RoadVitals

1997 Honda Prelude Electrical Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Electrical reportsComplaints 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.
9
Latest Aug 7, 2013
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
14%
of 66 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Honda Prelude submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming electrical

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Electrical
Filed Aug 7, 2013

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 REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 186,000. *TR

NHTSA ID
10534140
Incident
Jun 7, 2013
Mileage
186,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Aug 17, 2010

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 HONDA PRELUDE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH IN A PARKING LOT, THE VEHICLE STALLED. SHE STATED SHE TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND WHEN RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED AT LEAST SIX TIMES, INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE DEALER DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 02V120000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION: SWITCH). THE CONTACT DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 146,565 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 146,765.

NHTSA ID
10350076
Incident
Jun 17, 2010
Mileage
146,565 mi
Electrical
Filed Jul 16, 2009

APRIL 2007 I HAD THE SHIFT INTERLOCK UPDATE AS WELL AS THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL DONE AT MY LOCAL DEALER. THE SHIFT INTERLOCK UPDATE INCLUDED A WHOLE NEW LOCK ASSEMBLY INCLUDING NEW TUMBLERS AND A NEW KEY BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE MY OLD KEY WHILE NOT IN PARK. JULY 2009 I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS TURNING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION USING MANY DIFFERENT KEYS. SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE TUMBLERS WERE DAMAGED AND THAT THE WHOLE LOCK ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. I WAS HAVING NO PROBLEMS WITH THE LOCK PRIOR TO THE RECALL WORK. THE NEW LOCK INSTALLED DURING THE RECALL LASTED JUST OVER 2 YEARS AND HONDA WOULD NOT WARRANTY THE WORK BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN OVER 12 MONTHS 12000 MILES. I ASKED THEM TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHY MY ORIGINAL LOCK LASTED 10 YEARS AND WAS HAVING NO ISSUES WHEN RECALLED, AND THE REPLACEMENT ONLY 2 YEARS. THEY SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T EXPLAIN IT BUT THE CHARGE TO REPLACE WAS $887. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO REPLACE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE NEW LOCK ASSEMBLY INSTALLED BECAUSE OF THE RECALL WAS DEFECTIVE, AND IT WAS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE FOR ME TO REPLACE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10276984
Incident
Jul 11, 2009
Mileage
120,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Apr 23, 2006

THE CAR STALLED WITHOUT WARNING ON HIGHWAY DUE TO IGNITION SWITCH. THE IGNITION SWITCHED WAS REPLACED IN OCT 2003 AS PART OF A RECALL YET FAILED LESS THAN 3 YEARS LATER. "MAKE : HONDA MODEL : PRELUDE YEAR : 1997 MANUFACTURER : AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 02V120000 RECALL DATE : MAY 13, 2002 COMPONENT: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH" *NM

NHTSA ID
10155902
Incident
Apr 19, 2006
Mileage
72,900 mi
Heating & air conditioningElectrical
Filed Sep 27, 2005

DT: THE CONSUMER HAD RECALL 05V018000 REPAIR WORK COMPLETED ON FRIDAY. THE RECALL INVOLVED THE IGNITION SWITCH.. ON SUNDAY SHE NOTICED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER DID NOT WORK. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THE BLOWER WAS OUT ON THE AIR CONDITIONER. THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIR WOULD BE $489.00. THE CONSUMER FELT THIS PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO THE RECALL REPAIR WORK THAT HAD BEEN COMPLETED ON FRIDAY. SHE WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP FROM 8AM TO 12:15 PM BEFORE THE DEALER FINISHED INSPECTING THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10137845
Incident
Sep 25, 2005
Mileage
138,701 mi
BrakesHeating & air conditioningElectrical+5 more
Filed Aug 15, 2003
Crash reported

PROBLEMS WITH BALL JOINTS, BRAKES, AIR CONDITIONER, RADIO, WINDSHIELD AND SEATS.*MR IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE BURNED OIL, THE VEHICLE HAD A HARD TIME GOING BACKWARDS. CONSUMER HAD NUMEROUS INCIDENTS WITH THE VEHICLE GOING OUT CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT THE PROBLEMS CONTINUED TO EXIST. *PH *JB

NHTSA ID
10034521
Incident
Apr 27, 1998
Electrical
Filed Nov 22, 2002

PARTS FOR IGNITION SWITCH RECALL HAS NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR A MONTH AND DEALERSHIP DOES NOT KNOW WHEN PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE. TS

NHTSA ID
8023177
Incident
Oct 22, 2002
Electrical
Filed Oct 10, 2002

CONSUMER STATES THAT DEALERSHIP WILL REMOVE ALARM SYSTEM TO DO RECALL, BUT WILL CHARGE TO RECONNECT IT. MR

NHTSA ID
8020588
Incident
Oct 10, 2002
BrakesHeating & air conditioningElectrical+5 more
Filed Mar 15, 2000
Crash reported

AS THE RESULT OF BROKEN BALL JOINT, THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL CAUSING DAMAGES TO WHEELS,FRAME,ALIGNMENT AND THE BODY. YH

NHTSA ID
551367
Incident
Apr 27, 1998

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .