Problems · by component
1998 Honda Accord steering problems
30 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1998 Honda Accord cite steering, 2% of all 1,215 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
30
2% of all complaints
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
5
Reported by owners
What owners say about the steering
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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 LOTS OF FLUIDS LEAKING OUT OF IT BUT IT WAS ALWAYS JERKING FOR SOME REASON EVEN WHEN THE MECHANIC SAYS THAT'S NATURAL..”
“WHILE I WAS CHANGING THE PASSENGER SIDE DRIVE AXLE OF A BROKEN CV JOINT BOOT LAST YEAR (JULY 2014), I NOTICED THAT THE SUBFRAME HAD RUSTED OUT (ABOUT 60% CAME THROUGH AND OFF WHEN I PUNCHED THE AREA WITH A SCREW DRIVER) WHERE THE STABILIZING BAR BRACKET AND LOWER CONTROL ARM PIVOT ARE MOUNTED TO THE FRAME. THE PROBLEM AREA OF THE SUBFRAME IS RIGHT UNDER THE DRAIN HOLE FOR THE A/C EVAPORATOR. THE SUBFRAME TO THE DRIVER SIDE IS CLEAN AND HAS NO RUST ISSUE. THE LOCATION OF THE RUST AREA SUGGESTS THAT IT MAY BE RELATED TO THE DRAIN HOLE OF THE A/C SYSTEM OR/AND SOMETHING SIMILAR (SUCH AS RAIN) THAT HAD LED TO WATER STAYING IN THE AREA. THE RUST IS GETTING WORSE OVER TIME. I CHECKED IT TODAY (JULY 23, 2015) AFTER NOTICING YELLOWISH DRIPPING MARKS LEFT ON THE DRIVER WAY. MY WIFE DROVE THE CAR THE DAY BEFORE WHEN THERE WAS A HEAVY RAIN. THE CAR WAS PARKED ON THE DRIVE WAY (UP HILL ABOUT 15 DEGREES) OVER NIGHT. WHEN SHE PULLED THE CAR OUT OF THE DRIVE WAY THE NEXT DAY, WE SAW YELLOWISH WATER DRIPPING FROM UNDER THE CAR. SO, I LOOKED AT THE AREA. FOR SURE, IT'S GETTING WORSE THAN LAST YEAR. I PUNCHED AROUND AND GOT ABOUT A COUPLE OF SPOONFULS OF RUST OFF THE FRAME. I…”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN AND THEN STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE STEERING WOULD NOT TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHERE AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A FAULTY WIRE HARNESS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000.”
“HTTP://WWW.NEWSNET5.COM/NEWS/LOCAL-NEWS/INVESTIGATIONS/CENTER-FOR-AUTO-SAFETY-REQUESTING-RECALL-OF-1-5-MILLION-HONDA-ACCORDS-FOR-RUST-ISSUE-IN-SUB-FRAME. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED”
“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. *TR”
“UPON ROUTINE BRAKE INSPECTION VEHICLE WAS DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO PASSENGER SUB FRAME THAT HAS CRACKED DUE TO RUST. SUB FRAME IS CRACKED IN MULTIPLE PLACES. *TR”
Showing 6 of 30 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.