HondaPrelude1994Overview/honda/prelude/1994/base/

1994 Honda Prelude

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1994 Prelude.

The 1994 Honda Prelude is documented here chiefly through its maintenance profile, calling for 4 quarts of engine oil in 10W-30 or 5W-30 API viscosity. In the broader 1990–2006 Prelude complaint history, the 1994 model accumulated just 11 owner complaints and five recalls, with air bags cited as the top complaint area. That figure sits far below the 1997 high of 74 complaints and only slightly above the 1990 low of four, making 1994 one of the more reliable and lightly reported years in the model's surveyed run.

Model year200120001999199819971996199519941993

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
Track (front / rear)60.2 / 59.8 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)63/37

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.

6.3–10.7 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.30 sec — 1993 Si VTEC Coupe
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1993Si VTEC Coupe 2.2L I-46.30 sec14.60 sec190 hpFWD
1993Si VTEC Coupe 2.2L I-46.70 sec15.20 sec190 hpFWD
1995VTEC Coupe 2.2L I-46.70 sec15.10 sec190 hpFWD
1992Si Coupe 2.3L I-47.20 sec15.60 sec160 hpFWD
1997Type SH Coupe 2.2L I-46.90 sec15.40 sec195 hpFWD
1997Type SH Coupe 2.2L I-47.20 sec15.60 sec195 hpFWD
1997Type SH Coupe 2.2L I-47.20 sec15.60 sec195 hpFWD
1989Si Coupe 2.0L I-48.60 sec16.50 sec135 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) · Exhaust System Heat Shield (inspect) · Fuel Filter (replace) · PCV 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 1994 Honda Prelude dominate in one area — the air bags, 4 of 11 reports (36%), 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. 3 of the reports describe a crash and 1 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
27
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
11
Owner complaints
3 involved a crash · 1 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 11 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags4
Electrical System1
Fuel System, Gasoline1
Engine & Engine Cooling1
Equipment1
Structure1
Power Train1
Engine & Engine Cooling,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 27 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
0601032003-06-01Engine And Engine CoolingVEHICLE'S EMISSION TYPE. *TT
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
0104022002-04-01Engine And Engine CoolingSUBJECT REGARDING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS THAT THE ENGINE HESITATES BRIEFLY WHEN…
3022002-03-16Engine And Engine CoolingCUSTOMERS MAY COMPLAIN OF A BRIEF HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING AT HIGH ENGINE SPEEDS. *TT

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 1994 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 1994 Prelude have open recalls?

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