1999 Honda Prelude
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Honda › Prelude › 1999
These records cover every 1999 Honda Prelude. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
4 recalls name the 1999 Honda Prelude. Newest first.
Certain aai motorsports combination lamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above list passenger vehicles. combination lamps not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Risk and remedy
Risk
Lack of amber side reflectors in the lamps will decrease lighting visibility to other drivers and may possibly result in a vehicle crash
Remedy
Aai motorsports will notify owners and replace the lamps free of charge. the recall began on august 1, 2006. owners may contact aai motorsports at 909-923-9188.
Certain pro-a motors corner lamps, turn signals, and headlights sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles listed above. some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
Remedy
Pro-a motors will notify owners and offer to repurchase the lamps. the recall began on april 3, 2006. owners may contact pro-a motors at 323-838-2988.
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 and remedy
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.
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 and remedy
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.
Owner complaints
31 complaints2 involved a crash1 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Electrical system › Ignition › Switch · Power train
The contact owns a 1999 Honda Prelude. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact became aware that the failure was due to the ignition switch. The contact replaced the part himself. The contact also noticed that while the…
The contact owns a 1999 Honda Prelude. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact became aware that the failure was due to the ignition switch. The contact replaced the part himself. The contact also noticed that while the vehicle was turned off, the gear shifter independently shifted into gear. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
- Electrical system
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.
- Power train
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…
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
- Electrical system › Ignition › Switch · Engine and engine cooling
1999 honda prelude. Consumer states engine failure while driving *tgw the consumer referenced the ignition switch recall and IS requesting $2,350.19 for repairs. *Jb the consumer stated he received a small refund from honda. Updated 09/29/11*jb
- Electrical system · Suspension
Richard c. Yuen poway, ca 92064 may 5, 2008 american honda motor co., inc. honda automobile customer service 1919 torrance boulevard mail stop: 500 - 2N - 7D torrance, ca 90501-2746 re: 1999 honda prelude vin #J013 dear sir: we are very pleased with honda automobiles performance…
Richard c. Yuen poway, ca 92064 may 5, 2008 american honda motor co., inc. honda automobile customer service 1919 torrance boulevard mail stop: 500 - 2N - 7D torrance, ca 90501-2746 re: 1999 honda prelude vin #J013 dear sir: we are very pleased with honda automobiles performance and reliability. We are always going out our way to recommend honda cars to our friends and relatives. however, last wednesday evening (4/30/08) while driving home in my honda prelude, I had a very bad experience with the car. I was traveling east bound on fwy 56 at around 65 miles; suddenly I heard a loud noise under the hood and grinding noises. All dash board lights came on and I was having difficulties in maneuvering the car. Luckily, I was able to get off the freeway and stopped the car at the end of the off ramp (camino del sur). the car was towed to our mechanics downtown san diego. Sun independent auto repair has taken care of our honda cars for the last 20 years. He found the front pulley came off and front pulley strut was broken in half. He told us in all his years of servicing honda car, this IS the firs time for him. See attached photo. from the picture, you can see the strut IS defective, broken cleanly in half. You can also notice signs of rusting close to the breaking point. We have kept our prelude in our garage away from the weather elements. The car has never got into any water; in fact, I have always hand washed it myself. The scheduled maintenances are followed religiously by me. Additionally, the car has less than 54,000 miles on it after nine years. I am requesting honda to recognize the fact that the strut IS defective and should reimburse us the expenses to replace the strut and the front pulley (slightly bent needs replacement). See attached repair bill. additionally, honda should notice all 1999 prelude owners of this incidence. sincerely, 1999 honda prelude front pulley strut broken strutbent key. *tr
- Engine and engine cooling
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.
- Electrical system › Ignition › Switch · Equipment
Took 1999 honda prelude in to the carson honda to replace the brake pads and do the 90 mile major service as required by honda care coverage. was told there was a recall on the ignition, and that they would have to replace my ignition, free of charge. when I went to pick up my car they told me…
Took 1999 honda prelude in to the carson honda to replace the brake pads and do the 90 mile major service as required by honda care coverage. was told there was a recall on the ignition, and that they would have to replace my ignition, free of charge. when I went to pick up my car they told me my bill was 860.57. There were charges on the invoice that where not covered by my warranty. The ignition switch was changed, but they say said that I had to purchase the new key of 39.00. I said no that it worked fine before I brought it in . They said they would destroy the key and threatened me that I was going to have to pay $160 more if the old key no longer worked. 2 days later my car sits in the drive way and I cannot get the key out.*ak
- Equipment
My son was driving the 1999 honda prelude on the expressway when the engine stopped runing. He was able to push the car over to the side of the road with out any crash or injuries. He was luckey that there were few cars on the road at the time. Had it towed to a repair shop. The idle bolt for the timming belt broke at the engine and had to be drilled out to be replaced. Old part IS not available.
