Is the Honda Accord high maintenance?

By CarWhere Research · Updated November 7, 2026

Somewhat. The Honda Accord is somewhat above average to maintain. On AAA's 2025 medium sedan benchmark, it costs about $1,787 a year to maintain and repair at 15,000 miles a year, tires included — $131 more than the $1,656 all-vehicle average. Honda Maintenance Program covers 1 year / 12,000 miles on 2026 models. Owners filed 0.463 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 Accords sold (2015–2022 sales), #15 of 18 sedans we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.354).

Verdict

Somewhat

somewhat above average to maintain

Per year

$1,787

AAA 2025 benchmark

5 years

$8,935

75,000 miles

NHTSA complaints

0.463 / 1k

Worst for sedans

Accord maintenance cost: 5 and 10 years

Honda Accord estimated maintenance cost at 15,000 miles a year
Period	Miles	Estimate	Basis
Per year	15,000	$1,787	AAA medium sedan, 11.91¢/mile
5 years	75,000	$8,935	AAA's own 5-year window
10 years (floor)	150,000	$17,870+	AAA's 5-year per-mile rate, extended in a straight line

Method: AAA 2025 medium sedan benchmark: 11.91¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a Accord-specific quote. The 10-year figure is a floor: it doesn't add the larger age-related repairs (and later scheduled items such as spark plugs or coolant) that come after year 5.

How the verdict is set: Two inputs. Cost: the estimate against AAA's $1,656 all-vehicle average (more than 3% under counts in the car's favor, more than 3% over against it). Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 sold against the median of every model in our study (0.48); well under the median helps, well over hurts, roughly double or more hurts twice as much. Both low = "No"; both high = "Yes". Models without a dollar estimate get no verdict.

Accord service schedule highlights

From Honda's documents for the Accord:

Gas: CVT fluid every 25,000 miles under severe mountain/low-speed driving
Hybrid: severe-condition transmission fluid every 47,500 miles or 3 years
No rear-differential item (FWD)

Source: 2025 Honda Accord Sedan Maintenance Minder (gas)

Oil changes

Normal service: Set by the Maintenance Minder (oil-life monitor); no fixed mileage. Change the oil at least every 12 months even if no Minder message appears.

Severe or special conditions: No fixed severe-service oil interval; the Maintenance Minder adjusts to driving conditions.

Code A = oil change; code B = oil and filter plus inspections. 'Maintenance Due Soon' shows at 15% oil life.

Source: 2025 Honda CR-V Maintenance Minder System (owner's manual excerpt)

Included maintenance

Honda Maintenance Program

Term: 1 year / 12,000 miles on 2026 models (named in Honda's 2026 spec sheets; Honda Service Pass at its 2023 launch: first 2 years or 24,000 miles)

Covers: Service Pass covers select factory-scheduled maintenance as shown by the Maintenance Minder (oil and filter changes, tire rotation, multi-point inspection) at participating Honda dealers. It transfers to later owners while active and is valid in the U.S. only. The 2026 spec sheets name the program but don't describe what it covers.

Source: 2026 Honda Civic Sedan Specifications & Features (Honda newsroom)

Honda factory schedule

Honda factory maintenance schedule (manufacturer documents; items paraphrased)
Interval	Service items	Source
Maintenance Minder code A	Replace engine oil	2025 Honda CR-V Maintenance Minder System (owner's manual excerpt)
Maintenance Minder code B	Replace engine oil and filter Inspect front and rear brakes Inspect tie rods, steering gearbox and boots Inspect suspension, driveshaft boots, and brake hoses/lines Check all fluid levels and condition Inspect exhaust and fuel lines	2025 Honda CR-V Maintenance Minder System (owner's manual excerpt)
Sub-item 1	Rotate tires	2025 Honda CR-V Maintenance Minder System (owner's manual excerpt)
Sub-item 2	Replace engine air filter (every 15,000 miles in dusty conditions) Replace cabin dust/pollen filter (every 15,000 miles in high-soot urban areas) Inspect drive belt	2025 Honda CR-V Maintenance Minder System (owner's manual excerpt)
Sub-item 3	Replace transmission fluid (CVT: every 25,000 miles if regularly driven at very low speed in mountains)	2025 Honda CR-V Maintenance Minder System (owner's manual excerpt)
Sub-item 4	Replace spark plugs Inspect valve clearance	2025 Honda CR-V Maintenance Minder System (owner's manual excerpt)
Sub-item 5	Replace engine coolant	2025 Honda CR-V Maintenance Minder System (owner's manual excerpt)
Sub-item 6 (AWD)	Replace rear differential fluid	2025 Honda CR-V Maintenance Minder System (owner's manual excerpt)
Sub-item 7 / every 3 years	Replace brake fluid; if no Minder prompt within 36 months, change it every 3 years	2025 Honda CR-V Maintenance Minder System (owner's manual excerpt)
Tune-up (2026 spec sheets)	'100k +/- miles, no scheduled tune-ups'	2026 Honda Civic Sedan Specifications & Features (Honda newsroom)

