CarComplaints.com Notes: The 1998 Honda Accord suffers from widespread transmission failure, peeling paint, & subframe rust. We recommend avoiding this model year like the plague.

The transmission begins slipping & eventually has to be replaced, typically soon after 100,000 miles & with a repair cost of over $2,000.

Peeling paint has also been a huge issue for these Accords. Most of the complaints are with darker paint colors -- especially green & blue.

Subframe rust near the front passenger side wheel has become a problem recently, due to the poorly positioned A/C drain hose directly above that area. Repair cost to the subframe is over $2,000.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
87,463 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1998 Honda Accord body / paint problems

body / paint problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 1998 Honda Accord:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

1998 Honda Accord Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #41

Mar 292019

Accord 6-cyl

  • 100,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I'm in the right lane on exit 41 highway my car kept jerking then someone jumped in front of me as soon as I hit the breaks the breaks sent out and hit the lady who jumped in front of me and then there was something wrong with the wheel before then my car was leaking.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #40

Dec 022019

Accord

  • 100,000 miles
My car kept jerking it also had stop while my feet was on the metal while on exit 41 my car spin around and almost collided with another car after the accident

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #39

May 012010

Accord

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 1998 Honda Accord. The contact stated that the front passenger side sub frame was corroded due to the condensation from the air conditioning unit. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the front section of the sub frame needed to be replaced. Sierra Honda of grandville located at 4260 kenowa ave sw, grandville, mi 49418, was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.

- Grandville, MI, USA

problem #38

Mar 182020

Accord

  • 150,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My cross member bar is rotting away

- Wyandanch, NY, USA

problem #37

Aug 052019

Accord

  • 190,000 miles
The air conditioning condensate drains onto the subframe assembly supporting the engine. There is a rust hole in the top of the frame at this location, first reported by the dealer tech and noted as 'common'. my mechanic and I watched it grow for a couple years to the point now where he says it's becoming risky to drive the vehicle because of the likelihood of catastrophic failure.

- Hudsonville, MI, USA

problem #36

Aug 072018

Accord

  • 241,000 miles
The ac drip tube is aimed right at the front passenger side subframe and rusts it out over time. Just recently I had the subframe totally fail and snap in half due to this rust. The scary part was that I had just gotten off the highway and was only going 5 mph when it happened. If it had happened five minutes sooner this would have been a much worse situation. Notice in the picture I attach that the whole corner of the subframe is rusted out even though the rest of the frame and body is rust free. This happened while making a turn in a flat parking lot at about 5 mph. This is a well-documented issue on all 97-02 Honda Accord and 00-03 Acura cl vehicles since they are the same body/platform. I went to a junkyard recently to see if I could find a good subframe to replace mine with and every single Honda Accord and Acura cl in the lot was rusted out exactly the same way. This clearly is a safety issue since the subframe has three of the four engine mounts on it and the suspension is all connected to it as well.

- Machesney Park, IL, USA

problem #35

Apr 132018

Accord

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Takata recall? I bought this vehicle from my co worker which stated these issues were already happening for months, firstly the cluster clusters instrument gages do not work (replaced them and nothing happens), only the gage lights turn on. These include the gas gage, RPM, speedometer, temp. Which is another issue, the electrical issues even though you try to brighten the lights with the dim knob they are hardly brightened its hard to see the clock time or any thing that lights up to help see at night, the interior lights dont work, the horn doesnt work, cruise control doesnt work. As if all these are tied together thru the electrical wiring. (checked all fuses and replaced most) my wind shield leaks in the top corners, the trunk fills with water everyone it rains due to a leak. Defects in the sealing my rear view mirror fell off on my way to work today as well which caused the windshield to crack around where the mirror was. The hood latch is hard to close, I have to use pliers to push down the latch before shutting hood, (this is another part I replaced with the same factory part number) it looks to be the spring. Ball joints I am guessing... when barely turning the wheel either way you hear a grinding noise like metal against metal. Its a scary sound when making turns not sure if the wheel is you G to break off while making the turn a costly issue daily I have to add oil to the vehicle the oil pump gasket seal leaks every time the engine is running. Exterior issue the paint looks horrible due to the top clear coat peeling. Now after researching, I realize I'm not the only one who has these issues. Please get these issues fixed

- Bedford, IN, USA

problem #34

Mar 252018

Accord

  • 84,800 miles
The contact owns a 1998 Honda Accord. While driving various speeds, the upper control arm squeaked and was about to detach without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the subframe was rusted out and the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The technician recommended that the entire subframe be replaced. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 84,800.

- Omaha, NE, USA

problem #33

Jan 032017

Accord

  • miles
Clear coat and paint has started to chip and peal. This is a common problem with this make year and model and Honda is aware. To no fault of my own needing to get this problem fixed asap. At one time a large piece of the clear coat came off and hit my windshield and stuck to my windshield and I had to pull over to remove it from my windshield to avoid having this hazard to myself and others.

