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Jul 30, 2023

The Most Reliable Honda Models Ever Built, Ranked

It's no secret that Japan produces some of the most well-built cars on the planet, with brands such as Toyota, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, and Nissan consistently rated highly by auto critics for their

It's no secret that Japan produces some of the most well-built cars on the planet, with brands such as Toyota, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, and Nissan consistently rated highly by auto critics for their reliability and value. Honda is yet another manufacturer that is renowned for making affordable, economical, and durable cars. Models like the Civic, Accord, and CR-V have been common fixtures on driveways all over the world for decades.

Like many influential auto manufacturers, Honda started out in the bicycle business. After being established in 1948, Honda made its first auxiliary motors for push-bikes before branching out into fully-fledged motorcycles and then automobiles with the 1963 T360 compact pickup truck. By 1982 it had gone international, with a plant in North America, and had developed a highly automated manufacturing process that helped boost production and further expand its position in the global market.

While it may not be quite as popular as the largest Japanese brand, Toyota, the Hondas of today are nonetheless progressive, innovative, and dependable. However, which have been the most reliable models in such a competitive market? Here we have considered studies from aggregation sites like J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, Consumer Reports, and others to rank the most dependable Hondas ever built.

Introduced in 1973, the Honda Civic has a long and storied past, with the first generation being a sporty four-door hatchback that predated Volkswagen's famous Golf by a year. It has since gone on to become something of a shapeshifter among automobiles, having appeared as a four-door sedan, a sporty coupe, and a hot hatch, while the recent 11th-generation has a liftback profile. By 2020, Kelley Blue Book had rated it the Best Buy within its compact segment six years in a row.

With such a varied production history that included some vastly different models, there is much to consider when deciding upon the top Civic, but the 2012 model year offering was most likely the best so far in terms of reliability. Produced as a sedan or coupe for the North American market and a hatchback for the more compact-friendly Europeans, the former had a demure profile, while the latter looked fresh and sporty.

The previous eighth-generation Civic, which arrived in 2006, had been dogged by reliability issues after the odometer hit the 100,000-mile mark, as cracks, quite literally, began to appear in its engine block. After the global financial crisis hit, Honda must have realized that dependability was their customers' biggest priority, and the ninth-generation 2011 Honda Civic was a vast improvement. It set the standard for subsequent generations of Civic, with a lifespan of around 250,000 miles that outclassed rivals such as Toyota's pricier Corolla.

Hybrid cars are a vital technology from an environmental perspective as we continue to transition into a progressively eco-friendly society. While hybrids have been around for quite some time, having actually been invented all the way back in 1899, they became widespread in 1997 with the introduction of the Toyota Prius, followed closely by the two-seater Honda Insight in 1999. As such, the Insight had a successful run of twenty years to hone its craft by the time it released the 2019 model year, third-generation Insight, which by now had sprouted two extra doors and a row of rear seats.

Highly rated for its fuel economy as a hybrid, the Honda Insight has grown exponentially in popularity with its most recent iteration, having sold almost 24,000 units in 2019 in the U.S. alone. Its reputation is buoyed by the fact that the frequency of repairs is low for this segment, and while the Insight is rather unassuming in its looks and features, it comes highly rated for its efficiency and dependability.

Having undergone stringent road testing, the Insight does show some weaknesses after a long distance traveled, but no car is indestructible, even a Honda. Most issues related to peripheral parts, and importantly, the engine stood up well after the good folks at Car and Driver magazine put it through its paces over 40,000 miles. While this is all well and good, when things do go wrong with the Honda Insight, unscheduled repairs tend to be costly, with the severity of issues being above average, placing the 2019 Honda Insight Hybrid lower in our ranking.

When we think of a Honda car, the imagination is usually drawn to its line of practical family sedans and hatchbacks, but it has a successful history of producing compact sport coupes. One of these was the Honda Prelude, which went on to become one of the most complex within its class, which included Toyota's formidable Supra.

Having started life in 1978 as a rather boxy but elegant coupe that used the Accord's engine, brakes, and suspension, the Honda Prelude coupe was really starting to find its feet by the time its fourth-generation model was released in 1991. Just by looks alone, you could see that this was a different animal as compared to previous generations, with a more streamlined, curved body that may look dated today but was a real head-turner in the early 1990s.

