HONDA PRELUDE · model year

1985 HONDA PRELUDE

11 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 1985HONDAPRELUDE carries 11 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 1985 PRELUDE is fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly:filler pipe and cap with 2 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:delivery (1) and seats:front assembly:recliner (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 1985 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.

11
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

11 filings

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

ComponentCount
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY1
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER1
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR1
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY1

Recent Complaints

19991007ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

NO SUMMARY.

19991007EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

NO SUMMARY.

19991007SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC

NO SUMMARY.

19991007FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM

NO SUMMARY.

19991007ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

NO SUMMARY.

19990223FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP

GAS FUMES IS LEAKING OUT FROM THE FILLER PIPE, COMING INTO THE TRUCK AREA OF THE VEHICLE AND THEN INTO THE VEHICLE. THE FILLER PIPE WAS UNDER RECALL IN 1993, RECALL # 92V028001; FUEL: FUEL SYSTEMS, THE PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. THE PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. REPORT GIVEN BY FATHER, RON CUDDIE. *AK

19990124SEAT BELTS:FRONT

THE FRONT SEAT BELTS DON'T WORK MOST OF THE TIMES. *AK

19980727VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT

REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER SWITCH FAILS TO WORK, IT DOES NOT STAY WHEN DEPRESSED.

19970821FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP

FUEL TANK FILLER NECK/PIPE CORRODED. *AK

19960404SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

THE DRIVER'S SEATBACK RECLINING MECHANISM HAS BROKEN TWO TIMES. *AK

19950220FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY

FUEL PIPE LEAK. *AK

Compare 1985HONDAPRELUDE to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1985 HONDA PRELUDE have?
The 1985 HONDA PRELUDE has 11 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 HONDA PRELUDE?
The most-complained component for the 1985 HONDA PRELUDE is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY and SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER.
Is the 1985 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 1985 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.