Worst years for a Honda Prelude
Owners have filed 463 complaints about the Honda Prelude with NHTSA across model years 1981 to 2001. More of them are about the transmission & drivetrain than anything else.
Avoid
1997 Honda Prelude88 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly transmission & drivetrain.
Every Honda Prelude year, graded
The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.
| Year | Grade | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Median miles | Most reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | C | 25 | 3 | 0 | 85,480 | Transmission & Drivetrain |
| 2000 | B | 14 | 1 | 0 | 73,571 | Transmission & Drivetrain |
| 1999 | B | 40 | 2 | 0 | 67,061 | Transmission & Drivetrain |
| 1998 | F | 86 | 7 | 0 | 106,660 | Transmission & Drivetrain |
| 1997 | F | 88 | 18 | 0 | 97,000 | Transmission & Drivetrain |
| 1996 | — | 4 | 0 | 1 | — | Engine & Cooling |
| 1995 | — | 9 | 3 | 0 | — | Engine & Cooling |
| 1994 | C | 12 | 3 | 1 | — | Airbags |
| 1993 | C | 14 | 2 | 0 | — | Airbags |
| 1992 | — | 26 | 7 | 0 | — | Airbags |
| 1991 | — | 18 | 2 | 4 | — | Seat Belts |
| 1990 | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | Seat Belts |
| 1989 | — | 34 | 0 | 1 | — | Steering |
| 1988 | — | 40 | 2 | 5 | — | Steering |
| 1987 | — | 17 | 2 | 1 | — | Fuel & Propulsion |
| 1986 | — | 12 | 0 | 0 | — | Fuel & Propulsion |
| 1985 | — | 11 | 0 | 0 | — | Fuel & Propulsion |
| 1984 | — | 5 | 0 | 1 | — | Engine & Cooling |
| 1983 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | Electrical System |
| 1981 | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | Suspension |
What breaks on a Honda Prelude
Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.
Worst in 1997
Worst in 1997
Worst in 1997
Worst in 1998
Worst in 1998
Worst in 1993
Exactly what failed on a Honda Prelude
The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.
Complaints filed over time
Every complaint about every Honda Prelude, by the month it reached NHTSA.
Honda Prelude problems by state
Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.
Compare the Honda Prelude
Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.