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine · Equipment › Electrical › Radio/tape deck/cd etc.
The consumer's vehicle experienced engine failure which was caused by a broken cam seal which allowed oil to leak from the engine. nm the oil pressure indicator light came on. the consumer pulled off the exit and the vehicle lost power. the dealer performed a scheduled maintenance check up and…
The consumer's vehicle experienced engine failure which was caused by a broken cam seal which allowed oil to leak from the engine. nm the oil pressure indicator light came on. the consumer pulled off the exit and the vehicle lost power. the dealer performed a scheduled maintenance check up and oil change on the vehicle 10 weeks prior to the incident. the consumer feels that the leaking cam seal went undiscovered or unmentioned. the dealer refused to replace the engine because the consumer drove a half of a mile with the engine light on. the timing belt broke on another occasion causing serious engine damage and loss of power. *tc the consumer stated the cd player shut off. *Jb
- Electrical system · Engine and engine cooling · Structure · Visibility
Repeated (2 times) safety related engine malfunction causing loss of control and power of the vehicle. *bf ivoq 10100766 provided additional information while the vehicle was in motion during a rain storm, the oil pressure light had come on and caused the vehicle to shut down while on an exit…
Repeated (2 times) safety related engine malfunction causing loss of control and power of the vehicle. *bf ivoq 10100766 provided additional information while the vehicle was in motion during a rain storm, the oil pressure light had come on and caused the vehicle to shut down while on an exit ramp. the consumer was informed that this occurred due a broken cam seal and the engine needed to be replaced. prior to the incident, there was a leak coming from the cam seal. back in october the timing belt had broken while the vehicle was in motion and the consumer lost control of the vehicle. there were other numerous issues as well including: the heating system, vibration, noise, the cd player would shut off when the drivers side door was opened or when the interior lights were on, the wiper washer fluid would freeze and minor electrical problems. the engine light would illuminate intermittently. *sc *jb
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and associated pulleys
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
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and associated pulleys
Repeated (2 times) safetly related engine malfunction causing loss of control and power of the vehicle. on november 4, 2004 owner of 1999 honda prelude was driving home from work at night time when shortly afterwards owner's vehicle lost power and control for the second time on a major highway.…
Repeated (2 times) safetly related engine malfunction causing loss of control and power of the vehicle. on november 4, 2004 owner of 1999 honda prelude was driving home from work at night time when shortly afterwards owner's vehicle lost power and control for the second time on a major highway. The engine's cam seal broke off leaking the engine oil out onto the highway of rt. 80 and the engine seized. Owner's vehicle has proven repeatedly to have serious engine defects that posed a risk to the owner as well as other drivers on the road. In october 2002, the first engine malfunction occurred when the timing belt broke due to a defect while owner was driving and the vehicle lost all power and control. The owner, a child in the back seat and other drivers were placed at serious risk of injury or death. as owner was covered under honda care which extends the standard new car limited warranty until 100,000 repairs were covered. However, the engine was not replaced. the malfunction of the engine parts was not due in any part to owner's neglect or fault as owner. Owner has followed every maintenance and service recommened. Owner has records to indicate this. All of the service was performed only at sussex honda, in newton, n.j. this owner requested that manufacturer repair/replace the engine at no cost to the owner due to serious safety related defect in the engine. American honda ihas declined the owner's request to repair the said vehicle at no cost to owner. *ak
- Wheels › Rim
While driving 40 mph consumer ran over a pothole that caused the tire to develop a bubble on the sidewall. Nitto p215/40zr17. both the manufacturer and the dealership were contacted.*ak
- Power train › Automatic transmission
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
- Tires › Sidewall
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.
