Honda Reliability 101: A Comprehensive Guide
I am a serial entrepreneur and a consumer advocate. When I’m not helping car buyers, I love working on ventures that have a positive impact.
I run a cause marketing agency and serve on the board of Vayu Global Health where we are disrupting the medical industry and preventing the needless deaths of mothers and babies during childbirth.
Honda has maintained an unbeatable record of reliability. They are considered the most reliable cars in the industry. With low maintenance costs and less probability of major or minor repairs, Honda employs an improved engineering design that positively impacts the overall reliability of its cars.
Honda is a very reliable car brand, and this is more than just hype. The Honda brand employs a professional team of engineers, a dedicated team of employees, and a design philosophy that centers around simplicity and customer satisfaction.
Honda cars offer impressive performance, high safety ratings, and fuel economy. No year passes without Honda earning the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating with one of its cars.
Honda integrates a high-class innovative design in its engineering process. This makes them optimize torque for acceleration without excessively tuning their engines till the engine components start breaking down.
However, there have been reports that Honda dropped in its reliability rating on JD Power’s reliability survey. Are Honda cars still reliable?
Read on to learn more about Honda’s reliability and what you should consider before getting one.
Table of Contents
Are Hondas Reliable?
Yes. Hondas are very reliable. RepairPal awards Honda a 4.0/5.0 reliability rating, ranking 1st out of 32 for all car brands. From 2010 to 2020, Honda received multiple awards from US News & World Report for its impressive reliability.
The Honda brand holds awards for the best cars for the money, best cars for teens, best in resale value, best in overall value, and best cars for families. There is no category in which Honda doesn’t perform outstandingly.
Honda is the type of car you buy when you want to get value for your money. You can rely on Honda cars for their fuel efficiency, performance, and low cost of ownership.
Honda remains one of the cheapest cars you can buy that offer an outstanding level of reliability. Their reliability outsmarts cars in the same category and price range.
Amongst the numerous mysteries surrounding the Honda brand, many people still wish to understand why they last so long. The superb durability of Honda cars is because the brand focuses on producing human-centered cars. To achieve this, they ensure that they build cars that match the owner’s satisfaction, starting with knowing their customers well.
One of the major differences between Honda and some of the other popular German car brands is that Honda builds cars that satisfy their users, whereas some of these brands are interested in meeting design specifications and satisfying the engineers’ priorities.
With Honda, you are assured of superior quality control, high engineering standards, and a versatile line-up, offering different cars that match the insatiable needs of everyone. Without much ado, it is important to note that Honda is the manufacturer of i-VTEC engines, one of the most efficient engines in the market.
Why Hondas Are Considered Reliable
Here are the major reasons why Hondas are still very reliable.
1. Fuel Economy
You can rely on Honda cars for fuel economy. Gas is becoming quite expensive. It is normal for every driver to place great concerns about their cars’ fuel economy/gas mileage.
Not everyone can afford to switch to electric cars, but in this situation, Honda got you covered. There are some features integrated into Honda cars that make them highly fuel efficient. Most Honda cars come with the Econ mode and Eco Assist technology that helps you save enough fuel.
When the Econ mode is activated, your Honda optimizes your fuel system, cutting off anything that is ‘feasting’ on your gas. A few unnoticeable factors can cause a hike in your fuel consumption. These factors include the full blast of your AC and unnecessary acceleration.
The Honda econ mode ensures that you don’t burn gas by optimizing your driving conditions, optimizing all parameters to give you the best gas mileage.
On the other hand, the Honda Eco Assist is your fuel economy assistant. Honda understands that you might have read a lot of tips and hacks on how to improve your car’s fuel economy. But it becomes difficult to practice everything you’ve read in the right way.
With Honda Eco Assist, you have all the necessary guides to reduce fuel usage. The Eco Assist instructs you with light flashes and color displays on your speedometer to show you when to change or adjust your driving pattern.
Green lights show that you are driving in a way that maximizes your fuel economy, whereas a white color indicates that you are driving in a way that hurts your fuel economy.
Honda is the most fuel-efficient and eco-friendly automaker in America. You can rely on Honda cars to save fuel and reduce carbon emissions.
2. Cost of Repair and Maintenance
With a Honda car, you are assured of cheap repair and maintenance costs. It costs roughly $428 to repair and maintain a Honda car every year. You also have a 0.3 chance of visiting the mechanic and a 10% probability of a major repair. Worry less about visiting the mechanic store.
The cost of repair and maintenance depends on the type of Honda cars you go for, Honda has some of the cheapest petrol cars to maintain, but this is not the same for their diesel options. Expect to spend more when you are going for the premium Honda cars.
3. Safety and Technology
For the past ten years and more since 2022, Honda has never skipped a year without winning the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating.
Hondas are one of the safest cars you will ever drive. These cars are designed to uphold users’ safety against accidents, collisions, and impacts.
The child restraints, a seat belt system, and driver assistance technology, Honda is the car you choose when you want a tech-packaged car that will keep you safe. Honda has one of the most advanced mitigation systems in cars.
This is coupled with its advanced compatibility engineering body structure, making it easy to absorb impacts during frontal collisions.
The integration of high-class technology, engine performance, and overall car support makes Honda cars extremely safe. Honda adopts a dual safety technology to ensure users’ safety using Honda Sensing and AcuraWatch.
Here's a list of Honda’s safety technology:
- Lane keeping assist system (LKAS)
- Adaptive cruise control (ACC)
- Road departure mitigation (RDM)
- Forward collision warning (FCW)
- Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS™)
- Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with traction control
- Multi-angle rearview camera
- Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
- Traffic sign recognition (TSR)
- Electronic brake distribution (EBD)
- Brake assist
Honda Safety systems are split into active and passive systems to give the all-around protection that you deserve. The seatbelts, pretensioners, load limiters, and advanced airbag tech are fitted to keep you safe.
4. Resale Value
Honda has a good resale value. The great resale value cuts across different Honda cars in different categories. This includes Honda Civic, Honda Insight, and its hybrid options.
Whether you choose Honda compact, mid-size, or subcompact cars, you are assured of getting back value for your money.
5. Durability
There is no doubt that Honda cars are extremely durable. These cars have an impressive lifespan that makes them last through the end of time.
On Honda cars, you have fewer failure rates, fewer visits to the mechanic, and your Honda car’s ability to last up to 300,000 miles, or 20 years.
The engine strength, body composition, and technology of Honda cars are built to last.
6. Engine and Performance
If you need car engines that you can rely on, choose Honda. There is an endless list of Honda engines that are reliable but also deliver an impressive level of power and speed.
You can choose between Honda’s VTEC engines, SOHC/DOHC systems, or the modern Honda engine series, L, K, and R four-cylinder, V6 engine configurations.
Your choice of Honda engines will determine if you want a reliable powerhouse, high rev, or just a basic engine to get you by daily. On an overall scale, you have fuel economy and reliability, all with regular maintenance like oil changes, gasket replacements, or tune-ups as you wish.
Honda Reliability: Pros
- Engine longevity
- Great engineering
- Better value proposition
- Extremely safe
- Highly durable
- Great design
Honda Reliability: Cons
- Infotainment systems need to do better
- Paint fails on some models
Verdict
Honda cars are so good that it is impossible to find fault in them. With my experience owning cars, Honda has given me fewer worries. They have models for every need: sports, commutes, and hybrids.
However, we expect Honda to start producing more great pickup trucks like the Honda Ridgeline. In conclusion, you have nothing to worry about owning a Honda car.
