Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 1202 | 12/16/2002 | 10002575 | Straining the automatic transmission fluid (atf) to diagnose automatic transmissions. *tt | 09/05/2003 | |
| 010103 | 01/01/2003 | 10001790 | Check (atf) automatic transmission fluid condition to diagnose (a/t) automatic transmissions. *tt *jb | 07/18/2003 | |
| 010402 | 04/01/2002 | 636755 | Subject regarding automatic transmission shift problems - slippage, flare, hard upshift. *tt | 11/13/2002 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||||
| 060103 | 06/01/2003 | 10002699 | Grade logic control information. *tt | 09/11/2003 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - TORQUE CONVERTER | |||||
| 010400 | 04/01/2000 | 618985 | Subject regarding a leaking torque converter. *tt | 05/10/2001 | |
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 010101 | 01/01/2001 | 624054 | Information regarding: transmission/driveline. *et | 10/31/2001 | |
| 010201 | 02/01/2001 | 619937 | Information on diagnosing clutch pressure switches when experiencing harsh or late upshifts and downshifts. *tt | 07/06/2001 | |
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 01070 | 08/07/2001 | A970028 | 623341 | Subject regarding parts to correct 5th gear grinding. *et | 10/26/2001 |
| 01070 | 08/07/2001 | 623292 | Subject regarding fifth gear grinds during upshift. *et | 10/26/2001 | |
| 95057 | 10/17/2000 | 95057 | 618903 | A condition may exist where the transmission grinds when shifted into 5th gear. *tt | 05/07/2001 |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 01/07/2011 | 120000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 06/17/2008 | 150000 | 1 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 06/15/2008 | 65000 | 1 | |
| The automatic sport shift transmission is starting to fail. the transmission is shifting hard (jolts) throughout all the gears. i was told by a mechanic that i need a new transmission. my car only has 65,000 miles on it and this is a premature malfunction of the transmission. this car is meticulously cared for, regularly maintained, oil changed regularly; transmission oil changed every third oil change to avoid transmission problems. the car is never raced or redlined. i also don't feel comfortable replacing a transmission that will fail once again as with many prelude owners. the honda prelude costs about $25,000 and thus a $4,000 transmission job is 20% of the car. just plain unreasonable!!! this has become a financially burdensome situation. furthermore, honda has recalled all 1997 preludes in turkey and has replaced the transmissions with updated mh6a units. this is not an isolated case!!! please, your help in this matter is greatly needed. thanks *tr | |||
| 04/04/2008 | 115320 | 1 | 01/01/1998 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1998 honda prelude. the contact parked the vehicle in her driveway, removed the key from the ignition, and exited the vehicle. when she returned to enter the vehicle, it began to roll out of the driveway. the contact was dragged by the vehicle, but she was able to let go and roll on the pavement. the vehicle struck the mailbox and came to a stop when it struck a pole. the vehicle was taken to the dealer on january 30, 2006 for nhtsa campaign id number 05v025000 (electrical system:ignition:switch). the manufacturer wants the contact's insurance company to investigate the failure and notify their legal department with the results. the contact sustain injuries to her left and right side. a police report was filed. the powertrain and speed were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 115,320. | |||
| 02/15/2008 | 134000 | 1 | 02/15/2008 |
| 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? *tr | |||
| 12/16/2006 | 118000 | 1 | 06/16/2006 |
| 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. *nm | |||
| 08/12/2005 | 86000 | 1 | 07/02/1998 |
| 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. *jb | |||
| 08/10/2005 | 1 | 10/28/2004 | |
| It has been known that honda prelude 1997-1999 transmissions are faulty. mine failed yesterday during a normal trip on a free way. gears slipped and a strong smell was noticeable inside the car. to avoid any emergency situation i had to park my car on the shoulder immediately and wait for a tow truck. *jb | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 35250 | 1 | 08/15/1998 |
| Car is 1998, with only 35,255 miles. according to mechanic, transmission is bad. need to replace transmission. called honda of america to see if goodwill will be made due to low mileage with transmission problem. read in forums, seems like preludes have had a history of transmission problems with the models of 1997 - 2002 years.*ak | |||
| 04/12/2004 | 96580 | 1 | 04/15/2003 |