- Power train › Automatic transmission
1999 honda prelude sport shift automatic transmission failure at 46,000 miles and at a speed of 36 mph as documented by honda! I haven't done anything wrong and neither has any other prelude owner and honda wants $6,000 dollars of my hard earned money! yes that's 1/4 the total cost of the car brand new! please help. *nlm
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Consumer states that while driving at any speed and no warning the vehicle will heavily jerk and then the engine light will come on. dealer notified. *Mr
- Vehicle speed control
While exiting from the parking lot the engine accelerated into a paasing gear thrust which hurtled the vehicle into the drivers side of a passing vehicle. heritage honda admitted that the accident was caused by a faulty transmission. after repairs the vehicle surged again as consumer gently…
While exiting from the parking lot the engine accelerated into a paasing gear thrust which hurtled the vehicle into the drivers side of a passing vehicle. heritage honda admitted that the accident was caused by a faulty transmission. after repairs the vehicle surged again as consumer gently eased forward to avoid hitting a high curb. the engine roared into a forward motion, jumping the curb, the wheels were forced to the right, loosing control the vehicle crossed an island, an alleyway, and hit a parked vehicle. immediately after impact, consumer was able to put the vehicle in neutral while the engine continued to race. consumer believes it's a faulty cruise control sensor that IS at fault. *jg
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc · Suspension
After driving vehicle for more than 20 minutes, it started to vibrate at speeds of 35-40 mph and over. Dealer has replaced pads and rotors at 27000 miles. At this time vehicle IS vibrating again.*ak
- Tires
No summary (tiresize: 550)
- Power train › Automatic transmission
4TH gear blew twice causing dangerous situations. the transmission has a defect, nobody knows what.*ak
- Power train › Manual transmission › Floor shift assembly
When shifting into gear while stopping at a traffice light and when attempting to shift gears, shift fails to respond and gear fails to go into reverse, causing a near vehicle crash. Consumer has contactecd dealer. Please provide any further details.*ak
- Electrical system › Ignition
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
- Power train › Axle assembly › Axle shaft
No sum,mary listed for above vehicle. *ak
- Power train › Axle assembly › Axle shaft
No summary listed for abov evehicle. *Ak
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- 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 (nhtsa 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…
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 (nhtsa 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 (nhtsa 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.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10165333This SKU is a Front Upper Ball Joint. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for the outer diameter of the ball joint housing being too small. The outer diameter being too small would prevent the part from being installed, and would therefore have no impact on the end user besides time to complete installation.
- 10014220Honda diagnostic system locked, needs immobilizer release password.
- 10014050Dtc (diagnostic trouble code) p1279, pgm tester software error.
- 10013967Type 1 immobi brake codes available on the interactive network (honda).
- 10009279Automatic transmission diagnostic trouble code p0740, p0741 repair tips. Another look. Honda servicenews.
- 10009278Heater blower motor gets hot or blows a fuse. Honda. Servicenews.
- 10005934Reconnecting accessories after ignition switch recall. Honda october tech line information.
- 10005933Keyless, ceiling light, ignition key beeper logic. Honda october tech line information. 2002 prelude also included.
- 10005930Air conditioning (a/c) compressor control logic. Honda october tech line information. 2002 prelude also included.
- 10005929Clearing anti-lock brake system (ABS) diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs). Honda october tech line information.
- 10005927Grunt noise when accelerating after sitting. Honda october tech line information. 2002 prelude also included.
- 10005881Keyless entry, ceiling light, ignition key beeper logic. Honda servicenews.
- 10005876Air conditioning (a/c) compressor out? Check blower motor operation. Honda servicenews.
- 10005871Anti-lock brake system (ABS) grunts when doing a self-check.
- 10004956Heater blower motor overheats or blows fuse. Various models including the 2004 insight and s2000.
- 10004798Brake system indicator comes on and goes off.
- 10003052Concerns with warped or deformed windshield molding. Update.
- 10002701Vehicle's emission type.
- 10002699Grade logic control information.
- 10002575Straining the automatic transmission fluid (atf) to diagnose automatic transmissions.
- 10001832Troubleshooting intermittent anti-lock brake (ABS) or traction control system (tcs) diagnostic trouble codes.
- 10001811Srs indicator on with no srs diagnostic trouble codes (dtc) set.
- 10001790Check (atf) automatic transmission fluid condition to diagnose (a/t) automatic transmissions.
- 636755Subject regarding automatic transmission shift problems - slippage, flare, hard upshift.
- 636753Information on testing for interal leaks with diagnostic trouble code p1456 or p1457.
- 636738Subject regarding customer complaints that the engine hesitates briefly when accelerating.
- 633590Service information regarding immobilizer system (type 1).
- 631027Customers may complain of a brief hesitation when accelerating at high engine speeds.
- 630994Information on troubleshooting multiple misire diagnostic trouble codes p0301, p0306).
- 629541Customers may complain of a twang noise from the front suspension that sounds like a spring contact. *Slc
- 629305Information on power door locks that may lock by themselves or may cycle twice to unlock and then lock themselves.
- 627498Subject regarding power door locks cycle. *Slc
- 626842Subject regarding power door locks cycle.
- 626805Subject regarding power door locks cycle.
- 626688Subject regarding malfunction indicator lamp comes on with diagnostic trouble code p0133.
- 625124Subject regarding bulb check logic.
- 624293Subject on regarding: bulb check logic.
- 624054Information regarding: transmission/driveline.
- 624030Subject on regarding: black smoke on hard acceleration.
- 623941Subject on regarding: engine mechanical
Every Honda Prelude model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.