How reliable is the Honda Prelude compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Honda Prelude, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 69.6% across 953 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What do testers most often warn about on a Honda Prelude?

The most common advisory is "Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users", noted on 21.2% of all Honda Prelude tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Honda Prelude usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 107,220 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Model reliability file

Honda Prelude MOT pass rate & common failures

From 953 recorded MOT tests of the Honda Prelude, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 953 MOT tests, 69.6% of Honda Prelude tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Honda Prelude fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, which appears in 26.4% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 107,220 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

69.6%unadjusted, not comparable953 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Prelude. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 953 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Honda Prelude tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired26.4%
66 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
2.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement14.8%
37 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
3.Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits14.0%
35 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
4.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning10.8%
27 occurrencesLamp not working explained
5.Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer10.4%
26 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
6.Exhaust system leaking or insecure10.0%
25 occurrencesExhaust leaking or insecure explained
7.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc8.0%
20 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
8.Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement8.0%
20 occurrencesBraking efficiency below requirement explained
9.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements8.0%
20 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
10.Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc7.6%
19 occurrencesSteering rack gaiter split, damaged or missing explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Honda Prelude tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users21.2%
202 tests
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements15.2%
145 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged14.3%
136 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured12.5%
119 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded10.0%
95 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
6.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired9.9%
94 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
7.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened8.6%
82 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.2%
78 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained

What gets tested

The Prelude fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 107,220
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol99.9%

Check a specific Honda Prelude

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Honda models

Honda Jazz — 75.5% adjusted
Honda Civic — 74.8% adjusted
Honda Cr-V — 80.3% adjusted
Honda Hr-V — 78.6% adjusted
Honda Accord — 61.3% unadjusted
Honda Insight — 67.7% unadjusted
All Honda models

Common questions

How reliable is the Honda Prelude compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Honda Prelude, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 69.6% across 953 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Honda Prelude?: The item recorded most often is "The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired", which appears in 26.4% of failed Honda Prelude tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Honda Prelude?: The most common advisory is "Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users", noted on 21.2% of all Honda Prelude tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Honda Prelude usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 107,220 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.