1999 Honda Prelude problems & reliability
31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 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 (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 Honda Prelude vehicles were involved in 4 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 | 8 | 26% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 23% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 23% |
| Tires | 5 | 16% |
| Equipment | 3 | 10% |
| Steering | 2 | 6% |
| Suspension | 2 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 3% |
| Structure | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 13 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 1999 Honda Prelude. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact became aware that the failure was due to the ignition switch. The contact replaced the part himself. The contact also noticed that while the vehicle was turned off…”
Power Train · filed Dec 19, 2022
“Starting in june 2017, my 1999 honda prelude sh has been stalling without warning while I am driving. This happens mostly on hot days. The car can not be re-started for 5-10 minutes afterward. The engine is not overheating. My mechanic ran tests for two days and says that the ignition switch must be faulty.”
Electrical System · filed Jul 19, 2017
“The sportshift automatic transmission m6ha in my 1999 honda prelude started to slip and while going down the freeway the car lost all power to the wheels and would just rev up the engine when I pressed the gas pedal down and would not move the car while in all drive gears. It cost me $2,396.75 to get my honda…”
Power Train · filed Nov 11, 2011
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
65 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 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 1999 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 1999 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.