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Honda: reliability & common problems

#11 of 24
Longevity rank#1 Tesla holds up to ~177k
~118k
Trouble-free mileageacross all body styles
505
Hondas inspectedreal pre-purchase inspections
56/100
Average conditionall cars we check: 61/100



Based on 505 used Hondas we inspected, they tend to be in slightly worse shape than average — average condition 56/100 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
59%
Oil leaks · Engine
54%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
41%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
36%
Cracked or torn suspension bushings · Suspension
29%

Share of inspected Hondas where each item was flagged.

How they score

Excellent 10% Good 33% Mediocre 42% Poor 15%
Hidden history

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

80%had a repainted or replaced panelall cars: 75%
8%showed structural repairall cars: 4%
29%had fault codes recently clearedall cars: 23%

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 ~118k miles. It ranks Honda #11 of 24 brands we have enough data to rate; the longest-lasting, Tesla, holds up to ~177k. 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: 86% in good shape (14 cars) 20–40k mi: 88% in good shape (25 cars) 40–60k mi: 77% in good shape (43 cars) 60–80k mi: 72% in good shape (64 cars) 80–100k mi: 67% in good shape (66 cars) 100–120k mi: 45% in good shape (78 cars) 120–140k mi: 41% in good shape (63 cars) 140–160k mi: 20% in good shape (71 cars) 160–180k mi: 22% in good shape (32 cars) 180–200k mi: 12% in good shape (25 cars) 200–220k mi: 0% in good shape (8 cars) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
0 25 50 75 100 1 years old: 86% in good shape (7 cars) 2 years old: 90% in good shape (10 cars) 3 years old: 91% in good shape (23 cars) 4 years old: 80% in good shape (25 cars) 5 years old: 79% in good shape (29 cars) 6 years old: 72% in good shape (39 cars) 7 years old: 64% in good shape (42 cars) 8 years old: 52% in good shape (29 cars) 9 years old: 55% in good shape (29 cars) 10 years old: 48% in good shape (42 cars) 11 years old: 53% in good shape (34 cars) 12 years old: 37% in good shape (35 cars) 13 years old: 26% in good shape (35 cars) 14 years old: 29% in good shape (24 cars) 15 years old: 12% in good shape (25 cars) 16 years old: 17% in good shape (23 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; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). The dashed grey curve is all cars we check.

Is Honda getting better?
▼ Newer Hondas aren't holding up as well 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 65% in good shape (age-adjusted; 53 cars, raw 62%) 65 2015–17: 51% in good shape (age-adjusted; 94 cars, raw 49%) 51 2018+: 40% in good shape (age-adjusted; 48 cars, raw 48%) 40 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018+

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 30 cars · 53% good CR-V 83 cars · 52% good Civic 139 cars · 44% good Odyssey 50 cars · 44% good Accord 109 cars · 39% good Pilot 42 cars · 36% good Element 16 cars · profile soon Ridgeline 13 cars · profile soon

Recently inspected:

2013 Honda CR-V · 147k mi — flagged: oil leaks, fault codes recently cleared, fuel trim out of range. Inspected Aug 1.
2021 Honda Accord · 74k mi — flagged: dirty or low engine oil, fuel trim out of range, vibration. Inspected Jul 31.
The bottom line

Engine trouble is the real story here—fuel trims out of range and oil leaks top the list—so make a thorough under-hood check your absolute first move and walk away from any seller who rushes you past it. High repaint frequency plus structural repairs running double the fleet norm means past accidents and cover-ups are common; demand paint measurements and a proper frame inspection every time. Newer Hondas actually fare worse once age is equalized, so the 2012–14 window is the smartest buy while 2018-plus cars deserve extra skepticism. Past roughly 118,000 miles condition drops off, and any cleared codes should slash the price or end the deal.

FAQ
?
Is Honda reliable?
43% of the 505 Hondas we inspected scored 60/100 or higher, averaging 56/100 — 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 (59%), oil leaks (54%), tires condition & wear (41%).
?
Are newer Hondas more reliable than older ones?
No — comparing generations at the same age (5–10 years old), newer Hondas actually score lower than the early-2010s ones.
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Based on 505 inspections · updated Aug 1, 2026