Which Honda Passport years should you avoid when buying used near Hilton Head Island?
Avoid the early Isuzu-built Passports, especially the 1998 to 2002 generation with its frame-corrosion recalls, and be most careful with the 2019 launch year of the modern Honda-built Passport. Any used Passport from 2019 onward is a sound buy once its VIN shows every recall completed.
The years are only part of the decision. A used Passport bought in Bluffton or on Hilton Head Island faces Lowcountry salt air and humidity, so the underbody and the recall record both need checking before any money changes hands. Hilton Head Honda, at 161 Fording Island Road in Bluffton, sells certified pre-owned and used Passport inventory.
Keep reading below, then schedule a test drive in Bluffton. Bringing your own numbers to the lot settles this faster than any spec sheet.
Avoid the Isuzu-built Passports and be careful with the 2019 launch year
Avoid the 1998 to 2002 Passports first. Honda recalled 35,984 of them in 2010 to inspect the front brackets of the rear suspension’s lower trailing links, because in areas where road salt is used, those brackets can suffer excessive corrosion (American Honda Motor Co., 2010).
The 2019 launch year is the modern Honda-built Passport, and it deserves closer checking than its newer-looking age suggests. It carried its own recalls for fuel-pump and rearview-camera faults, and a transmission service bulletin, each covered below. A newer badge does not clear a car of those records.
Why are the early Isuzu-built Honda Passports risky to buy used?
From 1994 to 2002 the Passport was not a Honda design. It was a rebadged Isuzu Rodeo, built by Subaru Isuzu Automotive in Lafayette, Indiana (Wikipedia). That history matters because the corrosion problem sat in Isuzu-era vehicles, and Isuzu’s own 2010 defect report covered 1998 to 2002 Rodeo and Passport vehicles registered in, or first sold in, the salt belt states (Isuzu Motors Limited, 2010).
Treat the age and the salt exposure of these cars as the first questions, before the price.
What problems did the 2019 Honda Passport have?
The 2019 Passport drew recalls for a fuel pump that can seize and a rearview camera image that may fail to appear. Honda’s 2021 service bulletin says a seized fuel pump can stop the engine while driving, which raises the risk of a crash, and the remedy is a new fuel pump at no cost to the owner (American Honda Motor Co., 2021).
Transmission is the other 2019 check. Honda’s 2020 bulletin on the nine-speed automatic covers intermittent harsh or jerky upshifts under steady acceleration. The software update applies only to vehicles with at least 500 miles on the odometer, because the transmission control module needs that long to adapt to the driver (American Honda Motor Co., 2020).
On a test drive, accelerate steadily and watch the upshifts. Ask the seller for proof that the fuel pump and camera recalls were completed.
How do you handle recalls on a 2019 to 2021 Honda Passport?
Run the VIN before anything else. Honda’s owner site publishes the check in six steps:
1. Go to Honda’s owner site recall lookup.
2. In “Check Recalls By Vehicle Identification Number (VIN),” enter the VIN.
3. Review the “Recall Result” section, which shows the VIN, year, make, model, last updated date and number of open recalls.
4. If the result shows open recalls, take immediate action to have the vehicle repaired, as the owner’s safety may be at risk.
5. Enter a zip code to locate the nearest dealer and schedule a service appointment online.
6. For questions about a recall, contact Honda Automobile Customer Service at (888) 234-2138.
The cost question has a federal answer. A recall remedy must be provided without charge unless the vehicle is more than 15 calendar years old when notice is given (U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel). A 2019 to 2021 Passport is well inside that window, so its open recalls should cost the buyer nothing to fix.
What should you check on a used Honda Passport near Hilton Head Island?
Check the VIN for open recalls, the service and accident history, the infotainment screen and speakers, how the transmission shifts, and the underbody for rust. Salt air and humidity make the underbody check matter more here than it would in a dry climate.
Look at the frame and rear suspension brackets for corrosion, the same area where Honda’s 2010 recall found it on 1998 to 2002 cars. Check the electrical connectors under the dash and around the cargo area as well. Then test the shifts, because a Passport should move up through its gears without a jerk under steady throttle.
Honda Passport recalls and complaints, generation by generation
The 2019 Passport drew the most owner complaints of the three modern model years, with 281 filed with NHTSA, against 103 for 2020 and 144 for 2021 (AnyRecalls, 2026). Those three years carried 10, 10 and 7 recall campaigns, so each of them deserves a VIN check.
The Isuzu-built years and the Honda-built years are different vehicles. Assess the 1998 to 2002 cars by their corrosion history, and assess the 2019 to 2021 cars by their recall and complaint record.
What does Honda Certified Pre-Owned add to a used Passport?
Hilton Head Honda sells Honda Certified Pre-Owned vehicles, and each one gets a 150-point inspection and a 1-year unlimited-mileage warranty. For a 2019 to 2021 Passport, the inspection is a second check that sits on top of the VIN recall review, and the warranty covers the year after purchase whatever the mileage.
A certified Passport still gets the VIN check. Run it on the car you are considering, certified or not, and confirm every open recall is completed before you sign.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Honda Passport years to buy used?
Start with a 2019 or newer Passport whose VIN shows every recall completed. Avoid the 1998 to 2002 generation, and treat the 1994 and 1996 cars as older vehicles that need a full inspection before any money changes hands.
How many miles is too many on a used Honda Passport?
Mileage matters less than the service record. Ask for receipts showing the oil, fluid and timing service the car has had, and check the transmission fluid if it is accessible.
Should you buy a used Honda Passport that has an accident on its history report?
A history report lists only damage that was reported, and minor fender benders fall below the reporting threshold, so a clean report does not prove a clean car (Kelley Blue Book, 2025). An accident on the report is a reason to ask for the repair records and a mechanic’s look before deciding.
How much does a used Honda Passport cost by model year?
Price follows model year and trim, so a lower price on a 2019 car is not a verdict on its recall history. Set any price beside the VIN recall result, because a lower price does not show that the recalls are finished.
How Hilton Head Honda sells Certified and used Passports near Hilton Head Island
Every point in this answer comes down to one check: the VIN and the recall record on the exact car you are buying. Hilton Head Honda sells used and Honda Certified Pre-Owned Passports, so a buyer can weigh a certified car against a used one with the recall record in hand.
Our Google record, as of October 2026, is 4.8 stars across 2,799 reviews, and 92% of them are five-star. In a July 2026 Google review, Ed S. wrote: “Eric Singleton has to be the best advisor that Hilton Head Honda has ever had!” In a July 2026 Google review, Kelly T. wrote: “Sebastian was amazing and made purchasing a new car painless. Pleasure to work with him!”
Hilton Head Honda is at 161 Fording Island Road in Bluffton, and it is part of Group 1 Automotive. Start with the VIN of the Passport you are considering, value your trade online, apply for financing, and bring the recall result with you.
Hilton Head Honda makes the VIN check the start of the used Passport decision, and it sells both certified and used Passports on Fording Island Road. Browse the inventory, value a trade or apply for financing before you visit.
Hilton Head Honda answers this question against the specific vehicle in front of you rather than the model in general. Value your trade and get pre-approved online, then see us at our Bluffton showroom, or call (843) 815-2880.
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