Honda Reliability Overview
Based on 119,939 real complaints filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Honda reliability varies significantly by model. Compare models below and review the specific model-year page before buying.
Is Honda reliable? Quick answer
Based on 119,939 real NHTSA complaints across 25 Honda models
Honda shows above-average complaint rates — research the specific model carefully. Honda's brand-wide crash rate of 8.4% is above the mainstream average. This doesn't mean every Honda is problematic — several models are fine — but buyers should research the specific model year carefully, especially around electrical faults.
- Honda CR-V· 20,393 complaints
- Honda Civic· 19,929 complaints
- Honda Pilot· 12,372 complaints
567 reported fatalities in Honda complaints. Scroll down for the full model-by-model breakdown, or use the links above to jump to a specific model's year-by-year page.
Best Honda Models to Buy
Lowest complaint severity among Honda models with enough data for a confident comparison (200+ complaints).
Worst Honda Models to Avoid
All 25 Honda models — sorted by severity (highest first)
Honda Gl1800
(2001–2024) high severityHonda Prelude
(1981–2001) high severityHonda Civic Hybrid
(2003–2025) high severityHonda Cr-v Hybrid
(2020–2026) high severityHonda Accord Hybrid
(2005–2025) high severityHonda Accord Crosstour
(2010–2013) high severityHonda Prologue
(2024–2026) high severityHonda Element
(2003–2011)Honda Civic Hatchback
(2017–2025)Honda Odyssey
(1990–2026)Honda CR-Z
(2011–2016) high severityHonda Fit
(2007–2020)Honda Insight
(2000–2022) high severityHonda S2000
(2000–2008) high severityHonda Crosstour
(2010–2015)Honda Passport
(1981–2026)Honda HR-V
(2016–2026)Honda Civic Si
(2002–2025)Honda Ridgeline
(2006–2026)Honda Civic Type R
(2017–2025)Honda Accord
(1981–2025)Honda Pilot
(2003–2025)Honda Civic
(1981–2026) high severityHonda Clarity
(2021–2021) high severityHonda CR-V
(1997–2026)Pick your model above, then check the VIN.
NHTSA data tells you which models & years to avoid. The VIN tells you if this specific car has hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Full report just $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Most Common Honda Problems
Components most reported across all Honda models in NHTSA complaints.
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Faults | 11,454 | 2.3% |
| Airbags | 10,479 | 19.8% |
| Engine Problems | 9,951 | 2.1% |
| Steering Defects | 7,292 | 5.0% |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 7,043 | 3.3% |
| Automatic Transmission | 4,482 | 2.5% |
| Brakes | 4,245 | 13.3% |
| Fuel System | 3,973 | 2.6% |
| Unintended Acceleration | 3,348 | 25.7% |
| Body Structure | 3,128 | 10.5% |
Honda Reliability — Frequently Asked Questions
How many NHTSA complaints does Honda have?
Honda has 119,939 NHTSA consumer complaints across 25 distinct models in the VinItel database (1995–present). 7.4% of those complaints involved a crash, and 567 involved a fatality. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation via VinItel.
Which Honda model has the most NHTSA complaints?
By total complaint volume, the top Honda models are: Honda Accord (31,200 complaints), Honda CR-V (20,393 complaints), Honda Civic (19,929 complaints). Note that higher-volume models naturally accumulate more complaints, so per-model severity depends on sales volume and crash rate. See the full sortable ranking at vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/honda.
What are the most common Honda problems?
Across all Honda models in the NHTSA database, the most-reported issue categories are: Electrical Faults (11,454 complaints, 2.3% crash rate); Airbags (10,479 complaints, 19.8% crash rate); Engine Problems (9,951 complaints, 2.1% crash rate). Crash percentages indicate how often that component failure resulted in an accident — higher percentages are safety-critical.
Which Honda model years should I avoid?
Honda models with the highest severity scores include Honda Gl1800 and Honda Prelude. Specific model years to avoid depend on the model — click any Honda model to see its year-by-year breakdown with complaint counts, crash rates, and recalls. Our AVOID label is applied when a year's normalized complaint rate exceeds 1.5× the model's median.
Which Honda model is the most reliable?
Among Honda models with at least 200 NHTSA complaints (enough data for a confident comparison), the lowest severity scores are: Honda CR-V (20,393 complaints), Honda Civic (19,929 complaints), Honda Pilot (12,372 complaints). Lower complaint volume plus lower crash/fire/injury rates indicates fewer reported safety issues per vehicle on the road.
Is Honda a reliable car brand?
NHTSA complaint data shows reliability varies significantly by model and year within every major brand — including Honda. A brand-level reliability verdict is misleading because it averages a bad year of one model with a great year of another. VinItel's approach: pick your target Honda model + year and view that specific page for actionable reliability data. See vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/honda to browse all 25 Honda models.
Should I buy a used Honda?
Buying used requires two checks: (1) research the specific model + year for known problems using the NHTSA data on this page, and (2) run a VIN report on the exact car to check for hidden accidents, title issues, and odometer rollbacks. VinItel offers both — reliability research is free, individual VIN reports are $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99). Common Honda issues to ask about during inspection include electrical faults.
Looking for accident history? See Honda accident & safety statistics from our 16M+ vehicle history database.
Buying a Honda?
Check the specific VIN for hidden accidents, title issues, and full vehicle history — just $4.99.
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