Most common 1999 Honda Accord problems
Share of the 1,135 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Honda Accord complaints by model year
Best Accord years: 2023, 2011, 2012. Years to avoid: 2018, 2013, 2019, 2014, 2003. Compare all years →
1999 Honda Accord recalls (4)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 1998 Acura 2.2CL, 1998-1999 Acura 2.3CL, 1998-1999 Acura 3.0CL, 2001 Acura 3.2CL and Acura MDX, 1998-2000 Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Sedan, Odyssey and Acura 3.5RL, 1999-2000 Acura 3.2TL, 1996-2000 Civic Coupe, 1997-2000 CR-V, 1997-1998 EV Plus, and 1998-1999…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver frontal air bag inflator, and replace it if necessary, with an inflator of a different design, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020.
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
On certain passenger vehicles, the interlock operation of the ignition switch May not function properly, making it possible to turn the ignition key to the "off" position and remove the key without shifting the transmission to park.
Remedy: Dealers will perform an inspection procedure that confirms interlock function. Vehicles will be updated with a redesigned interlock lever free of charge. The recall began on March 7, 2005.
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
On certain passenger vehicles and Mini vans, the ignition switch May wear excessively and prevent proper interlock operation, making it possible to turn the ignition key to the "off" position and remove the key without shifting the transmission to "park."
Remedy: Dealers will perform an inspection procedure that determines the amount of cylinder body wear. If significant wear is indicated, the dealer will replace the cylinder body, collar, and latch plate.
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
On certain sedans, coupes, hatchbacks, and sport utility vehicles, electrical contacts in the ignition switch can degrade due to the high electrical current passing through the switch when the vehicle is started.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the ignition switch. Owner notification began June 14, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 5 possible defects involving the 1999 Honda Accord:
Ignition-park interlock
The above failure report counts are for model year (my) 1999 - 2001 Honda accord models that were not within the scope of a related Honda recall action (NHTSA 03V423); these vehicles were investigated by odi under defect petition (dp) 04-006.complaint information for other models and model years was not obtained by odi.the noted population indicates the number of vehicles (including the my 2002 accord plus the…
Ignition-park interlock system
Six of the odi complaints are duplicative of the manufacturer complaints, as well as four of the crashes.the noted injury occurred when a rollaway vehicle that had been inadvertently parked in neutral struck the exiting operator.the warranty claim count shown for other represents incidents where Honda's analysis of claim detail indicates the interlock system malfunctioned.the interlock system utilizes a lever to…
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…
Ignition-park interlock
Six of the odi complaints are duplicative of Honda complaints, as well as four of the crashes.the one injury occurred when a rollaway vehicle struck the exiting operator who had inadvertently parked the vehicle in an unsecured state (not in park, brake not engaged).Honda identified the warranty claims from complaint descriptions that contended the interlock system failed to operate properly.Honda presented the…
Ignition-park interlock
The office of defects investigation (odi) produced an information request (ir) letter dated October 14, 2004 which defined the subject vehicles as model year 1999 - 2001 Honda accord vehicles which were not within the scope of prior recall action (03V423) Honda conducted to resolve an interlock defect.Honda submitted responses on November 29 and December 21, 2004.the failure reports noted above have been determined…
What 1999 Honda Accord owners say
Electrical system all 388 →
Why you are driving the RPMs drop down to zero and the car just shuts off and you could be sitting at a light it does the same thing our traffic it is just shut off I Googled about the car and it said it was the ignition switch and then when I Googled that it said it was a recall on my car I'm just trying to see what's going on
Car was in motion driving 70 MPH and engine cut out, maintenance required light flashed, power steering locked, car jolted. It did this twice within a matter of seconds and restarted both times. I just purchased the car for my 17 year old and it happened two days after we bought it. I tried to replicate it but could not. I ran the VIN looking for recalls before purchase but found none for my vehicle. After this happened I saw all of the complaints regarding ignition switch problems. I took the car back to the used car dealer who has a mechanic onsite and I showed him the complaints I had found that were similar to what happened. I had him remove and inspect the ignition switch. He did find upon observation that it looked like there had been some electrical sparks and I believe he said some corrosion too, and that it was defective. …
Transmission & drivetrain all 246 →
The contact owns a 1999 Honda Accord. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle jerked and inadvertently decelerated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 214,251.
Travelling on interstate when when front-end of vehicle began to vibrate. Moments after the vibration, the car veered hard right on its own. Unable to regain control of vehicle, as steering wheel seemed as it was "locked" in a hard-right enabling position. This malfunction caused the driver to hit a retaining wall at approx 55mph, causing bodily injury. Inspection revealed a faulty/failed steering knuckle, which had completely failed/snapped. Car considered a total, after incident.
Engine & cooling all 172 →
My vehicle was in the left turn lane waiting for the light to turn green. I went and didnt realize the far right lane was for parking only on a 1 way street left headed east it was a 1 way with 2 lanes moving forward a 1 lane next to the curb where vehicles park in front of there residents. I slammed into the back of the parked white Chevy truck. My vehicle came to a sudden stop forcing my body forward towards the windshield. My seatbelt only restrained my body so far so I used my foot to apply the brake. My cars passenger side air bag did deploy but the drivers side did not. My vehicle needed to be towed because it was not drivable. I then later had a friend drive me to the emergency room. I didnt want to go by ambulance due to pandemic in place. About 2 to 3 weeks later I recieved the recall letter in my mailbox. Since the accident I have been unable to work or even daily functions. …
Car repeatedly shuts off when driving. I was driving in the highway and my Honda lights started flickering and the speedometer hands started flickering. My car then shut off and my wheel locked. I tried to restart and it would not turn back on. It sounded like my car was dragging something but I checked underneath and didn't see anything. After gassing the car while starting, it finally started back up but you could tell it was barely being powered. It sounded like it was trying hard to power but it was only doing it so much. Now I'm sitting still on side the highway and it also runs hot so I filled the antifreeze and now I'm letting t run, hoping that the antifreeze is the cause of these problems. My car sounds awful!!!!! It doesn't even have 150K miles!!!! For it to be a 1999!!!!!!
1999 Honda Accord engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.3L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 28 / 24 |
| 2.3L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 28 / 23 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Honda Accord a good car?
Based on 1,135 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 Accord rates average: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Accord at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Honda Accord?
The electrical system — 388 complaints, 34% of all complaints for this model year, most often about ignition › switch. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (246) and engine & cooling (172).
How many recalls does the 1999 Honda Accord have?
There are 4 recalls for the 1999 Honda Accord, the most recent from January 17, 2020 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Honda Accord?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2023, 2011 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2018, 2013, 2019, 2014 and 2003. See the full Honda Accord years comparison.
At what mileage do 1999 Honda Accord problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 106,000 miles; 10% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.