Vehicle recall R/1999/038

Honda Prelude recall: Premature wear of steering lower ball joints

DVSA recall R/1999/038 names the Honda Prelude and 2 other models. It was launched 20 August 1999. It covers vehicles built 1 January 1996 to 31 December 1997.

Recall data updated 22 September 2026

Recall: R/1999/038
Launched: 20 August 1999
Issued by: HONDA MOTOR CO
Vehicles: 4,370 across the whole recall

What can go wrong

Certain vehicles were manufactured with front lower ball joints that may prematurely wear out and in the most serious case separate from the front knuckle. If separation occurs then loss of steering control may happen.

The fix

Affected vehicles are being recalled to have both front lower ball joint assemblies replaced.

Models and build dates

As listed in the DVSA recall file. DVSA gives one vehicle number for the whole recall: 4,370.
Model	Built
Honda Prelude	1 January 1996 to 31 December 1997
Honda Legend	1 January 1996 to 31 December 1997
Honda Shuttle	1 January 1996 to 31 December 1997

Is a specific car affected? A recall lists models and build dates, not individual vehicles, so these pages cannot tell you whether one car is included. Enter the registration on the DVSA vehicle recall checker on GOV.UK, or give the vehicle identification number (VIN) to the manufacturer or one of its dealers. Buying used? Ask the seller for proof that any recall work was done.

Other recalls for these models

R/2002/071 Ignition switch may fail 6 August 2002, Honda Prelude, Honda Accord, Honda Civic and others

Found one you might buy?

A recall is one part of the picture. See what the VetTheCar Buying Report tells you about a specific car.

See an example Buying Report Free car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA vehicle recall records (RecallsFile.csv), recalls launched 1992 to 2026. Recall data updated 22 September 2026.

Recall wording is DVSA's, with capitals and punctuation tidied and American spellings such as tire, center and windshield given in British English. On this page we also replaced a word that reads as a rating or an endorsement with a plain one. We list a recall when its make and model match a car or van family with at least 1,000 DVSA MOT tests from 2022 to 2025, and when the maker of the vehicle issued it.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. Methodology · Data sources