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We found the following complaints for HONDA PRELUDE (1997)

Read complaints for HONDA PRELUDE (1997)


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.

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

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.

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 lockassembly 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.

Consumer states that dealership will remove alarm system to do recall, but will charge to reconnect it. Mr

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.

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 thevehicle.

Parts for ignition switch recall has not be available for a month and dealership does not know when parts will be available. Ts

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 : hondamodel : preludeyear : 1997manufacturer : american honda motor co.nhtsa campaign id number : 02v120000 recall date : may 13, 2002component: electrical system:ignition:switch"

After the vehicle was serviced fora honda recall 11108, recall repairs failed,it wasleaking oil.dealership indicated to the consumer, sorry warrantyexpired.

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.they changed the oil and filter and on the last date claimed that the seals were probably leaking.aftereach 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 noticedoil 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.

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. Consumerhad numerous incidents with the vehicle going out control. The vehicle was repaired multiple times, but the problems continued to exist. *ph

Engine light is blinking because engine burns oil excessively. Yh

Engine hesitation off-idle when engine is warmed, especially in hot weather.slow, weak, noisy idle with a/c running. *nlm

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 thevehicle.

A/c does not cool enough. Yh

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. Consumerhad numerous incidents with the vehicle going out control. The vehicle was repaired multiple times, but the problems continued to exist. *ph

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. Consumerhad numerous incidents with the vehicle going out control. The vehicle was repaired multiple times, but the problems continued to exist. *ph

Vehicle's radio volume is inadequate. Yh

Vehicle's radio volume is inadeqate. Yh

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.

Power door locks will unlock for no apparent reason from idle or in motion mph varies.dt

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.

I bought this car used and have had good luck with honda's in the past but about 300miles 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

My transmission on my 97 honda prelude went out on me it started to slip every day.

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.

Automatic transmission began shifting extremely harshly. Auto transmission failed prematurely.the transmission will slip into neutral while shifting from gear to gear. While under any kind of acceleration, the transmission will slip into neutral and the engine will climb rpms before the transmission engages, causing it to slam into gear. Also the transmission will cause the car to stall at a stop, causing the car to shutter and die in certain situations.

Transmission failed prematurely...car slows down significantly during gear shift in the automatic transmission.this causes the drivers following the vehicle to brake unexpectedly. *la

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.

Can you please help us. The car has been to 2 different dealers and neither will tell us whats causing the problem. They dont know why.we just got car back and its still shifting strange. Car has no power for passing in low gear. This is getting dangerous to drive on the freeway because when the transmission goes out it has no power at all. Nevermind getting stuck on the freeway. Please feel free to call us if any further info is needed. Thanks jean delucia

When the vehicle is cold, the transmission experiences a delayed abrupt shift into reverse.when shifting from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd, 4th to 3rd, and 3rd to 2nd, the transmission shift abruptly (sometimes delayed) until the car warms up.this made turning onto busy roads difficult as i was never sure how long the shifts would take.honda never identified the problem.their only solution was a complete transmission replacement.honda america provided the replacement transmission (goodwill assistance), but i was required to pay labor (~$380).the problem now appears to be fixed.nlm

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.

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.

I recently bought my honda prelude back in november 18, 2007 from a used dealership. The car came with 167k miles and now i'm at 169k. The main reason why i am filing a complaint, is the automatic transmission is going out. I take my car to work, school, drive my mom to work, and even my younger brother to school. This is the only car we have. The transmission slips and jerks at low rpms from 1k-3k in 1st-2nd gear. I've done research on 97-01 honda preludes and the automatic transmission has the most fails. If my automatic transmission goes out i wouldn't have the funds to replace it while i'm still paying for insurance and monthly payments. I believe that honda should replace the transmission without cost even with cars without the extended warranty. Also i hear that the 99-01 automatic transmissions were stronger than the 97-98 years and were also given an extended warranty for the 99-01 years with under 100k miles.

My car suddenly started shifting oddly and got more violent as time passed.this was dangerous because after reversing out of my driveway, the car would jerk and basically have a big clang.the car also died out when i was driving.after i replaced the transmissionat 80000 miles, it is now starting to shift hard again.

Auto transmission failed prematurely.8 other reports filed to nhtsa, more than 20 others have similiar complaints of transmissions failing at www.hondaprelude.com.service bulletin issued by honda recognises the problem, but will not provide any financial assistance to repair the defect.

97 honda prelude

Transmission went out with only 60,000.dealership cannot give reason other than "sometimes they just fall apart".dealership also stated that the transmission in the preludes are designed to go over 200,000 miles.had a diagnostic test done and result was converter collasped and destroyed transmission."sometimes they just fall apart" is a very expensive answer for a car with only 60,000 miles.

