This Honda Engine Is One Of The Most Reliable Ever Made

Honda is a brand that's broadly known for reliability. Modern Hondas are consistently ranked amongst the most-reliable vehicles by Consumer Reports (it's currently ranked third in predicted reliability, just below Subaru and Lexus), and we all know at least a few friends who've driven their Hondas several hundred thousand miles. Some owners have even boasted over one million miles. Honda's made a lot of vehicles, powered by many reliable engines available throughout its long history. So how do we narrow it down and find the most reliable one?

For starters, we're going to leave out motorcycles and scooters. That just makes things a bit simpler. The Honda Super Cub could certainly be a candidate for the distinction of most-reliable Honda, but we'll save it for another day. Instead, let's focus on engines used for four-wheeled vehicles. From there, we're left with a few choices amongst Honda's most infamous engines — namely the J, F, H, B, and K-Series engines. These are some of the most popular and reliable engines Honda has ever made, and under the hoods of some of its most iconic cars.

I've been testing and reviewing all sorts of vehicles for over 15 years and I've been a Honda owner for even longer than that. I've owned several Honda vehicles, swapped the engines on multiple project cars, and been around Honda car culture most of my life. So, I can say with confidence that from that lineup, the K-Series family of engines tops my list.

The K-Series has particularly impressive longevity. That doesn't immediately translate to reliability, but it's a big part of the equation. It's one of the oldest engines still in production today, a tried-and-true powertrain for decades. The K20 was the first version of the K-Series used in the United States in 2001 — powering the RSX. After that, it went on to power the Accord, CR-V, and HR-V. Later versions with more displacement (the K24) powered the Honda Element, Acura TSX, and even the Honda Element Today, Honda and Acura both continue to use turbocharged versions of the K-Series in sedans, SUVs, and performance hatchbacks — most of which are regarded as seriously reliable vehicles. Problems with the K-Series engine are rare, especially in stock form, and especially if you perform regular maintenance.

More than just reliable under the hood of bone-stock cars directly from the factory, the K-Series engine is used to power some serious race cars. Builders often use K-Series engines for drag-race cars, adding turbochargers and regularly pushing horsepower numbers up toward 500 hp without modifying the engine internals. Fortifying the internals and going for even more power is possible too, with some K-Series engines pushing out over 1,000 hp. Few engines have such versatile capability — powering a long lineup of cars over 25 years, and being useful in highly-modified scenarios. It's not just one of the most reliable Honda engines, the K-Series is one of the most reliable gasoline engines ever built.