Every recall campaign and owner complaint the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration holds for the 1999 Honda Prelude. Nothing on this page is written from memory — it is all imported from NHTSA's public database.
2 recall campaigns filed by Honda for the 1999 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. |
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 1999 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.
31 owner complaints on file with NHTSA for the 1999 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 | 7 | |
| Tires 1 crash, 1 injured |
5 | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 4 | |
| Electrical System | 2 | |
| Steering | 2 | |
| Power Train,Electrical System | 1 | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling,Electrical System | 1 | |
| Suspension,Electrical System | 1 | |
| Electrical System,Equipment | 1 | |
| Equipment | 1 | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling,Electrical System,Visibility,Structure | 1 | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling,Equipment | 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 SPORTSHIFT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION M6HA IN MY 1999 HONDA PRELUDE STARTED TO SLIP AND WHILE GOING DOWN THE FREEWAY THE CAR LOST ALL POWER TO THE WHEELS AND WOULD JUST REV UP THE ENGINE WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL DOWN AND WOULD NOT MOVE THE CAR WHILE IN ALL DRIVE GEARS. IT COST ME $2,396.75 TO GET MY HONDA PRELUDE'S SPORTSHIFT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION M6HA REPLACED AT A TRANSMISSION SHOP WHILE I WAS OUT ON A FAMILY VACATION TRIP TO ARIZONA. *TR
filed 11/11/2011 · ODI 10435250
CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. ENGINE IDLE WENT UP AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS. HOWEVER, MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST IN RESOLVING THE PROBLEM. *AK
filed 04/14/2004 · ODI 10067126
I HAVE 1999 HONDA PRELUDE THAT CAME WITH BRIDGESTONE POTENZA P205/50 VR16 RE92 TIRES. THE LEFT REAR TIRE BROKE AWAY FROM THE SIDE WALL. THE CAR (TIRES) HAS ONLY 33,800 MILES ON IT. ALL TIRES SHOW CRACKS ON THE SIDE WALLS. THESE TIRES ARE DANGERIOUS, THE SIDE WALL SHOULD NOT FAIL APART.
filed 09/11/2003 · ODI 10038692
TIRE SEPARATION ON INNER SIDE WALL AND CRACKING ON OUTER WALL. *AK (TIRESIZE: P205/50R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P205/50R16 )
filed 10/24/2000 · ODI 734999
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS CONSUMING OIL EVERY THREE TO FOUR MONTHS, WHEN IT SHOULD NORMALLY LAST FOR ONE YEAR. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER EXPRESSED THAT THIS WOULD NORMALLY OCCUR IF THE VEHICLE HAD A FRONT-END COLLISION. THIS VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN A COLLISION; SUBSEQUENTLY, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.
filed 06/06/2006 · ODI 10159115
THE TIMING BELT AND TENSIONER CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC CAUSING A SUDDEN, DANGEROUS LOSE OF POWER. THIS CAR IS A 1999 HONDA PRELUDE WITH 65,000 MILES ON IT. HONDA CLAIMS THAT THESE PARTS ARE TO BE FIRST REPLACED AT 105,000. THIS CAR WAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED BY HONDA AND FAILED 3 DAYS AFTER THEIR STATE INSPECTION. THESE PARTS WERE REPLACED AT GREAT EXPENSE AND INCONVENIENCE TO ME. *AK
filed 01/03/2005 · ODI 10105658
STARTING IN JUNE 2017, MY 1999 HONDA PRELUDE SH HAS BEEN STALLING WITHOUT WARNING WHILE I AM DRIVING. THIS HAPPENS MOSTLY ON HOT DAYS. THE CAR CAN NOT BE RE-STARTED FOR 5-10 MINUTES AFTERWARD. THE ENGINE IS NOT OVERHEATING. MY MECHANIC RAN TESTS FOR TWO DAYS AND SAYS THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH MUST BE FAULTY.
filed 07/19/2017 · ODI 11006352
CAR LOOSES POWER WHEN COLD OUTSIDE AND HESITATES OR LOSES POWER WHILE AT CRUSING SPEED. HONDA SERVICE SAID THAT THE COMPUTER IN THE ACCORD SOMETIMES CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THE CAR AND CAUSES HESITATION SO IT MUST BE THE SAME HERE. *AK
filed 12/11/2000 · ODI 737670
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 2 recall campaigns filed by Honda for the 1999 Prelude. The most recent is campaign 02V120000, filed 2002-05-16, covering Electrical System › Ignition › Switch.
The most-reported component is Power Train with 7 of the 31 owner complaints on file. Complaint counts show where owners report trouble; they are not proof of a defect.
31 complaints with NHTSA for the 1999 Prelude, spread across 16 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.