Honda Civic 2005 and earlier

jjpcat

You might want to get the steering in your Civic checked. I had a 89 (same generation as your 86) and a 96 Accord. I don't think the steering in this Civic is tighter than that in 86-89 Accord. Actually, my feeling is that the steering in the 96 Accord demands the strongest muscle to turn.

What model do you have? Mine is 2001 Civic LX. Not sure if EX has a different steering.

jlim1

How are the Firestones tires on 01 Civic during winter? I have read complaints about their incapability. Just checking out since it will be my Civic's first winter soon and I drive a lot on snow.
Also, if I replace the tires, say for Bridgestone or Michelin, how much would I expect to get back if the tire store buys the Firestones as trade-in used? It has 2000 miles now with moderate driving.

civic_cx_92

"Honda also revamped the Civic's steering for 2001 -- a quicker ratio makes for immediate responsiveness and the power-assisted system is now variable effort, offering more power assist at low speeds and less assist as speed increases. We had virtually no complaints with the new steering system, which we found to be nimble and well weighted"
I've owned '89 Prelude Si that had 2.7 lock to lock with PS and that felt fine.
This might sound silly but have you checked the air pressure in the tires?

tlindeman1

I'm considering purchasing new rear shocks from a dealership for my 2001 Civic and replacing with the revised-spec. 2002 versions. Info. I've read indicated that Honda made some significant changes to the suspension tuning and steering box on the 2002's to improve the ride and "steering feel". Although this car has been great mechanically (I'm at 7,000 miles with only a hesitant driver's window switch that was fixed), the bouncy and wallowy ride especially in the rear is really and annoyance. The parts people I talked to seemed surprised that the 2002 shocks had a different part no. than the 2001(indicating a change) and quoted me a price of $112 apiece. This is for the shock only (my understanding is that Honda also stiffened the springs somewhat but I'm not going to go there). The front struts are also a new part for the 2002's and are priced at $103 for the revised insert. To my knowledge, no aftermarket manufacturer has replacement shock and strut units available for this car yet (although Tokico has announced that they are under "current development"). I'm so tired of the poor ride that I'm willing to fork out the cash for the new Honda units to see if it makes a difference. Short of that, I have to wait until someone offers a replacement aftermarket. Just my luck that Honda would address the suspension shortcomings in this car the year AFTER I bought my first new car in 17 years! I also find it interesting that the 3 dealers I originally complained to said they had "no complaints" regarding the suspension of the 2001's (even though this forum is full of them) and then Honda makes all these changes. It's a shame that a car as mechanically competent as the Civic was cursed with an inferior suspension...I expected better from Honda.

silver_bullet

First, don't expect to replace just the shocks and get much of an improvement. It is the spring that really determines the ride - the shock just controls the spring's action. Honda designed them to work as a pair, so you really need to replace them as a pair. Second, shame on you for believing what the dealer told you when you complained - most Honda dealers I've run across are arrogant to the extreme, and seem incapable of recognizing that their product is no longer state-of-the-art...

gasguzz

The spring/shock is indeed one calibration. Not only that, all 4 corners are matched by design (Honda having the revised front/rear PNs may attest to that). You may get the ride you "want" with just a rear shock swap, unfortunately you won't know until you pay and play.

justin

now that we all have the "bouncy" 2001 Civics, imagine how nice ANY other car is going to feel when we trade the Civic in.

dtownfb

tlindeman1 - I'm not sure how much you still owe on the 2001 Civic but have you tried selling it and purchasing a 2002. I know it would be a hassle but it might be worth it if you are that displeased withthe vehicle.

