Most common 1997 Honda Prelude problems
Share of the 66 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Honda Prelude complaints by model year
Best Prelude years: 1995, 2000, 2001. Years to avoid: 1997, 1998, 1999. Compare all years →
1997 Honda Prelude recalls (3)
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
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.
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.
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
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.
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…
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 1997 Honda Prelude:
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 odi.the noted population indicates the number of vehicles (including the my 2002 accord plus the…
What 1997 Honda Prelude owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 40 →
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 have a 1997 Honda Prelude sport-shift automatic. Like most owners of this type of vehicle, the transmission went out. The gears begin to slip and will not engage. The dealer wanted $4000 to get a rebuilt transmission. I had it replaced, but then about 20,000 miles later, it went out again. This time the first gear did not engage. I am basically afraid to drive my car around anymore. I do not want to get it rebuilt again because of the fact that it May as well break again. However, the 2000-01 Honda preludes with this type of transmission get an extended warranty and I find it very unfair that the same exact car with the same exact transmission gets an extended warranty, but the 1997-99 preludes do not. If Honda knows of the faulty transmissions, why not replace all of the transmissions instead of the later year ones? …
Suspension
Problems with ball joints, brakes, air conditioner, radio, windshield and seats. In addition, the engine burned oil, the vehicle had a hard time going backwards. Consumer had numerous incidents with the vehicle going out control. The vehicle was repaired multiple times, but the problems continued to exist.
The left front suspension has a loud and distinct crack upon take off and stopping of the vehicle. This problem occurs mainly in cold weather. As well as the sound, the driver can feel the noise in the floorboard of the driver side front. The manufacturer states that this is a charactaristic of the vehicle and that nothing can be done about it. The manufacturer can provide no facts to base this decision on nor did the manufacturer's representative even look at the mechanics of the problem vehicle. The rep based his "charactarisitc" claim on my vehicle and another similar vehicle ,making the noise. There is no other complaints to Honda tech line from mechanics in reference to this problem. The Honda rep states that it is the bushings in the suspension without even looking at the vehicle, and the mechanics at the dealership cannot locate any faulty bushings.
Electrical system
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. …
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 NHTSA 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.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Honda Prelude a good car?
Based on 66 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Prelude rates avoid: 3.1× as many complaints as a typical year of the Prelude at the same age. It is one of the Prelude years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Honda Prelude?
The transmission & drivetrain — 40 complaints, 61% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the suspension (7) and electrical system (7).
How many recalls does the 1997 Honda Prelude have?
There are 3 recalls for the 1997 Honda Prelude, the most recent from January 28, 2005 (switch). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Honda Prelude?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 1995, 2000 and 2001. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1997, 1998 and 1999. See the full Honda Prelude years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Honda Prelude problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 95,000 miles; 9% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.