Are Hondas Reliable?
Short answer: excellent. Hondas are excellent for reliability — the brand is a perennial top-five finisher in dependability studies and a benchmark for engine longevity. The record isn’t spotless: 2016–2018 1.5L turbos diluted their oil in cold climates, older V6s with cylinder deactivation burned oil, and some 2018–2019 CR-Vs and Accords had infotainment and battery complaints. But these are footnotes against a fleet that routinely runs past 250,000 miles on original drivetrains.
Updated 2026-07-02 · NHTSA federal records + industry dependability studies
What the federal record shows for Honda
NHTSA's database holds 20,877 technical service bulletin records across 169 Honda models, model years 2005–2027. TSBs are the factory's own documentation of known issues and their fixes. The most-documented models by volume: ACCORD (2,779), CR-V (2,557), CIVIC (2,513), ODYSSEY (2,473), PILOT (2,264).
Read TSB volume carefully: manufacturers differ enormously in how granularly they file bulletins, so the count reflects documentation practice as much as problem rate. It is not a reliability ranking on its own — use it to see which models have the deepest known-issue paper trail to check against a specific VIN.
What Honda gets right
- Engine families (K-series, J-series, current 1.5T/2.0T) with industry-benchmark longevity
- CVTs and 10-speed automatics with strong records by segment standards
- Enormous parts availability and mechanic familiarity
The real Honda problem areas
Oil dilution, 1.5L turbo (2016–2018 CR-V/Civic)
Short-trip cold-climate driving let fuel thin the oil; Honda extended warranties and issued software updates. Post-2019 builds largely closed the issue.
VCM oil consumption (2008–2013 V6)
Cylinder-deactivation V6s (Accord, Odyssey, Pilot) could burn oil and foul plugs; class-action settlement extended coverage.
Infotainment and battery drains (2018–2019)
Head-unit freezes and parasitic-drain complaints clustered in these model years; software and ground-strap fixes documented.
Which Honda models are most reliable?
Strong records
- • Civic (perennial benchmark)
- • CR-V (2020+)
- • Accord (2018+, both 1.5T post-fix and 2.0T)
Research before buying
- • CR-V/Civic 1.5T 2016–2018 in cold climates (oil-dilution history)
- • Odyssey 2018–2019 (9/10-speed early behavior)
How do I check a specific Honda before buying?
Brand averages don't buy cars — VINs do. A generation-level problem (like the ones above) either applies to the specific vehicle in front of you or it doesn't, and the federal record answers that by VIN: open recalls and whether they were completed, owner complaints filed for that exact model year, and the service bulletins the factory issued for it.
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FAQ
Are Hondas reliable?
Hondas are excellent for reliability — the brand is a perennial top-five finisher in dependability studies and a benchmark for engine longevity. The record isn’t spotless: 2016–2018 1.5L turbos diluted their oil in cold climates, older V6s with cylinder deactivation burned oil, and some 2018–2019 CR-Vs and Accords had infotainment and battery complaints. But these are footnotes against a fleet that routinely runs past 250,000 miles on original drivetrains.
Are Hondas expensive to maintain?
Among the cheapest brands to own; nothing about a Honda is expensive until rust or accident damage enters the picture.
How long do Hondas last?
250,000–300,000 miles on original engine and transmission is well documented across the lineup.
Which Honda models are most reliable?
The strongest reliability records in the Honda lineup belong to: Civic (perennial benchmark); CR-V (2020+); Accord (2018+, both 1.5T post-fix and 2.0T). The models worth extra research before buying: CR-V/Civic 1.5T 2016–2018 in cold climates (oil-dilution history); Odyssey 2018–2019 (9/10-speed early behavior).
How do I check a specific used Honda before buying?
Run the VIN. Every Honda VIN carries a federal paper trail: open recalls, owner complaints filed with NHTSA, and technical service bulletins for its exact model year. CarWhere's $9.99 Full VIN Report packages all three with a market price check — it shows whether the specific truck or car you're looking at has the known problems for its generation, and whether the recall work was done.
Reliability by brand
- Are Jeeps reliable?
- Are Kias reliable?
- Are Subarus reliable?
- Are Mazdas reliable?
- Are Volvos reliable?
- Are Volkswagens reliable?
- Are Audis reliable?
- Are BMWs reliable?
- Are Teslas reliable?
- Are Lexus reliable?
- Are Acuras reliable?
- Are Nissans reliable?
- Are Buicks reliable?
- Are Toyotas reliable?
- Are Fords reliable?
- Are Chevys reliable?
- Are Hyundais reliable?
- Are Porsches reliable?
- Are Land Rovers reliable?
Sources checked
- • NHTSA recall records for Honda, model years 2005–2027
- • NHTSA owner complaints and manufacturer communications (TSBs) — 20,877 bulletin records across 169 models
- • Published industry dependability studies (J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, Consumer Reports brand reliability rankings)
- • Documented warranty extensions, recalls, and class-action settlement history
Retrieved 2026-07-02.
Assessments combine NHTSA federal records (recalls, complaints, technical service bulletins) with published industry dependability studies and documented class-action/warranty-extension history. Problem areas describe generation-level patterns, not guarantees about any individual vehicle. Cite this page: CarWhere, "Are Hondas Reliable?," carwhere.com/reliability/honda, updated 2026-07-02. Reviewed by Sam Reynolds, Lead Researcher, CarWhere.