It appears the suspension modification didn't hurt Civic sales. It appears they overtook the Focus which is a better handling car. Honda guessed right when they decided to make the Civic more appealing to the general public by changing the front suspension. Hopefully the shock modifications will help you get teh ride you are looking for. Most installers of shocks will let you drive on them for a weekend with no penalty. I'm guessing that aftermarket shocks will start popping up in a few months. The aftermarket people have to be drooling with the Civic sales. What an opportunity for them!

dtownfb

You raise a good argument with regard to GM being #1 in the 70s and now Honda taking over and Honda beign #1 now and Hyundai catching up. the only difference is that during the 70s you had the gas crunch and America was looking toward more fuel efficient cars plus the government forced car companies to make mor e fuel efficient vehicles. The japanese had a jump on us in this department. I don't see a similar situation like this with Honda and Hyundai. True sales of Hyundai are going up but their re-sale value is still average at best (I'm thinkng more the Sonata and Elantra) and they don't have an established history of reliabilty. That is why they offer the 10yr/100k warranty. they are trying to accelerate the process by offering this incredible warranty. If only wanted to spend $12k-$14k for a car or I was just graduating from college or high school, the Elantra is a great buy. With the waranty, it is definitely worth a try. But if the Hyundai vehicle aren't as reliable as the company predicts (transmission/engine troubles), they could be in for huge losses. But I don't think Honda has to worry about them. The biggest losers will be GM, Ford and Chrysler. All are losing car sales (not truck sales) and companies like Hyundai and Honda are the beneficiaries.

Honda is playing the market right. The Civic is a huge success even with the bouncy ride. I thikn people have come to expect too much from Honda (and the salesmen are very arrogant by the way). They have a couple of problems with re-designed vehicle and people are ready to jump ship. The quality is there. Compare it to the Focus or Neon or other small car.

jjpcat

I am not sure why other people buy Civic. For me, minimizing 3-year total cost is at the top. With that in mind, the only other cars that could beat or match Civic are Accent, Cavalier (assuming you get $4k off MSRP), and Corolla. However, I ruled them out during the test drive since each has one or more problems which are absolutely unacceptable to me. Then I went to test Civic. Unfortunately, I didn't drive over any speed bumps before I signed the dotted line. So, I guess maybe other Civic buyers didn't find the suspension problem before it's too late. But, hey, who could imagine Honda would so screw up its product? Back in Feb., there wasn't any post on this board complaining about this problem to alert me.

jimcarr

I purchased a 02 Civic two weeks ago. Build date of August. Have around 700 miles on it driving the rural blacktop roads of NE. Most of them are vintage WPA construction area with a ridge every 50 feet or so.

The ride (to me) is just about the same as my 99Z71 4wheel drive Chevy pick up. In other words there isn't any bounce, just a firm ride. Fact is, the ride is almost the same as the jeep I used to drive some 55 years ago. You go up and you come down with a thump. I like it.

s852

I rode in a friend's 2001 Civic EX coupe and I didn't notice any unsually bouncy ride.

breckco

I just bought an 01 LX 5 spd and I don't understand what everyone is talking about regarding the poor ride and handling. I just got back from drive on a very demanding road (winding, elevation changes, positive and off camber corners.)I've taken this road many times in my Miata and while no where near the Miata in handling, balance or fun, the Civic did quite well.

The Civic is not a sports car or a luxury car. It's designed to get you where you are going reliably, economically and in reasonable comfort and safety. The Firestone tires are not the best but perform well for their intended purpose.

For reference, I had a 98 Civic LX 5 spd and overall find the 01 improved in many ways. The 98 was a bit prone to understeer by comparison. The 01 is better balanced and maintains a more neutral attitude in corners. Perhaps the 01's steering feel could be improved slightly but again, it works quite well.

I do wonder if my car has any updates as jimcarr mentioned his 02 was built in August, so was my 01. Must be one of the last 01's.

Live Happy,

Chris

civic_cx_92

I have a old copy of North American car and truck production numbers from automotivenews.com site. The 8/26/2001 copy had a note "Honda of America Manufacturing will change over to the 2002 Honda Civic this week at plants in Alliston, Ontario, and East Liberty, Ohio".

bordsource

The handing is pretty good for what the car is, you're right. The ride is where I have take issue. The old Civic rode much firmer. It remained composed over large bumps and dips. On the other had, it thumped over small ones. The new car can be extremely supple over smooth pavement. Combine this smoothness with less noise in the new car, and you've got a much better fair-weather cruiser. But let the road turn pockmarked and rutted; the '01 loses all composure and begins to pogo and bounce all over the road. That, along with the light(er) steering combine to give the car a "loose" feel that I find unsettling.

mdriver

I've said it before and I'll say it again: The solution to the different desires in suspension tuning is to offer two different tpes of suspension. If you like the Buick-like ride, you might choose the Sedan or LX coupe, and those who like a more controlled ride could choose the EX coupe. But that's not the way it is. Honda could have easily offered a version of the coupe or sedan with a "sport suspension", thereby pleasing more people. Nissan and Mazda do it with their small cars, but not Honda.

