Honda Prelude: MOT pass rate and reliability data
The Honda Prelude fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,048 individual Honda Prelude tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.
The numbers
| First-time pass rate | 69.7% |
| UK national average | 76.7% |
| Difference | -7 points |
| Tests analysed | 1,048 |
| Average mileage at test | 108,022 miles |
| Average year of manufacture | 1997 |
| Reliability rank | 1,769 of 2,005 models |
What this means if you are buying one
A 69.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 30 in every 100 Honda Preludes presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Honda Prelude tested had covered 108,022 miles and was built around 1997.
What this means at salvage auction
Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Honda Prelude bought as a repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.
Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.
Looking at a specific Honda Prelude rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged Honda Preludes actually sold for at UK salvage auction.
Most common MOT failures on a Honda Prelude
- Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 2.9% of tests (12.97x the national rate for this defect)
- Emissions levels exceed default limits, 3.6% of tests (12.23x the national rate for this defect)
- 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, 8% of tests (9.62x the national rate for this defect)
- Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 4.8% of tests (8.72x the national rate for this defect)
- Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 2.4% of tests (6.74x the national rate for this defect)
- Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 2.5% of tests (6.29x the national rate for this defect)
- Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle., 2.3% of tests (5.75x the national rate for this defect)
- Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 3.8% of tests (3.91x the national rate for this defect)
- Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 2.3% of tests (3.01x the national rate for this defect)
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2.9% of tests (2.31x the national rate for this defect)
From 2,491 DVSA-tracked Honda Prelude tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 2.27% of these flagged Honda Prelude defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.
Other Honda models
- Honda Jazz - 78.7%
- Honda Civic - 73.4%
- Honda Cr-V - 79.3%
- Honda Hr-V - 89.8%
- Honda Accord - 68%
- Honda Jazz Ex I-Mmd Cvt - 95.6%
- Honda Insight - 78.1%
- Honda Fr-V - 63.7%
Models with a similar pass rate
- Nissan Sunny - 69.8%
- Peugeot 107 - 69.7%
- Volkswagen Jetta - 69.7%
- Mazda Bt-50 - 69.7%
- Ford Galaxy - 69.6%
- MG Mgf - 69.6%
If this car is a salvage or write-off
- What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
- What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
- Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
Embed this data
Run a site about the Honda Prelude? Embed the real DVSA pass-rate badge free, linked back to this page.
<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/honda-prelude"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/honda-prelude.svg" width="340" height="92" alt="Honda Prelude MOT Pass Rate: 69.7% - Salvage Prophet"></a>