1997 HONDA Prelude Problems & Complaints

I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED AND HAVE HAD GOOD LUCK WITH HONDA'S IN THE PAST BUT ABOUT 300 MILES OF ME OWNING THIS VEHICLE I WAS ENTERING A FREEWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I LOST ALL POWER WITH CARS GOING HIGHWAY SPEED BEHIND ME I HAD TO PULL OFF TO THE SHOULDER LUCKILY THERE WAS ONE THERE THE FIRST TIME IT GAVE OUT BUT LATER ON THAT DRIVE GOING HOME I WAS DRIVING OVER A BRIDGE WITH TRAFFIC WHEN IT DID IT AGAIN I WAS SO SCARED BECAUSE I'M STUCK IN A LINE OF TRAFFIC ON A BRIDGE AND THE CAR WANTS TO ROLL BACK AND IT DIDN'T WANT TO TURN ON UNTIL IT COOLED DOWN WHICH WAS 30 MINUTES OF UGLY LOOKS OF CARS DRIVING BY ME WHEN I FINALLY GOT HOME I HAD NEVER FELT SO RELIEVED SO THAT'S WHEN I TOLD MY FATHER ABOUT IT WE LOOKED AT IT DRIVE IT AND HE HOPED IT WAS JUST A BAD IGNITION COIL SO WE CHANGED THAT BUT AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE I SAW THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH CARS TRANSMISSION SO I DIG A LITTLE BIT MORE AND FOUND OUT THAT HONDA KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT ONLY IS HONORING THE 2000 YEAR MODELS AND UP UNDER WARRANTY WHICH IS REALLY UNFAIR BECAUSE ONE THEY KNEW THERE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS WERE WEAK AND IT COULD OF COST ME MY LIFE TWICE! SO I'M TAKING THE TIME TO STAND UP FOR ALL OF US BECAUSE NO ONE DESERVES TO BE HURT OR FATALLY WOUNDED BY A POORLY MADE TRANSMISSION

ITS THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IT ONLY HAS 136000 MILES ON IT AND I NEED A NEW ONE THAT'S REALLY LOW MILES FOR A 97 NEVER HAD A PROBLEM LIKE THIS EVER WITH ANY OF MY CARS. I HEARD ITS WITH ALL THE HONDAS. *TR

WELL BASICALLY I BOUGHT MY 97AUTOMATIC PRELUDE, AND NOT MORE THAN A MONTH LATER OF HAVING THE CAR THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO MALFUNCTION. BASICALLY IT WOULD SOUND LIKE A SCREW DRIVER WAS BEING FORCED INTO THE GEARS OR SOMETHING. ON TOP OF THAT IT WAS REVVING RIDICULOUSLY HIGH AND NOT MOVING ANYWHERE. 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. BUT HONESTLY AS A CONSUMER A LOYAL ONE, I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD BE COMPENSATED BY HAVING MY TRANSMISSION REPLACED OR FULLY REBUILT. CAUSE EVERYONE KNOWS AS WELL AS HONDA MECHANICS WHO HAVE FILLED ME IN WITH THE SS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS BEING THE CAUSE OF BAD BEARINGS AND BAD INTERNALS AND BAD TORQUE CONVERTERS. SEEING AS ME BEING THE CONSUMER AND BEING CONSTANTLY PUT IN A SITUATION BEEN AM I GONNA BREAK DOWN ON THE FREEWAY ON THE WAY TO WORK OR YET EVEN WORSE AT NIGHT PAST MIDNIGHT WHEN I'M OFF. NOW LET ME REMIND U IT'S STILL A LEASE AND THERE ARE SOME FACTS I KNOW AD RESEARCHED ON LIKE "THE MAGNUSON-MOSS WARRANTY ACT (15 U.S.C. 2302)" WHICH STATES: THIS FEDERAL LAW REGULATES WARRANTIES FOR THE PROTECTION OF CONSUMERS. THE ESSENCE OF THE LAW CONCERNING AFTERMARKET AUTO PARTS IS THAT A VEHICLE MANUFACTURER MAY NOT CONDITION A WRITTEN OR IMPLIED WARRANTY ON THE CONSUMERS USING PARTS OR SERVICES WHICH ARE IDENTIFIED BY BRAND, TRADE, OR CORPORATE NAME (SUCH AS THE VEHICLE MAKER'S BRAND) UNLESS THE PARTS OR SERVICE ARE PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE. THE LAW MEANS THAT THE USE OF AN AFTERMARKET PART ALONE IS NOT CAUSE FOR DENYING THE WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THE LAW'S PROTECTION DOES NOT EXTEND TO AFTERMARKET PARTS IN SITUATIONS WHERE SUCH PARTS ACTUALLY CAUSED THE DAMAGE BEING CLAIMED UNDER THE WARRANTY. FURTHER, CONSUMERS ARE ADVISED TO BE AWARE OF ANY SPECIFIC TERMS OR CONDITIONS STATED IN THE WARRANTY WHICH MAY RESULT IN ITS BEING VOIDED. THE LAW STATES IN RELEVANT PART: ??NO WARRANTOR OF. *TR