The Prelude's aesthetics were complemented by its trusty inline four-cylinder 2.2-liter engine, which was available as a Si variant with Honda's patented VTEC valve timing technology and four-wheel steering, as could be experienced by players of "Grand Turismo 3." As far as reliability was concerned, the power plants on the later fourth-generation models were very dependable within their high-revving segment, although mass-market Hondas were more reliable on the whole, which is why our trailblazing sports coupe only makes eighth place on this ranking.

Even before Walter White from "Breaking Bad" first graced our televisions in his Pontiac Aztek, minivans were ubiquitous as the practical vehicle of choice for large families and tradespeople. Yet it hasn't always been this way, and in 1994, the Honda Odyssey was something of a curiosity among the car-buying public, with only a few predecessors within the segment from brands that included Chrysler and Renault.

The Odyssey, Honda's first minivan, has proved highly popular since its introduction. By keeping up with the developing global minivan market — which is now worth over 100 billion dollars annually — it has gone from strength to strength, and the 2022 model has garnered much praise for its reliability and drivability. Car rating guru J.D. Power has recently rated it the best minivan against such respected competitors as the Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota Sienna, and Kia Carnival with a reliability rating of 81 out of 100, and it appears to hold its resale value, as a practical and dependable vehicle.

The 2022 Honda Odyssey also received the top safety pick from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), which is a great accolade for a family-oriented vehicle. Add to this its pleasing aesthetics, practical features, and a full complement of accessories, and the car ticks most boxes, although it is too early to rate for long-term performance. Hence, it ranks number seven here.

The mid-sized SUV segment has been growing steadily for years, with models like the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Subaru Outback, and Honda's original Passport having been around since the 1990s. However, the modern compromise between the latter-day city juggernaut and the family saloon occupies a practical space in the modern market as a family-friendly vehicle that is as well-suited to driving on country back roads as it is parking in a busy lot.

As the brand's leading mid-sized SUV, the Passport, while uninspiring from a styling perspective, is nonetheless a very reliable car across successive releases, although the 2022 variant is a standout model. While it did lose some points in practical studies for its fuel economy and range, the Passport offers drivers a fun driving experience with plenty of gadgets thrown in for good measure and a satisfying engine note to add a little sparkle.

What of the 2022 Passport's reliability? According to the J.D. Power report, the Passport excelled with a score of 83 out of 100 points for quality and reliability, losing out only to the Nissan Murano, the Chevy Blazer, and the Toyota 4Runner. Again, the new iteration of the Passport might be a little young to rate for long-term reliability, but the outlook is promising based on what we have seen so far.

Honda has produced some truly aspirational cars over the years, such as the thrilling S2000, the nippy Civic Type R, and the asphalt-burning NSX. While the Honda Fit doesn't quite make this list, it isn't supposed to, and that's okay. Known as the Honda Jazz in some markets, this is one of the most practical and affordable hatchbacks in Honda's fleet, and it lives up to its task commendably.

This deceptively large-capacity small car is a dependable prospect that gives options from Chevrolet and other big Japanese marques like Mitsubishi, Toyota, and Nissan a run for their money in its competitive segment. While its driving dynamics may be uninspiring and technology may be a little lacking, it still represents great value for its approximate $17,000 price point.

When it comes to reliability, the Honda Fit reached new heights with its 2018 release. This new model had a sporty trim and optional leather seats, but most importantly, it trounced the competition when tested for dependability, from its engine to its infotainment system, and continued to do so in subsequent years. While it is obviously not a high-performance car, the Fit is certainly fit for purpose as a worthy and practical hatchback that will serve you well.

Following the success of the Civic, Honda followed up with 1976's Accord hatchback, which entered the U.S. market as a sedan in 1978. While it may look unimpressive by modern standards, the American public embraced it and it became the first imported vehicle to become a number-one bestseller in 1989. Although the Accord was still Honda's best-selling sedan as of 2022, the 2012 model year was one of the most successful in the car's long lineage.

By 2012, the Accord had been given a facelift, having managed to extricate itself from the cookie-cutter styling of the early 2000s with a sculpted body featuring chrome accents. By 2015, the Accord was nearly 40 years old, and it had progressed to include a hybrid version, as well as a powerful V6 variant to complement its standard economical family sedan. However, an even bigger improvement was made to its powertrain, which had been developed for better efficiency and to iron out any creases relating to its performance and reliability.

