1998 Honda Accord Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 276 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 1998 Honda Accord, 23% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 86,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “automatic transmission” (13% of reports).
- 276power train complaints
- 86,000median miles at failure
- 13mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $5,300typical repair cost reported by owners
- 28%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.
- Automatic transmission: mentioned in 35 of 276 complaints (13%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 1998 Honda Accord at $5,300, and half of them between $3,650 and $7,300.
Based on 35 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2000–2016), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 143 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 276 complaints, 13 mention a crash, 4 an injury.
Honda Accord power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Accord | 5 | 6% | — |
| 2024 Accord | 6 | 4% | 75,000 |
| 2023 Accord | 3 | 4% | — |
| 2022 Accord | 8 | 3% | — |
| 2021 Accord | 14 | 6% | — |
| 2020 Accord | 16 | 4% | 2,833 |
| 2019 Accord | 43 | 6% | 32,500 |
| 2018 Accord | 137 | 7% | 14,110 |
| 2017 Accord | 33 | 6% | 15,814 |
| 2016 Accord | 29 | 5% | 28,750 |
| 2015 Accord | 40 | 7% | 29,000 |
| 2014 Accord | 64 | 7% | 53,314 |
| 2013 Accord | 110 | 8% | 15,500 |
| 2012 Accord | 27 | 7% | 62,000 |
| 2011 Accord | 21 | 7% | 4,700 |
| 2010 Accord | 45 | 8% | 64,121 |
| 2009 Accord | 36 | 5% | 62,175 |
| 2008 Accord | 70 | 5% | 78,150 |
| 2007 Accord | 58 | 11% | 88,306 |
| 2006 Accord | 50 | 12% | 98,640 |
| 2005 Accord | 113 | 17% | 70,000 |
| 2004 Accord | 348 | 34% | 100,000 |
| 2003 Accord | 924 | 47% | 98,000 |
| 2002 Accord | 478 | 46% | 88,000 |
| 2001 Accord | 209 | 23% | 84,500 |
| 2000 Accord | 201 | 17% | 113,006 |
| 1999 Accord | 246 | 22% | 83,000 |
| 1998 Accord | 276 | 23% | 86,000 |
| 1997 Accord | 33 | 7% | 82,500 |
| 1996 Accord | 27 | 6% | 125,000 |
| 1995 Accord | 18 | 3% | 147,323 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Power train:automatic transmission:park/neutral start interlock switch
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles (honda accord sedans manufactured from september 18, 1997 to january 10, 1998; coupes manufactured december 11, december 15, 1997, and january 5, 1998; acura 2.3cl manufactured october 22, 1997 through january 7, 1998). During manufacturing, the casting die caused an irregularity in the right-side transmission cover. This irregularity can limit the movement of the parking pawl actuation level and prevent adequate engagement of the parking gear pawl. This does not comply with fmvs no. 114, "theft protection."
Risk: This condition can cause the vehicle to roll down an incline when the transmission is locked in "park," increasing the risk of personal injury and/or property damage.
Fix: Dealers will install a collar on the transmission parking pawl to ensure proper movement of the actuation lever.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
During the normal speed on the 40 mile per hour street transmission suddenly stack and the vehicle did not accelerate more than 30 mile per hour .after that date this condition continues on and off .on the other side the transmission changes the speed only in 1st and 2nd gear. All nesessary…
Transmission is failing. It is slipping between shifts, which leads to spiked rpms because of the delayed shift. The shift is also very harsh, where it jerks, shakes, and rumbles the car. Gears also grind occasionally between stop and first gear.
This is exactly what happened to our car please see below from the other honda owner's description: at 100,000 miles my 1998 honda accord began jerking and bucking when shifting from first to second gear and also when accelerating in higher gear. I was almost killed by a semi truck behind me when…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Honda Accords have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 276 owner complaints about power train for the 1998 Honda Accord (23% 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 power train?
Yes: 1 safety recall list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 86,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 1998 Honda Accord?
Owners report a typical cost of $5,300 (half paid between $3,650 and $7,300), from 35 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 1998 Honda Accord?
The most frequent phrase is “automatic transmission”, in 35 of 276 complaints.
Other 1998 Honda Accord problems
See all 1998 Honda Accord problems or power train problems across all Accord years.