HondaPrelude1988Overview/honda/prelude/1988/base/

1988 Honda Prelude

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1988 Prelude.

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1988 Honda Prelude features a 4-speed automatic transmission and requires 3.7 quarts of 10W-30 or 5W-30 API engine oil. This model delivers an EPA-rated fuel economy of 18/24/20 mpg. With 38 total owner complaints—concentrated in the steering—and 6 recalls, this year precedes a documented model history from 1990 to 2006 that saw complaints fluctuate between a low of 4 in 1990 and a high of 74 in 1997.

Model year200120001999199819971996199519941988

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity3.7 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type10W-30 / 5W-30 APIOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy18/24/20 mpgEPA · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length175.6 in
Overall width67.3 in
Overall height51.2 in
Wheelbase101.2 in
Curb weight2522 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)62/38

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined18 / 24 / 20 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

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.

9.0–9.3 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 9.00 sec — 1988 Si 4WS Coupe
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1988Si 4WS Coupe 2.0L I-49.00 sec17.00 sec135 hpFWD
1988Si 4WS Coupe 2.0L I-49.30 sec16.80 sec135 hpFWD
1989Si Coupe 2.0L I-48.60 sec16.50 sec135 hpFWD
1985Coupe 1.8L I-410.70 sec16.80 sec100 hpFWD
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
1995VTEC Coupe 2.2L I-46.70 sec15.10 sec190 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 3.7 qt of 10W-30 / 5W-30 API engine oil.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil10W-30 · API · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity3.7 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) · Power Steering System (inspect) · Steering System (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect alignment)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Drum Assembly (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Line (inspect)
At 45,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 60,000 miAir Injection System (inspect) · Choke System (inspect) · Distributor Cap (inspect) · Distributor Rotor (inspect) · EGR System (inspect) · Exhaust System Heat Shield (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 1988 Honda Prelude dominate in one area — the steering, 12 of 38 reports (32%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 6 recall campaigns target the steering, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 2 of the reports describe a crash and 4 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the steering 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.

6
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
38
Owner complaints
2 involved a crash · 4 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 38 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Steering12
Seat Belts9
Fuel System, Gasoline8
Engine & Engine Cooling3
Exterior Lighting2
Steering,Electrical System1
Equipment1
Vehicle Speed Control1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 6 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

89V097000Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator PedalReported 13/06/1989

THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STOPPER MAY BE BENT WHEN EXCESSIVE DOWNWARD FORCE IS APPLIED AFTER PEDAL HAS CONTACTED THE STOPPER. Remedy: INSTALL A SUPPORT TO PREVENT STOPPER FROM BENDING.

89V093000SeatsReported 08/06/1989

THE REAR INBOARD SEAT ANCHORAGE BRACKET FOR THE FRONT SEATS MAY NOT WITHSTAND THE FORCE REQUIRED BY FMVSS 207. Remedy: INSTALL A REINFORCING PLATE TO REAR INBOARD SEAT ANCHORAGE BRACKET FOR EACH FRONT SEAT.

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 1988 Prelude take?

3.7 qt of ABOVE 20 degrees F: 10W-30 API, ALL TEMPERATURES: 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1988 Prelude have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Prelude get?

EPA figures are 18 city / 24 highway / 20 combined mpg.