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Honda maintenance: cost, plans and service schedule

Honda vehicles average $428 per year in repairs and maintenance

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    front view of a honda internal combustion engine

    Hondas have traditionally been known for reliability, but that reputation may be in trouble. While many of these cars make it to 200,000 miles or more without any major problems, Hondas have struggled in J.D. Power’s U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study over the last few years.

    Keep reading to see what kind of maintenance Honda recommends, what you can expect to spend to keep your Honda on the road and how you can get help paying for your vehicle’s upkeep.


    Key insights

    • Hondas are generally reliable vehicles with relatively affordable repairs and maintenance compared with other automakers.
    • Hondas typically need some form of maintenance every 7,500 miles, but most components have longer maintenance intervals.
    • An extended warranty or service plan can help with repair or maintenance costs.

    Honda maintenance services

    Honda vehicles made since 2006 have a Maintenance Minder system that lets you know when it’s time for maintenance. When it’s time for service, your car’s dash will show a main code (either an A or B) along with a subcode (1 - 7).

    Code A means that it’s time for an oil change. Code B reveals that the oil and filter should be changed, along with other vital services, like replacing filters, spark plugs and fluids. (Your owners manual has guidance on what the different numeric codes mean.)

    Alternatively, you can see what maintenance your vehicle needs by checking your car’s age and mileage and comparing them with Honda’s published service schedules. Honda has two official maintenance schedules — one for vehicles driven under normal conditions and one for those driven in severe conditions.

    Honda’s maintenance schedule for normal driving conditions

    ServiceInterval
    Oil change Every 12 months or 7,500 miles
    Tire rotation Every 12 months or 7,500 miles
    Oil filter replacement Every 12 months or 15,000 miles
    Parking brake adjustment Every 12 months or 15,000 miles
    Front and rear brake inspection Every 12 months or 15,000 miles
    Complete inspection of suspension system, brake system, exhaust system, cooling system, fuel system and fluid levels Every 12 months or 15,000 miles
    Drive belt inspection/adjustment Every 24 months or 30,000 miles
    Spark plug replacement Every 24 months or 30,000 miles
    Air cleaner replacement Every 24 months or 30,000 miles
    Brake fluid change Every 36 months or 45,000 miles
    Engine coolant change After 30 months or 45,000 miles (and every 30,000 miles thereafter)

    If you are unsure whether this is the right schedule for your vehicle, speak with a qualified Honda mechanic.

    Scheduled maintenance for severe driving conditions

    Honda specifies a different maintenance schedule for cars that are primarily driven in severe conditions, which means you may need more frequent maintenance if:

    • Most of your drives are less than 5 miles.
    • Most of your drives are less than 10 miles and done during freezing temperatures.
    • You mostly drive in stop-and-go conditions or spend a lot of time idling.
    • You mostly drive in temperatures exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • You mostly drive down dusty, muddy or de-iced roads.
    • You mostly drive in mountainous terrain.
    • You carry cargo on the roof of your vehicle most of the time.
    • You tow heavy loads most of the time.

    Honda’s maintenance schedule for severe driving conditions

    ServiceInterval
    Oil change and filter replacement Every 6 months or 3,750 miles
    Complete inspection of steering gearbox, boots, tie rod ends, driveshaft boots and suspension components Every 6 months or 7,500 miles
    Oil filter replacement Every 12 months or 15,000 miles
    Air cleaner replacement Every 12 months or 15,000 miles
    Parking brake check Every 12 months or 15,000 miles
    Hingle, lock and latch lubrication Every 12 months or 15,000 miles
    Clean antenna mast Every 12 months or 15,000 miles
    Complete inspection of brake system, cooling system, exhaust system, fuel system and fluid levels Every 12 months or 15,000 miles
    Spark plug replacement Every 24 months or 30,000 miles
    Transmission fluid change Every 24 months or 30,000 miles
    Drive belt inspection/adjustment Every 24 months or 30,000 miles
    Valve clearance inspection Every 24 months or 30,000 miles
    Engine coolant change After 36,000 months or 45,000 miles (and every 30,000 miles thereafter)

    If the majority of your driving occurs in normal conditions and you only occasionally fall into the severe driving conditions category, you probably don’t need to follow these recommendations unless otherwise directed by a Honda technician.

    Are Hondas expensive to maintain?

    On average, Honda vehicles cost $428 per year in repair and maintenance costs, according to data from RepairPal. However, it can be difficult to interpret that number without context, so we decided to compare Honda with repair and maintenance costs of other automakers.

