I bought this car used and have had good luck with honda's in the past but about 300 miles of me owning this vehicle I was entering a freeway when all of a sudden I lost all power with cars going highway speed behind me I had to pull off to the shoulder luckily there was one there the first time it gave out but later on that drive going home I was driving over a bridge with traffic when it did it again I was so scared because I'm stuck in a line of traffic on a bridge and the car wants to roll back and it didn't want to turn on until it cooled down which was 30 minutes of ugly looks of cars driving by me when I finally got home I had never felt so relieved so that's when I told my father about it we looked at it drive it and he hoped it was just a bad ignition coil so we changed that but after doing some research online I saw that this was a very common problem with cars transmission so I dig a little bit more and found out that honda knew about this problem but only is honoring the 2000 year models and up under warranty which is really unfair because one they knew there automatic transmissions were weak and it could of cost me my life twice! So I'm taking the time to stand up for all of us because no one deserves to be hurt or fatally wounded by a poorly made transmission
The worst 1997 Honda Prelude problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Transmission40
- Electrical7
- Suspension7
- Engine5
- Tires5
- Brakes4
- Airbags2
- Seats2
- Steering2
- Visibility2
- Lights1
- Locks1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1997 Honda Prelude
Transmission failure 16Slipping 9Jerking 8Stalling 8Ball joint 5
Recalls 3
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 05V025000 · Recall details
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 02V120000 · Recall details
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints.
Recall number 99V069000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 1997 Honda Prelude
Defect investigations
Ignition-park interlock
The above failure report counts are for model year (my) 1999 - 2001 honda accord models that were not within the scope of a related honda recall action (the federal safety agency 03v423); these vehicles were investigated by odi under defect petition (dp) 04-006.complaint information for other models and model years was not obtained by odi.the noted population indicates the number of vehicles (including the my 2002 accord plus the prelude and tl models) that are within the scope of honda?s new recall (the federal safety agency 05v‑025, honda p68, p69); 402,525 of these were investigated in dp04-006.seepart 573 documents related to 05v‑025 for further detail on other models and mys.odi notes that, according to honda?s analysis, interlock system warranty rates for the tl and prelude models involved in 05v‑025 are similar to those of the accord models.information provided by honda during dp04-006 indicates that certain vehicles containing interlock systems made by its japanese lock manufacturing facility may contain defective internal components.in combination with certain wear and usage factors, this may lead to a condition that prevents the system from blocking removal of the ignition key when the vehicle is not in park.if the driver leaves the transmission in a non-park position and fails to set the hand brake when parking, the vehicle may roll away and crash.interlock systems manufactured by honda?s u.s. Lock manufacturer do not appear to contain this defect and are therefore not included in the recall action. In a letter dated january 27, 2005, honda advised that it will conduct a safety recall to either upgrade (for operative systems) or repair (for inoperative systems) subject interlock systems with new design level components that do not contain the defect.
PE05002
Technical service bulletins for the 1997 Honda Prelude 86
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This SKU is a Front Upper Ball Joint
- Concerns with engine hesitation or stumble CAN be felt under light acceleration between 1,500 and 2,000 RPM
- DTC (diagnostic trouble code) P1279, pgm tester software error
- A condition exist where the upper windshield molding is warped or deformed
- Type 1 immobi brake codes available on the interactive network (HONDA)
- SRS indicator on after body shop repair
- Honda diagnostic system locked, needs immobilizer release password
- Heater blower motor gets hot or blows a fuse
- Brake system indicator comes on and goes off
- Heater blower motor overheats or blows fuse
What 1997 Honda Prelude owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Its the automatic transmission it only has 136000 miles on it and I need a new one that's really low miles for a 97 never had a problem like this ever with any of my cars. I heard its with all the hondas.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 honda prelude. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign number: 02v120000 (electrical system) but was advised by the manufacturer that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 186,000.
