What breaks most · 1990 to 2001 model years
Honda Prelude problems by year
Owners have filed 271 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Honda Prelude across model years 1990 to 2001. Three years stand out: 1998 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 1997 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 1999 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 1990, 1996 and 1995.
- Years to check closely: 1998, 1997, 1999
- Fewest complaints: 1990, 1996, 1995
- Complaints on file
- 2711990 to 2001, all trims
- Worst year
- 199869 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 294 fires · 31 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 91kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 48Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 1 | Seat belts (2) | |
| 15 | 2 | 1 | Seat belts (9) | |
| 22 | 7 | 5 | Air bags (8) | |
| 11 | 1 | 5 | Air bags (3) | |
| 9 | 2 | 5 | Air bags (3) | |
| 6 | 3 | 5 | Air bags (2) | |
| 4 | 0 | 6 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 66 | 3 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (40) | |
| 69 | 5 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (31) | |
| 31 | 2 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (8) | |
| 13 | 1 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (7) | |
| 21 | 3 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (11) |
What fails on the 1998 Honda Prelude
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 45% |
31 | 1 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 1998 Honda Prelude |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 17% |
12 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1998 Honda Prelude |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 13% |
9 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 1998 Honda Prelude |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 6% |
4 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 6% |
4 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1998 Honda Prelude |
| Air bags | 6% |
4 | 4 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 4% |
3 | 0 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 1998 Honda Prelude |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 4% |
3 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 1998 Honda Prelude |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
The transmission seemed to stop working in d(drive) mode. I had to use the manual/ autostick to get the car to drive. There was no improvement in the shifting. I had to pay to have a 5 speed swap done at a performance shop. This is my 3rd HONDA that has had transmission failure.
-
Its the automatic transmission it only has 136000 miles on it and i need a new one that's really low miles for a 97 never had a problem like this ever with any of my cars. I heard its with all the hondas.
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Consumer complained about a transmission problem. Engine idle went up and the vehicle accelerated forward. Consumer took vehicle in for repairs. However, manufacturer would not assist in resolving the problem. *ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Honda Prelude years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1998, 1997, 1999 carry the most filings on the Honda Prelude. The 1998 alone has 69 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Honda Prelude problem?
On the 1998 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 31 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Honda Prelude problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Honda Prelude complaints that include mileage is about 91,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.