
How much does it cost to own a 1998 Honda Accord?
This complaint dataset does not measure repair prices or predict a maintenance budget for the 1998 Honda Accord. Use your purchase price, insurance quotes, fuel use and a maintenance estimate in the separate five-year cost calculator. It does not convert complaint counts into repair costs, and any unknown taxes remain excluded and clearly listed.