1990 Honda Prelude

Routine

Owners filed 4 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the seat belts › front › buckle assembly. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails

Component	Reports	Injuries
Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly	1	0
Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage	1	1
Equipment › Other › Owners/Service/Other Manual	1	0
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine	1	0

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly95V103001

Filed May 24, 19953,700,000 vehiclesAmerican Honda Motor Co.

Defect. THE FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLE RELEASE BUTTONS CAN BREAK. THESE RED PLASTIC RELEASE BUTTONS ARE MARKED "PRESS." IF A BUTTON BREAKS, PIECES CAN FALL INTO THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE BUCKLE TO OPERATE IMPROPERLY.

Risk. THE SAFETY BELTS WOULD NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO AN OCCUPANT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. OWNERS SHOULD PROMPTLY CHECK THE CONDITION AND OPERATION OF BOTH FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLES. CAREFULLY INSPECT THE RED RELEASE BUTTON FOR ANY BREAKS OR CRACKS. CHECK THAT BOTH BUCKLES ARE OPERATING PROPERLY BY INSERTING EACH LATCH PLATE INTO ITS BUCKLE, TUG ON THE BELT TO MAKE SURE THE LATCH IS SECURELY LOCKED, THEN PRESS THE RELEASE BUTTON. THE LATCH PLATE SHOULD POP OUT OF THE BUCKLE WHEN THE BUTTON IS PRESSED. IF EITHER RELEASE BUTTON SHOWS ANY SIGN OF BREAKAGE OR CRACKING, OR IF EITHER BUCKLE FAILS TO OPERATE PROPERLY, PROMPTLY CONTACT YOUR AUTHORIZED HONDA/ACURA DEALER TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE BUCKLE REPLACED OR REPAIRED, FREE OF CHARGE. THE MANUFACTURER IS DEVELOPING A REMEDY DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE FAILURE OF THE BUTTONS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY BROKEN.

What owners reported

Newest filings

Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage1 injured

Filed Dec 13, 2000OK

DURING COLLISION THE VEHICLE WAS HIT ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR SIDE AND THE CAR DOOR CAME OPEN AND THE DRIVER WAS THROWN FROM THE VEHICLE, THE SEAT BELT WAS ATTACHED TO THE DOOR BUT WAS STILL INTACT IN THE SEAT LATCH, CONSUMER SUFFERED INJURIES. *MJS

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine

Filed Nov 3, 1997MD

ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD FAILED.

Equipment › Other › Owners/Service/Other Manual

Filed Jun 1, 1995CA

OWNER'S MANUAL INDICATES FOR CSS INSTALLATION IT REQUIRES SPECIAL LAP BELT ATTACHMENT TO SECURE CSS TO VEHICLE. TT

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly

Filed Feb 23, 1995CA

DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT MALFUNCTION, HARD TO LATCH SAFETY BELTS. TT

4 of 4 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1998

Year	Complaints	Recalls	Fires	Deaths	Assessment
2006	0	1	0	0	Routine
2005	0	1	0	0	Routine
2004	0	1	0	0	Routine
2003	0	1	0	0	Routine
2002	0	1	0	0	Routine
2001	21	3	0	0	Routine
2000	13	3	0	0	Routine
1999	31	4	0	0	Routine
1998	69	5	0	1	Fatalities reported
1997	66	5	0	0	Routine
1996	4	6	1	0	Routine
1995	6	5	0	0	Routine
1994	9	5	1	0	Routine
1993	11	5	0	0	Routine
1992	22	5	0	0	Routine
1991	15	1	2	1	Fatalities reported
1990 — this page	4	1	0	0	Routine

Compare every Prelude year →

Other Honda models

All Honda models →

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Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: May 24, 1995. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.