1986 Honda Prelude Si review from Australia and New Zealand

Oxygen sensor failed.

ABS light turns on in the rain. Suggesting water seepage into braking system evident when in the wet.

Automatic gear box reconditioned at 210000 Km.

Water pump failed at about 240000 Km.

Power steering wheel rack replaced twice. Once at 220000 and then again at 230000, which was just outside the warranty time. After that the rack failed again at 250000, this time I did not replace it, instead I topped it up with fluid.

Serious rust around rear window Sills, requiring approximately $1500 (AU$) to fixed. This was not fixed.

Rust around the sunroof area.

When I first bought this vehicle, it had 172000 km on the Odometer. The car drove fantastic, having sensational handling, low ride and excellent seat comfort. Even though the power output was reasonable, the car was light and handled well, meant that the car could get out of tight spots.

Advantages

Excellent seats, unlike some cars, this has good lumbar support.

Fair to good acceleration.

Light and nimble. Got out of accidents.

Excellent visibility through all windows.

Large side mirrors. Having large side mirrors meant that you could "flip the mirrors out" to capture the drivers blind spot in the left side mirror (Right hand drive vehicle).

Disadvantages

This model Automatic was not made for tough driving, I had to replace the automatic transmission within a year of driving. I converted the vehicle to a manual gear box. Never had a problem with it since.

You have to be careful with the water flow along the rear window sills. Any clogging due to dirt or mud would stop water from leaving the window sill area. This caused rust.

Honda parts are expensive, and substitute parts are not much better.

You have to be an athlete to get in and out of the car. Especially the rear seats.