As to warranty being related to reliability, there is no relation. Lexus offers a longer warranty than Ford. Does that make Ford more reliable because you don't need the longer warranty?

How can the Focus ride and handle so well (although it doesn't do much else well), but the Civic's ride and handling seem so mediocre. Yes, we do expect a lot from these cars, so if Ford can do it, why can't Honda.

jlim1

I would have to agree with some of you that Civic remains above average/good in all departments of ride, handling, ergonomics, fuel economy, reliability, exterior look, and poor at nothing for the price we pay. After all, this is not an Acura.
Every car is designed to meet a character (Focus=youthful, Elantra=affordable capability, Sentra=sporty, Civic=Corolla=above average at everything). 01 Civic might have lose its sportiness but that was not the reason I bought the car in the first place. I need a car that gets me from one point to another in the most fuel efficient manner possible and in smooth, capable ride. I found that in Civic. I don't run over bumps all the time, so I don't mind the mild "bounciness". But I travel on bad streets with plenty of small cracks and holes and that's when Civic is quite disappointing.
Plus I always think it's one of the better-looking small sedans around. I might have liked the ride in Focus or Elantra, but I just don't feel right being seen driving any of the two cars (had 00 Elantra previously).

breckco

Here's a test I like to use when purchasing a vehicle. I look at a 8-15 year old example of the same car I'm considering and ask: If it was in good condition and well maintained, how would I feel about driving it? The Civic and Accord always come out on top. I can't say that about any other car. Most other cars seem to age poorly by comparison. Just a thought.

piscesgirl_2

Okay, right now I am shopping for a 01 car, maybe even 02 if possible. After reading a lot of comments about th 01 civic I am seriously wondering if I'm making the right choice! I mean, that's all I keep seeing are complaints of the suspension and tires. I wonder if someone can give me a reason TO buy the Honda, besides what the dealers say because that goes in one ear and out the other! I need some serious comments about the car from owners or previous owners of Hondas. This is my first new car purchase and my first and only car before this was a 90 Olds Cutlass Calais with one owner! Help someone please!

truckdude1

Well no one responded to our last post ! We have a three month old Honda Civic Ex coupe and its Pearl green, it get's alot of sun , but we wash and also spray wax regularly, but WERE SO MAD because the paint on the rear bumper is fading and the engine hood paint is getting alot of swirl marks already !!! this car is too new and it only has 2320 miles now ! Also were hearing a rattling noise coming from the dash or something and its so annoying. Why is the paint fading is green bad paint or something shouldnt it last 6 or more years if you take care of it ? and also the suspention sucks because the shock absorbers squeak when driving over speed bumps !!!!! PLEASE HELP !
Truckdude1

pigpig

Hello everyone:
Does any one know the current price for Honda Civic EX 2001 Seden? I am planning to buy one in these several days, however, I am not good at bargaining with dealers, and as a student I don't have much extra money to spend. Could any one please give me a hand to let me know what's the drive-out price I should set? Thank you so much. I am in Georgia, and the county I live in charges 7% tax. Thanks. GG

