1997 Honda Prelude problems & reliability
66 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Honda Prelude, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (2 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1997 Honda Prelude vehicles were involved in 5 fatal crashes with 6 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 40 | 61% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 11% |
| Suspension | 7 | 11% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 8% |
| Tires | 5 | 8% |
| Equipment | 3 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 3% |
| Seats | 2 | 3% |
| Steering | 2 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 15 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 32 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 93,000 miles (middle 50% between 72,975 and 131,875 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I bought this car used and have had good luck with honda's in the past but about 300 miles of me owning this vehicle I was entering a freeway when all of a sudden I lost all power with cars going highway speed behind me I had to pull off to the shoulder luckily there was one there the first time it gave out but later…”
Power Train · filed Sep 9, 2019
“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. *tr”
Power Train · filed Apr 7, 2014
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 honda prelude. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 02v120000 (electrical system) but was advised by the manufacturer that the vin was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not…”
Electrical System · filed Aug 7, 2013
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK
Preliminary Evaluation PE05002 · opened Jan 13, 2005 · closed Feb 2, 2005 · led to recall 05V025000
Technical service bulletins
86 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Honda Prelude. The 10 most recent:
This SKU is a Front Upper Ball Joint. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for the outer diameter of the ball joint housing being too small. The outer diameter being too small would…
DORE5C4S09 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 11, 2019
Concerns with engine hesitation or stumble can be felt under light acceleration between 1,500 and 2,000 rpm. *yc updated 10/09/07. *nj
98074 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 20, 2007
Dtc (diagnostic trouble code) p1279, pgm tester software error. *sc
804 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 16, 2004
A condition exist where the upper windshield molding is warped or deformed. *tt this bulletin 00-064 replaced bulletin 98-066 dated march 28, 2000. *tt
98066 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 3, 2004
Type 1 immobi brake codes available on the interactive network (honda). *nm
05012004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2004
Srs indicator on after body shop repair. Check for srs diagnostic trouble codes. Honda servicenews. April 2004. *tt
04012004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2004
Honda diagnostic system locked, needs immobilizer release password. *nm
204 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 16, 2004
Heater blower motor gets hot or blows a fuse. Honda. Servicenews. *tt
11012003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2003
Brake system indicator comes on and goes off. *tt
03078 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 17, 2003
Heater blower motor overheats or blows fuse. Various models including the 2004 insight and s2000. *tt
1003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 16, 2003
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1997 Honda Prelude has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1997 Honda Prelude?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 93,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.