Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Honda Accord owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I bought this 1998 Honda Accord and I want to know why my car VIN number is not in the recalls for this no warning cutting off while driving and its very dangerous to drive it and sometimes it takes a long time to start up and then continue to cut off I have replaced fuel pump distributor full tuneup and next my ignition coil which is a recall for my year Honda Accord and this cut off problem should be taken care of for my safety because I own this vehicle and would appreciate your support and concern of the recalls on my car please. When I first bought the car the next day I was on the freeway and the car just cut off and I didn't even know it was off until I realize I was slowing down and steering got hard and traffic was yelling at me from their vehicles and I was scared pulling over to the side of freeway.and as of today it does it more frequently and take longer to start back up …
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Honda Accord. When the engine was started, the contact heard an abnormal noise coming from the fuel tank and a strong fuel fumes emitted around the vehicle. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.
Car suddenly shuts off on its own while driving; all electrical goes off except for check engine light, ABS light, or none at all. Happened 3 or 4 times, sometimes at freeway speed, car restarted from neutral a few minutes later. Taken to Honda dealer & diagnosed with a faulty transmission module, replaced for $450. Yet the problem just recurred not long after that repair. This creates a serious road hazard & potential for crash & serious injury, as suddenly & without warning, the vehicle shuts down & cannot be controlled with any acceleration, power steering or normal braking. This vehicle has always been maintained meticulously, since new, per recommended schedule with Honda dealerships. Browsing the internet shows this to be an unusually common, serious & difficult to diagnose issue with hondas & acuras from ~1997-2002.
Car randomly stalls at different speeds at any given time.could do it sitting in driveway or on highway. Not weather related or how long the car has been running.might happen 4 or 5 times a day or just every 3 or 4 days. No engine lights nothing. A few mechanics think its a ignition switch problem.this car has been recalled for this a number of years ago. Honda dealers in area want to charge me a large sum for finding the problem and repair. I know this is unsafe and should be repaired. Do I have any options? Do you know anything about this problem? Can you help in any way? [redacted]
Noted excessive smell of gasoline in and immediately outside the vehicle, and later determined gasoline mileage had dropped dramatically from 30+ mpg to 18 mpg. Upon securing the first available diagnostic check from my local mechanic it was determined there was "fuel leaking from the top area of fuel tank, but many items would have to be moved out of the way to lower the fuel tank to make a more specific location of the site and cause of the leak, which would be labor intensive and costly because the entire rear cradle would have to be removed with the danger that old rusting bolts would break and might not be able to be replaced. Possible items that might need to be replaced, include the fuel tank, fuel filler neck and fuel pump."
1998 Honda Accord: vehicle lost power several times at highway speed. Motor stopped, powers steering and brakes lost, gauge needles spun to zero, as if car was shut off at during normal operation. We did not touch key! Almost got run over by car behind us. Problem occurred six more times before we could get to local Honda dealership. They charged me $186.26 to replaced defective ignition switch and they advised they fix a recall for switch interlock while car was in shop for four days! We sent a letter to Honda,[redacted] from Honda America california called me to decline reimbursing my cost!
Honda Accord accelerator cable failure. I picked up my son from school. I started to drive away from the school and the accelerator pedal stopped responding. I steered the car back to the curb using the remaining momentum, stopping near the curb at an angle. I opened the engine hood to locate any loose cables going from the engine to the accelerator pedal. When I touched the accelerator cable, the metal cable was loose and fell out of the housing, revealing a broken frayed cable. I called a tow truck to deliver the car to a Honda dealer for repair.
My 1998 Honda Accord 4 door sedan l4 engine stalls and the engine dies while driving in traffic. I am very concerned about this issue as it relates to my safety and the safety of my family. The first time this event happened the car stalled then died. The check engine light came on. After I let the car sit for awhile I attempted to start the car. It took four times. I then sought service or repair. Four attempts have been made to correct this problem. None of which are successful.
Failed clear coat and faded paint were the first problems to occur with my silver Honda Accord. Next was the gas tank leak, where fumes and leaked gas could be smelled and seen on the ground when filling the tank more than half full. Finally my passenger side front subframe rear cross member rusted thru and now the car isn't safe to drive and won't pass inspection without major repairs to the frame. None of the rest of the under body is rusted, just that section. Not happy!
Tl - the contact owns a 1998 Honda Accord. The contact stated that fuel fumes were emitting in and around the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that there was fuel leak and the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 160,000 and the current mileage was 165,000. Pm
Fuel System complaints in other Accord years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 1998 Honda Accord?
NHTSA has 82 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 1998 Honda Accord, 7% of the model year's 1,200 complaints. The component named most often is storage › tank assembly (19 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Honda Accord fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 1998 Honda Accord, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Honda Accord fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 138,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to fuel & propulsion system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.