1999 Honda Accord: common problems

Owners of the 1999 Honda Accord filed 1,135 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 1,135
involving a crash: 77

What fails most often

1 Electrical system 34% of all complaints
2 Powertrain 22% of all complaints
3 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
4 Air bags 7% of all complaints
5 Structure 6% of all complaints
6 Vehicle speed control 4% of all complaints
7 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
8 Seats 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.

Electrical system: 388 complaints (34% of all), 8 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 246 complaints (22% of all), 9 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 144 complaints (13% of all).
Air bags: 74 complaints (7% of all), 32 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Structure: 69 complaints (6% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Engines and transmissions

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

2.3 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
3 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speednamed in 3 complaints

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 1,135 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

stalls while driving215 · 19%
warning lights, check engine88 · 8%
transmission slipping80 · 7%
rust, corrosion64 · 6%
jerking, harsh shifts56 · 5%
A/C or heater48 · 4%
knocking, grinding or other noise30 · 3%
steering or power steering problems29 · 3%
seat belts27 · 2%
won't start22 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Electrical system	388	8
Powertrain	246	9
Engine and cooling	144	0
Air bags	74	32
Structure	69	1
Vehicle speed control	51	12
Service brakes	46	11
Seats	42	4
Suspension	38	0
Engine	28	2
Steering	24	3
Seat belts	22	2
Fuel system	18	0
Tires	18	0

What owners report

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

My seatbelt only restrained my body so far so I used my foot to apply the brake. My cars passenger side air bag did deploy but the drivers side did not. My vehicle needed to be towed because it was not drivable. I then later had a friend drive me to the emergency room.
Air bags · crash · 2020-12-27 · NHTSA complaint #11385152
The contact stated while driving at 40 mph, when the front driver side tire blew out and she lost control of the vehicle and impacted another vehicle. The contact stated the air bags did not deploy completely. The contact sustained injury her left shoulder with the seat belt.
Air bags · crash · 2020-10-21 · NHTSA complaint #11365613
When sitting at a stop light for a minute or more with my foot on the brake and the trans in drive waiting for the light to change , then upon releasing the brake and no pressure on the gas pedal the auto surged forward at a rapid speed.causing loss of control and a rear end collision with the auto in front of me.
Fuel/propulsion system · crash · 2020-06-07 · NHTSA complaint #11327660
When sitting at a stop light for a minute or more with my right foot on the brake and the auto trans in drive upon releasing the brake the vehicle accelerates on it's own without any pressure to the accelerator at a rapid speed.
Fuel/propulsion system · crash · 2020-06-04 · NHTSA complaint #11327321
I was driving my vehicle and I over corrected and ended up going down hill hitting this drainage pipe thing with cement walls I flipped 3 times and my air bags did not deploy I suffered a broken neck from this wreck
Air bags · crash · 2019-09-10 · NHTSA complaint #11254575
Travelling on interstate when when front-end of vehicle began to vibrate. Moments after the vibration, the car veered hard right on its own. Unable to regain control of vehicle, as steering wheel seemed as it was "locked" in a hard-right enabling position.
Powertrain · crash · 2016-12-27 · NHTSA complaint #10937556
The honda accord coupe has seat belt whose height where mounted to side body of car is not adjustable. The seat belt worn correctly by driver, cut across the neck of the 5'3" driver and above her right breast. Driver was transported by ambulance to two hospitals (the first didn't feel it could handle the injury).
Seat belts · crash · 2014-10-29 · NHTSA complaint #10651001
The motorist pulled forward and the contact's vehicle crashed into him a second time due to the unintended acceleration failure. The contact shifted into park in order to stop the vehicle from accelerating any further. There were no injuries.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2012-09-27 · NHTSA complaint #10477286

When owners complained

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

19983
199948
200047
200148
2002148
2003124
2004154
200548
200642
200739
200848
200955
201053
201138
201246
201330
201445
201525
201630
201713
20185
201911
202026
20215
20221
20233
20241

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 172 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 1% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Accord has 503 complaints (49 years in the data). This year has 1,135, above average.

What to check before buying

Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
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.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1999 Honda Accord?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, powertrain, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 1,135. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (19%), warning lights, check engine (8%), transmission slipping (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 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 1999 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 1999 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.