IllustrationCAR WAS DRIVING NORMAL THEN JUST SHUT OFF. CRANKS WON'T START I WAS DRIVING NORMAL THEN IT JUST SHUT OFF. AND NOW IT CRANKS OVER WON'T START. *TR
1994 Honda Prelude
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Prelude years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 2 of 9 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Equipment. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
9 reportsLETTER FROM SENATOR CORNYN ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE TAKATA AIR BAG NOT DEPLOYING IN AN ACCIDENT. *SMD THE CONSUMER WAS HIT BY ANOTHER DRIVER AND WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. *JB
ATTEMPTED TO REFUEL VEHICLE WHEN SUDDENLY AFTER AN EMPLOYEE TRIED TO REPAIR DISPENSER GASOLINE EXPLODED FROM THE NOZZLE FORCEFULLY INTO MY FACE ESPECIALLY MY LEFT EYE, NOSE AND MOUTH. THE EMPLOYEE COULD NOT STOP THE GASOLINE FROM COMING OUT SO HE THREW THE ENTIRE DISPENSER IN MY CAR FLOOR BOARD. MY THREE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS …
Read full complaint
ATTEMPTED TO REFUEL VEHICLE WHEN SUDDENLY AFTER AN EMPLOYEE TRIED TO REPAIR DISPENSER GASOLINE EXPLODED FROM THE NOZZLE FORCEFULLY INTO MY FACE ESPECIALLY MY LEFT EYE, NOSE AND MOUTH. THE EMPLOYEE COULD NOT STOP THE GASOLINE FROM COMING OUT SO HE THREW THE ENTIRE DISPENSER IN MY CAR FLOOR BOARD. MY THREE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS BUCKLED IN HER CAR SEAT IN THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS REFUELING ACCIDENT OCCURRED JUNE 2, 1995. IT HAS NEVER BEEN FULLY INVESTIGATED BY COMPETENT EXPERTS TO DETERMINE WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT FUTURE REFUELING INJURY, FIRE, AND EXPLOSION. OUR FAMILY HAS PERMANENT INJURY AS A RESULT OF THIS TRAUMATIC REFUELING ACCIDENT WHICH HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED. HOWEVER, NO ONE HAS STEPPED UP TO APOLOGIZE AND HELP OUR FAMILY GET THE MEDICAL TREATMENT NEEDED. *TR
TIMING BELT WAS REPLACED AS RECOMMENDED AT 90,000. THE REPLACEMENT BELT BROKE AFTER ONLY 30,000 AND CONSEQUENTLY CAUSED DAMAGE TO VALVES AND PISTONS.
CONSUMER STATED A WEEK PRIOR TO FAILURE, THE AIR CONDITIONER BEGAN LEAKING ONTO THE FLOORBOARDS OF THE PASSENGER AND DRIVERS SIDE, THEN THE FAN BLOWER AND AIR CONDITIONING UNIT CUT OFF ALL AT ONCE.*JB
SPEEDOMETER IS ERRATIC, WHEN DRIVING SPEEDOMETER WILL READ 10 TO 20 MPH TOO FAST. ALSO, IT JUMPS FROM ONE SPEED TO ANOTHER WHEN DRIVING NORMAL SPEEDS. CONTACTED DEALER WHO STATED ALL THEY CAN DO IS REPLACE THE SPEEDOMETER.*AK *YH
THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE AIR CONDITIONER. THIS CAUSED THE AIR CONDITIONER TO NOT RELEASE AIR. ALSO, WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 40MPH THE ENGINE STALLED OUT. *AK
AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WHEN VEHICLE HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD.
UPON IMPACT, DURING FRONTAL CRASH, AT APPROX. 25-30MPH, 12:00 ON FRONT BUMPER, AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.