AI Damage1997 Honda Prelude: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Honda Prelude filed 66 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 66
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 61% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 11% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
- 5 Tires 8% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 5% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 5% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 3% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 40 complaints (61% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 7 complaints (11% of all).
- Suspension: 7 complaints (11% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 5 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 5 complaints (8% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 66 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 40 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Problems with ball joints, brakes, air conditioner, radio, windshield and seats. 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.
While driving vehicle between 40 and 50 mph the owner's daughter was driving vehicle on a wet road. When she tried to stop she couldn't, losing control and having an accident, hitting front where the air bags (driver and passenger) did not deploy, causing injuries to both driver and passenger.
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.
My fourth gear was gone they check engine light is on. Not to mention when the problem was addressed to the dealer they said bring it in and they will erase the code "good as new" to be exact.
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.
Very soon after I got it I noticd the shifting was jerky. Soon after it became jumpy and now when I drivie my car from cold its bolting into gear with a tremendous jerk. I feel its on its way out.
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.
Consumer has had recurring problems with oil leaking each time they have repaired different parts on the vehicle and it still persist. The vehicle was taken to a dealer four times from may 2003- october 2003 for oil leakage.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 4,568 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Prelude has 17 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 66, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
- Prelude 19845 sources
- Prelude 19857 sources
- Prelude 198612 sources
- Prelude 198714 sources
- Prelude 198835 sources
- Prelude 198921 sources
- Prelude 19904 sources
- Prelude 199115 sources
- Prelude 199222 sources
- Prelude 199311 sources
- Prelude 19949 sources
- Prelude 19956 sources
- Prelude 19964 sources
- Prelude 199869 sources
- Prelude 199931 sources
- Prelude 200013 sources
- Prelude 200121 sources
- Prelude 202617 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Honda Prelude?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, electrical system, suspension. Total complaints: 66. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: transmission slipping (21%), jerking, harsh shifts (15%), stalls while driving (12%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 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 1997 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 1997 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.