Vehicles / Honda / Accord / 1988

1988 Honda Accord

88 federal complaints (102 component records) · 2 recall campaigns on file · 1 federal investigation · 1 Canadian recall
See all 46 model years of the Honda Accord →
Engine
2.0L 4-cyl
Fuel
Regular
Drive
FWD
EPA economy
21 city / 28 hwy
Federal complaints
88
Recall campaigns
2
Specifications show one example EPA configuration for this model year; other engines, drivetrains, and trims exist and the records below cover all of them.
How to read this file. Complaint records are unverified owner submissions to the federal safety agency. Counts are raw, not adjusted for sales volume or vehicle age. Recall campaigns apply to the model; only a VIN check shows whether this car is affected or repaired. Parts shown are named by an editorial note or listed as a search directory; none is a diagnosis. Full methodology.

Fault profile

Complaint-component records on this vehicle, grouped by family. A complaint naming two systems counts once in each.

Seat belts
32
Speed control
12
Power train
11
Engine & cooling
9
Tires
6
Fuel system
4
Electrical system
4
Suspension
3
Complaints are owner-reported and not verified by the agency.

When it fails

The timing of this vehicle's reported failures, from the complaint file itself. A cluster tells you what to expect and when; it is shaped by reporting behavior as well as by the vehicle.

Vehicle age when the failure occurred

0 years old: 0 complaints01 years old: 0 complaints2 years old: 0 complaints3 years old: 1 complaints4 years old: 1 complaints5 years old: 4 complaints56 years old: 3 complaints7 years old: 16 complaints8 years old: 10 complaints9 years old: 1 complaints10 years old: 8 complaints1011 years old: 3 complaints12 years old: 2 complaints13 years old: 5 complaints14 years old: 4 complaints15 years old: 0 complaints1516 years old: 1 complaints17 years old: 0 complaints18 years old: 0 complaints19 years old: 0 complaints20+ years old: 5 complaints20+
Years between the model year and the owner's reported failure date. Based on 64 of 88 complaints with a usable failure date.

Known issues

The component families with the most complaint records against this vehicle. Counts, crash and fire figures belong to the whole family, not to any single named issue. Parts listed are related system parts, not a diagnosis.

Seat belts

32 complaint records5 crash reports
"CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT CAME LOOSE AND THROUGH CONSUMER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR CAR WAS TOTALED . TT..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse seat belts parts in the directory →

Speed control

12 complaint records6 crash reports
"THE ACCELERATOR STUCK ON THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE SOLENOID ON THE CARBURETOR LOCKED UP, VEHICLE HIT A TREE HEAD-ON. *AK..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse speed control parts in the directory →

Power train

11 complaint records
"WHILE DRIVING THE TRANSMISSION WILL STOP AND THE CAR WILL JUST STOP AND IT WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE EITHER. PLEASE DESRIBE. *AK..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse power train parts in the directory →

Federal defect investigations

Formal investigations opened by the federal safety agency into this vehicle. An investigation is the step between a complaint pattern and a recall; not every one results in one.

InvestigationStatusComponentSubject
EA94035
opened Oct 1994
closed Jul 1995Seat BeltsSEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE - led to recall 95V103001
There is no summary currently available

Recall campaigns

Safety-recall remedies are normally provided at no charge. Under US federal law the mandatory free remedy applies when the vehicle was no more than 15 years old at the time the defect was determined; manufacturers often cover older vehicles voluntarily. Canadian rules differ. Confirm eligibility with the manufacturer using the VIN. Each campaign number links to the federal record.

CampaignComponentSummaryRemedy
95V103001Seat BeltsTHE FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLE RELEASE BUTTONS CAN BREAK. THESE RED PLASTIC RELEASE BUTTONS ARE MARKED "PRESS." IF A BUTTON BREAKS, PIECES CAN FALL INTO THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE BUCKLE TO OPERATE IMPROPERLY.Normally free
87V171000EquipmentOWNERS MANUAL INFORMATION REQUIRED BY FMVSS 210, SECTIONS 6A AND 6B WAS OMITTED FROM THE MANUAL.Normally free

Transport Canada recalls

Recalls issued under Canadian law for this model year, from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database. Matched by model name, so a Canadian-market variant may appear here that was sold under another name in the US. Units are Canadian vehicles affected.

RecallSystemUnits (CA)Summary
1995086
1995-05-24
Seats And Restraints423,467On certain vehicles, the platic front seatbelt release buttons may break allowing plastic pieces to fall into the buckle assembly.

Before you buy this vehicle

A test-drive checklist generated from this vehicle's own complaint and recall record.

  1. Pull and release every belt.A belt that retracts slowly or a buckle that will not latch matches this vehicle's seat-belt cluster.
  2. Test the throttle response and the cruise control on an open road.A surge, a hang in engine speed after lifting off, or cruise that will not set or cancel cleanly are the speed-control complaints on this vehicle.
  3. Drive it from a dead stop, twice, on a hill if you can.Shudder, hesitation, or a lurch under light throttle is how this vehicle's largest complaint cluster shows itself. Then ask for the transmission service history in writing; repeat repairs are a pattern, not a fluke.
  4. Run the VIN against open recalls before you negotiate.This vehicle has 2 recall campaigns on file. An open recall needs VIN-specific confirmation. Many are quick, no-charge fixes and worth negotiating over; an unresolved do-not-drive advisory, or a remedy the manufacturer has not yet made available, should stop the purchase until it is resolved.
  5. Ask for the service history in writing, then read it against this page.The complaint families above are where owners of this vehicle report trouble. Repairs in exactly those systems are evidence the car had the problem; no such repairs could mean it never developed it, or that it was never fixed. The test-drive items above are how you tell those apart.

Parts search directory

The generic parts list for this vehicle has its own page: a search launcher for every system, filtered by fuel type and era but not by engine, trim, or brake type. It is not a diagnosis and not a fitment guarantee.

Open the parts directory for this Honda Accord →