    MakeAverage repair and maintenance cost*
    Honda $428 per year
    Toyota $441 per year
    Ford $775 per year
    BMW $968 per year
    *According to RepairPal

    Honda maintenance costs

    It’s worth pointing out that the cost statistics we’ve cited so far cover both repair and maintenance for a variety of Honda vehicles. However, these costs can vary depending on what model you have. For example, RepairPal says that Honda CR-Vs cost an average of $407 per year to keep on the road, while the larger Honda Pilot averages $542 per year.

    Also, there’s a big difference between repair and maintenance. “Maintenance” refers to regular preventive care, like what’s listed in the service schedules above. “Repairs,” on the other hand, deal with fixing or replacing broken or failed parts, which means they tend to be larger, irregular expenses.

    To help illustrate the difference between repair costs and maintenance costs, we included sample costs for common maintenance services in the table below, and you can check the next section to see common repair costs for the same vehicle.

    ServiceCost*
    Tire rotation $58 to $74
    Oil change $129 to $152
    Transmission fluid change $175 to $199
    15,000-mile service $483 to $587
    30,000-mile service $692 to $830
    60,000-mile service $692 to $830
    Front and rear brake pad replacement $443 to $515
    Spark plug replacement $245 to $312
    *According to RepairPal for a 2020 Honda CR-V in the 78705 ZIP code

    Honda repair costs

    Expected repair costs are harder to pinpoint because cars don’t break down on schedule. That being said, here’s what you can expect to pay to fix common problems in a 2020 Honda CR-V.

    Service neededCost*
    AC compressor replacement $1,275 to $1,761
    Battery replacement $355 to $371
    Fuel injector replacement $1,280 to $1,416
    *According to RepairPal for a 2020 Honda CR-V EX in the 78705 ZIP code

    In a separate investigation, ConsumerAffairs also spoke with multiple mechanics nationwide to find out what certain repairs cost for different sample vehicles, one of which was a Honda Civic. Many of these are major repairs or replacements, so they may not be as common as the problems listed above, but it’s still helpful to be aware of these potential costs.

    ServiceAverage cost*
    Radiator repair $286
    Fuel pump replacement $516.47 to $779.34
    Radiator replacement $765
    Alternator replacement $591.28 to $957.16
    Axle repair $1,254
    Axle replacement $1,307
    Head gasket replacement $3,456.90
    Transmission replacement $3,947 to $4,251
    Catalytic converter replacement $4,414
    *For a 2016 or 2017 Honda Civic

    There’s no guarantee that you’ll need these repairs, but your car will likely need repairs at some point — if it’s outside of Honda’s manufacturer’s warranty, you could be on the hook for the bill.

    Michaela, a ConsumerAffairs reviewer from Ohio, wrote: “Bought a certified pre-owned Honda Odyssey two years ago. Took it in for scheduled maintenance (to the tune of $1,300), and to have the power steering fluid checked because of a whirring sound. Was told the rack and pinion went bad. Total anomaly. … The bumper-to-bumper warranty expired after 12 months, and it did not fall under the powertrain warranty.”

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      How can an extended warranty or maintenance plan help?

      The good news is that there are ways you can protect yourself from a large bill the next time you visit a mechanic.

      As you might expect, maintenance plans help you pay for scheduled maintenance. Honda Service Pass, for example, is a complimentary maintenance plan that covers all scheduled maintenance for up to the first two years or 24,000 miles on new Hondas, including oil changes, tire rotations, multipoint inspections and any other required services. Prepaid maintenance plans are also available from third-party providers if you want longer coverage, but they’re not as common as extended warranties.

      Extended auto warranties pay for repairs when covered components break down as a result of normal use. There are pros and cons to these plans, but they can be a big help for people that can’t handle an expensive repair (like a $4,000 transmission replacement) on their own. Just be sure you read through the plan to ensure it covers all of the critical repairs you may need.

      » LEARN: Car warranty vs. car insurance


      ConsumerAffairs writers primarily rely on government data, industry experts and original research from other reputable publications to inform their work. Specific sources for this article include:
      1. Honda, “Honda Maintenance Minder.” Accessed Feb. 19, 2023.
      2. RepairPal, “Honda Repair & Maintenance Costs.” Accessed Feb. 19, 2023.
      3. Honda, “New Honda Service Pass Delivers Two Years of Select Maintenance for 2023 Honda Models.” Accessed March 1, 2023.
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