Every recall campaign and owner complaint the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration holds for the 1996 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 1996 Prelude, newest first.
| Campaign | Component | What the recall says |
|---|---|---|
| 99V069000 1999-05-10 |
Suspension Front Control Arm › Lower Ball Joint |
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. CERTAIN VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH BALL JOINTS THAT CAN PREMATURELY WEAR OUT AND, IN THE WORSE CASE, THE BALL JOINT WOULD SEPARATE CAUSING THE FRONT SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE.
Risk: THIS CONDITION WOULD RESULT IN VEHICLE DECELERATION AND A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. ALSO STEERING CONTROLLABILITY WOULD BE REDUCED. Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS. |
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 1996 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.
4 owner complaints on file with NHTSA for the 1996 Prelude, grouped by the component owners reported. Counts reflect how many owners complained, not how often the fault actually occurs.
| Reported component | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | |
| Electrical System 1 fire |
1 | |
| Suspension | 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.
THE MAIN BEARINGS IN MY MOTOR SPUN AND ARE SCORED, THIS RESULTED IN LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE TO THE CRANKSHAFT AND BEARING JOURNALS. DUE TO THIS LOSS OF PRESSURE THE ENGINE BLOCK,CRANKSHAFT,JOURNALS, AND MAIN BEARINGS ARE RUINED. THE TOP HALF OF MY MOTOR IS FINE INCLUDING THE DUAL OVERHEAD CAM,PISTONS,VALVES,LIFTERS,CONNECTING RODS,ETC. I HEARD OF A RECALL OF MID 1990 HONDA ENGINES RECENTLY FOR SOME SORT OF THROWOUT BEARING OR ROD BEARING FAILURE THAT CAUSES THE ENGINE TO LOSE OIL PRESSURE CAUSING SEVERE WEAR LIKE WHAT I AM EXPERIENCING. THE COSTS OF REPAIR OF MY VEHICLE ARE GREAT AND IT IS NEARL
filed 02/26/2001 · ODI 741527
WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT ABOUT 75MPH THE VEHICLE CUT COMPLETELY OFF. HAS BEEN TO DEALER AT LEAST 6 TIMES FOR SAME PROBLEM. *AK
filed 03/17/1998 · ODI 821498
WHILE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT 20 MPH BALL JOINTS WENT OUT, AND CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. THERE IS A RECALL ON VEHICLE FOR SAME PROBLEM, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK THERE WAS A FAILURE OF FRONT LEFT LOWER BALL JOINT, WHICH RESULTED IN A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT, WHILE TRAVELING ON FLAT PAVED STREET.*JB
filed 09/24/2001 · ODI 896704
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.
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Yes. NHTSA records 1 recall campaign filed by Honda for the 1996 Prelude. The most recent is campaign 99V069000, filed 1999-05-10, covering Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Ball Joint.
The most-reported component is Engine And Engine Cooling with 2 of the 4 owner complaints on file. Complaint counts show where owners report trouble; they are not proof of a defect.
4 complaints with NHTSA for the 1996 Prelude, spread across 3 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.