No summary listed for above vehicle.

When vehicle is cold, the transmission will slip into neutral while shifting from gear to gear.while under any kind of acceleration, the transmission will slip into neutral and the engine will climb rpms before the transmission engages, causing it to slam into gear.also the transmission will cause the car to stall at a stop, causing the car to shutter and die in certain situations.dealer is well aware of the problem, but refusing to fix it.

Transmission does not go into reverse some times. Yh

The transmission slips when shifting gears.when shifting from 1st to 2nd, the car will rev up like it's in neutral then suddenly jerk into 2nd.the same thing happens for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gears.on several occasions, when i came to a complete stop the car would shudder violently then the engine would cut out.this happen several times while i was trying to cross an intersection, and the car could not be stopped while in drive because the engine kept cutting out.i had to stay in neutral then shift to drive real quick and hope the engine didn't stall in order to cross the road.this has proven to be very dangerous, and potentially life threatening.the honda dealership says it's $3600 for a new transmission, and i don't have a guarantee that the new won't fail either.honda should pay to fix this obvious defect.

My 1997 honda prelude sports shift auto transmission failed and now it needs to be towed.

The transmission in my 1997 honda prelude automatic ss crapped out on me after kicking and slipping for a few months so i had it rebuilt...and now a few months later it's already slipping and kicking again. It cost 1500 to have it rebuilt the first time, honda already addressed the 00-01 prelude auto transmissions in a recall, why haven't the addressed the issues in the prior years? it's the same car as the 00-01, no changes were made to the body, engine, transmission, and yet they refuse to address this widespread issue among prelude owners. I for one am tired of it, honda owes it to their loyal consumers that they confront this issue head on.

Consumer states that when changing from 2nd to 3rd gear vehicle will skip,and motor will revv up to high rpm.when it finally shift vehicle will jerk forward, jerk is so severe that it may cause lost of control of vehicle.dealer contacted, cannot fix problem. Mr

The four speed automatic transmission in my 1997 honda prelude is defective. It shifts abruptly, slips, and has caused instances where my safety has been jeopardized. Research on the internet has revealed numerous problems with this transmission. A company such as honda should recognize this as an inherent problem, and offer consumer assistance, such as they are doing with the 2000 through 2003 models ( 100,000 mile extended warranties). I am a young consumer, who once trusted honda, and will not regain that trust unless they stand behind their "expensive" product.my car is currently at a local honda dealer and they are quoting costs of from $1,000.00 to $3,000.00 to repair. The dealer has also stated that they are seeing numerous instances of failure with late model honda automatic transmissions. I cannot afford a high car payment, and continue to pay high repair bills for a late model car. Honda motor company needs to address this problem, or possibly face a class action suit if inherent failures begin to cause severe accidents. Toyota has been asked/required to fix the oil problems with there 4 cylinder camrys, so why shouldn't honda face up to and admit their inherent problems with their automatic transmissions. *nlm

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. Consumerhad numerous incidents with the vehicle going out control. The vehicle was repaired multiple times, but the problems continued to exist. *ph

While driving the vehicle transmission malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to stall. Also, while changing into 1 and 2 gears it will abruptly stop which almost caused an accident.dealer replaced 5 transmissions. Dealer cannot determine problem.cause unknown. *ml

1997 honda prelude with only 67,000 miles.started to make a minor buzzing noise when in park or neutral.took it to my independent honda mechanic who told me that i had a bearing going in the transmission.it would require a rebuild of the transmission.cost $3,900.he suggested that i sell the car quickly as it wasn't worth the cost of repairs.that's what i did.sold it to a honda dealership.honda needs to recognize the problem with these transmissions.no more hondas for me.

1997 honda prelude transmission failure. Honda refuses to assist consumers with faulty transmission problems inherent in the vehicles. Trans will slip out of gear, or not engage when entering freeway, causing a dangerous and life threatening condition. When someone gets killed because of these transmissions, american honda will then be forced to recall these horrible cars.

While driving, the transmission slipped, causing the vehicle to surge forward.tsthe transmission stalled, didn't shift gears properly, and would jerk, all while in motion and/or speeding up.scc

I have a 1997 honda prelude sport-shift automatic.like most owners of this type of vehicle, the transmission went out.the gears begin to slip and will not engage.the dealer wanted $4000 to get a rebuilt transmission.i had it replaced, but then about 20,000 miles later, it went out again.this time the first gear did not engage.i am basically afraid to drive my car around anymore.i do not want to get it rebuilt again because of the fact that it may as well break again. However, the 2000-01 honda preludes with this type of transmission get an extended warranty and i find it very unfair that the same exact car with the same exact transmission gets an extended warranty, but the 1997-99 preludes do not.if honda knows of the faulty transmissions, why not replace all of the transmissions instead of the later year ones?i used to love honda vehicles, until i learned of many others with this same exact problem.

