1998 Honda Prelude Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 31about this part
- Share
- 45%of 69 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 85,170miles
- Trend
- RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 31 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 1998 Honda Prelude, 45% of the 69 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 85,170 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The transmission seemed to stop working in d(drive) mode. I had to use the manual/ autostick to get the car to drive. There was no improvement in the shifting. I had to pay to have a 5 speed swap done at a performance shop. This is my 3rd Honda that has had transmission failure.”
NHTSA complaint #10258703, filed 2009-02, 150,000 miles“My transmission started slipping on me then it started shifting down to second then back to fourth then back to second. I pulled over and now it seems to be stuck in second gear. When the vehicle cooled down then it was fine for a short while then it started shifting sporadically. It slips in reverse also.”
NHTSA complaint #10180843, filed 2007-01, 118,000 miles“On my third transmission for this car, I have become scared to drive it. When making left turns my transmission will randomly choose when to engage in the correct gear. There have been many close accidents in this car and I am no longer able to make left turns. This happens on the freeway at times and I am unable to pull over at a safe speed because this models transmission is faulty. This is an issue with this model for quite some time and I feel cheated and un-safe in this vehicle.”
NHTSA complaint #10383264, filed 2011-02, 120,000 miles“1998 Honda Prelude w/ sequential shift automatic. The vehicle has 135,000 miles on it when purchased. After some online research, I found many people reporting transmission failures in this vehicle with this transmission. I even found that Honda has recalled the Prelude's in turkey for this same issue, but has not in the us. The repairs cost approximately $2,800. Why was this recall facilitated on the same vehicle in another country, but not in the us?”
NHTSA complaint #10219094, filed 2008-02, 134,000 miles“The automatic sport shift transmission failed in august of 05, and it was replaced with the same transmission, which is starting to fail again, I do not have the financial support to replace this transmission again if it fails. This car has been very well taken care of and never red-lined, always oil changed at 3000 miles, etc. I feel this transmission is a safety hazard and that Honda should replace this transmission with one that is safe and reliable, not the current one, which I feel is a danger to all Prelude owners.”
NHTSA complaint #10152652, filed 2006-03, 86,000 milesTransmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 11 | 52% |
| 2000 | 7 | 54% |
| 1999 | 8 | 26% |
| 1998 | 31 | 45% |
| 1997 | 40 | 61% |
| 1994 | 1 | 11% |
| 1993 | 2 | 18% |
| 1992 | 3 | 14% |
| 1989 | 1 | 5% |
Other parts of the 1998 Honda Prelude
12 complaintsSuspension
9 complaintsAir bags
4 complaintsEngine cooling
4 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
4 complaintsSteering
3 complaintsVehicle speed control
3 complaintsBrakes
2 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
2 complaintsOther or unknown
2 complaintsWheels
2 complaintsElectronic stability control
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 Honda Prelude
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology