Every recall campaign and owner complaint the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration holds for the 1989 Honda Prelude. Nothing on this page is written from memory — it is all imported from NHTSA's public database.
1 recall campaign filed by Honda for the 1989 Prelude, newest first.
| Campaign | Component | What the recall says |
|---|---|---|
| 95V103001 1995-05-24 |
Seat Belts Front Buckle Assembly |
THE FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLE RELEASE BUTTONS CAN BREAK. THESE RED PLASTIC RELEASE BUTTONS ARE MARKED "PRESS." IF A BUTTON BREAKS, PIECES CAN FALL INTO THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE BUCKLE TO OPERATE IMPROPERLY.
Risk: THE SAFETY BELTS WOULD NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO AN OCCUPANT IN A VEHICLE CRASH. Fix: OWNERS SHOULD PROMPTLY CHECK THE CONDITION AND OPERATION OF BOTH FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLES. CAREFULLY INSPECT THE RED RELEASE BUTTON FOR ANY BREAKS OR CRACKS. CHECK THAT BOTH BUCKLES ARE OPERATING PROPERLY BY INSERTING EACH LATCH PLATE INTO ITS BUCKLE, TUG ON THE BELT TO MAKE SURE THE LATCH IS… |
Summaries are quoted verbatim from NHTSA's official campaign records. A single campaign often covers dozens of model years and several nameplates, so a summary may name vehicles other than the 1989 Prelude — that is normal. Every record listed here carries this vehicle's own make, model and model year in NHTSA's database. Whether a recall is still open on a particular car can only be determined by VIN.
28 owner complaints on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Prelude, grouped by the component owners reported. Counts reflect how many owners complained, not how often the fault actually occurs.
| Reported component | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 8 | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 7 | |
| Seat Belts | 6 | |
| Electrical System 1 fire |
1 | |
| Equipment | 1 | |
| Steering,Suspension,Service Brakes, Hydraulic,Engine And Engine Cooling,Visibility,Vehicle Speed Control,Tires | 1 | |
| Power Train | 1 | |
| Suspension | 1 | |
| Structure | 1 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 |
A complaint is an unverified owner report. It is a signal about where to look, not proof of a defect.
Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaint filings on this model year. These are the owners' own words, not our diagnosis, and each one is a single unverified report.
SAME PROBLEM AS 1988 MODEL YEAR RECALL. NO SAFETY DEFECT (S) FOUND IN SUMMARY. *AK
filed 01/17/2000 · ODI 717442
POWER STEERING HOSE FAILED. THERE WAS A RECALL OF THE SAME HOSE ON 1988, WHICH ARE IDENTICAL TO THE 1989 MODEL. *ET
filed 01/17/2000 · ODI 784435
THE ENGINE TIMING BELT BROKE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED (@55MPH) ON THE US 20 BYPASS, A LOCAL 2-LANE EXPRESSWAY. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF ACCELERATION AND POWER DUE TO THE BREAKING OF THE TIMING BELT. LUCKILY NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE NEAR ME AT THE TIME THIS OCCURRED. VEHICLES ON THIS EXPRESSWAY ROUTINELY APPROACH 65 MPH. THIS BEING SO I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AND FOUND TO HAVE 3 OF THE 4 ENGINE VALVES DESTROYED BEYOND REPAIR; A ROD OR PISTON IN THE LOWER ENGINE HAS ALSO BEEN
filed 06/27/2002 · ODI 763570
THE CAR STOPS BY ITSELF WHEN BEING DRIVEN. IT SPUTTERS AND THEN ALL THE ELECTRICAL LIGHTS COME ON AND THE CAR STOPS AND WILL NOT START. I HAVE TOWED IT TO THE DEALER 5 TIMES, AND THEY CANNOT FIGURE THE PROBLEM OUT, AND THEY ARE ABLE TO START THE CAR. THE DEALER SAYS EVERYTHING IS ALL RIGHT BUT WE ARE STILL FACING THE SAME PROBLEM OF CAR STOPPING BY ITSELF AND NOT STARTING AGAIN.
filed 11/11/1999 · ODI 714659
FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES ENGAGE AND APPEAR TO HOLD; BUT BUCKLES RELEASE UNEXPECTEDLY WHEN PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO BELTS. *AK
filed 02/26/2000 · ODI 719292
FRONT BELT BUCKLE REPLACED ACCORDANCE WITH A RECALL CAMPAIGN 95V103001, THE REPLACED BUCKLE REFUSED TO LATCH AFTERWARD BEING REPLACED. ABOUT 75% OF THE TIME THE BUCKLE WOULD APPEAR TO BE SNAP, BUT AFTER YANKING ON THE BELT IT WOULD RELEASE FROM AT THE BUCKLE.
filed 09/09/1998 · ODI 540678
SOON AFTER PARKING VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID IT WAS DUE TO FAULTY WIRES. CONSUMER CONTACTED AMERICAN HONDA, AND THEY SENT CONSUMER TO A DEALER SHIP. BUT DEALERSHIP SAID THAT PROBLEM WAS TOO SERIOUS, AND THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR HER. CONSUMER CALLED BACK AMERICAN HONDA, AND THEY SAID THEY WILL CALL HER BACK. CONSUMER IS STILL WAITING FOR THE PHONE CALL. *AK Fire reported
filed 12/11/2000 · ODI 876246
A recall only matters if it is open on your car. The lists above are for the model year as a whole; the free official lookup below tells you what applies to your specific 17-character VIN.
Free, official, and takes about thirty seconds. No account needed.
Yes. NHTSA records 1 recall campaign filed by Honda for the 1989 Prelude. The most recent is campaign 95V103001, filed 1995-05-24, covering Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly.
The most-reported component is Steering with 8 of the 28 owner complaints on file. Complaint counts show where owners report trouble; they are not proof of a defect.
28 complaints with NHTSA for the 1989 Prelude, spread across 10 reported component groups.
Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's free recall lookup. Recalls are applied per vehicle, so the model-year lists above cannot tell you whether your particular car is covered.