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Honda: reliability & common problems

#13 of 24
Longevity rank#1 Tesla holds up to ~186k
~116k
Trouble-free mileageacross all body styles
580
Hondas inspectedreal pre-purchase inspections
57/100
Average conditionall cars we check: 61/100



Based on 580 used Hondas we inspected, they tend to be in slightly worse shape than average — average condition 57/100 vs 61 for all cars we check. Every number on this page comes from real pre-purchase inspections — cars people were about to buy and paid an independent inspector to go through point by point, engine to underbody, paint depth to error codes. Not owner surveys, not warranty statistics, not forum lore: what we actually found.

What we found

Most common faults

Fuel trim out of range · Engine
61%
Oil leaks · Engine
53%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
41%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
31%
Cracked or torn suspension bushings · Suspension
28%

Share of inspected Hondas where each item was flagged.

How they score

Excellent 18% Good 31% Mediocre 25% Poor 26%
Hidden history

What the seller might not mention — how often we find it on Hondas.

80%had a repainted or replaced panelall cars: 74%
8%showed structural repairall cars: 4%
30%had fault codes recently clearedall cars: 24%

Compare with another brand:

Cross-shopping? Honda vs Toyota · Honda vs Ford · Honda vs Chevrolet

How long does a Honda last?

Across every Honda body style we've inspected — sedans, SUVs and anything else pooled together — the average one's condition dips below decent (a 55/100 score) around ~116k miles. It ranks Honda #13 of 24 brands we have enough data to rate; the longest-lasting, Tesla, holds up to ~186k. Shopping a Honda near that mileage? Expect more wear ahead — see which makes give the best odds at your budget.



Good cars by mileage
0 25 50 75 100 0–20k mi: 90%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars in this band) 20–40k mi: 85% in good shape (26 cars) 40–60k mi: 79% in good shape (53 cars) 60–80k mi: 73% in good shape (74 cars) 80–100k mi: 61% in good shape (79 cars) 100–120k mi: 46% in good shape (90 cars) 120–140k mi: 42% in good shape (76 cars) 140–160k mi: 23% in good shape (80 cars) 160–180k mi: 26% in good shape (35 cars) 180–200k mi: 11% in good shape (27 cars) 200–220k mi: 5%, drawn from the nearby bands (9 cars in this band) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
0 25 50 75 100 1 years old: 92%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars this age) 2 years old: 93%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age) 3 years old: 92% in good shape (25 cars) 4 years old: 81% in good shape (26 cars) 5 years old: 75% in good shape (32 cars) 6 years old: 70% in good shape (43 cars) 7 years old: 65% in good shape (48 cars) 8 years old: 57% in good shape (37 cars) 9 years old: 51% in good shape (37 cars) 10 years old: 45% in good shape (55 cars) 11 years old: 59% in good shape (39 cars) 12 years old: 38% in good shape (40 cars) 13 years old: 29% in good shape (41 cars) 14 years old: 32% in good shape (25 cars) 15 years old: 14% in good shape (28 cars) 16 years old: 15% in good shape (27 cars) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share of Hondas in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; a band under 20 cars follows the nearby bands, so a run above the all-cars line stays above it, and a band of 20 or more uses the rate we measured; where a band has too few cars, the line follows the trend between the bands on either side; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). The dashed grey curve is all cars we check.

Is Honda getting better?
▬ Consistent across generations 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 60% in good shape (age-adjusted; 53 cars, raw 57%) 60 2015–17: 63% in good shape (age-adjusted; 115 cars, raw 60%) 63 2018–20: 59% in good shape (age-adjusted; 59 cars, raw 64%) 59 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+

Share of Hondas in good shape (60+/100) when inspected at the same age — 5–10 years old, age-adjusted — by model-year generation; the dashed line is the all-brand average. Compare every brand's trajectory →



Honda models we've inspected
Fit 32 cars · 72% good CR-V 99 cars · 54% good Odyssey 61 cars · 54% good Civic 155 cars · 51% good Pilot 49 cars · 39% good Accord 125 cars · 38% good Element 17 cars · profile soon Ridgeline 14 cars · profile soon HR-V 13 cars · profile soon

Recently inspected:

2014 Honda CR-V · 175k mi — flagged: oil leaks, engine control module, abnormal noise. Inspected Oct 21.
2019 Honda CR-V · 74k mi — flagged: low coolant / cooling system issues, oil leaks, fuel trim out of range. Inspected Oct 19.
The bottom line

Honda’s used stock is a body-and-engine problem, not a clean reliability story. Repaint is the norm, structural repairs run twice the fleet rate, and the faults that matter cluster under the hood—fuel trim and oil leaks—while cleared codes are common enough that a quiet scan means little. Age-adjusted, 2015–17 holds up a bit better than the windows just before or after. On the lot, start with paint depth and frame, then a live fuel-trim and leak check. If miles are already past about 116,000, where these cars typically slip below decent, and the engine or structure looks tired, negotiate hard or walk.

FAQ
?
Is Honda reliable?
49% of the 580 Hondas we inspected scored 60/100 or higher, averaging 57/100 — they tend to be in slightly worse shape than average.
?
What are the most common problems with a used Honda?
Across the Hondas we inspected, the items we flag most often are fuel trim out of range (61%), oil leaks (53%), tires condition & wear (41%).
?
Are newer Hondas more reliable than older ones?
About the same — comparing generations at the same age (5–10 years old), Honda's share of cars in good shape has stayed consistent.
Thinking of buying a Honda? Get the exact car inspected before you pay.
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Based on 580 inspections · updated Oct 21, 2026