patrick45

I learned a long time ago to always wait till after the first year of a major redesign to buy a particular model of car. The 2002 Civic should be virtually perfect. The first year the manufacturer basically uses approx. 350,000 "guinea pigs" to test their new car on, so by the time year two starts, they'll have all the proverbial bugs worked out and the things consumers complained about on the first year model addressed. Complaints on 2001 Civic: rear end bouciness. 2002 Correction: Honda stiffened/refined the suspension somewhat. They also added a rear stabilizer bar, in addition to the front one, which was already standard in 2001, to the LX. Complaint: Road noise. 2002 Correction: Added more sound deadening material to create an even quieter interior. Honda spruced up the interior a little bit on the 2002 Sedan by adding crome door handles, silver faced gauges, a fold down armrest attached to the driver's seat, added a cupholder lid, and added a lid to the cubby hole right beneath the stereo. These were all changes added to the LX Sedan, which is the "high volume" Civic. In my opinion, the Civic has a high quality appearance and feel to it. Remember, the Civic is not a Lexus, so don't expect Lexus type quality, because the base Lexus, the ES300 is right around $35,000. The Civic costs between $13,500 to $18,000. For a compact car, the Civic is an excellent value and should last many, many years. In fact, I've thoroughly test driven the following cars: Focus, Corolla, Sentra, Cavalier, Protege, Elantra, and Daewoo. None of these cars even comes close to the Honda when you combine the following traits together: ride and handling, power/performance, fuel economy, and DQR (Dependability, Quality, Reliability). Each of the other cars may have one or two of these traits, but Honda has them all wrapped in one car, the Civic. The Focus is a "flavor of the month" type of car. Yeah, it has good handling and is really roomy, but that is pretty much all it has going for it. Since it's inception in the U.S. market in 2000, it's been recalled at least 6 six times for various reasons, mostly mechanical. Out of all the cars I test drove, the Cavalier was probably the worst. The Cavalier is extremely unrefined with very cheap looking and feeling interior plastics, which seems to be pretty common in most GM cars in recent years. Anyway, I don't think you can go wrong with a Honda Civic. You can pick about little things all you want. I'm sure I can take a Lexus LS430 ($70,000 car) and find little things wrong or things I don't like about it, too. Lets all be realistic about the Civic please. You can't have champaign on a beer budget, but in the compact line of cars, you can get pretty close with the Civic!

piscesgirl_2

I appreciated your comments about my concerns. Anyone else care to share?

samael

I am considering buying a 1991 honda crx for my son who will be turning 16 shortly can anyone give me any info, about these particular models, as I said it is a 91 it has 95000 miles and the asking price is $1900 THANK YOU

nmnazareno

pigpig,
at autobytel, i was quoted the 2001 at invoice and the 2002 at about $200.00 over invoice. quoting the price over the phone saves about 3 hours when you actually go in to buy the car in person. from autobytel, you're actually buying straight from the dealer.

piscesgirl_2
we own a 1991 civic sedan dx. we've only had one major repair on the car, $400.00, to fix something that was on the normal wear and tear list.

hope this helps.

bordsource

Oh, one other thing: I saw a site with a bunch of aftermarket shocks for '01 Civics...Tokicko, KYB, Koni, etc. I'll try to dig up the link for anyone who wants it.

orcivic

I have managed to reduce the rear end "bounce" in our 2001 Civic EX sedan. A friend suggested that the problem may be the result of improper weight distribution between the front and rear axles. I began by selecting a "bump course" that included parking lot speed bumps, railroad tracks and a pot holed street. With the gas tank near empty we drove the course at normal speeds and made notes on the ride. Next we filled the tank and drove it again. We noticed that the ride improved. Next we added 100 pounds of lead bars scavenged from the bottom of an old main frame computer cabinet. They fit snugly into the space between the spare tire and jack in the bottom of the trunk. We drove the course again and discovered a drastic improvement. It isn't perfect and the rear end still bounces at higher speeds but it helps with the worst of it. I expect more improvement when we replace the tires and shocks in three or four years.

tlindeman1

I a little curious as to what kind of oil owners are using in their new Civics. My 2001 LX sedan is approaching 8,000 miles. I had the first oil change performed at the dealership at 5,000 miles as recommended and intended to switch to a synthetic at 9,000 miles (after engine is fully broken in and rings seated). Amsoil seems to be the only company currently making a 5W20 synthetic (although there seems to be a fairly good selection of conventional 5W20 choices). I've used Mobil 1 in my last 2 vehicles with good results but they don't make a 5W20 yet. Is there any reason for not using a synthetic 5W30 in this car? I would think that it would provide comparable gas mileage and superior protection than the 5W20. I have to decide what I'm using soon. Also, I recently noticed that the dipstick indicates the oil at a level about 1" above the "full" mark and the dealer may have overfilled it. Could this create a problem due to higher oil pressure if overfilled? I'll be doing syn. changes myself and will do it sooner if there's any chance of that...

