Honda Legend, Prelude, Shuttle Recall R/1999/038: Premature Wear Of Steering Lower Ball Joints, Who Is Affected And What To Do
- Urgent
- How serious
- 20 Aug 1999
- Launched
- 4,370
- vehicles in the UK
- R/1999/038
- DVSA reference
Honda recalled Legend, Prelude, Shuttle vehicles built between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 1997. Certain vehicles were manufactured with front lower ball joints that may prematurely wear out and in the worst case separate from the front knuckle. The recall notice describes the fix as: affected vehicles are being recalled to have both front lower ball joint assemblies replaced. You won't usually pay for it.1
What’s Wrong
Certain vehicles were manufactured with front lower ball joints that may prematurely wear out and in the worst case separate from the front knuckle. If separation occurs then loss of steering control may happen.
DVSA's Original Wording
Concern: PREMATURE WEAR OF STEERING LOWER BALL JOINTS Defect: Certain vehicles were manufactured with front lower ball joints that may prematurely wear out and in the worst case separate from the front knuckle. If separation occurs then loss of steering control may happen. Remedy: Affected vehicles are being recalled to have both front lower ball joint assemblies replaced.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The Risk
The recall notice describes the concern as: premature wear of steering lower ball joints.
The Fix
The recall notice describes the fix as: affected vehicles are being recalled to have both front lower ball joint assemblies replaced.
Are You Affected?
Legend, Prelude, Shuttle built between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 1997 may be included. Honda estimates 4,370 vehicles in the UK. Enter your registration to check, then confirm by VIN with Honda, because not every car in the date range may be included.
Which Car Is It?
Choose the make and model so we can match recalls to your car.
What To Do Now
- Check your car by registration above, then by VIN with Honda.
- Book with any franchised Honda dealer, quoting the DVSA reference R/1999/038. See how to get a Honda recall fixed.
- Follow the letter's instructions until the repair is done. See can you drive a car with a recall?.
Related Recalls
| Launched | Vehicle and fault | Severity | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accord, Civic, CR-V, EV Plus and 4 moreThe absorption of moisture into the driver's air bag propellant could lead to slow deployment or inflator rupture | Urgent | R/2020/061 | |
| Accord, Civic, CR-V, Jazz and 1 moreAirbag may fail to deploy correctly | Urgent | R/2017/017 | |
| LegendPassenger side airbag may fail to deploy correctly | Urgent | R/2016/126 | |
| Civic, CR-V, Fr-V, Jazz and 1 moreDrivers airbag inflator may rupture if deployed | Urgent | R/2016/045 | |
| LegendBrake master cylinder may fail | Urgent | R/2010/200 |
This is one of 96 Honda recalls in DVSA’s data. The Honda recall launched before it was R/1998/081 on 15 Mar 1999, for potential wiring chafe situation and short circuit. The one launched after it was R/1999/069 on 26 Oct 1999, for possible loss of drive and transmission park facility. You can also see every Honda recall, all recalls launched in 1999 and steering recalls across every make.
Source: DVSA recall R/1999/038, launched 20 August 1999. Data updated 15 October 2026. How we grade urgency.
Sources
- The Code does not itself say repairs are free. GOV.UK guidance says "You will not usually have to pay for any repairs or parts under a safety recall." gov.uk Checked 15 Oct 2026.