| I have a 1998 honda prelude with a automatic with the sport shift transmission. the one that comes with the base model prelude. i was driving my car and i felt the transmission not pulling no more then the engine rev high and then i let my foot of the gas and the transmission slapped back into gear. i had the transmission rebuilt and it is starting to do it again. i took the car to honda and they said there was nothing for them to do but put a new transmission in the car and it would be very costly and i have talk to people with the car and they have the same problems . so i would think there would be a recall because it is a very hazardous to the driver. *la | |||
| 47000 | 1 | ||
| The key can be taken out of the ignition while the vehicle is not in park. the driver took the key out of the ignition while to vehicle was in drive and the vehicle continued to move forward. *nm | |||
| 11/30/2003 | 64000 | 1 | 08/20/2003 |
| 1998 honda prelude transmission problem. i just recently bought a 98 honda prelude. this is beautiful. i know the previous owner, and she was a good driver that never even utilized the vtec, meaning the rpm never went above 5000. now i have it, and it has 63000 miles on it. this is my second car so i treat it with much care. but now suddenly, the gears don't shift right. its an automatic and when the gears are shifting over it feels like a manual transmission with a worn out clutch, the engine revs up a bit and misses the next gear and sets in a late. if the car is floored, when the rpm hits 7000 the gear doesn't change! you have to let go of the accelerator and let it slide in to the next. this is terrible absolutely terrible. as far as i know there has been a recall on the 99-00 preludes and i'm trying to get something done about my 98. *nlm | |||
| 08/03/2003 | 85170 | 1 | 04/30/2001 |
| While driving, my car will over rev, and jerk into gear. if i let off of the gas it will slip into gear less harshly. i brought my car to honda of covington in covington, la, and they informed me that the transmission was failing due to the installation of aftermarket parts, such as a cold-air intake, header, and exhaust muffler. my local mechanic sais this is ludicrous, and that a simple additon of 10-15 hp would not cause a transmission failure. i have not modified or altered in any way the internal components of the car. each modification was a simple bolt-on and at the time of purcahse was in accordance with honda. i called honda techinical service many times and asked if i put a certain aftermarket part on my car would it void my warranty. each time honda told me that asd long as the internal components of my car remained intact, i would not be in trouble. they alos informed me of buying an axle-back exhaust instead of a full cat-back, to better insure the safety of my warranty. now i am informed that my tranny would ned to be replced or overhualed at a cost of more than $5000, and now honda has gone back on their word, and decided to null my warranty based on the addition of aftermarket components. i have since contacted a lawyer and plan to sue honda.*ak | |||
| 02/18/2003 | 1 | 01/02/1998 | |
| The vehicle experienced transmission failure.*jb | |||
| 01/18/2003 | 81693 | 07/10/2001 | |
| While driving my car in regular drive it suddenly didn't pull no more and the engine just revved. i let my foot off the gas and then it went back into gear. the car continued to do this and then it started to upshift then suddenly downshift to the lower gear causing a very sudden jerk and change in speed. i took my car to honda of cleveland in cleveland, tn. i told them what happened and they suggested to have a diagnostic test run. i agreed and the results were codes p700 and p730 internal failure and incorrect gear needs transmission overhaul or replacement. i was shocked when the service advisor told me this. i explained to him that i could not understand how this could have happened. i asked him if it could be a defective part. he answered no. i asked if it could be computer related and he said no that it was a failure inside the transmission. i asked him what failed. he couldn't tell me. he just told me what the diagnostic test came up with. the service quote for a remanufactured transmission installed was for $5365.26 when i heard this quote i said is this made out of gold. i told him the reason i bought a honda was to avoid problems like this. i also had asked the service person if he had heard of other people with this type of car having this problem and he said he hadn't. after seeing this site and others i realized that there is a problem. i hope this complaint helps. | |||
| 05/12/2001 | 39817 | 2 | 09/10/2000 |
| While driving the vehicle at 65mph transmission slipped into lower gear loss speed, causing to pull out of the road. dealer put a new transmission, five months later consumer had the same problem. please provide further information. *ts | |||
| 11/01/2001 | 04/01/2000 | ||
| In november of last year, i began experiencing transmission problems with my 1998 honda prelude. the vehicle was making noises which seemed be coming from within the transmission. at the time the vehicle had only 49,000 miles on it. | |||
