1991 Honda Prelude: common problems

Owners of the 1991 Honda Prelude filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 15
involving a crash: 2

What fails most often

1 Seat belts 60% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 33% of all complaints
3 Equipment 7% of all complaints
4 Latches, locks, linkages 7% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Seat belts: 9 complaints (60% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 5 complaints (33% of all).
Equipment: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Latches, locks, linkages: 1 complaints (7% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
2.1 L · petrol · 4 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 15 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

seat belts7 · 47%
A/C or heater1 · 7%
engine failure or replacement1 · 7%
smoke, burning smell, fire1 · 7%
stalls while driving1 · 7%
tires: bulges, blowouts1 · 7%
warning lights, check engine1 · 7%
windows, sunroof1 · 7%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Seat belts	9	2
Engine and cooling	5	0
Equipment	1	0
Latches, locks, linkages	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 45 mph a loud noise was heard from the rear of the vehicle and the vehicle stalled. It was maneuvered off the road and towed to the dealer who determined the timing belt needed to be replaced.
Engine and cooling · 2006-12-12 · NHTSA complaint #10175919
Air conditioner system failure: eight (8) dealer attempted repairs; four (4) new compressors and complete systems installed; thousands of dollars spent (approx. $6,000.00); and a/c remains dead.
Engine and cooling · 2003-09-03 · NHTSA complaint #10037160
Consumer states that the front passenger seatbelt releases on its own at any time. Dealer states that coil connector terminator needs replacing.
Seat belts · 2003-08-01 · NHTSA complaint #10031901
The hood had opened up while my son was using the car. This resulted in damage to the fron glass, roof, left side mirror, left side door and left side front fender, and hood.
Latches, locks, linkages · 2002-05-15 · NHTSA complaint #761825
Bought the car and the engine blew up and caught on fire. Fire department was called to put out the fire the was no reason why the engine blew out and caught on fire.... It threw a rod.
Engine and cooling · 2000-04-27 · NHTSA complaint #721558
While driving the front driver side seat belt buckle won't lock and will come apart whenever the consumer moves which mak's the buckle to operate improperly.
Seat belts · 1999-01-11 · NHTSA complaint #833333
Seat belt warning light and buzzer never stops, even if vehicle is off.
Seat belts · 1999-01-01 · NHTSA complaint #781763

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19952
19962
19981
19993
20002
20011
20021
20032
20061

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 9,286 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Prelude has 17 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 15, about average.

What to check before buying

Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Latches, locks, linkages. Door, hood and tailgate latches, especially near the impact.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1991 Honda Prelude?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, engine and cooling, equipment. Total complaints: 15. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (47%), A/C or heater (7%), engine failure or replacement (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Honda Prelude?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1991 Honda Prelude from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1991 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.