Half of all complaints arrive by 1 year of age, so 0% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Steering, with 246 complaints, typically at 1 year.
Honda Prologue years to avoid — and the best ones
| Model year | Per run | Complaints | Runs | Enough history? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 779 | 55 | too new |
When it starts to break
| Age at failure | Complaints | Running total | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 years | 19.6% | covered | |
| 1 year | 83.5% | covered | |
| 2 years | 100% | covered |
Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 100% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 0% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 18% of the complaints here.
What actually fails — and at what age
On the Honda Prologue, the early trouble is Steering and Suspension — reported at around 1 year, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it.
| System | Complaints | Typical age | Crash | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 1 yrs | 2 | — | |
| Suspension | 1 yrs | — | — | |
| Electrical System | 1 yrs | 2 | — | |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 yrs | 2 | — | |
| Power Train | 1.1 yrs | 1 | — | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 0.9 yrs | 4 | — | |
| Service Brakes | 0.9 yrs | 5 | — | |
| Back Over Prevention | 0.8 yrs | 1 | — |
What else in this class
6 models share the Prologue's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota Highlander draws 2.92, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.35 and the Ford Explorer 5.03, against 14.16 for the Prologue. That is the most complaints of the group.
| Same class as the Prologue | Complaints on record | Recall campaigns | Years built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Highlander | 128 | 2001–2026 | |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 335 | 1993–2026 | |
| Ford Explorer | 390 | 1991–2026 | |
| BMW X5 | 198 | 2000–2026 | |
| Cadillac Escalade | 129 | 1999–2026 | |
| Hyundai Palisade | 33 | 2020–2026 |
The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.
Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.
- Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Honda Prologue reliable?
By complaints per production run it is worse than typical: 14.16 against 3.73 for the average car, and more than each of the 3 class rivals we compared.
When do Prologue problems usually start?
Half of all complaints arrive by 1 year of age. The most reported system is Steering, typically at 1 year, followed by Suspension.
Will the warranty cover Prologue problems?
Mostly yes: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and 100% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 18% of the complaints here.
Is the Prologue more reliable than the Toyota Highlander?
No: 14.16 complaints per production run for the Prologue against 2.92 for the Toyota Highlander.
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