As a result, the 2015 iteration of the 2012 model was an excellent prospect, having garnered many positive reviews and ratings from top aggregators. These include a 4.5 out of 5 for reliability from RepairPal, which made it number one within the midsize segment. This is no small feat when you consider its competition from the likes of the Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat, and Ford Fusion, which were all solid, reliable options at around the same time.

The humble pickup has served as a backbone of American industry since the motorcar became mainstream. Flatbed trucks existed well before the Model-T Ford spawned its own version back in the 1920s, and even with the growing popularity of the SUV they still account for a significant percent of U.S. auto sales. With the Ford F-150, Toyota Tacoma, Ram 1500, and Chevrolet Colorado all vying for their share of the market, the Honda Ridgeline is up against some stiff competition — but it does have an ace in the hand in the form of Honda's renowned dependability.

The original 2006 Ridgeline toed the line with its contemporary rounding of the classic pickup profile, buttressed rear window, snub nose, large grille, and prominent wheel arches. However, it did have some unique features in the form of an innovative in-bed trunk and anti-dent truck bed flooring. It also handled better than your average pickup, despite a rather tame power delivery, making it less well-suited to heavy work and towing.

Despite its mediocre performance, the 2006 Ridgeline is one of the most dependable mid-sized pickups of its time. Unsurprisingly, they are sought-after in used markets and maintain a strong resale value. Such was the reliability that Honda didn't give it a major overhaul until the release of the second-generation model in 2017. Shortly before its delisting, it received a reliability score of 89 out of 100 from J.D. Power, which rated it the number one pickup of that year. It was also scored 4.7 out of 5 by Kelley Blue Book, suggesting a high resale value for used models, which helps it land the number three spot in this ranking.

Where do you turn when you have outgrown a regular sedan but feel an SUV is surplus to requirements? A compact crossover might be the answer you are looking for, and Honda has a worthy solution in its popular CR-V. Repeatedly ranked among the top compact SUVs of its model year, the CR-V is still in production today and has legions of fans all over the world. Yet this segment is rarely exciting, so what exactly made the 2011 CR-V stand out as a flash of color in a sea of beige?

What the 2011 CR-V did was cover all bases. It looked stylish but not ostentatious, with its color-coded mirrors, bumpers, and wheel arches with matte black trim and flashes of chrome. Its profile was modern without being elaborate, although its tapered rear window gave it a sporty edge and emphasized its tall rear light clusters. Meanwhile, performance was perfectly adequate – not exactly fiery — for a car of its class, although its automatic transmission has been described as sluggish.

More than anything else, it was its reliability that made the CR-V a popular purchase, and this is a characteristic that has carried over to successive generations. It was ranked as the most reliable compact SUV by J.D. Power, followed by its number one choice for that segment a full three years after its introduction in 2014, beating the likes of the Toyota FJ Cruiser and RAV4, the GMC Terrain, and the Chevrolet Equinox, among others. It is, therefore, no surprise that the Honda CR-V places second in this ranking as a consistently-dependable car from 2011 onwards.

This compilation of the most reliable Hondas leans heavily towards the low-revving, practical cars in its historic fleet, and these are indeed often more reliable than their sportier counterparts. Still, let's not forget that Honda has a long and successful history in MotoGP and Formula One. The Honda S2000 is one such sporty model that came about at the end of a century that saw great leaps in Japanese industry and predated the global financial crisis by almost ten years. This was a fairytale era when regular folks had money to spend on front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports cars like the Mazda MX-5, BMW Z3, and Honda S2000.

Not only is the S2000 a great looking, great performing sports coupe, but it had staying power as one of the most reliable in its segment for its ten-year run. Many consider the F20C (European market) and F221C (North American market) engines to be the best that Honda ever produced. Such was the output of the two-liter powerplant that the S2000 was dubbed the two-wheeled motorcycle due to its hair-raising speed and superb handling.

The F20C remained on the Ward's Ten Best Engines list from WardsAuto for three years running, as it proved incredibly reliable, lasting well even to this day. As the car approaches its quarter-century milestone, we still might see an S2000 pass us on the freeway from time to time, heralded by a roar as it reaches its comfort zone at the higher end of the tachometer.