| 49000 | 1 | ||
| Consumer stated the vehicle began experiencing problems with the transmission, the problem was caused by a bearing inside of the transmission, after the work was completed, consumer began experiencing more problems with the transmission not shifting smoothly, after being referrred to another mechanic it was determined that additional problems deeper into the transmission had not been originally found by the first mechanic and the entire transmission had to be replaced, consumer is requesting reimbursement from the manufacturer, because he learned of an extended warranty on transmission that the manufacturer was offering, however it only applies to 2000-2001 models.*jb | |||
| While being driven automatic transmission will drop to a lower gear. owner has to manually shift lever in order to get transmission back in higher gear. please describe details.ak | |||
| 09/18/2001 | 1 | 12/01/2097 | |
| Four-speed automatic transmission abruptly downshifted on its own causing the car to rapidly brake then accelerate with no driver control. at the time, i was told by honda that they have never heard of this happening, the car was out of warranty, there were no replacement transmissions available for sale, and i would have to go to an independent transmission shop to have it rebuilt. the transmission shop showed me the friction surface on the clutches disintegrated, clogging the pump and filter which caused the eratic self-shifting. i was told this was faulty material used in the transmission. i now see in the los angeles times that there have been a number of problems with honda and acura automatic transmissions that the company has been trying to keep quiet.*ak | |||
| 05/15/2001 | 01/01/1998 | ||
| Auto transmission new technology, gears can be upshifted or downsifted manually. when the transmission shifts into 4th. it won't catch and would just rev. transmission shifted hard (jolting) throughout the gears. reverse won't catch until after the car starts to roll in reverse direction. scraping metal noises could be heard when the car starts moving in idle. transmission also produce whuffing, an rc noise while in park or in neutral- a sign of transmission being shot. failure of 4th gear and the ongoing symptoms makes the car a harzard on the road because of the unpredicatable jolts in shifting or the gear not catching when speed is required while driving especially on the freeway. this is not an isolated incident. many auto prelude owners are having this problem. honda has taken care of customers with transmission problems if they were still under warranty 3years or 36000miles or if they bought honda care, extended warranty 6years or 100,000 miles. honda wasn't able to assist me with my problem. the service rep told me to trade in the car and get rid of it because it cost $4000 for a rebuilt tranny. so, i'm looking at about a additional $4000 plus labor to have it fixed. reliability, quality product has always been a trait and reputation of honda, i'm am very disappointed in the defective manner the transmission was built. i have not heard normally of other autos having their auto tranny shot at barely over 50,000miles, not even 3 1/2 years old. prelude cost about $25000, so $4000+labor is almost 20% of the car cost. just plain unreasonable!!! i have endured long emotional hours in trying to resolve this financially burdensome situation. the car was bought brand new, i'm very happy with the car...just wishing that i bought a manual prelude instead because of this poor worksmanship and production of the tranny. once again, this is not an isolated case....i can get in touch with many people on the internet with the same situation. thank you *sigh. *ak | |||
| 01/25/2000 | 2 | 03/01/1998 | |
| The problem with transmission fluid.. the dealer refuses to fix the problem, even though the original transmission never did this. osha and the epa indicate that long term exposure to transmission fluid fumes are hazarous. i require your help in order to have the transmission repaired, as it is under waranty and honda refuses to fix the problem. driving the car is unsafe.*ak | |||
| 12/27/1999 | 1 | 03/01/1998 | |
| Honda has identified that the 1998 automatic transmission has a manufacturer's durability defect. they have been repeatedly refused to deal with the problem, costing consumers $2700.00 each time the transmission fails. more over, they have been trying to keep it quiet. i have specific documentation of the issue, and would be happy to send it to you! *ak( dot number: tire size: 205/50/16 ) | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||
| 12/18/1998 | 4 | 09/01/1998 | |
| The atts (traction control system) continually fails, causing a potentially dangerous situation in which it may come on at any time, causing the car to torque to switch immediately toward the inside of the turn. the fail light continues to come on as honda continues to reset it, having had to bring it back to dealership a total of 6 times. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - TORQUE CONVERTER | |||
