1986 Honda Accord: common problems

Owners of the 1986 Honda Accord filed 54 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel system and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 54
involving a crash: 5

What fails most often

1 Fuel system 33% of all complaints
2 Seat belts 26% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
4 Suspension 7% of all complaints
5 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
6 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
7 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
8 Latches, locks, linkages 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Fuel system: 18 complaints (33% of all).
Seat belts: 14 complaints (26% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 5 complaints (9% of all).
Suspension: 4 complaints (7% of all).
Electrical system: 3 complaints (6% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 54 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

seat belts11 · 20%
rust, corrosion9 · 17%
fuel system, fuel smell4 · 7%
door locks, latches, handles2 · 4%
headlights and tail lights2 · 4%
smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 4%
brake failure1 · 2%
A/C or heater1 · 2%
hesitation when accelerating1 · 2%
overheating, coolant loss1 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Fuel system	18	0
Seat belts	14	4
Powertrain	5	0
Suspension	4	0
Electrical system	3	0
Engine and cooling	3	0
Service brakes	3	0
Latches, locks, linkages	2	0
Structure	2	0
Vehicle speed control	2	0
Exterior lighting	1	0
Tires	1	1
Wheels	1	0
Other	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

On july 11, 1992 my husband and I were driving east on i580 in california. It was a hot day at about 8:00 in the morning. The rear tire lost it's tread cap and I lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle was a total loss. I have 6 pictures of the tire and the police report stating it was a tire faliure.
Tires · crash · 2000-09-26 · NHTSA complaint #731787
Driver's side seat belt did not hold driver in an accident/seat belt buckle unlatched prior to recall(95v-103.001).
Seat belts · crash · 1996-01-25 · NHTSA complaint #978210
Vehicle was in an accident and the drivers seat belt did not catch until after the occupant went into the window.
Seat belts · crash · 1995-07-12 · NHTSA complaint #968664
Seat belt did not hold the driver in place in an accident, seat belt did not lock. Tt
Seat belts · crash · 1995-06-21 · NHTSA complaint #967440
Rust on the fuel filler pipe - 1986 accord - there was a recall on that, but honda does not respect it anymore. Why??? It is a safety hazard - potential fire. On top of that honda's carburetors have defective float - it gets stuck, causing gasoline leak.
Fuel system · 2009-10-20 · NHTSA complaint #10289183
Transmission: hesitation during excelleration, car would not go in reverse. Replaced with used transimission. Fuel system: (2x's) no repair as of yet, hesitation during excelleration, cannot get into gear. Engine reves up but car will not go.
Fuel system · 2004-04-22 · NHTSA complaint #10071163
Dealership examined vehicle in july 1997, and determined that component being recalled was not corroded, and did not need replacement. In september 2001, consumer noticed gasoline odors in passenger compartment, and discovered fuel leaking from vehicle.
Fuel system · 2002-01-30 · NHTSA complaint #8003189
I was told to keep the air conditioner on to try to slow it down. It only happens when it is hot outside, and I am afraid to drive it. I have taken it to the place that I purchased it, they adjusted the carbuerator, and said there was nothing wrong--I have had trouble before there fixing things right, so I did not…
Vehicle speed control · 2001-05-08 · NHTSA complaint #744972

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

199514
199616
19977
19983
19993
20005
20013
20021
20041
20071
20091

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 5,128 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Accord has 503 complaints (49 years in the data). This year has 54, below average.

What to check before buying

Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1986 Honda Accord?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel system, seat belts, powertrain. Total complaints: 54. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (20%), rust, corrosion (17%), fuel system, fuel smell (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1986 Honda Accord?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1986 Honda Accord from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1986 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.