Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1988 Honda Accord, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Seat belts31
- Vehicle speed control12
- Power train11
- Engine and engine cooling8
- Tires6
- Fuel system, gasoline4
- Electrical system4
- Exterior lighting3
- Steering3
- Structure3
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 22 injuries and 1 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1988 Honda Accord failed the safety check 2.34% of the time — 131% more often than the average 1988 passenger car (1.01%). Median odometer at inspection: 115,505 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
28 first registered in 1988 are on Dutch roads; 18% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde4
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm3
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld3
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse2
- Stofhoes stuurinrichting beschadigd, dicht niet af2
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt1
- Schokdemper werkt niet (goed)1
- As of wielgeleidingselement ondeugdelijk bevestigd1
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
8 cars built in 1988 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 32 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In Finland
11 of these cars first registered in 1988 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 242,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
26 1988 cars are on the New Zealand register; 46% arrived as used imports, 50% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 1988 Honda Accord.
| 1995086 24 May 1995 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles, the platic front seatbelt release buttons may break allowing plastic pieces to fall into the buckle assembly. If this should happen, a no … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
THE 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.
OWNERS MANUAL INFORMATION REQUIRED BY FMVSS 210, SECTIONS 6A AND 6B WAS OMITTED FROM THE MANUAL.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
NHTSA investigations
SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation