Honda Passport Reliability by Year

Based on 2M+ real complaints filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

2,128 NHTSA complaints (1981–2026).Complaint rate: 68.5 per 1,000 vehicles.

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Should I buy a Honda Passport?

Quick answer from 2,128 NHTSA complaints · 1981–2026

Honda Passport reliability depends heavily on the model year. Several years show complaint spikes well above the model's own average, while others are meaningfully cleaner. The most commonly reported issue across all years is electrical faults. Pick the right year and this Passport can be a reasonable used buy; pick the wrong one and you're inheriting known problems.

Best years to buy
Years to avoid
Most common Honda Passport problem: Electrical Faults151 complaints (2.6% crash-involvement rate).

Keep scrolling for year-by-year complaint trends, recall campaigns, and component breakdowns — or click any year above for a full report.

Why these years are worse

The most common issues driving the complaint spikes:

  • electrical faults151 complaints (2.6% involved a crash)
  • structure:frame and members134 complaints (2.2% involved a crash)
  • engine problems110 complaints (0.9% involved a crash)
  • service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip105 complaints (24.8% involved a crash)
  • forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking98 complaints (6.1% involved a crash)
Severity Score
1385.3
Complaints
2,128
Crash Rate
8.0%
Fire Rate
0.0%
Injuries
131
Fatalities
7

Which Years to Buy & Avoid

Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.

Rankings based on raw NHTSA complaint counts. Sales volume data not yet available for this model.

Bottom line: Avoid the 1998–1999 Honda Passport (64 crash-related complaints). The 2023 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: Electrical System.

Avoid These Years

1998–1999
~307/yr complaints · 64 crashes
2019
~410/yr complaints · 12 crashes
2021
~194/yr complaints · 21 crashes

Average

1995
~84/yr complaints
2000–2001
~144/yr complaints
2020
~125/yr complaints
2022
~82/yr complaints

Better Years

2023
~55/yr complaints
2002
~31/yr complaints
1996–1997
~62/yr complaints
1994
~46/yr complaints

Too New

2024–2026
74 complaints so far

Need 3+ years on the road for reliable complaint data.

Looking at a specific Honda Passport?

A model's reputation is just the start.

Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).

Complaints by Model Year

NHTSA complaint count per model year

Common Honda Passport Problems

Most reported component complaints to NHTSA. Bar length = volume; color = crash-involvement rate.

Show full table
ComponentComplaintsCrash %
Electrical Faults1512.6%
Structure:Frame And Members1342.2%
Engine Problems1100.9%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip10524.8%
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking986.1%
Suspension Failures931.1%
Transmission / Drivetrain811.2%
Suspension:Rear761.3%
Brakes756.7%
Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings677.5%

When Each Problem Spiked

Year × component heatmap. Darker cells = more complaints that year. Reveals which model years a specific defect concentrated in — useful for spotting redesign-cycle quality dips.

Data Sources & Methodology

Complaints: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database (2,128 records for this model). Public domain data, updated monthly.

Sales data: Not yet available for this model. Complaint counts are shown as raw numbers.

Rate calculation: Complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold = (complaint count / US annual sales) x 10,000. This normalizes for sales volume so high-volume models like Civic or Camry aren't unfairly penalized.

Year classifications: AVOID = 1.5x+ the model's median complaint count. GOOD = 0.6x or below. Years less than 3 years old are marked TOO NEW (insufficient data).

See also: Honda Passportaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.

Buying a Honda Passport?

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