1996 Honda Prelude Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Prelude years
- Not enough data 7th of 7 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Honda Prelude. That ranks 7th out of 7 Prelude model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (2 complaints, 50%). Complaints mention 1 fire. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
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- 4owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Honda Prelude problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 50% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 25% | 88,888 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 25% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Honda Prelude recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint
Problem: 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.
Risk: This condition would result in vehicle deceleration and a sudden loss of power. Also steering controllability would be reduced.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Electrical fire in vehicle trunk. *nm
While consumer was traveling at 20 mph ball joints went out, and consumer lost control of vehicle. There is a recall on vehicle for same problem, but this vehicle was not included due to vin. *ak there was a failure of front left lower ball joint, which resulted in a single car accident, while…
The main bearings in my motor spun and are scored, this resulted in loss of oil pressure to the crankshaft and bearing journals. Due to this loss of pressure the engine block,crankshaft,journals, and main bearings are ruined. The top half of my motor is fine including the dual overhead…
While driving on the interstate at about 75mph the vehicle cut completely off. Has been to dealer at least 6 times for same problem. *ak
Other Honda Prelude years
← 1995 Prelude · 1997 Prelude →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 Prelude | 21 | 1 |
| 2000 Prelude | 13 | 1 |
| 1999 Prelude | 31 | 2 |
| 1998 Prelude | 69 | 3 |
| 1997 Prelude | 66 | 3 |
| 1996 | 4 | 1 |
| 1995 Prelude | 6 | 0 |
See all Honda Prelude problems by year, every Honda model, or the Honda VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Honda Prelude?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, electrical system, suspension problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 2 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Honda Prelude?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Honda Prelude a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Prelude model years, the 1996 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.