Well basically I bought my 97automatic prelude, and not more than a month later of having the car the transmission started to malfunction. Basically it would sound like a screw driver was being forced into the gears or something. On top of that it was revving ridiculously high and not moving anywhere. My fourth gear was gone they check engine light is on. Not to mention when the problem was addressed to the dealer they said bring it in and they will erase the code "good as new" to be exact. But honestly as a consumer a loyal one, I feel like I should be compensated by having my transmission replaced or fully rebuilt. Cause everyone knows as well as honda mechanics who have filled me in with the ss transmission problems being the cause of bad bearings and bad internals and bad torque converters. Seeing as me being the consumer and being constantly put in a situation been am I gonna break down on the freeway on the way to work or yet even worse at night past midnight when I'm off. Now let me remind u it's still a lease and there are some facts I know ad researched on like "the magnuson-moss warranty act (15 u.s.c. 2302)" which states: this federal law regulates warranties for the protection of consumers. The essence of the law concerning aftermarket auto parts is that a vehicle manufacturer may not condition a written or implied warranty on the consumers using parts or services which are identified by brand, trade, or corporate name (such as the vehicle maker's brand) unless the parts or service are provided free of charge. The law means that the use of an aftermarket part alone is not cause for denying the warranty. However, the law's protection does not extend to aftermarket parts in situations where such parts actually caused the damage being claimed under the warranty. Further, consumers are advised to be aware of any specific terms or conditions stated in the warranty which may result in its being voided. The law states in relevant part: ??no warrantor of.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 honda prelude. While driving approximately 20 MPH in a parking lot, the vehicle stalled. She stated she turned the vehicle off and when restarting, the vehicle resumed normal operation. The contact stated the failure had occurred at least six times, intermittently. The manufacturer advised the contact to have the dealer diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. The vehicle was previously repaired under the federal safety agency campaign id number: 02v120000 (electrical system: ignition: switch). The contact did not feel safe driving the vehicle. The failure mileage was 146,565 and the current mileage was 146,765.
My 1997 honda prelude automatic transmission died out. When I looked on the forums, honda is very well aware of the failure by design of their honda preludes.
I've driving my prelude for 4 years. Very soon after I got it I noticd the shifting was jerky. Soon after it became jumpy and now when I drivie my car from cold its bolting into gear with a tremendous jerk. I feel its on its way out.
April 2007 I had the shift interlock update as well as the ignition switch recall done at my local dealer. The shift interlock update included a whole new lock assembly including new tumblers and a new key because I was able to remove my old key while not in park. July 2009 I started having problems turning the key in the ignition using many different keys. So I took it to the dealer. They informed me that the problem was that the tumblers were damaged and that the whole lock assembly would need to be replaced again. I was having no problems with the lock prior to the recall work. The new lock installed during the recall lasted just over 2 years and honda would not warranty the work because it had been over 12 months 12000 miles. I asked them to explain to me why my original lock lasted 10 years and was having no issues when recalled, and the replacement only 2 years. They said that they couldn't explain it but the charge to replace was $887. I had no choice but to replace in order to be able to drive my car. It is my belief that the new lock assembly installed because of the recall was defective, and it was extremely expensive for me to replace.
My transmission on my 97 honda prelude went out on me it started to slip every day.
The transmission in my 1997 honda prelude automatic ss crapped out on me after kicking and slipping for a few months so I had it rebuilt...and now a few months later it's already slipping and kicking again. It cost 1500 to have it rebuilt the first time, honda already addressed the 00-01 prelude auto transmissions in a recall, why haven't the addressed the issues in the prior years? It's the same car as the 00-01, no changes were made to the body, engine, transmission, and yet they refuse to address this widespread issue among prelude owners. I for one am tired of it, honda owes it to their loyal consumers that they confront this issue head on.
Compare the 1997 Honda Prelude
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Questions about the 1997 Honda Prelude
Is the 1997 Honda Prelude reliable?
Owners have filed 66 complaints about the 1997 Honda Prelude, 3.1 times a typical Prelude model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Honda Prelude?
Transmission and drivetrain, with 40 complaints, typically around 97,000 miles. Next is electrical (7).
How many recalls does the 1997 Honda Prelude have?
3 recalls, covering electrical system and suspension.
What year does the Honda Prelude have bad transmission?
The Honda Prelude model years with the most transmission complaints are 1997 (40 complaints), 1998 (31 complaints) and 2001 (11 complaints).
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