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#BS-1998-HONACC-65A0

1998 Honda AccordProblems, Recalls & Reliability

Based on reports from 1,429 owners and 19 recalls for this exact model.

Data updated ·checked October 21, 2026 · NHTSA complaints through October 19, 2026

Complaints
1,429
Crashes
133
Fires
3
Recalls
19
TSBs
255
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 1,429 complaints, 133 crashes, 3 fires, and 19 recalls. Complaint rate is 5.9x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

clear coat is peeling from hood roof and or trunk

126 complaints • Severity 8.2/10

$X,XXX
2

transmission failure

77 complaints • Severity 9/10

$X,XXX
3

slips when shifting between gears

61 complaints • Severity 7.4/10

$X,XXX
4

heavy thud when shifting gears

44 complaints • Severity 7.8/10

$X,XXX
5

engine stalls shuts off while driving

29 complaints • Severity 8.5/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Power Train:automatic TransmissionHIGH

204 owners reported power train:automatic transmission issues — failures commonly reported around 101K miles.

!Inspect the Electrical System:ignition:switchMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

27
0–30K
58
30–60K
128
60–90K
127
90–120K
106
120–150K
143
150K+

Peak failure range: 150K+ miles (143 reports) • Median: 101K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Power Train:automatic Transmission (204 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Power Train:automatic Transmission204 (14%)
Electrical System:ignition:switch143 (10%)
Electrical98 (7%)
Other55 (4%)
Engine51 (4%)
Airbags49 (3%)
Fuel System44 (3%)
Structure:body41 (3%)

1998 Honda Accord: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 1998 Honda Accord, with 204 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 101,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 101K-mile mark.

Electrical System:ignition:switch Issues

Electrical System:ignition:switch complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 1998 Honda Accord, with 143 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical system:ignition:switch-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1998 Honda Accord, with 98 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1998 Honda Accord, with 51 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

68
00
81
01
169
02
136
03
143
04
46
05
40
06
37
07
47
08
40
09
40
10
30
11
30
12
32
13
50
14
38
15
16
16
18
17
19
18
3
19
24
20
12
21
2
22
2
23

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1998 Honda Accord. Recent trend: stable.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (19 recalls)

02V120000Jun 2002

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

ON CERTAIN SEDANS, COUPES, HATCHBACKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAN DEGRADE DUE TO THE HIGH ELECTRICAL CURRENT PASSING THROUGH THE SWITCH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED.

03V423000Dec 2003

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES AND MINI VANS, THE IGNITION SWITCH MAY WEAR EXCESSIVELY AND PREVENT PROPER INTERLOCK OPERATION, MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO TURN THE IGNITION KEY TO THE "OFF" POSITION AND REMOVE THE KEY WITHOUT SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION TO "PARK."

06E023000May 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

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."

06E025000May 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

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, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

06E026000Apr 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

+ 14 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

Unlock

NHTSA Defect Investigations (3)

All closed. Investigations are how NHTSA decides whether a defect needs a recall.

EA03017ClosedOpened Sep 2003 · closed Dec 2003

IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

PE02072ClosedOpened Oct 2002 · closed Mar 2003

SEAT FRAME BRACKET FAILURE

SEATS

PE03014ClosedOpened Apr 2003 · closed Sep 2003

IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK SYSTEM

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

The worst model year for the Honda Accord is the 2003 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.

1998 Honda Accord vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)

This vehicle

1,429

Class avg

240

5.9x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical midsize cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 1,429 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 19 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Last updated (checked October 21, 2026). NHTSA complaints received through October 19, 2026.

Other Honda Accord Model Years

20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992199119901989198819871986198519841983198219811979197819771976
View all Honda Accord years →

1998 Honda Accord: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Honda Accord?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1998 Honda Accord is related to the power train:automatic transmission, with 204 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1998 Honda Accord reliable?
The 1998 Honda Accord has 1,429 complaints, 133 crash reports, and 3 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 5.9x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 1998 Honda Accord problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1998 Honda Accord have any recalls?
Yes, the 1998 Honda Accord has 19 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Honda Accord problems start?
Based on 589 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 101,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 150K+ mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
When was the 1998 Honda Accord data last updated?
BumperScan last checked this vehicle against NHTSA on October 21, 2026, covering owner complaints received through October 19, 2026 plus the latest recalls, investigations and technical service bulletins. Its numbers last changed on October 4, 2026.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 1,429 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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