Common Accord problems (NHTSA data)

Owners filed 0.463 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 Accords sold (2015–2022 sales), #15 of 18 sedans we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.354).

10,777 owner complaints on file with NHTSA across all Accord model years.
Most-reported systems: electrical system (619), engine & engine cooling (303).
Model years flagged in our years-to-avoid analysis: 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020.
Best-rated years: 2011.

Complaints measure problems owners reported to the government, not repair bills: a high count signals more unscheduled repairs, which AAA's category benchmark doesn't adjust for. Accord years to avoid →

How the Accord compares in its AAA category (medium sedan)

Same AAA category means the same dollar benchmark, so the complaint rate is what separates them. Luxury models aren't priced.

Estimated maintenance per year and NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold
Model	Est. per year	Complaints / 1,000 sold	Verdict
Honda Accord	$1,787	0.463 Worst	Somewhat — above average
Nissan Altima	$1,787	0.331 Above average	About average
Mercedes-Benz C-Class	Not priced	—	Not priced
Genesis G70	Not priced	—	Not priced

Frequently asked questions

Is the Accord high maintenance?

Is the Accord expensive to maintain?

Plan on about $1,787 a year, $8,935 over 5 years. AAA 2025 medium sedan benchmark: 11.91¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a Accord-specific quote.

How much does a Accord cost to maintain over 10 years?

About $17,870 at 15,000 miles a year (150,000 miles), extending the AAA 5-year per-mile rate in a straight line. Treat it as a floor: AAA's rate is measured on a car's first 5 years, and older cars need larger repairs.

How often does the Accord need an oil change?

Honda's published oil-change interval: set by the Maintenance Minder (oil-life monitor); no fixed mileage. Change the oil at least every 12 months even if no Minder message appears. Check your owner's manual for your engine; severe-service intervals are shorter.

What is the cheapest Honda to maintain?

Of the 5 Honda models we cover, the Civic has the lowest estimated maintenance cost: about $1,535 a year (AAA 2025 small sedan benchmark).

What Accord years should I avoid?

Our NHTSA years-to-avoid analysis flags 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020. Owners filed 0.463 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 Accords sold (2015–2022 sales), #15 of 18 sedans we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.354).

Sources and method

Dollar figures: AAA's 2025 Your Driving Costs category benchmark (retail parts and labor for routine maintenance specified by the vehicle manufacturer, a comprehensive extended warranty, repairs to wear-and-tear items that need service during 5 years of operation, and one set of replacement tires). Schedule, oil interval and included maintenance: Honda's own documents, linked by row. Complaints: NHTSA's public complaint database, divided by published U.S. sales (CarWhere analysis).

Your Driving Costs 2025 (brochure: cost per mile by vehicle category) — AAA (maintenance cents per mile by category)
Your Driving Costs 2025 fact sheet (methodology) — AAA (what the maintenance line includes)
NHTSA vehicle owner complaints database — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (complaints per 1,000 sold is a CarWhere calculation)
2025 Honda CR-V Maintenance Minder System (owner's manual excerpt) — Honda (opened 2026-11-06)
2025 Honda Accord Sedan Maintenance Minder (gas) — Honda (opened 2026-11-06)
2025 Honda Accord Hybrid Maintenance Minder — Honda (opened 2026-11-06)
2025 Honda Civic Sedan Maintenance Minder System — Honda (opened 2026-11-06)
2025 Honda Pilot Maintenance Minder System — Honda (opened 2026-11-06)
2025 Honda Odyssey Maintenance Minder System — Honda (opened 2026-11-06)
2026 Honda Civic Sedan Specifications & Features (Honda newsroom) — Honda (opened 2026-11-06)
2026 Honda Odyssey Specifications & Features (Honda newsroom) — Honda (opened 2026-11-06)
New Honda Service Pass Delivers Two Years of Select Maintenance for 2023 Honda Models (Honda newsroom) — Honda (opened 2026-11-06)