dudka

at 95 k miles, you should look for the records whether the timing belt has been replaced, if not, it will cost you about $500, and if not replaced the engine can be damaged. also, look for rust spots in the wheel wells and the doors. if it is an Si model,y ou probably will end up paying through your nose for your son's insurance. other than that, i can't really think of anything else to look out for, just make sure the car is in nice condition, and has not been stolen (slavage title) this was one of the most stolen cars in the 90's, i believe.

gasguzz

Is Pearl Green those new dark-type green cars? My sis-inlaw has the same 01-Corolla type color (nice at the showroom, but now regrets buying that color). Dark color and lots-of-sun, the worst combination (ever see a black car?).

isellhondas

For 1900.00, it's probably already been snapped up by another buyer!

If it's in halfway decent shape, it's a steal.

These are nearly impossible to find and are in high demand, especially the SI's.

dtownfb

Honestly, I'm not sure i would waste the money on the synthetic oil for the Civic LX. I would use the conventional oil 5W-20 and change it yourself. You'll save a ton of money that way. The engine is made for this oil. Why spend the extra money on the Civic since it's not a performance car?

gdkarma74

Hello all.

I would like to know if anyone has the invoice pricing for the 2002 Lx and Ex sedans. I am going to be buying an EX most likely and I heard that even though the MSRP only went up $100 from last year the actual invoice price has risen. I am only willing to pay $200-300 over invoice which is the price from carsdirect and seems reasonable. For a 2001 EX I would pay $16.5-16.6 for it, so I was thinking only $100 more for a 2002, does that seem reasonable? I'll just buy online if I can't get a decent offer from the dealers in my area.

Just a note on how long a civic can last...I have a 1990 Civic DX sedan with 181,500 miles on it, aside from some minor repairs and the A/C which I gave up fixing it still runs like a champ. I am going to try and sell it instead of a trade. I had put it in the paper a few months ago for around $1500 and people were falling over themselves to buy it even with the "classic" Honda rust from that era! So when I put it back in the paper this time it will be for $2200 obo, and hopefully I'll get at least $1500 for it.

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated, but go easy since I am new. Thanks.

twistinmelon

Civic DX
Manual - Retail $13,010 | Invoice $11,897.72
Automatic - Retail $13,810 | Invoice $12,627.48

Civic DX S-SRS
Manual - Retail $13,260 | Invoice $12,125.77
Automatic - Retail $14,060 | Invoice $12,855.53

Civic LX
Manual - Retail $15,110 | Invoice $13,813.34
Automatic - Retail $15,910 | Invoice $14,543.10

Civic LX S-SRS
Manual - Retail $15,360 | Invoice $14,041.39
Automatic - Retail $16,160 | Invoice $14,771.15

Civic EX
Manual - Retail $17,010 | Invoice $15,546.52
Automatic - Retail $17,810 | Invoice $16,276.28

Civic EX S-SRS
Manual - Retail $17,260 | Invoice $15,774.57
Automatic - Retail $18,060 | Invoice $16,504.33

source: CollegeHillsHonda.com

twist

gdkarma74

Thank you Twist!

I printed your post out 1 hour before I went to the dealer and negotiated a 2002 LX Sedan Auto for $15,287 + tax, plates ($36) and they want a dealer conveance fee of $189 but I am not paying that. I have to sell my civic first and then put a downpayment on the new one so nothing is firm except the price of the car which I had them put in writing. $300 over invoice not too shabby, even beats the new carsdirect.com price by $200! Now I just have to choose between silver or black.

I am so excited - can you tell I haven't had a new car in a while?? By the way I drove the 2002 LX and they gave me a 2001 LX as a loaner (while they fix my hood release on my 1990) and the suspension fix in the 2002 is very noticeable. I recommend to anyone worried about the bouncy ride to get a 2002, even on my ride home in the 2001 I noticed the bounce.

Smiles
gdkarma

cookster

Has anyone with a 2001 Civic Sedan had a chance to drive a 2002 model? I am wondering if the changes to the suspension, steering and sound deadening have a made a good car even better to drive.

