Total Complaints
12 filings
HONDA INSPIRE · model year
1996 HONDA INSPIRE
12 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996HONDAINSPIRE carries 12 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1996 INSPIRE is air bags with 4 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition (2) and visibility:windshield (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 77 investigation files overlapping the 1996 INSPIRE, and 9 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
12
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 4 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20090625AIR BAGS
MY DAUGHTER RECENTLY BOUGHT A 1996 HONDA ACCORD. THE SRS LIGHT WAS ON; WE BROUGHT IT TO A HONDA DEALERSHIP & WERE TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST $881.00 PLUS TAX TO REPAIR. IF NOT REPAIRED, THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY. WE COULD NOT AFFORD THE REPAIR SO WILL NOT ALLOW MY 17 YEAR OLD TO DRIVE ON INTERSTATE UNTIL REPAIRED. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT HONDA WILL NOT COVER AIR BAGS FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE AND AM WORRIED THAT I WILL LOSE MY CHILD OVER THIS. *TR
Mileage: 138,700
20081124AIR BAGS
SRS LIGHT CONTINUES TO STAY ON , MEANING A MALFUNCTION IN THE SYSTEM HAVE NOT TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER TO BE TESTED. *TR
Mileage: 177,000
20080106AIR BAGS
SRS LIGHT BLINKED ON AND OFF FOR SEVERAL DAYS IN DECEMBER 2007; IN NOW STAYS ON. LEITH HONDA IN RALEIGH SAYS "CODE 7-3 AND 7-4 'CONTROL UNIT FAILURE'; $750.00 TO REPLACE". *TR
Mileage: 94,250
20070822CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
KEY COMES OUT OF IGNITION WITHOUT TRANSMISSION IN PARK. CAR IS A 1996 HONDA. LX W/ AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. MY CAR ROLLED OUT OF GARAGE AND HIT MY BASKETBALL HOOP POLE - RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE RT FRONT QTR PANEL. *TR
Mileage: 153,287
20070822CrashPOWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
KEY COMES OUT OF IGNITION WITHOUT TRANSMISSION IN PARK. CAR IS A 1996 HONDA. LX W/ AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. MY CAR ROLLED OUT OF GARAGE AND HIT MY BASKETBALL HOOP POLE - RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE RT FRONT QTR PANEL. *TR
Mileage: 153,287
20060523AIR BAGS
SRS LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. DEALER SAYS PASSENGER AIR BAG HAS FAILED AND MUST BE REPLACED. CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN ACCIDENT. *NM
Mileage: 90,000
20050403ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
RECALL, NEVER RECEIVED A NOTICE HONDA CORP, THEY SAID "SO SAD TO BAD" COST ME ALMOST $600.00 OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE THE DEFECT CORRECTED AND ALMOST HAD AN ENGINE FIRE WHILE DRIVING MANAFOLD OIL GASKET BROKE IN THE ENGINE CAUSING THE OIL TO HEAT UP, I WAS SHOWN THE RECALLNOTICE BY MY MACHANIC AND CALLED HONDA CORP. AND BASICALLY THEY SAID THEY SENT IT, TIME EXPIRED, AND THEY ARE NOT GOING TO ASSIST WITH ANY OF THE FUNDS IT COST ME TO GET MY CAR FIXED. THEY SHOULD BE MADE ACCOUNTABLE FOR PROVING NOTICES WERE SENT. MY CAR IS IN A-1 PERFECT CONDITION AND THAT SHOULD SPEAK FOR ITSELF. ALL MAINTAINANCE IS DONE ON SCHEDULE. THE RECALL GOES BACK TO 2001 JANUARY. THIS IS JUST NOT RIGHT I HAVE NEVER MOVED SAME ADDRESS THEY VARIFIED IT. I WOULD HAVE NEVER LET IT GO WHEN FINDING OUT THIS RECALL COULD HAVE CAUSED THE CAR TO GO ON FIRE. DO THE MATH.. THEY GAVE ME THE STUPIDES ANSWER AND HUNG UP.WHEN I ASKED TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE HIGHER UP THEY HUNG UP ON ME THIS WAS THE MAIN OFFICE NO CALL CENTE
Mileage: 63,320
20041029ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
SAFDSDAF
20031027VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
ENGINE DYING WHEN TRY TO INCREASE SPEEDOMETER MORE THROTTLE. DELER CHECK PROBLEM ON 9.6.03 AND FIXED IT. AGAIN IT HAPPEN ON 10/27/03. IT WASNEAR DEATH EXPERINCE.CAR - HONDA ACCORD 1996 100,000 MILES.NEED TO CHECK CAR PROPERLY . HONDA DOESNOT HAVE ANY PLACE TO COMPLAINT. THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS DEFECT.*AK
Mileage: 102,100
20031027ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
ENGINE DYING WHEN TRY TO INCREASE SPEEDOMETER MORE THROTTLE. DELER CHECK PROBLEM ON 9.6.03 AND FIXED IT. AGAIN IT HAPPEN ON 10/27/03. IT WASNEAR DEATH EXPERINCE.CAR - HONDA ACCORD 1996 100,000 MILES.NEED TO CHECK CAR PROPERLY . HONDA DOESNOT HAVE ANY PLACE TO COMPLAINT. THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS DEFECT.*AK
Mileage: 102,100
20031027ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE DYING WHEN TRY TO INCREASE SPEEDOMETER MORE THROTTLE. DELER CHECK PROBLEM ON 9.6.03 AND FIXED IT. AGAIN IT HAPPEN ON 10/27/03. IT WASNEAR DEATH EXPERINCE.CAR - HONDA ACCORD 1996 100,000 MILES.NEED TO CHECK CAR PROPERLY . HONDA DOESNOT HAVE ANY PLACE TO COMPLAINT. THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS DEFECT.*AK
Mileage: 102,100
20030818VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
I'VE NOTICED ON THE FREEWAYS OF LOS ANGELES THE CENTER DIVIDER IS TOO SHORT, CAUSING EXTREME GLARE FOR THE CARS ON THE FIRST LANE. THIS IS TRUE ESPECIALLY WHEN ONE SIDE IS A CAR AND THE OTHER SIDE IS A SUV OR TRUCK. AND ITS EXTREMELY IRRITATING WHEN THE FREEWAY STARTS TO CURVE TO THE RIGHT OF LEFT PUTTING DRIVERS ESPECIALLY IN THE FIRST LANE AT RISK. AT TIMES ITS BLINDING AND AT HIGH SPEEDS IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE DEADLY. ESPECIALLY WHEN GLARE CAN OUT SHINE A BRAKE LIGHT. I WOULD SUGGEST RAISING THE CENTER DIVIDER AT LEAST 2 FEET EVERYWHERE, BUT IF THAT ISN'T FEASIBLE, AT THE VERY LEAST RAISE IT 2 OR MORE FEET, IN THE CRUCIAL AREAS SUCH AS A CURVE IN THE FREEWAY, A DIP OR A HILL. THANKS FOR LISTENING.*AK
Compare 1996HONDAINSPIRE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 9 Open
PE25017Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Inaccurate Rear Passenger Seat Belt Warning Status
PE25016Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Loss of Motive Power
PE25018Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Inadvertent Deployment of Side Air Bags
PE25008Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Engine failure
EA25004Engineering AnalysisOpen
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 HONDA INSPIRE have?▼
The 1996 HONDA INSPIRE has 12 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 HONDA INSPIRE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 HONDA INSPIRE is AIR BAGS with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION and VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD.
Is the 1996 HONDA INSPIRE safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.