1988 Honda Accord: common problems

Owners of the 1988 Honda Accord filed 88 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 88
involving a crash: 15

What fails most often

1 Seat belts 35% of all complaints
2 Vehicle speed control 14% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
5 Tires 7% of all complaints
6 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
7 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
8 Equipment 3% of all complaints

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

Seat belts: 31 complaints (35% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Vehicle speed control: 12 complaints (14% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 11 complaints (13% of all).
Engine and cooling: 8 complaints (9% of all).
Tires: 6 complaints (7% 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 88 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

seat belts25 · 28%
headlights and tail lights4 · 5%
unintended acceleration4 · 5%
fuel system, fuel smell2 · 2%
jerking, harsh shifts2 · 2%
rust, corrosion2 · 2%
smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 2%
stalls while driving2 · 2%
windows, sunroof2 · 2%
brake failure1 · 1%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Seat belts	31	5
Vehicle speed control	12	6
Powertrain	11	0
Engine and cooling	8	0
Tires	6	0
Electrical system	4	0
Fuel system	4	0
Equipment	3	0
Exterior lighting	3	0
Steering	3	2
Structure	3	0
Latches, locks, linkages	2	1
Seats	2	2
Service brakes	2	1

What owners report

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

It is my practice to always wear a seat belt. Broken seat = broken ribs + chest trauma ???? Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Seats · crash · 2003-01-13 · NHTSA complaint #10001000
Car did not stop. Consumer had to run into a tree to stop the car. No one was hurt, and the dealer was informed.
Steering · crash · 1998-08-31 · NHTSA complaint #827404
Shifted from park to drive, engine suddenly accelerated, vehicle took off at high speed, witness said it was approximately 70 mph, vehicle hit pole before stopping. Vehicle totaled.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 1996-10-25 · NHTSA complaint #804019
While driving the vehicle, owner lost control of vehicle, driver who had on seat belt at the time, was ejected out of the vehicle through the sunroof, seat belt did not restrain, driver died.
Seat belts · crash · 1996-08-22 · NHTSA complaint #801208
Vehicle was impacted at 5:00 position, speed 10 mph, passenger side lap/shoulder belt failed, door latch failed, door came open, throwing person out.
Latches, locks, linkages · crash · 1996-04-22 · NHTSA complaint #983282
Consumer was in an accident the driver side seat belt came loose . Tt
Seat belts · crash · 1995-09-28 · NHTSA complaint #972611
Consumer was in an accident the driver side seat belt came loose and through consumer on the passenger side door car was totaled . Tt
Seat belts · crash · 1995-09-18 · NHTSA complaint #972232
Auto-tran: shifted from park to drive, brakes applied; engine accelerated without foot on pedal; lurched forward at high speed; hit two small trees; no warning
Vehicle speed control · crash · 1995-07-20 · NHTSA complaint #969164

When owners complained

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

199523
199615
19977
19989
19998
20004
20018
20023
20033
20042
20051
20082
20172
20181

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 3,860 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Accord has 503 complaints (49 years in the data). This year has 88, below average.

What to check before buying

Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1988 Honda Accord?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, vehicle speed control, powertrain. Total complaints: 88. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (28%), headlights and tail lights (5%), unintended acceleration (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1988 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 1988 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 1988 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.