Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1997 Honda Prelude, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train40
- Suspension7
- Electrical system7
- Tires5
- Engine and engine cooling5
- Equipment3
- Service brakes, hydraulic3
- Air bags2
- Steering2
- Visibility2
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 5 1997 Prelude vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 6 people died inside them, and 2 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1997 Honda Prelude failed the safety check 0.95% of the time — 40% less often than the average 1997 passenger car (1.60%). Median odometer at inspection: 137,397 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
142 first registered in 1997 are on Dutch roads; 22% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde76
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen62
- Stofhoes stuurinrichting beschadigd, dicht niet af40
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld38
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse30
- Schijf-, trommelrem loopt niet vrij25
- Band onvoldoende profiel24
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af24
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
111 cars built in 1997 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 238 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 159 of these cars first registered in 1997 took their annual MOT test. 65% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1997 the figure was 64%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1997 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 14.5% | 16.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 10.7% | 7.2% |
| Suspension | 8.8% | 12.2% |
| Brakes | 8.2% | 11.8% |
| Steering | 6.9% | 3.5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 5.0% | 9.7% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
27 of these cars first registered in 1997 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 261,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
191 1997 cars are on the New Zealand register; 53% arrived as used imports, 38% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 11.0–11.3 L/100 km (about 21 mpg US), CO₂ 253–260 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prelude · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 12.1 | 9.7 | 11.0 |
| Prelude · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 12.8 | 9.5 | 11.3 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 1997 Honda Prelude.
| 2005037 15 Feb 2005 | Other On certain vehicles, the interlock operation of the ignition switch may not function properly, making it possible to turn the ignition key to the OFF position a… |
| 2002096 24 May 2002 | Electrical On certain vehicles electrical contacts in the ignition switch can degrade due to the high electrical current passing through the switch when the vehicle is sta… |
| 1999101 26 May 1999 | Suspension On certain vehicles, the front suspension lower ball joints may prematurely wear out due to improper finishing of the surface of the spherical portion of the ba… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE INTERLOCK OPERATION OF THE IGNITION SWITCH MAY NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY, MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO TURN THE IGNITION KEY TO THE "OFF" POSITION AND REMOVE THE KEY WITHOUT SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION TO PARK.
ON CERTAIN SEDANS, COUPES, HATCHBACKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAN DEGRADE DUE TO THE HIGH ELECTRICAL CURRENT PASSING THROUGH THE SWITCH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CERTAIN VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH BALL JOINTS THAT CAN PREMATURELY WEAR OUT AND, IN THE WORSE CASE, THE BALL JOINT WOULD SEPARATE CAUSING THE FRONT SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Honda told its dealers about the 1997 Honda Prelude: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 636755 | SUBJECT REGARDING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT PROBLEMS - SLIPPAGE, FLARE, HARD UPSHIFT. *TT |
| 636738 | SUBJECT REGARDING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS THAT THE ENGINE HESITATES BRIEFLY WHEN ACCELERATING. *TT |
| 633590 | SERVICE INFORMATION REGARDING IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM (TYPE 1). *TT |
| 631027 | CUSTOMERS MAY COMPLAIN OF A BRIEF HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING AT HIGH ENGINE SPEEDS. *TT |
| 631000 | CONCERNS WITH FRONT SUSPENSION SQUEAKING IN COLD WEATHER. *TT |
| 629541 | CUSTOMERS MAY COMPLAIN OF A TWANG NOISE FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION THAT SOUNDS LIKE A SPRING CONTACT. *SLC |
| 629305 | INFORMATION ON POWER DOOR LOCKS THAT MAY LOCK BY THEMSELVES OR MAY CYCLE TWICE TO UNLOCK AND THEN LOCK THEMSELVES. *TT |
| 629289 | EXPERIENCING A SQUEAL NOISE AT FRONT SUSPENSION AT LOW TEMPERATURES. *TT |
| 627498 | SUBJECT REGARDING POWER DOOR LOCKS CYCLE. *SLC |
| 626842 | SUBJECT REGARDING POWER DOOR LOCKS CYCLE. *YD |
| 626805 | SUBJECT REGARDING POWER DOOR LOCKS CYCLE. *JB |
| 625124 | SUBJECT REGARDING BULB CHECK LOGIC. *TT |
| 624293 | SUBJECT ON REGARDING: BULB CHECK LOGIC. *ET |
| 624054 | INFORMATION REGARDING: TRANSMISSION/DRIVELINE. *ET |
| 624030 | SUBJECT ON REGARDING: BLACK SMOKE ON HARD ACCELERATION. *ET |
| 623941 | SUBJECT ON REGARDING: ENGINE MECHANICAL |
| 623341 | SUBJECT REGARDING PARTS TO CORRECT 5TH GEAR GRINDING. *ET |
| 623292 | SUBJECT REGARDING FIFTH GEAR GRINDS DURING UPSHIFT. *ET |
| 622540 | PARTS INFORMATION BULLETIN REGARDING PRODUCT UPDATE FOR THE FRONT BALANCER OIL SEAL RETAINER KIT. *TT |
| 619937 | INFORMATION ON DIAGNOSING CLUTCH PRESSURE SWITCHES WHEN EXPERIENCING HARSH OR LATE UPSHIFTS AND DOWNSHIFTS. *TT |
| 619921 | PRODUCT UPDATE REGARDING FRONT BALANCER SHAFT OIL SEAL. *TT |
| 618985 | SUBJECT REGARDING A LEAKING TORQUE CONVERTER. *TT |
| 618967 | INFORMATION PERTAINING TO HONDA CELLULAR TELEPHONE OWNERS MANUAL. *TT |
| 618962 | INFORMATION ON PROGRAMMING IMMOBILIZER KEYS. *TT |
| 618958 | INFORMATION ON HONING FIBER REINFORCED METAL (FRM) CYLINDERS. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation