Honda Prelude (1987)
1987 Honda Prelude
CarHunch analysed 139 real MOT records for the 1987 Honda Prelude. This breakdown of actual test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — isn't published anywhere else.
The 1987 Honda Prelude passes its MOT first time in only 62.5% of cases—well below the UK average of 80%—which means you should expect a meaningful chance of failure and retesting costs on your first attempt. The dangerous defect rate of 11.5% is moderate but worth noting; these are older cars, so safety-critical issues do occur.
At just under 87,500 miles on average, these Preludes have covered reasonable mileage for their age, but they're accumulating nearly 1.8 failures and 4.2 advisories per test, pointing to wear in brakes, suspension, and emissions systems. Before buying, insist on a pre-purchase inspection by a specialist familiar with 80s Hondas, and budget for at least one MOT retest in your first year.
What to check before buying a 1987 Honda Prelude
Practical pre-purchase checks for this age and model.
- 📋 Check the full MOT history. Look for recurring advisories — slow-building issues like corrosion or brake wear patterns show up years before they become failures. Enter the reg below for a full AI analysis.
- 🔍 Inspect for corrosion in person. Brake pipes, sills, subframes, and chassis legs. Surface rust is normal at this age; structural rust is a serious problem that's expensive to fix and can fail an MOT.
- 🛞 Check tyres and brakes. The most common advisory items at this age. Budget for replacement if they're near the limit — factor this into your offer price.
- 📄 Run an HPI check. The MOT history won't show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen status — an HPI check will.
Before you buy a Honda Prelude
MOT history is one piece of the puzzle. These checks can reveal what CarHunch can't.
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Mileage Distribution
Most 1987 Honda Prelude vehicles sit in the blue band. If the car you're looking at is outside it, it's either unusually low or high mileage for its age.
Half of all 1987 Honda Prelude vehicles fall between 63,598 and 108,307 miles.
MOT History Averages
Most Common MOT Issues — 1987 Honda Prelude
Based on actual MOT test records for this model. Percentage shows how often each item appears across all vehicles in this cohort.
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34.7%
Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded
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34%
Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded
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32%
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements
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21.4%
Oil leak
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16.3%
Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit
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16.1%
Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit
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10.6%
Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm
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10.4%
Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit
Data covers a 3-year window centred on 1987. Counts include advisories and failures.
Found a specific Honda Prelude?
Enter the reg to see its individual MOT history, AI Hunches, and how it compares to this cohort.