Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1996 Honda Civic owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I owned a 1996 Honda Civic ex, bought it new. I was in an accident on June 13th of 1998. It was considered my fault because I pulled out into the path of the other vehical. But I didn't, the car took off I could not get it to stop. ..I tryed to get it out of the way of the other car. But was unable to move out of the way.which ended up in an accident totaling my car, and hurting my back! I still to this day suffer with my back. I was not told about the recall on my car. I don't think its very fare I've had to suffer all this time and was not told about this problem with my car. I was hit in the side by a truck doing 45-50 miles an hour. My passenger and I could have been killed! And if my childern had been in the car they would have been!!has to much time passed for me to do anything about it? I had to pay high insurance premiums for 3 years,suffer from back pain all the time.
The consumer stated that while driving the vehicle accelerated to 40 MPH. The consumer hit the brakes, but nothing happened. He finally went off the road into a garden and hit a wall. The consumer was knocked unconscious. The consumer sustained minor injuries, and was taken to the hospital where he was checked out and released. The police had the vehicle towed. Consumer was then advised by the police to contact the manufacturer. Recall# 99i002000.
Accessory driver-side floor mats used in 1996-1998 Honda Civic vehicles. Due to the shape of the floor on these vehicles, a mispositioned floor mat could interfere with the accelerator pedal. The car is in motion. K60
While parking the car at an apartment complex, I slowly pulled the car into a spot. The car following saw my brake lights. I had my foot on the brake and was about to put the car in park and there was a strange noise that sounded like overdrive and the car surged forward into a reinforced concrete wall. My foot was on the brake the whole time but I could not control the car, the wall stopped us from moving. My mother was a passenger and said that I shouted" what is happening?" we sustained injuries as a result of the accident and have been out of work.
I recently purchased a 1996 Honda Civic with a manual transmission. The cruise control works only intermittently, and usually it does not work. At times when going over 40 MPH on the rare occasion that I have gotten the cruise control to work, it just clicks off by itself. I am disabled and must have cruise control when driving for any significant period of time. I need to know if there is a fix for this.
Using cruise control, set cruise at 60mph. Cruise control worked fine. Applied foot to accelerator. Car continued to accelerate after removing foot. Applied brake and cruise control did not release. Applied clutch and engine continued to increase rotations per minute (RPM). I believe that engine RPM must have hit a threshold then disengaged.
Tl* - the contact owns a 1996 Honda civix dx. While driving at 15 MPH the brake pedal became hard to engage. The dealer mailed her recall 99i002000 regarding vehicle speed control. This failure occurred since purchasing the vehicle on December 24, 2006. The current and failure mileage were 162,956. Updated 03/30/07.
Engine failed due to faulty key mount on crankshaft, and 2 belts came off pulley, vehicle loss control resulting in an accident. Also, replaced windshield wiper/washer, exhaust system, throttle cable, emissions, axles, brakes, cv boots, and floor mat. 8jb
When parking vehicle in garage, pressed gas pedal instead of brake pedal, causing vehicle to hit a brick wall. At that time both air bags deployed, however, passenger sustained injuries to face and eyes.
In the first incident, the vehicle was being driven between 60- 85 MPH and suddenly accelerated until the driver stepped on the brakes. The dealer acknowlwdged that the accelerator had struck and stated that the "cable" needed replacing. During the second incident, the vehicle was traveling between 30-45 MPH and continued to accelerate while the driver stepped on the brakes. The driver reach down and pulled the accelerator pedal up to stop the vehicle. Again the dealer stated that the cable needed repalcing.
NHTSA investigations
Throttle cable sticking
Due to the agency's investigation into this matter, Honda agreed to conduct a safety recall to notify owners of the 1996-1998 Honda civics and install a positive floor mat retention system on the driver's side (genuine Honda) floor mat.furthermore, Honda will conduct a product improvement campaign to inspect and replace certain model year 1996 civic throttle cables equipped with cables not having the latest…
Acceleration complaints in other Civic years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 1996 Honda Civic?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1996 Honda Civic, 10% of the model year's 305 complaints. The component named most often is cables (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1996 Honda Civic acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 1996 Honda Civic, though it has 2 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 1996 Honda Civic acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 106,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 8 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.