Owners have filed 14 complaints
about the 1993 Honda Prelude with NHTSA between 1995 and 2004.
The largest single group is the airbags.
Across this model's run it ranks 3 of 7 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 18
Against the median year of the Honda Prelude. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 100
21.4% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 1993 Honda Prelude
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Airbags
321.4%
1 crashes, 0 fires
Tires
214.3%
Body & Structure
214.3%
Median failure at 115,000 miles
Electrical System
214.3%
Transmission & Drivetrain
214.3%
Median failure at 133,000 miles
Engine & Cooling
214.3%
Brakes
17.1%
1 crashes, 0 fires
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Apr 1995peak 2Jan 2004
NHTSA investigations into the 1993 Honda Prelude
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
EA95024Opened 31 Aug 1995Closed 30 Aug 1996AIR BAGS
OVERSENSITIVE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS
AIR BAG CAN DEPLOY WITHOUT VEHICLE CRASH
Complaints that involved harm
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Sandy, UT1 injured
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
MY SON PULLED INTO A DRIVEWAY AND AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT A COLLISION. THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT INJURED HIS LEFT HAND. AFTER CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER, HE HAD IT INSPECTED BY A LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHO ACCUSED HIM OF HAVING AN ACCIDENT. APPOXIMATELY JUNE OF 1999, WHILE CHANGING A TIRE THE CAR SLIPPED OFF THE JACK CAUSING SLIGHT DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE FENDER AND UNDERCARRIAGE. WHY WOULD THE AIRBAG DEPLOY A YEAR LATER?
NHTSA complaint #725436 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fort Worth, TXCrash
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
ANTILOCK BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #480735 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fort Worth, TXCrash
AIR BAGS
DRIVER'S AIRBAG DID NOT INFLATE DURING ABOVE ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #480735 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
at 115,000 milesDenver, CO
STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID
ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO THE CLEAR COAT ON MY 1993 HONDA PRELUDE STARTED PEELING OFF THE TRUNK AND ROOF OF MY CAR. THE HOOD DID NOT PEEL BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN REPAIRED AND REPLACED ABOUT 1 YEAR PRIOR.
NHTSA complaint #10054621 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 115,000 milesDenver, CO
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO THE CLEAR COAT ON MY 1993 HONDA PRELUDE STARTED PEELING OFF THE TRUNK AND ROOF OF MY CAR. THE HOOD DID NOT PEEL BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN REPAIRED AND REPLACED ABOUT 1 YEAR PRIOR.
NHTSA complaint #10054621 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 133,000 milesMiami, FL
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
THE METAL SPRING HOLDER ON THE OEM CLUTCH SNAPPED OFF WHILE DRIVING, WHICH MADE SHIFTING NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE AND CAUSED UNNECESSARY AND EXTREMELY DAMAGING WEAR ON THE TRANSMISSION.
NHTSA complaint #10020826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Canby, OR
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE BALANCE SHAFT BLEW CAUSING OIL TO LEAK. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR
NHTSA complaint #8022628 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wichita, KS
TIRES
I WAS TRAVELING EAST-BOUND ALONG I-70 ABOUT 4 P.M. CST WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE TIRE WAS FOUND TO STILL BE INFLATED WHEN I WENT TO CHANGE THE TIRE. UPON TAKING THE CAR TO GET THE TIRES REPLACED, THE DELAMINATED TIRE WAS LOOKED AT AND THE TIRE WAS FOUND TO HAVE HELD A PRESSURE OF 28 PSI. I DID NOT KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE TIRE UNTIL THE ROAD SUDDENLY BECAME BUMPY AND THE TIRE DELAMINATED. I BELIEVED THAT THE TIRE HAD EXPLODED, BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. THE TREAD WAS COMPLETELY GONE AND THE BELT UNDERNEATH WAS COMPLETELY SMOOTH. WHEN THE TIRE DELAMINATION, THE CAR FISH-TAILED WILDLY, AND I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT REAR OF THE CAR WAS EXTENSIVE - $2200. THERE WERE TIRE MARKS ALL OVER THE RIGHT REAR OF THE CAR. THERE WERE EVEN TIRE MARKS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW. IF I HAD NOT REGAINED CONTROL OF THE CAR, I COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED OR KILLED. DT
NHTSA complaint #769339 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tucker, GA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
THEY NEED TO BE RECALLS ALL DISTRIBUTOR FOR HONDA.
NHTSA complaint #737884 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sandy, UT1 injured
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
MY SON PULLED INTO A DRIVEWAY AND AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT A COLLISION. THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT INJURED HIS LEFT HAND. AFTER CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER, HE HAD IT INSPECTED BY A LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHO ACCUSED HIM OF HAVING AN ACCIDENT. APPOXIMATELY JUNE OF 1999, WHILE CHANGING A TIRE THE CAR SLIPPED OFF THE JACK CAUSING SLIGHT DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE FENDER AND UNDERCARRIAGE. WHY WOULD THE AIRBAG DEPLOY A YEAR LATER?
NHTSA complaint #725436 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Novato, CA
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
BOUGHT VEHICLE TO BE SERVICED, AND WAS TOLD THAT OIL DRAIN PLUG ON THE ENGINE OIL PAN WILL BE STRIPPED. DESIGN DEFECT, OIL PANS ARE MADE OUT OF A SOFT METAL WHICH CAUSES THE THREADS TO STRIP OUT PREMATURELY.
NHTSA complaint #865298 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ST Petersburg, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
THE IGNITION FAILED I WAS DRIVING 65MPH AND THE CAR DIED WITHOUT WARNING.
NHTSA complaint #701276 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Huntington Park, CA
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR ME TO DO, I WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE MOUNTS NEED TO BE REPLACED.
NHTSA complaint #700351 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fort Worth, TXCrash
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
ANTILOCK BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #480735 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fort Worth, TXCrash
AIR BAGS
DRIVER'S AIRBAG DID NOT INFLATE DURING ABOVE ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #480735 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Washington, DC
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING HIT A POT HOLE BLOW THE TIRE AND AIR BAG DEPLOYED. TT
NHTSA complaint #963243 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Washington, DC
TIRES
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING HIT A POT HOLE BLOW THE TIRE AND AIR BAG DEPLOYED. TT
NHTSA complaint #963243 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.