MY 1997 HONDA PRELUDE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DIED OUT. WHEN I LOOKED ON THE FORUMS, HONDA IS VERY WELL AWARE OF THE FAILURE BY DESIGN OF THEIR HONDA PRELUDES. *TR

I'VE DRIVING MY PRELUDE FOR 4 YEARS. 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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

GETTING A BUMP NOISE WHEN FRONT SUSPENSION IS LOADED ESPESCIALLY IN COLD WEATHER. AFTER SEVERAL TRIPS TO DEALER AND ONE ATTEMPTED REPAIR THE DEALER CLAIMS THAT THIS MAY BE A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CAR AND WILL NOT ATTEMPT ANOTHER REPAIR UNDER WARRANTEE.

WHILE DRIVING 70MPH VEHICLE STARTED SWAYING FROM SIDE TO SIDE, AND THEN SPUN AROUND. THIS WAS DUE TO A FAULTY BALL JOINT. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE 9 TIMES,AND NO SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. *AK

LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED, PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE (99V069000). HOWEVER AFTER RECALL REPAIRS WERE DONE DEARLERSHIP DID NOT TIGHTEN THE CALIPER KNUCKLE MOUNTING BRACKET BOLT PROPERLY, CAUSING ONE TO FALL OFF AND ANOTHER LOOSE. *YC

THE LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION HAS A LOUD AND DISTINCT CRACK UPON TAKE OFF AND STOPPING OF THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS MAINLY IN COLD WEATHER. AS WELL AS THE SOUND, THE DRIVER CAN FEEL THE NOISE IN THE FLOORBOARD OF THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT. THE MANUFACTURER STATES THAT THIS IS A CHARACTARISTIC OF THE VEHICLE AND THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT. THE MANUFACTURER CAN PROVIDE NO FACTS TO BASE THIS DECISION ON NOR DID THE MANUFACTURER'S REPRESENTATIVE EVEN LOOK AT THE MECHANICS OF THE PROBLEM VEHICLE. THE REP BASED HIS "CHARACTARISITC" CLAIM ON MY VEHICLE AND ANOTHER SIMILAR VEHICLE ,MAKING THE NOISE. THERE IS NO OTHER COMPLAINTS TO HONDA TECH LINE FROM MECHANICS IN REFERENCE TO THIS PROBLEM. THE HONDA REP STATES THAT IT IS THE BUSHINGS IN THE SUSPENSION WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE VEHICLE, AND THE MECHANICS AT THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT LOCATE ANY FAULTY BUSHINGS. *AK

MULTIPLE LARGE CRACKS IN BRIDGESTON POTENZA RE92 205/50-16 TIRES ON MY HONDA PRELUDE. CRACKS WERE NOTICED WHILE REFUELING.

BULGE DISCOVERED ON RIGHT FRONT ORIGINAL TIRE. STEEL BELTS PROTRUDING THROUGH SIDEWALL OF LEFT FRONT AND RIGHT REAR TIRES. ALL REQUIRE REPLACEMENT AS THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION UNDER MERE NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THESE TIRES ARE VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE.*AK (TIRESIZE: P20550R16)

2 BRIDGESTONE POTENZA TIRES P205/50R16 ARE CRACKING ALONG THE SIDEWALL. *SLC

PE00 020; DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE HAD A FLAT. WHEN THE TIRE WAS CHANGED CONSUMER NOTICED THAT TREAD HAD BEGAN SEPARATING INSIDE OF TIREWALL. BRIDGESTONE/ FIRESTONE, POTENZA#RE92, #DOT EM3VJJJKO87. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.*AK