Whenvehicle is coldtransmission does not shift from first to second gear, and then from third to fourth,extreme hesitation occurs. Cause unknown. Please give any further details.

My 1997 prelude ss had a transmission issue and it decided to go on me, in the middle of the road, while traffic was behind me.so, i decided to contact honda and make them see the issue, instead i received a no answer, which was a pretty lame excuse to not replace a transmission failure in all 97-99 honda prelude cars, so, the service manager decided to retry the honda usa number, and they got me through and replaced the transmission under a non-transmission warranty.so, my point is that honda must comply with a transmission warranty on all these cars, and not just the newer models, because it is unfair to have a transmission which will eventually fail, again and again and again.so, with all this said, i want to make sure something will be done regarding this issue.thanks.*la

1997 honda prelude sport shift transmission failure. Car has only 60,000 miles and the transmission is failing. Car is beginning to jerk forward when slowing down to a complete stop in traffic or at a stop light.

Faulty transmission in 1997 honda prelude ss automatic transmission.

I have a 1997 prelude that has had 1 transmission failure in nov. Of 2005 & it was rebuilt. It current is failing the same way the first transmission failed. It is making noise & starting to slip when it is cold. $1700 to fix the 1st transmission by a trans shop. I am joining a class action law suit if it is not taken care of from honda. This car only has 65,000 miles on it!

My automatic transmission on my honda prelude is beginning to fail after only 80000 miles. It will occassion jolt and cause erradic acceleration and deceleration while traversing the freeways. I beleive this to be a considerable hazard to me and have since stopped driving the vehicle.

Automatic transmission began shifting extremely harshly.on upshift the car will squeal the tires causing obvious control problems. This poses a safety hazard, especially in heavy traffic, or on wet pavement or slick roads, as car is difficult to control on upshift.dealer says car needs remanufactured transmission.i have researched and found this (transmission failures) to be a known problem with honda preludes of this generation, as well as accuras of similar vintage.i have uncovered information that honda has been aware of this problem for some time and done nothing to correct.i contacted honda consumer service and they would not discuss with me.i feel honda should recall these cars for this potentailly dangerous defect.

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.

Transmission went out with only 60,000.dealership cannot give reason other than "sometimes they just fall apart".dealership also stated that the transmission in the preludes are designed to go over 200,000 miles.had a diagnostic test done and result was converter collasped and destroyed transmission."sometimes they just fall apart" is a very expensive answer for a car with only 60,000 miles.

1997 honda prelude the clutch spring retainer broke rendering the clutch inoperable placing stress on the transmission and damaging the internals from the springbeing loose in the system

Grinding occurs shifting into 2nd from 1st gear, especially at high engine rpms.3rd happens less often, but doesn't occur exclusively at high rpms.2nd gear has always felt "notchy"many other prelude owners i correspond with through email also report similar problems.

Power door locks will unlock for no apparent reason from idle or in motion mph varies.dt

1997 honda prelude the clutch spring retainer broke rendering the clutch inoperable placing stress on the transmission and damaging the internals from the springbeing loose in the system

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. Consumerhad numerous incidents with the vehicle going out control. The vehicle was repaired multiple times, but the problems continued to exist. *ph

The driver seat moves back and forth while driving. Yh

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. Consumerhad numerous incidents with the vehicle going out control. The vehicle was repaired multiple times, but the problems continued to exist. *ph

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.

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 saidwas the characteristics of the vehicle.please provide further information.

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.

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.

As the result of broken ball joint, the vehicle spun out of control causing damages to wheels,frame,alignment and the body. Yh

Lower ball joint recall but unable to be repaired due to lack of parts.(99v-069)nlm

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. Consumerhad numerous incidents with the vehicle going out control. The vehicle was repaired multiple times, but the problems continued to exist. *ph

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.

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. Consumerhad numerous incidents with the vehicle going out control. The vehicle was repaired multiple times, but the problems continued to exist. *ph

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. (tiresize: p20550r16)

2 bridgestone potenza tires p205/50r16 are cracking along the sidewall.

Tread separation.( dot number: tire size: 205/55? )

Pe00 020; driver's side tirehad a flat.when the tire was changedconsumer noticed that tread had began separating inside of tirewall.bridgestone/ firestone, potenza#re92, #dot em3vjjjko87.there were no injuries.

No information provided.

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. Consumerhad numerous incidents with the vehicle going out control. The vehicle was repaired multiple times, but the problems continued to exist. *ph

Windshield wipers malfunctiones. Yh




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