1986 Acura Integra Problems: Seat belts (5 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 1986 Acura Integra is Seat belts (40% of 5 owner reports). There are 2 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Seat belts — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 5 complaints · 2 recalls

What problems show up on the 1986 Acura Integra?

2 of 5 filings named Seat belts (40% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Body / frame (2 reports).

There are 2 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras and Seat belts. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.

What to check before you buy a 1986 Acura Integra

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 2 campaigns on file below.
  2. Seat belts. Check that every belt latches, retracts and that related recalls are closed.
  3. Body / frame. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck.
  4. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Seat belts. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Seat belts 2 complaints · 40.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 0
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 0
  • Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) appears in 2 of 5 owner complaints (40.0%) in this vehicle snapshot. Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 2 complaints, 40.0% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 2 · 40.0% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 2 complaints, 40.0% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 2 · 40.0% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 1 complaints, 20.0% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 · 20.0% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 5 complaints, 100.0% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 5 · 100.0% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 2 40.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 2 40.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 20.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 5 100.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 1995; the first recall shown was reported in Nov 1988. 1995-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 1996-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 1996-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 1997-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 Owner reports Nov 1988 Apr 1997 Recall campaign 88V180000 ◆ Recall campaign 88V180000 Recall campaign 95V103001 ◆ Recall campaign 95V103001 Investigation EA89005 ● Investigation EA89005 Investigation EA94035 ● Investigation EA94035
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1995-Q3 Owner reports 1
1996-Q1 Owner reports 1
1996-Q2 Owner reports 1
1997-Q2 Owner reports 2
Recall campaign 1 88V180000
Recall campaign 1 95V103001
Defect investigation 1 EA89005
Defect investigation 1 EA94035
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (2)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras and Seat belts.

  1. Recall campaign 88V180000

    Glass / wipers / cameras

    Report date
    Component:
    Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
    Consequence:
    THIS COULD RESULT IN WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE AND WOULDAFFECT DRIVER VISIBILITY.
    Remedy:
    INSTALL A CONTACT UNIT HOLDER THAT WOULD PREVENT LOOSENING.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  2. Recall campaign 95V103001

    Seat belts

    Report date
    Component:
    Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
    Consequence:
    THE SAFETY BELTS WOULD NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO AN OCCUPANT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    OWNERS SHOULD PROMPTLY CHECK THE CONDITION AND OPERATION OF BOTH FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLES. CAREFULLY INSPECT THE RED RELEASE BUTTON FOR ANY BREAKS OR CRACKS. CHECK THAT BOTH BUCKLES ARE OPERATING PROPERLY BY INSERTING EACH LATCH PLATE INTO ITS BUCKLE, TUG ON THE BELT TO MAKE SURE THE LATCH IS SECURELY LOCKED, THEN PRESS THE RELEASE BUTTON. THE LATCH PLATE SHOULD POP OUT OF THE BUCKLE WHEN THE BUTTON IS PRESSED. IF EITHER RELEASE BUTTON SHOWS ANY SIGN OF BREAKAGE OR CRACKING, OR IF EITHER BUCKLE FAILS TO OPERATE PROPERLY, PROMPTLY CONTACT YOUR AUTHORIZED HONDA/ACURA DEALER TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE BUCKLE REPLACED OR REPAIRED, FREE OF CHARGE. THE MANUFACTURER IS DEVELOPING A REMEDY DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE FAILURE OF THE BUTTONS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY BROKEN.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 5 of 5 complaints · page 1 of 1
1997-06-02Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 517683
CrashFireInjuryDeath
SEAT BELT BUCKLES CRACKED.
1997-04-17Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 516549
CrashFireInjuryDeath
RIGHT AXLE FAILED, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL.
1996-04-02Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 503204
CrashFireInjuryDeath
UNDERCARRIAGE RUSTED. *SD
1996-01-17Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 977725
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE REAR HATCHBACK COLLAPSES DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE REAR STRUTS. TT
1995-09-15Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 972060
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT LOCK . TT

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 1986 Acura Integra?

Owners named Seat belts most often — 2 of 5 reports (40%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 1986 Acura Integra?

NHTSA lists 2 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras and Seat belts. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 1986 Acura Integra?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check that every belt latches, retracts and that related recalls are closed. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources