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Maintenance costs are one of the most important things to consider when car shopping, as they dramatically affect how much drivers pay for their cars. That being said, Honda is one of the best automakers for vehicles with low maintenance costs, as Honda cars are very reliable. Here’s a look at four Honda models with an annual maintenance cost of under $400.

1. Honda Civic

Across the entire brand’s lineup, the average Honda has an annual maintenance cost of $428, according to RepairPal. However, the Civic is one car with an annual maintenance cost much less than that. Its yearly maintenance cost is $368, thanks to its reliability. In fact, the site gave it a reliability rating of 4.5 out of 5, which is excellent and much better than most of its rivals.

Still, the compact Honda sedan isn’t perfect, and users have reported a total of 162 problems across many model years. The car’s most common problem was its airbag warning light turning on due to a faulty sensor. The average mileage that this problem occurs on was 110,000 miles. On top of that, this problem is part of a recall campaign that affects models from 1996 all the way to 2016.

2. Honda Fit

A silver-gray 2011 Honda Fit Sport hatchback model driving on a highway bridge overlooking an urban seaside city
2011 Honda Fit Sport | American Honda Motor Co., Inc

This subcompact Honda hatchback has an average annual maintenance cost of $390. Like with the Civic, the site gave it a reliability rating of 4.5 out of 5, making it more reliable than many cars in the segment. That said, the Honda Fit was not a very popular car and was discontinued in the U.S. after the 2019 model year.

Primarily due to its unpopularity, users on the site only reported nine problems. The most common problem was an engine issue at around 110,000 miles, but many users also reported it happening at about 50,000 miles. Drivers may experience a loss of power, the engine stalling, or the engine stuttering when the car is at highway speeds. This issue occurred because of faulty ignition coils; replacing them may cost about $170.

3. Honda HR-V

The Japanese auto giant replaced the Fit with the Honda HR-V, a subcompact SUV. It has an annual maintenance cost of $301, which is much cheaper than the segment average. The HR-V is also very reliable, with a reliability score of 5 out of 5. That reliability score is much better than the segment average and makes it the most reliable subcompact SUV on the market.

However, RepairPal doesn’t have much data from owners about the HR-V’s specific problems. As such, the car currently has no reported issues on the site.

4. Honda Insight

The Honda Insight is another discontinued car, but unlike the other Hondas on this list, it’s a hybrid. The Insight has an average annual maintenance cost of $392, which is cheaper to maintain than the average alternative fuel vehicle. That said, the site gave the Honda hybrid a reliability rating of 4 out of 5. That’s above average compared to all cars, but it’s only average for its segment.

Owners reported seven total problems with the hybrid sedan, and its most common problem was that the hybrid powertrain’s battery would fail at around 100,000 miles. For most owners, the only way to fix this problem is to replace the battery, which is usually expensive. Owners on the site mentioned that they paid over $3,000 to replace the Insight’s battery.

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