- Harrisburg, NC, USA

problem #32

May 232017

Accord

  • 137,500 miles
I paid $1300 to replace a timing belt and a leaking water pump. The mechanic test drove it when the repairs were finished, only to discover a loud squeaking which revealed a rusted right front subframe that I have found, after some online research is fairly common and due to the placement of a drain tube that leaked water over this spot on the subframe for 20 years.

- Kansas City, MO, USA

problem #31

May 102016

Accord

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have had my car for over a year and the car is chipping so bad.I am upset about this problem!!plus my dash lights stopped working and I have ran off the road several times.I have checked everything and I don't see the problem.zhonda should have to fix these problems.

- Hendersonville, TN, USA

problem #30

Mar 082017

Accord

  • 182,000 miles
Passenger side subframe has rusted just behind where the lower control arm connects. This rust is not visible when viewing from the underside of the vehicle when on a lift, making failure of the subframe imminent. Honda should admit a design flaw exists with the ac discharge and replace these bad frames. What a disgrace. Sad to say I will be switching brands. I prefer companies who step up to the plate to protect their customers. This failure is very hard to detect until it's too late. Shame on Honda. I already had my ball joints fail (recall exists for them) and I only hope my subframe holds out a little longer.

- Apalachin, NY, USA

problem #29

Mar 102015

Accord

  • 180,000 miles
Excessive corrosion and rust on the passenger side front sub frame. Technician says it's because the A/C drain tube. The drivers side has no corrosion at all! Honda changed this in 03+ models. Very expensive repair, this car has no body rust. This should've been a recall.

- Nashua, NH, USA

problem #28

Jun 012007

Accord

  • 100,000 miles
Clear coat began peeling back in 2005 and I dealt with it until 2007 and had someone repaint the entire car for $900. 8 years later, the same issue is happening. Must be the metal that Honda used on their cars. It is very annoying to say the least. I see it on several Honda Accord from the same generation.

- Winston-Salem, NC, USA

problem #27

Nov 242015

Accord

  • 159,000 miles
After bringing the car in for routine maintenance on the brakes, I was notified that the passenger side sub frame is completely rusted through and the car is no longer safe to drive. It was a huge surprise as the car has had regular maintenance and does not have significant rust on any other location. I was told that any pot hole or large bump could have broken the frame and completely dislodged the engine. I was told it was a design issue that caused isolated rusting on an important part of the frame.

- Kingsford, MI, USA

problem #26

Nov 182015

Accord

  • 178,000 miles
I was driving on the highway at normal speed and as I was making a turn I heard a loud popping sound from the front of my vehicle. I took the car to an independent mechanic who after inspecting the vehicle informed me that my passenger side sub-frame arm had rusted off and snapped. This came as a surprised, because the car was inspected for a state inspection less then a week before the said incident and it had passed the state inspection. I was told the vehicle was not safe to drive. I was told by the technician that the ac hose were placed directly above the sub-frame and every time the ac was used it would leak onto the sub frame and cause it to rust. The other sub-frame arm had no indication of rust at all. This is a case of complete negligence by the manufacturer. The manufacturer has designed a flawed product and has filed to address the issue and take accountability for their actions. No recall was issued. No statement made. The owner cannot be held responsible for the cost of the repairs as the product that was manufactured by Honda has initial design flaws which directly attributed to the frailer of a major structural component of the vehicle. There is no doubt in my mind that the manufacturer had and has been fully aware of this problem. A recall must be issued to prevent most of all fatalities and help alleviate the financial burden placed upon the owners as the repairs are often times very costly.

- Webster Groves, MO, USA

problem #25

Oct 012015

Accord

  • 213,000 miles
While driving on city streets and also on the highway I noticed a clanking noise coming from the right front wheel area of the car. Parked the car and pushed on the right side of the hood and could hear the noise. Took off the right front tire and noticed severe rust through of the frame that connects below the control arm. (2 photos attached) car is unsafe to drive and am getting estimates on repair cost.

- Wilmette, IL, USA

problem #23

Aug 072014

Accord

  • miles
Body panel of the passengers is all scratched and their is cameras in my building complex and I told the owner to check them and he said it wasn't his problem and now I'm seeing more scratches and I told him again and he told me to park outside now not inside when I'm actually paying $50 for the parking every month.

- Los Angeles , CA, USA

problem #22

Nov 262014

Accord

  • 192,000 miles
Heard clunking noise while turning. Figured it was a cv joint, took it to my very trusted mechanic. He confirmed the right joint was bad, and said that on the left joint, the boot was already off, and it is slinging grease everywhere. More disturbing, he also said that the front subframe is dangerously rusted out. He specifically mentioned that the "cradle", which holds up the front of the engine is almost completely rusted through. He said "you are one pot-hole away from total failure...the engine will fall to the ground. Do not drive it." I looked online and saw that there is a recall for the same make/model/year, but my car falls outside of the covered dates. My vehicle was made in Dec 1997, and the recall only goes through Aug 1997. Quite frankly, given that the failure mode is exactly what is covered by the recall, I believe my car should be included in the recall. While I recognize that the car is old, the frame of a 98 model Accord shouldn't corrode and break in half, potentially leading to catastrophic results.

- Hamilton, OH, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?