1992 Honda Prelude Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1992 Honda Prelude, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags834.8%
- Electrical521.7%
- Tires & wheels313.0%
- Transmission28.7%
- Powertrain (other)14.3%
- Visibility14.3%
- Heating & air conditioning14.3%
- Driver assistance14.3%
- Engine14.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT IMPACT. *TR
WHILE DRIVING AT 2 MPH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. CAUSE UNKNONWN. *AK CONSUMER SUFFERED INURIES.*YH
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
MY IGNITION SWITCH JUST STARTED NOT TO LONG AGO TO FAIL ON ME. STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS LIKE A WEEK AGO NOTICING MY DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLICKERING. I CHECKED MY FUSES AND THEY WERE ALL OK. TWO DAYS LATER MY CAR TURNED ON AND TURNED OFF WHEN I WENT TO START IT. TRIED TO START IT AGAIN AND KEPT RUNNING. FOR FIVE DAYS EVERYTHING WAS OKAY BUT JUST NOTICED THAT MY LIGHTS WERE STILL KIND OF FLICKERING (DASH). TWO DAYS AGO IT DIDN'T WANT TO STAY ON. IN THE SECOND POSITION OF MY IGNITION, MY DASHBOARD LIGHTS THAT WILL NORMALLY COME ON DIDN'T AND WHEN I STARTED THE CAR IT WOULD START FINE BUT WOULDN'T STAY ONE IN THE SECOND POSITION OF THE IGNITION. *JB
WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30MPH WHEN ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. THEN, VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. SERVICE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT DISTRIBUTOR HAD FAILED & BEARINGS WERE MELTED. THIS IS WHAT CAUSED VEHICLE TO STOP. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
I HAVE A RECENTLY ACQUIRED 1992 HONDA PRELUDE WITH TOYO TIRES ON IT. THE CAR IS NOT BEING DRIVEN AND EXCEPT FOR TWO TRIPS TO MVD TO GET IT REGISTERED IT REMAINS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. THREE WEEKS AGO THE RIGHT REAR TIRE APPARENTLY EXPLODE AND THE TREADS WERE SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE CASING. TWO DAYS AGO I HEARD AN EXPLOSION AND FOUND THAT THE TIRE HAD EXPLODED AND WAS COMPLETELY FLAT. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER HEARD OF A TIRE FAILING WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED. THAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF QUITE AN ACCIDENT AT 65 MPH ON A CROWDED EXPRESSWAY. IS ANYONE INTERESTED OR SHALL I WAIT FOR THE OTHER THREE TO EXPLODE? I HAVE NO INTENTION OF DRIVING THE CAR WITH THESE TIRES. *TR
1992 HONDA PRELUDE, LEFT FRONT TIRE WENT FLAT CAUSING VEHICLE TO SPIN OUT AND STRIKING THE CENTER DIVIDER WALL AND COMING TO REST ON THE INSIDE BERM. *BF (OHIO TRAAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0284-90). *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING 65MPH THE VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A LOUD POPPING NOISE. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP, THERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED A FAILED TRANSMISSION. *TR
WHEN SHIFTING CAR INTO PARK GEAR SHIFT WILL GET STUCK. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS UNSAFE BECAUSE CAR HAS TO STAY IN NEUTRAL BECAUSE IT WON'T GO INTO PARK. CONSUMER HAS KIDS THAT PLAY, AND ONE TIME THE CAR STARTED TO ROLL ON ITS OWN. *AK *ML
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30MPH WHEN ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. THEN, VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. SERVICE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT DISTRIBUTOR HAD FAILED & BEARINGS WERE MELTED. THIS IS WHAT CAUSED VEHICLE TO STOP. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
WINDSHEILD IS VERY SOFT WHICH HAS FINE PITTINGS ON IT CAUSING BAD VISIBILITY. PLEASE DESCRIBE FURTHER. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Heating & air conditioning
Reports naming the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
From owner reports, verbatim
THIS CAR HAS BEEN PAMPERED YET CONTINUES TO BREAK AND BE QUITE COSTLY TO MAINTAIN. I BOUGHT THIS CAR BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THEY WERE DEPENDABLE AND CHEAP TO MAINTAIN. THIS IS THE WORST CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED AND WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ANY HONDA PRODUCT TO ANYONE. IT HAS PUT ME IN MAJOR DEBT. I AM VERY DISAPOINTED WITH THE DEALERSHIP/MANUFACTURER.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
FAILURE ON THE ACCELERATOR, CONSUMER APPLIED FORCE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE SURGED, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE WAS PARKED OUTISIDE OF CONSUMER'S HOME, AND HE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS OIL LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .