Total Complaints
3 filings
HONDA PRELUDE · model year
1981 HONDA PRELUDE
3 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1981HONDAPRELUDE carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1981 PRELUDE is suspension:front with 1 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:carburetor system (1) and tires (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1981 PRELUDE. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20000831TIRES
THE FRONT TIRE PEELED THROUGH THE CABAZON SECTION OF I10. ALL 3 OF THE FAILURES WERE ON DRIVING WHEELS, ALL WERE ON UNLOADED VEHICLES ON THE FWY, ALL WERE BOUGHT FROM A STORE IN THE DESERT AND COMMUTED ON HEAVILY THROUGH THE DESERT, APPROX 600-800 MI/WK.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P185 70R13 )
19991228SUSPENSION:FRONT
ONLY TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS RELEASED; DEFECTIVE PARTS SHOULD BE REPLACED AT MANUFACTUR COSTS. 73 LISTED BULLETINS ON WEB SITE WWW.ALLDATA.COM.
19991228FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM
ONLY TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS RELEASED; DEFECTIVE PARTS SHOULD BE REPLACED AT MANUFACTUR COSTS. 73 LISTED BULLETINS ON WEB SITE WWW.ALLDATA.COM.
Compare 1981HONDAPRELUDE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1981 HONDA PRELUDE have?▼
The 1981 HONDA PRELUDE has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1981 HONDA PRELUDE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1981 HONDA PRELUDE is SUSPENSION:FRONT with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM and TIRES.
Is the 1981 HONDA PRELUDE safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1981 HONDA PRELUDE; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.