Thanks all

tim_bittes

Hi folks,

I had the opportunity to test drive the 2002 Canadian Civic LX last weekend. First the changes:

Most of the LX changes listed on the US pages were already in the Canadian 2001 LX. What was not added in Canada but was added in the US is the chrome interior door handles and the center console with the covered drink holder area. I am guessing this was intentional as these are available in the more expensive Acura EL

1.) Ride
Significant improvements in ride. I had driven the 2001 LX and was not impressed with road behavior and with rear handling of bumps. I drove hard and slow over gravel, uneven road, and several sets of tracks. The new rear stabilizer makes a big diff here for cornering. The bounce did not seem obvious as it did on the 2001.

2.) 15" wheels
Part of the improved ride is the cdn LX now comes with 15" steel wheels. Still crappy Firestones however.

3.) Gauges
Gauges were white instead of black. I thought I would like this but when I saw it, I thought it looked king of crappy. Not a big stinker but not the improvement I wanted.

4.) Interior
As mentioned I saw no changes to the cdn LX interior outside of the white gauges. It still looks kind of cheap on the inside. For some reason almost all of the exterior colors come with a beige interior. The new red is nice but would look way better with grey interior as opposed to beige.

Price: Cdn MSRP went up 200$

Conclusion
Nice little car, could use a little more polish in the interior.

Personally, I am going to wait to see the specs on the 2002 Acura EL before I decide. It used to be for an extra 2500 cdn you got a lot more car (vtec, 4discs, fancy interior, security system, nicer exterior shape, alloys etc). Plus not every car you see on the street is an EL. In Canada the civic is the best selling car and is everywhere.

twistinmelon

and thanks for your impressions regarding the adjustments they've made to the 2002's.

Choosing between Silver & Black...you can't go wrong with either, IMHO.

Are you having any options put on the LX? I'm having math trouble with the figures you gave (hardly the first time I've had math trouble, so it could just be me).

Congrats again! $300 over invoice makes the Civic LX a very good value.

twist

tazereli

how different is the civic from the EL? Is itht e canadian vversion of the rsx? If possible could you send me a pic of one at subarudude2@aol.com.

Kyle

dave210

Hi, I'm wondering if anything is wrong with my son's fairly new Honda Civic. He commented and I noticed, too that the ride is fairly bouncy. I know it's been said a lot here that the bouncy ride of the 2001 is bad, but it is a little ridiculous that when I drive over train tracks, the whole rear end bounce up and down. My Toyota Avalon and my wife's Town & Country minivan do niether of this.

He and I also noticed that going over the hump to our driveway at about 5 mph causes a clucking sound coming from the front of the car. You literally have to take the shallow driveway hump at 1 mph to make sure it doesn't sound like you're beating the whole car to death. I'm guessing that the clunking sounds I'm hearing from sometimes the front and back is just the car's suspension, correct?

Also, other than some rattles, the automatic transmission makes a clicking noise heard from the outside of the car just after shifting into a drive. I remember when he and I took his car in for its second recall, I was outside watching the service man drive it to one of the service bays, I could distinctly hear a strange click within 5 seconds of him shifting his car into drive.

But truly, other than those couple of issues, and the fact that the front end has a very low clearance (6 inches), which results in getting scraped quite often when pulling up to the parking spaces with blocks higher than 6 inches, the car is great for him. The mileage is great, and the car is very nimble, and even quick. I'm just wondering if some of the issues I talked of can be fixed, and whether the 2002 is free of the annoying bouncy ride over bumps. Thanks!

gdkarma74

twist,

I have been talking to a few more dealers, and I may actually get a better deal than I originally listed. I have a dealer in RI that will do the whole thing over the net and they charge only $200 over invoice with $100 in free accessories, and only a $20 application fee (they can't charge any more by law in RI). So my breakdown is like this:
$14,543 invoice for LX auto sedan
$ 440 destination
$ 200 over invoice
$ 20 application fee
$15,203 TOTAL + plates and tax
Not too shabby!

