Hello Gents (and Ladies),

A friend of mine is looking into buying a new 97+ Prelude. Are there certain things that he should look out for specifically to the Ludes?

Cheers

 

Look for matching serial numbers on all sheet metal (doors, hood, trunk etc) to make sure it has not been in a major wreck. More specific things to look for are a rattling headliner, bad rear suspension knocking, and bad synchronizers in the manual tranny. A lot of problems with the auto tranny have been reported so you might steer clear of those. Like most Hondas the Prelude is a very reliable car so just find one that has been well cared for and you will probably not have many problems with it.

 

Check all VIN Numbers, and make sure it has low miles. If its a kid who drove the car, it was most likely raced

 

A common problem with the 5th gens is oil consumption, around a quart or so every 3k. Of course the only way to know that is if the seller is honest and kept records.