Problems · by component

1998 Honda Accord suspension problems

61 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1998 Honda Accord cite suspension, 5% of all 1,215 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
61
5% of all complaints
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the suspension

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“05/12/1999 MANUFACTURER SAFETY ELATED RECALL ISSUED , NHTSA #99V-069 RECALL # K59 1997-98 HONDA BALL JOINT SAFETY RECALL. WHEN I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR THE REPAIRS TO BE MADE , SERVICE AGENT TOLD ME IT WAS BE 5 DAYS TO GET PART. SERVICE ASK ME IF I WANTED TO WAIT, I REPLIED YES 12/07/2020,TODAY 12/15/2020 I WAS TOLD IT COULD NOT BE DONE , I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT IT MAYBE IMPOSSIBLE TO RECEIVE PARTS FOR REPLACING THOSE BALL JOINTS AND THAT MY VEHICLE HAD AFTER MARKET PARTS , AND REGRETTABLY THAT DEALERSHIP COULD NOT PERFORM THOSE RECALLS , I AM CURRENTLY OUT OF TOWN WHERE I LEFT MY VEHICLE . THE DEALERSHIP MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE A REPORT OF MY REPAIRS FOR THOSE RECALLS , 12/15/2020 WAS TOLD IT ITS WAS READY TO BE PICKED UP WITHOUT THOSE REPAIRS , I ALSO OFFERED TO PAY FOR MY OWN REPAIRS AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT EVEN POSSIBLE FOR THAT DEALERSHIP TO PERFORM THOSE REPAIRS. *DT*JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 15, 2020SuspensionODI 11383497
“THE VEHICLE FAIL STATE INSPECTION BECAUSE THE SUB-FRAME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL YEAR. WHAT HAS BEEN THE MANUFACTURERS RESPONSE, HAVE THEY ISSUED A RECALL? THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 29, 2019SuspensionODI 11204400
“TL* 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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 1, 2018Suspension, StructureODI 11091183
“FRONT SUBFRAME RUSTED ON PASSENGER SIDE PRESUMABLY FROM A/C DRAIN DESIGN FLAW. HAS NOT FAILED YET BUT WILL NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION WITHOUT REPLACEMENT OF SUBFRAME.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 8, 2017SuspensionODI 11013665
“THE FRONT SUBFRAME IS GETTING RUSTY AND I CAN SEE A LOT OF WATER DRAINING FROM THE AC SYSTEM ON IT. I THINK IT MIGHT FAIL AND CAUSE A MAJOR ISSUE. MY CAR IS NOT RUSTY, IT IS IN A GREAT SHAPE FOR THE AGE. THE ONLY PLACE THAT IS RUSTED SO BAD IS THAT AREA. HONDA'S BAD DESIGN THAT MAKES THE AC WATER DRAIN PLUG DUMP INTO THE SUBFRAME MADE THAT PROBLEM HAPPEN.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 4, 2016SuspensionODI 10882398
“MY VEHICLE IS ONE OF THE 2 MILLION+ HONDA ACCORDS WITH SUB-FRAME ROT, CAUSED BY THE A/C DRAIN HOSE. I HAVE HAD IT INSPECTED THROUGH LOCAL MECHANICS DURING ROUTINE OIL CHANGES AND THEY WARN ME IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I AM WORRIED THE ENGINE AND/OR TRANSMISSION WILL EVENTUALLY FALL OUT. IT IS ONLY ROTTED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH THE AC HOSE, DRIVER SIDE IS FINE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 31, 2015SuspensionODI 10760480

Showing 6 of 61 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Suspension: lower ball joint

Free remedy

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CERTAIN VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH BALL JOINTS THAT CAN PREMATURELY WEAR OUT AND, IN THE WORSE CASE, THE BALL JOINT WOULD SEPARATE CAUSING THE FRONT SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE.

SuspensionReported May 10, 1999NHTSA 99V069000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 3, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.