Saturday, August 8, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

1996 Ford Contour vs 1996 Honda Accord

Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Aug 8, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.

Metric1996 Ford Contour1996 Honda Accord
NHTSA complaints563472
Recall campaigns30
Service bulletins (TSBs)22372
Investigations50
Crash reports3552
Fire reports244
NCAP overall rating
EPA MPG (combined)21–2519–25
Median reported incident mileage91,500 mi106,602 mi

Reported problems side by side

ComponentFord ContourHonda Accord
Engine and Engine Cooling12396
Electrical System11940
Air Bags25109
Service Brakes, Hydraulic4474
Power Train7727
Exterior Lighting643
Visibility4121
Vehicle Speed Control3129

Symptoms owners describe

Stalling4416
Electrical failures350
Overheating240
Vibration / shaking1410
Check engine light107
Hesitation / surging105
Clunking / rattling80
Rust / corrosion80

Compare all Ford Contour vs Honda Accord years →

Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports. A vehicle that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — use shares and read the underlying reports before drawing conclusions.