| 03/24/2004 | 79000 | 1 | 06/15/2003 |
| I have owned three hondas. a 1988 accord, 93 accord, and now currently the 98 prelude. of all three the prelude has given me the most problems. i have spent over $1500 in repairs so far in having the car 8 months. now my torque converter needs to be replaced. on doing research i have found that honda is having some sort of major transmission problem between the years 98-01 yet they only issued extended warranties on the 00-01 models. why? the 97-01 preludes are all exactly the same with the same transmissions and all. so why were they not all included in the warranty. i firmly stand behind honda's quality and reputation to this day, but if they have a nationwide problem they do need to make sure and include all model years affected to keep their reputation good. it seems the older model year honda's were built better than the newer ones from what i understand. i do not quite understand this because most car companies strive to make their cars better and more reliable each year. i just wish honda would have made sure to cover all the affected cars under the extended warranty as to keep customers satisfied. *nm | |||
| 12/12/2003 | 54000 | 30 | |
| Technical service bulletins summary make: honda model: prelude year: 1998 service bulletin number: 010400 nhtsa item number: 618985 summary description: subject regarding a leaking torque converter. *tt technical service bulletins summary make: honda model: prelude year: 1998 service bulletin number: 00090 nhtsa item number: 615735 summary description: subject regarding rear suspension clunks. *tt make: model: year: service bulletin number: nhtsa item number: summary description: subject regarding automatic transmission shift problems - slippage, flare, hard upshift. *tt summary description: subject regarding malfunction indicator lamp comes on with diagnostic trouble code p0133. *jg | |||
| 02/18/2001 | 1 | 09/01/1998 | |
| Instrument panel gauge indicator light for the active torque transfer system turns on after start of engine and driving a short distance (about a mile - does not turn on initially at engine start). indicator light discrepancy occurred the same day as the installation of the manufacturers spare tire on the drivers side front wheel and less than 10 miles accumulated on the spare tire. indicator light continued to turn on after new stock size tire installed. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 01/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| Took vehicle to dealer (lucas honda) for 90000 miles service, no previous problems. after manual transmission fluid change pulled away from the dealer and the first time the car was put into 5th gear the transmission made a loud grind. immediately pulled over and got car taken back to dealer where they denied liability. research later found that the manual transmissions have a recall for the shift fork which they blame for my problem, however i paid 900 dollars to have the 5th gear,and shift fork replaced. *ak | |||
| 12/29/2002 | 91000 | 0 | 03/12/1998 |
| In january of 2000 after 3 trips to the honda telling them that i had a transmission problem (and being told their was nothing wrong), my transmission failed. the symptom was that it would intermittently hard shift into 4th gear from 3rd while at highway speeds and loose power. the unit had these symptoms for approximately 24000 miles, but was first brought to honda with 9000 miles on. honda refused to deal with the problem and told me their was nothing wrong. at the time, i indicated that i was concerned about safety with merging into and out of traffic, but my concerns fell on death ears. after the original transmission finally failed (2 days after the last time i took the car to the dealer and complained of the problem), a new transmission was finally installed a month later. the replacement transmission has 58,000 miles on it and has begun to exhibit exactly the same symptoms as the original transmission. being concerned about getting the run around, i decided not to take the car to the original dealer (madison honda, madison, nj) but to paramus honda, paramus, nj. i explained the problem and the specific symptom (that can be recreated every time), they diagnosed the unit and told me nothing was wrong with it. additionally, he unit has begun to intermittently jitter while driving in 4th gear, causing a loss of power. honda seems content to ignore this problem. the dealers appear to have been told by honda of america not to replace the transmissions until they completely fail. this policy is putting honda's customers as severe risk. driving in northern nj requires being able to merge into the traffic and so on. failure of the transmission to produce power has almost gotten me killed once. honda does not seem to care. once again i'm getting the run around even though it could lead to my death. | |||