1998 Honda Accord Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 79 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 1998 Honda Accord, 7% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 103,281 miles. The words owners use most often: “upon impact” (15% of reports).
- 79air bags complaints
- 103,281median miles at failure
- 45mention a crash
- 24mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 32%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Upon impact: mentioned in 12 of 79 complaints (15%)
- Takata air bags: mentioned in 7 of 79 complaints (9%)
- Involved frontal: mentioned in 6 of 79 complaints (8%)
- Head injuries: mentioned in 5 of 79 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 19 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 79 complaints, 45 mention a crash, 24 an injury.
Honda Accord air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Accord | 2 | 2% | 14,000 |
| 2024 Accord | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2023 Accord | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2022 Accord | 2 | 1% | 73,000 |
| 2021 Accord | 15 | 6% | — |
| 2020 Accord | 36 | 10% | 71,000 |
| 2019 Accord | 31 | 4% | 45,000 |
| 2018 Accord | 60 | 3% | 70,000 |
| 2017 Accord | 23 | 4% | 29,600 |
| 2016 Accord | 16 | 3% | 20,140 |
| 2015 Accord | 23 | 4% | 15,000 |
| 2014 Accord | 37 | 4% | 36,000 |
| 2013 Accord | 51 | 4% | 50,000 |
| 2012 Accord | 56 | 15% | 60,000 |
| 2011 Accord | 115 | 39% | 70,500 |
| 2010 Accord | 134 | 23% | 63,000 |
| 2009 Accord | 143 | 20% | 89,500 |
| 2008 Accord | 379 | 25% | 80,000 |
| 2007 Accord | 160 | 31% | 78,000 |
| 2006 Accord | 130 | 30% | 106,000 |
| 2005 Accord | 209 | 32% | 82,500 |
| 2004 Accord | 251 | 25% | 88,750 |
| 2003 Accord | 318 | 16% | 90,000 |
| 2002 Accord | 273 | 26% | 85,500 |
| 2001 Accord | 407 | 44% | 85,500 |
| 2000 Accord | 454 | 38% | 80,000 |
| 1999 Accord | 74 | 7% | 106,500 |
| 1998 Accord | 79 | 7% | 103,281 |
| 1997 Accord | 113 | 25% | 75,500 |
| 1996 Accord | 109 | 23% | 111,504 |
| 1995 Accord | 211 | 39% | 112,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 1998 Acura 2.2CL, 1998-1999 Acura 2.3CL, 1998-1999 Acura 3.0CL, 2001 Acura 3.2CL and Acura MDX, 1998-2000 Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Sedan, Odyssey and Acura 3.5RL, 1999-2000 Acura 3.2TL, 1996-2000 Civic Coupe, 1997-2000 CR-V, 1997-1998 EV Plus, and 1998-1999 Isuzu Oasis vehicles. These vehicles were equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) and do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, causing the inflators to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag cushion may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver frontal air bag inflator, and replace it if necessary, with an inflator of a different design, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020. Owners may contact American Honda's Customer Support & Campaign Center at 1-888-234-2138 or Isuzu customer service at 1-800-255-6727.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 1998 Honda Accord Sedan. The contact stated stopped at a traffic light, a second vehicle crashed full onto the rear bumper of her vehicle. The contact stated that her trunk and side rear panels were crushed. The contact stated that the second vehicle crashed her vehicle twice in…
Honda refuses to replace recalled airbags. I've been trying for a year and even when they "order" the part they don't have it when I arrive. This has happened repeatedly. I was in a car accident today and the airbags didn't deploy and they should have. After reading all the online complaints I feel…
I was in a bad accident i was in the far right lane on the highway i'm going 55mph someone jumped in front of me i used my breaks then my car jerked right into the other person car causing my car to spin around 2 time on a 6 lane highway . The airbag never deployed the staring wheel was not turning…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Honda Accords have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 79 owner complaints about air bags for the 1998 Honda Accord (7% of the 1,200 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Honda Accord air bags?
Yes: 1 safety recall list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 103,281 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 1998 Honda Accord?
The most frequent phrase is “upon impact”, in 12 of 79 complaints, followed by “takata air bags” (7).
Other 1998 Honda Accord problems
See all 1998 Honda Accord problems or air bags problems across all Accord years.