Honda is one of the most reliable mainstream brands sold in North America. Civic, Accord, CR-V, and Pilot routinely cross 250,000 miles with basic maintenance. The 9th-gen K24 and J35 V6 powertrains in particular are legendary for longevity. Honda stumbled with the 1.5T direct-injection oil dilution issue (2017-2021 CR-V, Civic, Accord, 2019+ Passport/Pilot) and a 9-speed ZF transmission used in some Pilots and Acuras, but core engineering remains strong.
J.D. Power has ranked Honda in the top tier for dependability nearly every year of the past decade. Consumer Reports consistently places Honda in its top 3 brands for predicted reliability.
9th gen K24/J35 are bulletproof; 2020+ 10th gen has had the 1.5T oil-dilution issue largely sorted via software update.
Mature 10th gen with TSB updates applied. Excellent long-term.
Reliable after the 1.5T fix campaign. 2.0 hybrid is even better.
Strong family hauler once 9-speed software was reflashed.
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Oil-dilution class action settled in 2020. Gasoline-in-oil, stalling in cold climates.
Hard shifts, judder, NHTSA investigation; multiple software reflashes.
Honda VCM cylinder-deactivation caused notorious oil burning and bad motor mounts.
1.5L turbo direct-injection fuel dilution (2017-2021), VCM oil consumption on older V6s (2003-2010), Takata airbag inflator recall (2001-2017, run the VIN), infotainment Bluetooth bugs (2016-2018), and AC condenser stone damage on lower-slung models.
Average $428/year in routine maintenance per RepairPal. Insurance is below average. Resale value among the highest in the industry. Expect $2,000-3,500 lifetime non-routine repair cost to 200K miles on a well-kept Accord or Civic.
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They are neck-and-neck. Toyota edges Honda on long-term studies (200K+ miles) thanks to the avoidance of turbocharging on its bread-and-butter sedans. Honda matches or beats Toyota on driving feel and interior space.
The 2016-2018 Civic and CR-V with the 1.5L turbo top the complaint lists due to oil dilution. The 2016 Pilot (new 9-speed) is also rough.
Yes, K24-powered Accords and Civics routinely hit 250-300K with timely fluid changes. The J35 V6 in Odysseys and Pilots is similarly durable.
The CVTs are reliable if you change fluid every 30-40K. The ZF 9-speed (Pilot/Passport/Odyssey) has been the brand weak spot.
Yes, but watch for VCM oil consumption on V6s and Takata airbag recall completion. Body rust is the bigger killer on 2000s Hondas.
Honda. Acura shares drivetrains with Honda but adds more electronics (and the ZF 9-speed in MDX/TLX), which means more failure points.