Honda Australia increases service prices by nearly 60 per cent

Honda Australia has increased the cost of routine maintenance on new vehicles sold from October 1, 2022 by almost 60 per cent.

The sharp increase in Honda service costs in Australia comes after the company boasted its routine maintenance schedule was among the cheapest in the industry after it made the controversial switch to non-negotiable fixed prices for new cars in July 2021.

Effective for "Honda Contracts signed on or after 1 October 2022", each of the five scheduled services for all new Honda vehicles now cost $199 – up from the $125 price announced when Honda Australia moved to fixed new-car pricing last July.

Despite the sharp and unexpected increase in Honda car service costs in Australia, it remains among the most affordable in the business.

Toyota charges $205 per service for a Corolla, $220 for a Camry or C-HR, or $230 for a RAV4. Ford charges $299 per service for its small Puma SUV, Hyundai charges $299 for routine maintenance on its i30 hatch, and Kia charges between $279 and $607 per visit for routine maintenance for its Cerato hatch and sedan.

Over three years the new Honda service prices amount to $597 (up from $375), while over five years they total $995 (up from $625).

A Honda Australia spokesperson told Drive in a statement: "A recent review of Honda’s service pricing resulted in some changes to the existing pricing structure, which had remained unchanged for the 15-month period since July 1, 2021, despite significant inflationary pressures."

Service prices for new Honda cars purchased between 1 July 2021 – when Honda Australia switched to a non-negotiable, fixed-price business model – and 30 September 2022 remain unchanged at $125 each.