I am going to get mats and a cargo net and then put in an aftermarket in dash cd player. I think I am going with an mp3 cd player, so I am not going to get the honda in dash cd. Other than that no other options right now, maybe alloys and fog lights down the road some time. I actually decided to get the new ruby red, I never thought I would like a red especially with a tan interior but it has grown on me...besides everyone and their mother has a silver one!

Hope that clears up the math problem for you.
gdkarma

dudka

i was wondering if you were to go to honda dealer and have the struts replaced under warranty. obviously the car is bouncing, and it is not what it should do.

twistinmelon

If I wind up with a Civic this Spring, I'll be going for the Ruby Red as well. My wife has mockingly suggested that if I get the red with the beige interior I'll never let the kids in the car for fear of getting it dirty. I think the beige will actually hide crushed Cheerios quite nicely.

My 92 Accord is Bordeaux Red, and the Ruby Red seems pretty close to that. But I have a medium grey interior on the Accord. Hmmm. I actually saw a two-tone interior on a Corolla on a dealer lot the other day. Too weird.

Anyway, sounds like you have a very, very nice deal. And thanks for spelling things out so a history major could follow along. ;-)

I've heard all sorts of horror stories about adding non-Honda electrical accessories - something to do with the muliplex wiring system Honda uses. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone with experience adding aftermarket audio and/or security to their 7th Gen Civics.

twist

mdriver

Just wondering if anyone has installed an aftermarket sereo and how it fits into the dash. Also whether the alarm and dome light will be disabled like in the previous gen.

dave210: You say that other than the defective suspension and cluncking noise from the trans, the car is great. Doesn't sound that great to me. We'll have to see what Consumer Reports says about the 2001 Civic reliability. It would be shocking if they reported a "below average" rating and therefore could not recommend it. That's entirely possible based on the problems discussed here and the poor showing on the JD Power survey.

dave210

While it does hunt for the right gear around 23-27 mph, it doesn't clunk as far as I know. That would be what the car does after it goes over a bump.

What I vaguely hear from the inside and distinctly hear form the outside the car is that right after you start moving and shift into drive, there is this loud "click" noise that the car makes towards the front of the car. So the transmission doesn't seem defective, although the car makes a strange noise after you shift into drive.

Also as I said before, going over bumps, the whole car bounces and makes a "clunk" noise from wherever the first impact occurs. This goes for going over pot holes and bumps. I wonder how much it would cost to replace the car with the new 2002 components. It would beat getting a brand new 2002 Civic if that is what my son wants.

So, I guess I am a little ticked that we got this Honda thinking it would give us great Honda reliability, freeing us from annoying rattles, strange noises, two recalls, and a very bouncy suspension. But unfortunately, that did not happen.

peters99

If enough of us '01 civic owners with the bouncy suspension write letters to Honda corporate (in back of your owner's manual) they might do a goodwill replacement with '02 parts. Worth a try...any takers?

jjpcat

Has Honda ever done this goodwill replacement before?

justin

that happens to me as well. it happens when you first apply the brakes. not sure why....

mdriver

Honda will never agree to replace the 01 suspension because, technically, there is nothing defective about it. It's just plain bad suspension tuning. They would be open to replacing 100s of thousands of suspensions and they won't do that unless there is a safety issue. Replacing the 01 shocks and springs (and adding a rear roll bar) would be expensive and you wouldn't get an additional dime of it back at trade in. You would be better off trading up to an 02.

gdkarma74

I almost bought a 93 accord in the bordeaux red before I decided to go new, too funny. I think that the honda red's hold up better than some other colors. I see those red 92-93 accords and they still shine showroom new, I can't say the same for the dark blue or green ones. I think the red will still be shining bright in 10 years.

I hope that it's not a problem to replace the stock cassette deck. I really don't want to spend $326 for a $150 quality cd player from Honda. I imagine that if you take it to a good car stereo shop it won't be an issue, since they do it all day long. So I too would like comments from anyone who has swapped out their stock stereo's in the generation 7. I haven't decided what kind of cd player to put in since my interior is tan I have to rule out all the bright silver ones that would go nice in a grey interior.

Put my 90 civic in the paper for this weekend, hopefully it sells quick! Can't wait for that bright shiny new car to be in my driveway :-)
gdkarma74