1998 Honda Prelude problems & reliability
69 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 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.
7 complaints report injuries (8 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 Honda Prelude vehicles were involved in 3 fatal crashes with 3 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 → | 31 | 45% |
| Electrical System → | 12 | 17% |
| Suspension | 9 | 13% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 6% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 6% |
| Visibility | 4 | 6% |
| Steering | 3 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 4% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 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 18 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 93,790 miles (middle 50% between 75,500 and 138,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“This is the first time I had to replace the transmission at 65867 miles on it, Well I was driving down to the street one day and then it's started to Slip In. and out of a gear And the next day I tried to pull out Of. my driveway The transmission is bad and Honda knows this, the second time it is now 186573 miles on…”
Electrical System · filed Jun 22, 2023
“While driving or at stop light, car stalls without warning. Must have a jump to restart and can only drive 5-10 miles before car stalls saying battery not charging. Battery and alternator both test as good. Car may start and run normally for several days then problem reappears.”
Engine · filed Jun 2, 2019
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 honda prelude. When the contact attempted to start the vehicle, the interior lighting illuminated; however, the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was taken to norm reeves honda superstore west covina (1840 e garvey ave s, west covina, ca 91791, (626) 251-2995) where it was diagnosed that…”
Electrical System · filed Apr 4, 2019
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
74 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 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
Concerns with warped or deformed windshield molding. *tt update. *tt
00064 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 3, 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
Honda diagnostic system locked, needs immobilizer release password. *nm
204 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 16, 2004
Automatic transmission diagnostic trouble code p0740, p0741 repair tips. Another look. Honda servicenews. *tt
11012003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2003
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
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 1998 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 1998 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 93,790 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.