The A1 Honda maintenance code represents an oil change and a tire rotation service. The “A” stands for an oil change and the “1” stands for a tire rotation. The A1 service is the most basic service and is typically performed by a Honda dealership or with a local mechanic.
Honda A1 Service Cost
The A1 service typically costs $80 to $145. The cost will depend on the specific Honda vehicle you have and the labor cost rate.
For simple maintenance services like the A1, most dealerships and 3rd party auto shops offer coupons and discounts. We suggest calling several locations beforehand to get the best deals.
“A” Service Cost
The “A” service, or oil change, typically costs $50 to $100 depending on the Honda model you have. It is a 30 to 40-minute service with the cost mostly from the parts. Some Honda vehicles, like the 2022 Pilot, require synthetic oil which is more expensive.
RepairPal also offers an “A” service (oil change) cost estimate for your vehicle and location:
https://repairpal.com/estimator/oil-change-cost
“1” Service Cost
The “1” service, or tire rotation, typically costs $30 to $45. The tire rotation takes about 15 minutes of labor time. However, we suggest calling your Honda dealership or 3rd party auto repair shop for exact quotes.
RepairPal also offers a “1” service (tire rotation) cost estimate for your vehicle and location:
https://repairpal.com/estimator/tire-rotation-cost
Honda A1 DIY Cost
Want to save money or prefer to rely on yourself for your Honda’s maintenance? Performing an A1 service yourself will cost around $50 depending on the part brands and oil type you use.
We suggest using Honda parts or any aftermarket equivalents. Below are some oil and oil filters made for most Honda vehicles. Check online or at your local auto parts store for exact part numbers.
A1 Maintenance Minder Description
The Honda maintenance minder code sheet above lists all the main and sub service items with A1 highlighted.
“A” Main Service Item
Honda describes the “A” service as an engine oil change only. Although it recommends oil change only, it is best practice to replace the oil filter whenever the oil is changed.
“1” Sub Service Item
Honda describes the “1” service as a tire rotation. In addition to rotating the tires, dealerships will also check the tire pressure and treads for wear or punctures.
When Is the Honda A1 Service Due?
The Maintenance Minder displays A1 when remaining oil life drops to 15%, which for most drivers falls between 5,000 and 7,500 miles after the last oil service — sooner with heavy city driving, towing or lots of short trips, later with steady highway use. Because the system reads actual operating conditions rather than counting miles, the exact figure differs from car to car.
The sub-items attached to this code run on their own longer intervals:
- 1 — Tire rotation: Every oil service
Honda Models That Show the A1 Code
The A1 code can appear on any Maintenance Minder–equipped Honda, including the Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Honda CR-V, Honda Pilot, Honda Odyssey, Honda HR-V, Honda Passport, Honda Ridgeline and Honda Insight. The services it calls for are identical across the range, but oil capacity, fluid specification and labor time vary by engine. Always confirm the specification your engine requires in the owner’s manual.
Related Honda Service Codes
- Honda B1 — the same items, but with an oil filter change and full multi-point inspection
- Honda A12 — adds engine & cabin air filter replacement, drive belt inspection
- Honda A13 — adds transmission fluid + transfer case fluid (if equipped)
- Honda A14 — adds spark plugs, timing belt & water pump (if equipped), valve clearance inspection
- Honda A15 — adds engine coolant replacement
- Honda A16 — adds rear differential fluid replacement
- Honda A17 — adds brake fluid replacement
- Acura A1 — the Acura equivalent of this code
- All Honda Maintenance Minder codes — the full reference table
Is Honda A1 Service Free Under Honda Service Pass?
It might be, if your Honda is new enough. Honda Service Pass is included on all new 2025 and later Honda models and runs for one year from the registration date or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. It covers exactly the work in a A1 code — oil, filter, tire rotation and a multi-point inspection — as scheduled by the Maintenance Minder itself.
Two things trip people up. The first is the length: Service Pass is a one-year program, so on a car bought new in early 2025 it has likely already lapsed. The second is that it only applies to model year 2025 and newer, so a 2024 Honda never had it at all. The work has to be done at a participating Honda dealer using Honda Genuine parts and oil, and like the vehicle warranty it transfers to a second owner for whatever is left of the term.
Worth knowing if you have owned an Acura: Acura’s equivalent program is not the same deal. It ran two years and 24,000 miles on 2023 and 2024 cars before being cut back. Do not assume your Honda carries the same coverage your Acura did.
