Problems · NHTSA complaints

2001 Honda Prelude problems

Owners filed 21 complaints about the 2001 Honda Prelude with NHTSA between Jan 2001 and Mar 2019. The most-cited component is power train (11).

Complaints
21
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train11
  2. Electrical system4
  3. Service brakes, hydraulic4
  4. Exterior lighting1
  5. Air bags1
  6. Equipment1
  7. Engine and engine cooling1
  8. Steering1
  9. Structure1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20011
20022
20034
20041
20052
20061
20073
20080
20091
20103
20111
20120
20131
20140
20150
20160
20170
20180
20191

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

11 reports1 crash
“TAKATA RECALL ANY TIME I PUT MY CAR IN D4 (AUTOMATIC) IT GETS TO ABOUT 2500 RPM TO 3000 RPM IN 1ST THEN I HAVE TO MESSAGE THE THROTTLE SO IT WILL SHIFT AND ONCE IT SHIFTS TO 2ND IT STARTS SHIFTING VERY QUICKLY NO MATTER THE RPMS TO 3RD THEN 4TH. ALSO WHEN IT'S SHIFTING IT JERKS PRETTY VIOLENTLY.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 9, 2019Power trainCrash reportedODI 11185471

Electrical system

4 reports1 related recall
“WHILE DRIVING THE CAR JUST TURNS OFF THEN WONT START FOR AWHILE WHEN STARTS BACK UP SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WE KNOW THERE IS A RECALL ON THE IGNITION SWITCH AND INTERIOR LIGHTS ON THIS VEHICLE WE HAVE THREE KIDS THAT RIDE IN THIS CAR AND DON'T WANT SOMETHING TO HAPPEN WHILE WE ARE DRIVING THE CAR AND IT SHUTS OFF ND WONT START WHILE WE ARE IN TRAFFIC. PLEASE HELP. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 12, 2013Electrical system, Exterior lightingODI 10519578

Service brakes, hydraulic

4 reports1 crash
“BRAKES ARE STICKING AND CAUSING THE CAR TO VIBRATE AND EMIT A LOW HUMMING NOISE. WHEN I PUT MY FOOT UNDER THE BRAKE PEDAL AND PULLED IT UP THE NOISE WENT AWAY. HONDA DEALERSHIPS HAD'CUT THE ROTORS THREE TIMES, WHICH WAS NOT IN ANY WAY NORMAL! THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM SO REFUSED TO FIX IT, BUT DIDN'T THE NEED TO CUT THE ROTORS THREE TIMES INDICATE A SERIOUS PROBLEM?*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 19, 2007Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10191228

Exterior lighting

1 report2 related recalls

Air bags

1 report1 crash
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HONDA PRELUDE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH A VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT END PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CONTACTS VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE BODY DAMAGE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 10, 2011Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10399784

Equipment

1 report
“WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY LAST YEAR, I HEARD A SCREECHING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD OF MY 2001 HONDA PRELUDE. ABOUT APPROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS LATER I HEARD SOMETHING FALL ONTO THE STREET AND VERY HOT AIR BEGAN BLOWING OUT MY AIR CONDITIONER (WHICH UP UNTIL THAT POINT WAS BLOWING VERY COLD AIR). IT TURNS OUT THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER CLUTCH PULLEY FELL OFF MY CAR AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT BY HONDA. THEY SEEM NOT TO CARE AND THUS REFUSE TO FIX IT. I RESIDE IN ARIZONA WHERE TEMPERATURES REACH 110 PLUS IN THE SUMMER. I HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO NORTH AMERICAN HONDA IN THE HOPES THAT SOME RESOLUTION COULD BE RESOLVED, BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT. AIR CONDITION PULLEYS DO NOT JUST FALL OFF A VEHICLE! *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 31, 2006EquipmentODI 10164049
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.