2001 Honda Prelude Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 52%of 21 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 59,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2001 Honda Prelude, 52% of the 21 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 59,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11185471, filed 2019-03, 142,000 miles“Just like many other 97-01 Honda preludes my car has begin to have problems shifting. If I do not allow my car to warm up it will rev really high and jerk into gear. The first time it happened I pulled out of my driveway and it revved really high. Had the driver behind me not swerved over they would have rear ended me.”
NHTSA complaint #10371189, filed 2010-12, 110,000 miles“At approximately 70 MPH on the highway, the transmission suddenly downshifted from 4th (4 speed automatic sequential sport shift) to 2nd. Car lurched suddenly forward with no indication to traffic behind me that I was slowing down. If the person behind me had been any closer, I would have been rearended -- in this case it was a large tractor trailer truck.”
NHTSA complaint #10007887, filed 2003-02, 18,000 miles“My 5-speed tranmission, is always grinding, and this leads to transmission failure. I have lost the reverse gear 2 times now, and the transmission always grinds on upshift into 5th gear. There is a service bulletin on this problem, however Honda will not remedy the problem. Many Honda technicians have told me that these transmissions need to be recalled as this is such a big problem. The problems with this transmission has cost me substantial downtime, and money.”
NHTSA complaint #10106158, filed 2005-01, 49,000 miles“When starting my 2001 Honda Prelude, putting into d4 (auto transmission) and beginning to drive, it would hit 3 RPM and not automatically shift. After hitting 3 RPM, it would rev up to 5 RPM before jerking into gear. This happens each time I first drive my car after it had been sitting, unless allowing it 10-15 minutes to completely warm up. If 2nd gear did happen to engage, it would have to rev and jerk into 3rd gear. I have taken it a few times to the auto shop although the transmission fluid levels remained fine and no other indication of a blown transmission was found.”
NHTSA complaint #10326896, filed 2010-04, 69,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10012643Oct 1, 2004Warranty extension: accord, odyssey, and prelude automatic transmission. Update.
Transmission 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 2001 Honda Prelude
4 complaintsElectrical system
4 complaintsAir bags
1 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaintsEquipment
1 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaintsSteering
1 complaintsBody and structure
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2001 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