The 1.5-Liter Turbo Oil Dilution Problem and Your A1 Service
This is the single most important thing to know about oil changes on a modern Honda, and it is the reason a A1 code deserves more attention on some cars than others. Honda’s 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder — the L15B7 — has a documented cold-weather failure mode in which unburnt fuel slips past the piston rings during short trips and collects in the sump. The oil level on the dipstick rises rather than falls, and the oil smells of gasoline.
Diluted oil is thinner oil, and thinner oil protects the bearings and camshaft less well. Honda issued TSB 19-039 along with warranty extension letters, and the fix was a software update to the engine and transmission control units that brings the engine up to temperature faster. Honda also extended powertrain coverage to six years with no mileage limit on the camshaft, rocker arm assemblies and spark plugs, and a national class action (Wozniak v. American Honda) added reimbursement on top.
The vehicles to watch are the 2016–2018 Civic, the 2017–2018 CR-V and the Accord with the 1.5T engine. If you own one, live somewhere cold and drive mostly short journeys, do not stretch the A1 interval. Check the dipstick: if the level is above full and it smells of fuel, get the software update done and change the oil sooner than the Minder asks.
What A1 Means on an All-Wheel-Drive Honda
The A1 work is identical whether your Honda drives the front wheels or all four. What changes is the company it keeps. Honda’s all-wheel-drive hardware — Real Time AWD on the CR-V, and i-VTM4 on the Pilot, Passport and Ridgeline — has a rear differential with a fluid service of its own, and the Minder tracks it as sub-item 6.
That one runs on a short leash: roughly every 15,000 miles, or 7,500 under severe use such as towing. Because it lands near an oil change, it very often surfaces attached to a A1, which is why so many owners see the pair together and assume it is one job. It is two, and the second one is easy to skip by accident.
Fluid choice matters here more than most places. The older VTM-4 system takes Honda’s dedicated VTM-4 fluid, and the newer i-VTM4 units call for a different specification again. Neither is gear oil and neither is transmission fluid. Front-wheel-drive Hondas — most Civics, Accords and HR-Vs — have no rear differential and will never display a 6.
Honda A1 Service FAQ
How long can I keep driving with the A1 code on?
The Maintenance Minder tracks oil life on an algorithm, not a fixed mileage, so it responds to how you actually drive. The wrench appears at 15% remaining, the warning sharpens at 5%, and at 0% the display flips to a negative number counting how far overdue you are. Fifteen percent is the point to book, not the point to panic. The one caveat is the 1.5-liter turbo engine: if you own one and do a lot of short cold-weather trips, treat the Minder as generous rather than precise.
Can I do the Honda A1 service at home?
Yes, comfortably. An oil change and a tire rotation are the two most beginner-friendly jobs on a car, and neither needs a Honda-specific tool. Reckon on roughly $45 to $55 in parts for full synthetic and a genuine filter — you are mostly paying the shop for the lift and the disposal.
Is the A1 service covered by Honda Service Pass?
Only on a 2025 or newer Honda, and only for the first year or 12,000 miles. Honda Service Pass covers oil, filter, tire rotation and inspection at a participating Honda dealer using Honda Genuine parts. If your Honda is a 2024 or older it was never eligible, and if it is a 2025 bought early in the year the term has probably run out already. Check the registration date rather than the purchase date, since that is what starts the clock.
What oil does my Honda need for the A1 service?
Most modern Hondas call for full synthetic 0W-20, and the Minder’s oil life algorithm assumes an oil meeting Honda’s specification. Older and larger engines vary, and some V6 applications differ again, so the owner’s manual is the authority rather than the counter staff at a quick-lube. Capacity varies widely across the range too: a Civic and a Pilot are not close. If your car has the 1.5T engine, using the correct grade matters more than usual, because the dilution issue already works against oil viscosity.
Does A1 mean there is a fault with my Honda?
No. It is the maintenance schedule talking, not the diagnostics. A1 appears as a wrench symbol and simply means the algorithm has counted down. A check engine light is an entirely separate system reporting a stored fault code, and if both are lit they are unrelated — deal with the check engine light first, then book the A1.
How do I reset the A1 code myself?
On cars with a touchscreen it is Settings, then Vehicle, then Maintenance Reset. On older models you hold the SEL/RESET button or the trip stalk for about ten seconds with the ignition on. Only reset it once the work is genuinely done — the countdown is what schedules the next service, and resetting early quietly pushes your whole maintenance schedule out of step. Our Honda Maintenance Minder reset guide covers each method by model and year.