Honda’s reputation for building reliable cars is more than golden: It’s diamond-encrusted platinum. RepairPal, a website dedicated to repair and maintenance information, awards Honda 4 out of 5 stars for reliability, placing it first among its rankings.
That certainly sounds great, but it does incite some unintended consequences:
- Owners may neglect basic care, which causes minor issues to snowball into major ones and future Honda maintenance costs to skyrocket
- Potential buyers remain unaware of specific model or model year problems because they assume all Hondas are equally reliable
- Hondas that would otherwise be reliable are neglected and poorly maintained then hit the used market, and secondhand buyers are none the wiser
If you’re considering purchasing a Honda, you’re probably banking on a low cost of ownership, and though Honda servicing costs are certainly reasonable, repairs can easily mount if standard maintenance is deferred.
Recommended Maintenance Schedule
Thanks to modern design, metallurgy, and tolerances, you could drive your Honda across the continental United States twice over before having to worry about even the first major maintenance item.
In fact, Honda’s recommended servicing schedule is as follows:
The biggest single-cost item will be the 105,000-mile service, as it’s the most invasive, but Honda maintenance costs can vary depending on how much work you do yourself, which model you own, and how well-maintained it is.
How Much Does Honda Maintenance Cost?
Once again referring to Repair Pal, average yearly Honda maintenance costs total $428, well below the industry average of $652. From model to model, though, annual Honda servicing costs do vary, with a Honda Civic costing owners an average of $368 per year, for instance, and a Honda Odyssey costing $547 per year.
Honda Maintenance Costs
To further break down the cost of ownership, let’s go over what each service interval will cost, on average:
Common Maintenance Items
Here are the average costs for some other items you’ll have to pay for over the life of your car:
While these items’ shelf lives depend more on where you live and how you drive, they are expenses you will undoubtedly have to consider from time to time.
The Importance of Maintenance
Without proper maintenance, even the most reliable cars will become rusty, smoking heaps. The most important maintenance item for most of a Honda’s life would be its engine oil changes.
Oil is necessary for keeping the rotating engine parts moving smoothly. Without it, parts rub, grind, and break. A modern Honda can run for 7,500 miles before needing an oil service, but if its owner lets their Honda go beyond 8,000 miles, they can risk a seized engine.
Air filters are another simple yet common maintenance item that can quickly become a matter of “out of sight, out of mind.” They are what keep particles and debris from entering and harming your engine, but over time, they get clogged, effectively strangling your engine. Cabin air filters are similar, except they are responsible for keeping your car’s interior from filling up with pollutants.
Staying on top of maintenance keeps Hondas in excellent shape for years, and it is especially important for owners who plan on selling their Hondas for top dollar. Hondas have excellent resale value thanks to their image as reliable, economical cars, but a run-down model will bring less money, and that’s if it’s even sellable at all.
How Honda Warranty Coverage Helps
All new Hondas come with the following coverage:
A new vehicle’s limited warranty is a “bumper-to-bumper” warranty with protection for most of its parts and systems. The powertrain warranty protects the engine, transmission, and associated parts.
You also get 3 years/36,000 miles of Honda Roadside Assistance, which provides the following:
A new Honda warranty doesn’t cover consumable items such as brake pads, spark plugs, and wipers, nor does it cover oil changes or tire rotations. It also won’t protect you from theft, vandalism, poor maintenance, modifications, or environmental damage.
Honda Extended Warranty
Keeping Your Honda in Excellent Shape
Aside from performing regular maintenance and repairing items as soon as they break, you can protect the resale value of your Honda in these other ways:
You can expect hundreds of thousands of miles from your Honda, just as long as you take care of it.
Getting the Right Coverage Through CarShield
Honda maintenance costs aren’t that high compared to other brands, and they certainly aren’t as high as repair bills once a car is out of warranty.
If you own or are thinking about buying a Honda out of warranty, check out the protection plans offered through CarShield! You can choose packages that protect a few key components or opt for bumper-to-bumper protection for up to 300,000 miles. Contact CarShield to find the right plan for you!