TREAD SEPARATION. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 205/55? )

CONSUMER HAS HAD RECURRING PROBLEMS WITH OIL LEAKING EACH TIME THEY HAVE REPAIRED DIFFERENT PARTS ON THE VEHICLE AND IT STILL PERSIST. *TS THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOUR TIMES FROM MAY 2003- OCTOBER 2003 FOR OIL LEAKAGE. THEY CHANGED THE OIL AND FILTER AND ON THE LAST DATE CLAIMED THAT THE SEALS WERE PROBABLY LEAKING. AFTER EACH OCCASION THE CONSUMER WAS ASSURED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED. ON DECEMBER 20, 2004 THE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD CRACKING SOUND WHILE DRIVING. SHE PULLED INTO A SERVICE STATION WHO POPPED THE HOOD AND NOTICED OIL LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO LACK OF OIL. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. *NM

AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FOR A HONDA RECALL 11108, RECALL REPAIRS FAILED, IT WAS LEAKING OIL. DEALERSHIP INDICATED TO THE CONSUMER, SORRY WARRANTY EXPIRED. *AK

ENGINE HESITATION OFF-IDLE WHEN ENGINE IS WARMED, ESPECIALLY IN HOT WEATHER. SLOW, WEAK, NOISY IDLE WITH A/C RUNNING. *NLM

ENGINE LIGHT IS BLINKING BECAUSE ENGINE BURNS OIL EXCESSIVELY. YH

A/C DOES NOT COOL ENOUGH. YH

VEHICLE'S RADIO VOLUME IS INADEQATE. YH

VEHICLE'S RADIO VOLUME IS INADEQUATE. YH

SRS AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD AFTER LESS THAN SIX YEARS OF OWNERSHIP (OWNER'S MANUAL INDICATES AIRBAG MAINTENANCE AT TEN YEARS). DEALER SAYS THE SRS UNIT MUST BE REPLACED. *NLM

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. THEY WERE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL. *AK

WHENEVER BRAKES ARE APPLIED TO STOP VEHICLE GRADUALLY SLOWS DOWN. THEN, WOULD JERK FORWARD 2-3 FEET. NEEDS TO KEEP A GOOD DISTANCE BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN ABOUT TO STOP, NOT HIT OTHER VEHICLE. ABS LIGHT REMAINS ON AFTER VEHICLE HAS BEEN STARTED. *AK

BRAKES FAILED SEVERAL TIMES. YH

WHILE MAKING A SHARP QUICK LEFT TURN, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. AFTER SLOWING DOWN, THE POWER STEERING BEGAN TO WORK. DEALER CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *ML

DURING AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, SUCH AS MAKING A TURN (RIGHT OR LEFT) AND HAVING TO MAKE ANOTHER TURN (RIGHT OR LEFT), POWER STEERING BECAME INOPERATIVE WHICH CAUSED STEERING TO REACT MORE SLOWLY AND MORE DIFFICULT TO MANEUVERS, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. DEALER TESTED THE 1998 AND 1999 PRELUDES AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. DEALER SAID WAS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS IN 1997 HONDA PRELUDES ARE WEAK AND FAIL EASY. THE REASON IS CHEAP PARTS AND METALS IN THE TRANSMISSIONS THEMSELVES. THE 97 PRELUDES WERE RECALLED IN TURKEY, AND REPLACED WITH A NEW M6HA UNIT. MINE IS CONSTANTLY SLIPPING AND TEARING UP. I'M LOOKING AT A CONSTANT PROBLEM THAT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY. I BOUGHT THIS CAR FOR ITS QUALITY AND PRESTIGE IN THE HONDA WORLD, BUT DUE TO THE LACK OF QUALITY AND WORKMANSHIP IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, MY OPINION OF PRELUDES HAS DRASTICALLY DROPPED. I WOULD NOT CARE IF I HAD AN AUTOMATIC OR A MANUAL, I JUST WANT A CAR THAT WORKS LIKE THE HONDA COMPANY LACKED TO MAKE IT. THANK YOU. *NM

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

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

POWER DOOR LOCKS WILL UNLOCK FOR NO APPARENT REASON FROM IDLE OR IN MOTION MPH VARIES. DT

THE DRIVER SEAT MOVES BACK AND FORTH WHILE DRIVING. YH

WINDSHIELD WIPERS MALFUNCTIONES. YH

NO INFORMATION PROVIDED.