Every recall campaign and owner complaint the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration holds for the 1998 Honda Prelude. Nothing on this page is written from memory — it is all imported from NHTSA's public database.
3 recall campaigns filed by Honda for the 1998 Prelude, newest first.
| Campaign | Component | What the recall says |
|---|---|---|
| 02V120000 2002-05-16 |
Electrical System Ignition Switch |
ON CERTAIN SEDANS, COUPES, HATCHBACKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAN DEGRADE DUE TO THE HIGH ELECTRICAL CURRENT PASSING THROUGH THE SWITCH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED.
Risk: WORN CONTACTS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 14, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009 OR ACURA AT 1-800-382-2238. |
| 05V025000 2005-01-28 |
Electrical System Ignition Switch |
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE INTERLOCK OPERATION OF THE IGNITION SWITCH MAY NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY, MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO TURN THE IGNITION KEY TO THE "OFF" POSITION AND REMOVE THE KEY WITHOUT SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION TO PARK.
Risk: IF THE DRIVER DOES NOT SHIFT TO PARK BEFORE REMOVING THE KEY AND FAILS TO ENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE, THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR. Fix: DEALERS WILL PERFORM AN INSPECTION PROCEDURE THAT CONFIRMS INTERLOCK FUNCTION. VEHICLES WILL BE UPDATED WITH A REDESIGNED INTERLOCK LEVER FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 7, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009 OR ACURA AT 1-800-382-2238. |
| 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 1998 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.
70 owner complaints on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Prelude, grouped by the component owners reported. Counts reflect how many owners complained, not how often the fault actually occurs.
| Reported component | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train 1 crash, 2 injured |
26 | |
| Electrical System | 8 | |
| Suspension 1 injured |
8 | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 4 | |
| Visibility | 3 | |
| Power Train,Electrical System | 2 | |
| Air Bags 2 crash, 1 injured, 1 fatal |
2 | |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 2 | |
| Power Train,Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | |
| Wheels 1 injured |
2 | |
| Steering,Electrical System,Engine | 1 | |
| Unknown Or Other,Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 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.
ON MY THIRD TRANSMISSION FOR THIS CAR, I HAVE BECOME SCARED TO DRIVE IT. WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS MY TRANSMISSION WILL RANDOMLY CHOOSE WHEN TO ENGAGE IN THE CORRECT GEAR. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY CLOSE ACCIDENTS IN THIS CAR AND I AM NO LONGER ABLE TO MAKE LEFT TURNS. THIS HAPPENS ON THE FREEWAY AT TIMES AND I AM UNABLE TO PULL OVER AT A SAFE SPEED BECAUSE THIS MODELS TRANSMISSION IS FAULTY. THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND I FEEL CHEATED AND UN-SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE. *LN
filed 02/18/2011 · ODI 10383264
THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO STOP WORKING IN D(DRIVE) MODE. I HAD TO USE THE MANUAL/ AUTOSTICK TO GET THE CAR TO DRIVE. THERE WAS NO IMPROVEMENT IN THE SHIFTING. I HAD TO PAY TO HAVE A 5 SPEED SWAP DONE AT A PERFORMANCE SHOP. THIS IS MY 3RD HONDA THAT HAS HAD TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *TR
filed 02/15/2009 · ODI 10258703
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA PRELUDE. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, THE INTERIOR LIGHTING ILLUMINATED; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NORM REEVES HONDA SUPERSTORE WEST COVINA (1840 E GARVEY AVE S, WEST COVINA, CA 91791, (626) 251-2995) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 02V120000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200,000.
filed 04/04/2019 · ODI 11193829
1. DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. 2. CAR STALLED AT STOP LIGHT (3 TIMES). WAS ABLE TO RESTART CAR WITHOUT DISRUPTING TRAFFIC. CAR STALLED AT FREEWAY SPEED (1 TIME). WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MANEUVER TO SHOULDER OF ROAD. CAR RESTARTED. 3. REPLACED PART AFTER INSPECTION AND DETERMINED ABNORMAL WEAR ON SWITCH CONTACTS. ALSO PLASTIC BODY OF SWITCH MELTED IN ONE AREA. OLD PART IS AVAILABLE. PART NUMBER 35130-S30-305 NOTE: THIS WAS A PART PREVIOUSLY REPLACED UNDER THE "PRELUDE IGNITION SWITCH" RECALL ISSUED IN SUMMER 2002. *TR
filed 09/20/2010 · ODI 10356550
VEHICLE: 1998 HONDA PRELUDE SH (98000 MILES) -VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY PROFESSIONAL MECHANIC -MECHANIC FOUND THAT COMPONENTS: SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINTS HAD ESTIMATED 1/4 INCH OF PLAY (MOVEMENT) WHEN THERE SHOULD BE NO MOVEMENT -NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 99V069000 IS A RECALL FOR THIS COMPONENT FOR 1998 HONDA PRELUDES -HONDA MOTOR CO. STATES THAT MY VEHICLE DOES NOT APPLY -THE WORSE CASE, THE BALL JOINT WOULD SEPARATE CAUSING THE FRONT SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE. CONSEQUENCE: THIS CONDITION WOULD RESULT IN VEHICLE DECELERATION AND A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. ALSO STEE
filed 09/08/2009 · ODI 10283166
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA PRELUDE. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE LOWER BALL JOINTS ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FAILED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, HE DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 99V069000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT). THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. HE WANTS HONDA TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE ACCORDING TO THE RECALL DUE TO THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 120,000.
filed 04/02/2009 · ODI 10263949
I HAVE BEEN HAVING MORE PROBLEMS WITH MY ENGINE STALLING SUDDENLY. THE PAST FEW TIMES, I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY IN BUSY RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THE HEATER, RADIO, AND OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WOULD CONTINUE TO WORK BUT THE TACHOMETER WOULD JUST DROP TO ZERO. TWICE, I HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, TURN THE CAR BACK ON, AND PUT IT BACK IN DRIVE, ALL WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY.
filed 07/15/2005 · ODI 10128889
DT: CONSUMER WAS IN VEHICLE WITH VEHICLE RUNNING. THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITH NO WARNING. CONSUMER LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE TIMING BELT AUTO TENSIONER FAILED. CONSUMER HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT RECOGNIZES THIS PROBLEM. SERVICE BULLETIN #01-010. CONSUMER FOUND THAT WHEN HIS TENSIONER FAILED AND LET VEHICLE JUMP TIME IT ALSO ALLOWED VALVES IN HEAD TO BECOME DAMAGED BY THE PISTON. CONSUMER SAYS THAT THIS HAPPENED WHEN VEHICLE HAD 79,000 MILES. CONSUMER SAYS THAT OWNER'S MANUAL SAYS THAT TIMING BELT SHOULD BE CHECKED AT 105,000 MILES. CONSUMER ALSO STATES THAT TIMING BELT WAS NOT BADLY WORN WHEN
filed 07/11/2005 · ODI 10128304
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 3 recall campaigns filed by Honda for the 1998 Prelude. The most recent is campaign 02V120000, filed 2002-05-16, covering Electrical System › Ignition › Switch.
The most-reported component is Power Train with 26 of the 70 owner complaints on file, including 1 reports involving a crash. Complaint counts show where owners report trouble; they are not proof of a defect.
70 complaints with NHTSA for the 1998 Prelude, spread across 21 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.