AUTO TRANSMISSION NEW TECHNOLOGY, GEARS CAN BE UPSHIFTED OR DOWNSIFTED MANUALLY. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS INTO 4TH. IT WON'T CATCH AND WOULD JUST REV. TRANSMISSION SHIFTED HARD (JOLTING) THROUGHOUT THE GEARS. REVERSE WON'T CATCH UNTIL AFTER THE CAR STARTS TO ROLL IN REVERSE DIRECTION. SCRAPING METAL NOISES COULD BE HEARD WHEN THE CAR STARTS MOVING IN IDLE. TRANSMISSION ALSO PRODUCE WHUFFING, AN RC NOISE WHILE IN PARK OR IN NEUTRAL- A SIGN OF TRANSMISSION BEING SHOT. FAILURE OF 4TH GEAR AND THE ONGOING SYMPTOMS MAKES THE CAR A HARZARD ON THE ROAD BECAUSE OF THE UNPREDICATABLE JOLTS IN SHIFTING OR THE GEAR NOT CATCHING WHEN SPEED IS REQUIRED WHILE DRIVING ESPECIALLY ON THE FREEWAY. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. MANY AUTO PRELUDE OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. HONDA HAS TAKEN CARE OF CUSTOMERS WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS IF THEY WERE STILL UNDER WARRANTY 3YEARS OR 36000MILES OR IF THEY BOUGHT HONDA CARE, EXTENDED WARRANTY 6YEARS OR 100,000 MILES. HONDA WASN'T ABLE TO ASSIST ME WITH MY PROBLEM. THE SERVICE REP TOLD ME TO TRADE IN THE CAR AND GET RID OF IT BECAUSE IT COST $4000 FOR A REBUILT TRANNY. SO, I'M LOOKING AT ABOUT A ADDITIONAL $4000 PLUS LABOR TO HAVE IT FIXED. RELIABILITY, QUALITY PRODUCT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A TRAIT AND REPUTATION OF HONDA, I'M AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE DEFECTIVE MANNER THE TRANSMISSION WAS BUILT. I HAVE NOT HEARD NORMALLY OF OTHER AUTOS HAVING THEIR AUTO TRANNY SHOT AT BARELY OVER 50,000MILES, NOT EVEN 3 1/2 YEARS OLD. PRELUDE COST ABOUT $25000,
1998 Honda Prelude complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1998 record →
WHILE TRAVELING 15-20 MPH ON A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET WITH WINDOWS UP CONSUMER AND PASSENGER BEGAN TO SMELL SOMETHING LIKE GAS. A FEW MOMENTS LATER, DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING FROM AIRBAG LIGHT. CONSUMER DEPRESSED BRAKE PEDAL, CAUSING A FRONTAL COLLISION WITH A PARKED CAR. DRIVER RECEIVED BURNS, AND SPRAINED WRIST AND NECK. PASSENGER SUSTAINED BURNS. CONSUMER STATED THAT AIRBAGS WERE REPLACEMEMT EQUIPMENT FROM A PREVIOUS ACCIDENT. DEALER DID NOT REINSTALL AIRBAGS. OLIVER'S AUTO BODY OF HOLYOKE DID. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE WHEELS LOCKED UP CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CROSS THREE LANES AND HIT THE CENTER DIVIDER OF THE FREEWAY, THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED A SPRAINED RIGHT FOOT, A FRACTURED LEFT FOOT AND SOME NECK AND BACK PAIN. NLM
THERE IS A CLUNKING SOUND WHEN I GO OVER BUMPS. *AK
VEHICLE HAS ALUMINUM ALLOY WHEELS. WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH ON SMOOTH HIGHWAY REAR WHEEL RIM CAME APART, IT HAD A SPIRAL SPLIT IN IT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE ON OUTSIDE OF TIRE. *AK
INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGE INDICATOR LIGHT FOR THE ACTIVE TORQUE TRANSFER SYSTEM TURNS ON AFTER START OF ENGINE AND DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE (ABOUT A MILE - DOES NOT TURN ON INITIALLY AT ENGINE START). INDICATOR LIGHT DISCREPANCY OCCURRED THE SAME DAY AS THE INSTALLATION OF THE MANUFACTURERS SPARE TIRE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT WHEEL AND LESS THAN 10 MILES ACCUMULATED ON THE SPARE TIRE. INDICATOR LIGHT CONTINUED TO TURN ON AFTER NEW STOCK SIZE TIRE INSTALLED. *AK
THE PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID.. THE DEALER REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION NEVER DID THIS. OSHA AND THE EPA INDICATE THAT LONG TERM EXPOSURE TO TRANSMISSION FLUID FUMES ARE HAZAROUS. I REQUIRE YOUR HELP IN ORDER TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPAIRED, AS IT IS UNDER WARANTY AND HONDA REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM. DRIVING THE CAR IS UNSAFE.*AK
POSSIBLE REAR SUSPENSION PROBLEM WHICH IS CAUSING NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE.
HONDA HAS IDENTIFIED THAT THE 1998 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS A MANUFACTURER'S DURABILITY DEFECT. THEY HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY REFUSED TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM, COSTING CONSUMERS $2700.00 EACH TIME THE TRANSMISSION FAILS. MORE OVER, THEY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO KEEP IT QUIET. I HAVE SPECIFIC DOCUMENTATION OF THE ISSUE, AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEND IT TO YOU! *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 205/50/16 )
RECALL REPAIR REFUSED DUE TO LACK OF PARTS (99V-069). MJS
TRUNK MAKES LOUD CLUNKING SOUND WHEN THE VEHICLE PASSES OVER PUMP. YH
THE ATTS (TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM) CONTINUALLY FAILS, CAUSING A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WHICH IT MAY COME ON AT ANY TIME, CAUSING THE CAR TO TORQUE TO SWITCH IMMEDIATELY TOWARD THE INSIDE OF THE TURN. THE FAIL LIGHT CONTINUES TO COME ON AS HONDA CONTINUES TO RESET IT, HAVING HAD TO BRING IT BACK TO DEALERSHIP A TOTAL OF 6 TIMES.
HONDA REFUSES TO FIX PROBLEM. PARTLY BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW HOW.
RIGHT AND LEFT POWER WINDOW REGULATOR. MJS
CRUISE CONTROL FAILED. YH
WHEN DRIVING OVER A BUMP A CLUNCKING SOUND COMES FROM THE REAR, SOUNDS AS IF THERE IS SOMETHING LOOSE IN THE TRUNK. DEALER CONTACTED, AND WILL INSPECT VEHICLE IN A WEEK. ALSO STATES THEY ARE AWARE OF PROBLEM, AND VEHICLE MAY NEED SOME LUBRICATION. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
DRIVER TRAVELING ON A TWO LANE ROAD, TWO VEHICLES WHERE IN FRONT, THERE WAS AN ABRUPT STOP, AND THE DRIVER CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT AND THE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK, NOR DID THE AIRBAGS DEPLOY, THE FAILURE FORCED THE DRIVER INTO THE WINDSHIELD AND CRACKED IT. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES.
POWER STEERING SUPPLY HOSE LEAKED/FAILED.
INTERMITTENTLY THE DRIVER'S DOOR LOCKS MALFUNCTION, CAUSING THE DRIVER'S DOOR TO LOCK UNEXPECTEDLY, AND CANNOT UNLOCK THE DOOR. CURRENTLY AT DEALER. *AK *SLC
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1998 Honda Prelude → · Every Prelude year → · How the figures are calculated →