Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (seat frames, recliners, heated seats and seat tracks).
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 was driving between 0 and 5 MPH when I was hit from behind. The vehicle that hit me was a 1997 Toyota camery. His appx. Speed was between 40 and 50 MPH. When I exited my vehicle I noticed that the drivers seat was completly layed back. I didn't know it at the time but it appears the metal in the seat broke, causing the back of the seat to collapse. The seat was in the total reclined position. When it was delivered to combs collision, it was determined that the metal holding the top of the seat to the bottom had broken. They were not able to push the seat back up all the way. The passenger seat also had damage to it.
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was involved in a multi car collision, both the driver and passenger seats failed. The rear and the front end of the vehicle were damaged. Upon rear impact, a popping noise was heard and the seats reclined. The driver and passenger suffered back injuries. The police filed a report at the scene and the insurance company deemed the vehicle totaled.
1998 Honda Accord w/ 8 way power seat. Have had two weld failures of front torque tube to lift levers. First failure was left hand corner two years ago. Repaired this break myself with tig weld, the dealer would not warrant this repair because the vehicle was beyond Honda's 36mo/36K warranty. Second failure occurred on center lift lever this past November, 2004. My seat freely and loosely rocks back and forth the normal front seat tilt travel. I asked my local Honda dealer about the replacement mentioned by Honda in defect summary NHTSA action number pe02072. I was told my Accord had too many miles (140,000). My replacement cost for this over $300.00 or disassemble the frame and redo all the "cold" welds. The welds on this seat frame are defective. None of them appear to have proper penetration. This is a safety defect, similar to a defective safety belt. …
Drivers seat acts as if the two front seat mount bolts are not bolted to the floor it rocks back when you accelerate. It started with just slight movement back and within a 30 days it now moves several inches everytime you accelerate. You have to keep a tight grip on the steering wheel when you drive or you could move back far enough to have your hands slip off the wheel. Nothing has been done to fix the problem but I have had estimate for a $1200 repair as they said the entire seat track and motor will have to be replaced.
My vehicle was hit directly from behind at high impact. At impact, my driver's seat went to the reclining position. After the impact, it was noted that the manual seat back adjustment lever had been pulled completely off of the seat, apparently due to entanglement with the seat belt during the impact.
While at a stand still vehicle was struck from rear, estimated speed was not determined. But, it forced vehicle into another vehicle in front. Also, caused seatback to collapse. Dealer / manufacturer were not notified at this time. Please feel free to provide any further details on this matter.
A pick up truck traveling at 45 MPH slammed in the back of consumer's vehicle while was sitting. Driver's side seatback collapsed and consumer suffered a ruptured disc in neck. Vehicle was stopped to make a left hand turn. The vehicle was deemed destroyed.
Upon acceleration driver seat fell back into back seat area. Dealer has been notified. It was determined that the weld used to tilt the seat broke, in turn, caused the seat to detach from the base.
Driver's side seatback broke while in a rearend collision, causing the consumer to be thrown back into the back seat. Passenger also felt as though the seat released slightly, but caught itself.
I have a 1998 Honda Accord 4-door. Sometimes the seat belt on the driver's side does not recoil when I remove it. I gets hung up in the switch that moves the seat back. On the date below, I had my son in a forward facing car seat in the middle rear sear. I parked and unclipped my seat belt and opened the trunk. I got out of the car and shut the door but didn't realize that the seat belt was pushing against the seat back switch and lowered the seat back all the way down. It caught my son's foot between his car seat and the seat back. He was not seriously hurt, but this could have been much worse. It only took the time from me to get out of the car and go to the trunk to retrieve his stroller for this to happen.
NHTSA investigations
Seat frame bracket failure
This pe was opened based on 10 consumer complaints in the odi database alleging that the power assisted seats were failing in certain 1998-2002 Honda accord vehicles.failures are concentrated in the 1998-99 model year vehicles.the bracket that attaches the seat bottom to the seat base is fracturing due to: 1-the weld condition of bracket, 2-the drivers weight, and 3-the impact on the seat when the driver enters the…
Seat complaints in other Accord years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat problems on the 1998 Honda Accord?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the seats of the 1998 Honda Accord, 2% of the model year's 1,200 complaints. The component named most often is front assembly › recliner (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Honda Accord seat problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seats 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 seat problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 108,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 0 fires and 10 injuries to seats 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.