Research · complaint index
Honda Prelude years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 5 model years of the Honda Prelude by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 1998 stands out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 21 | 1 | 1.0 | 3 | 3 | Typical |
| 2000 | 13 | 0 | 0.6 | 3 | 1 | Typical |
| 1999 | 31 | 1 | 1.4 | 4 | 2 | Typical |
| 1998 | 69 | 2 | 2.9 | 5 | 5 | Most complaints |
| 1996 | 4 | 0 | 0.2 | 6 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
- 200121 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 200013 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 199931 complaints · 4 recallsTypical
- 199869 complaints · 5 recallsMost complaints
- 19964 complaints · 6 recallsFewest complaints
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Oct 31, 2026
Fewest complaints for their age: 1996.
About this comparison
What Honda Prelude years have the most complaints?
Adjusted for years on the road, 1998 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 5 model years compared.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.