HondaPrelude1992Overview/honda/prelude/1992/base/

1992 Honda Prelude

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1992 Prelude.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 1992 Honda Prelude is a passenger car whose 4-quart engine oil capacity—specified at either 10W-30 or 5W-30 API viscosity—reflects the modest, maintainable engineering that defined Honda's sport coupe lineup of the era. The model accumulated 23 owner complaints across its lifespan, with air bags standing out as the top complaint area and five recalls issued, figures that place it in the middle-to-upper range of the Prelude's broader complaint history spanning 1990 through 2006. That history crested in 1997 with 74 complaints and bottomed out at just 4 in 1990, meaning the 1992 model year sits closer to the quieter end of the spectrum—a positioning that suggests the early fourth-generation Preludes were comparatively trouble-free relative to what came later, even if the air bag concerns warrant a researcher's attention.

Model year200120001999199819971996199519941992

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type10W-30 / 5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length174.8 in
Overall width69.7 in
Overall height50.8 in
Wheelbase100.4 in
Curb weight2765 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)62/38

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Prelude of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

7.2 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.20 sec — 1992 Si Coupe
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1992Si Coupe 2.3L I-47.20 sec15.60 sec160 hpFWD
1993Si VTEC Coupe 2.2L I-46.30 sec14.60 sec190 hpFWD
1993Si VTEC Coupe 2.2L I-46.70 sec15.20 sec190 hpFWD
1989Si Coupe 2.0L I-48.60 sec16.50 sec135 hpFWD
1995VTEC Coupe 2.2L I-46.70 sec15.10 sec190 hpFWD
1988Si 4WS Coupe 2.0L I-49.00 sec17.00 sec135 hpFWD
1988Si 4WS Coupe 2.0L I-49.30 sec16.80 sec135 hpFWD
1997Type SH Coupe 2.2L I-46.90 sec15.40 sec195 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4 qt of 10W-30 / 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil10W-30 · API · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity4 qt
Engine Oil10W-30 · API · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity4.5 qt

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miBrake Linings (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
At 15,000 miParking Brake System (inspect) · Steering System (inspect)
Every 15,000 miBrake System (inspect) · Engine Valves (inspect valve lash) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect alignment)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Antilock Brake System (inspect) · Brake Drum Assembly (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 45,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 60,000 miBrake Line (replace) · Distributor Cap (inspect) · Distributor Rotor (inspect) · EGR System (inspect) · Exhaust System Heat Shield (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 90,000 miBalance Shaft Drive Belt (replace) · Timing Belt (replace) · Water Pump (inspect)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 1992 Honda Prelude dominate in one area — the air bags, 8 of 23 reports (35%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 5 recall campaigns target the air bags, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 7 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the air bags pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

5
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
15
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
23
Owner complaints
7 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 23 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags8
Tires4
Electrical System3
Power Train2
Engine & Engine Cooling1
Power Train,Electrical System,Unknown Or Other1
Unknown Or Other1
Electrical System,Equipment1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 5 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

08E050000Exterior Lighting:HeadlightsReported 11/08/2008

K2 MOTOR IS RECALLING 1,921 AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS OF VARIOUS MODELS SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS ARE MISSING THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTOR WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF… Remedy: K2 MOTOR WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMEBER 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT K2 MOTOR AT 1-909-839-2992.

06E060000Exterior LightingReported 29/06/2006

CERTAIN AAI MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LIST PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF… Remedy: AAI MOTORSPORTS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AAI MOTORSPORTS AT 909-923-9188.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 15 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
1101022002-11-01Engine And Engine CoolingUSE '94 ACCORD SERVICE MANUAL TO ADJUST TIMING BELT TENSION. *TT
10022002-10-16Engine And Engine CoolingTIMING BELT ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURE. HONDA OCTOBER TECH LINE INFORMATION. *TT
59052002-02-14SuspensionCUSTOMERS MAY COMPLAIN OF A TWANG NOISE FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION THAT SOUNDS LIKE A…
010702001-08-07Power TrainSUBJECT REGARDING PARTS TO CORRECT 5TH GEAR GRINDING. *ET
010702001-08-07Power TrainSUBJECT REGARDING FIFTH GEAR GRINDS DURING UPSHIFT. *ET

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Prelude. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1992 Prelude take?

4 qt of ABOVE -4 degrees F: 10W-30 API, BELOW 32 degrees F: 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1992 Prelude have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.