RoadVitals

1981 Honda Prelude

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest Aug 17, 2000
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Jul 18, 1984
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1981 Honda Prelude, most frequently naming the fuel system, suspension and tires & wheels categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Fuel system133.3%
  • Suspension133.3%
  • Tires & wheels133.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
84V086000

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

Jul 18, 1984
95,951 units potentially affected
The defect: THE SPRINGS ARE HELD UP BY A METAL SUPPORT AROUND EACH SHOCK ABSORBER. VEHICLES DRIVEN REGULARLY IN AREAS WHERE ROADS ARE SALTED DURING WINTERTIME ARE SUBJECT TO RUSTING OF THESE SUPPORTS. RUSTING MAY EVENTUALLY ALLOW THE SPRING TO BREAK THROUGH THE SUPPORT.
The remedy: THE SPRING SUPPORTS AND SHOCKS WILL BE INSPECTED; DEPENDING ON CONDITION, THE COMPONENTS WILL BE RUSTPROOFED OR REPLACED, IF NECESSARY.
AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO.View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Tires & wheels
Filed Aug 17, 2000

THE FRONT TIRE PEELED THROUGH THE CABAZON SECTION OF I10. ALL 3 OF THE FAILURES WERE ON DRIVING WHEELS, ALL WERE ON UNLOADED VEHICLES ON THE FWY, ALL WERE BOUGHT FROM A STORE IN THE DESERT AND COMMUTED ON HEAVILY THROUGH THE DESERT, APPROX 600-800 MI/WK.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P185 70R13 )

NHTSA ID
728242
Incident
Oct 16, 1994
Fuel systemSuspension
Filed Dec 28, 1998

ONLY TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS RELEASED; DEFECTIVE PARTS SHOULD BE REPLACED AT MANUFACTUR COSTS. 73 LISTED BULLETINS ON WEB SITE WWW.ALLDATA.COM.

NHTSA ID
701648
Incident
Sep 1, 1998

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Honda Prelude by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026000—
2006010—
2005010—
2004010—
2003010—
2002010—
2001213156.1
2000133151.1
1999314151.1
1998695157.9
1997665152.3
1996460—
1995650—
1994950—
1993115156.7
1992225267.5
1991151049.9
1990410—
1989211038.2
1988356057.6
1987142158.0
1986122146.0
1985710—
1984510—
1983110—
1981Viewing210—
1980010—
1979010—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.