Equal-exposure complaint evidence and changes in the reported problem mix

1997 vs 1998 HONDA ACCORD

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21

Share shifts show how a vehicle's problem mix changed. They do not measure reliability, and complaint counts are not normalized for sales volume.

First 347 months on market for each model year

Exposure window calculated through Aug 22, 2026

Age-matched reports

▲ 160.0% more reports in the equal exposure window

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21

Bars start at the neutral midpoint. Left means a smaller share; right means a larger share.

View component share data as a table

Component	1997 share	1998 share	Share change
AIR BAGS	23.2%	5.8%	▼ 17.4 pts smaller share
POWER TRAIN	6.2%	22.3%	▲ 16.2 pts larger share
FUEL SYSTEM	0.9%	6.2%	▲ 5.3 pts larger share
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	18.3%	23.6%	▲ 5.3 pts larger share
SEAT BELTS	5.1%	2.0%	▼ 3.0 pts smaller share
SERVICE BRAKES	6.0%	3.0%	▼ 3.0 pts smaller share
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	7.1%	4.4%	▼ 2.7 pts smaller share
STRUCTURE	2.4%	4.8%	▲ 2.4 pts larger share
TIRES	2.7%	0.8%	▼ 1.9 pts smaller share
SUSPENSION	4.9%	4.0%	▼ 0.9 pts smaller share
ENGINE	11.3%	10.4%	▼ 0.8 pts smaller share
VISIBILITY	2.7%	2.0%	▼ 0.7 pts smaller share
STEERING	1.8%	1.5%	▼ 0.2 pts smaller share
PARKING BRAKE	not reported	0.2%	▲ 0.2 pts larger share
WHEELS	0.7%	0.7%	▲ 0.0 pts larger share
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	0.4%	0.4%	▼ 0.0 pts smaller share
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	62.0%	74.5%	▲ 12.4 pts larger share

NHTSA Safety Recalls recalls · snapshot 2026-08-22

1997 15

Campaign components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, and SUSPENSION

1998 19

Campaign components: AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, POWER TRAIN, SEAT BELTS, and SUSPENSION

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21