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Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • icr5icr5 Member Posts: 1
    I just purchased a 2001 Honda Civic EX. I was waiting to turn on a somewhat steep incline. When I took my foot off the brake pedal I rolled backwards like I was in neutral. It was scary because the guy behind me was close. Does anyone else have this problem? I am going to call the dealer, but I suspect it might just be the type of transmission. I would appreciate any information I can get about this problem. never had this happen with my 87 Cavalier wagon.
  • mattbratmattbrat Member Posts: 17
    I have the same problem, car rolls backwards on steep inclines when I lift my foot off the brakes. I have the civic HX w/CVT so I don't know if its the transmission or if this is normal. I had my car since january and have no other problems.
  • carguy000carguy000 Member Posts: 55
    I've had my 2001 Civic EX Auto w/side airbags since March 27, 2001. I love it and have had no problems with it. I've also noticed that it seems to roll back more than my last car. I'm sure it's normal. Once it has warmed up, my car's idle speed is relatively low. I think this may explain why it rolls more than my other car. I'm getting at least 33 MPG around town, and I'm getting 38 MPG on the highway. I'm looking forward to see if this improves as I get more miles on it. Have a great day!
  • auntbeaauntbea Member Posts: 18
    and hits the car stopped behind you on the hill. Perhaps the car should not have been stopped that close to you, but I can picture your own ins. co. covering the damage and your rates going up again. It seems whether you are at fault or not, if your ins. pays, your rates go up. My '01 Civic LX rolls back too much also--more than my '98 did--and that has made me nervous since Day 1. Seattle has too many hills to avoid.
  • casualminicasualmini Member Posts: 1
    I have a standard '86 civic and it's been hassle free for the most part. lately, it's been acting up in the rain. the car will start, idle low, and finally stall when I come to a complete stop. I have to keep pressing the gas to keep it running. any suggestions as to what the problem could be?
  • strong68strong68 Member Posts: 22
    I have read many posts about problems with this and that. Are most of these problems related to the first cars off the assembly line back in August, Sept, etc.? My 2001 LX was built in March 2001 and so far no problems, no problems with the radio, etc. The only thing I've noticed is that the automatic transmission upshifts at high RPM's when going into 3rd or 4th but someone on here said that was do to the type of transmission and was normal. Anyway I am pleased so far with my purchase, and hope to put 100,000+ on the car. I'm a former Nissan owner (Sentra& Frontier) and I must say the Honda seems so much more durable and solid.
  • mdrivermdriver Member Posts: 385
    Rolling back on a hill is probably normal. Those of you who say it is dangerous must never have driven a manual trans. With a manual, one uses the handbrake to hold the car, until it is time to move. Try using this technique with the auto. Don't give it more gas to stay stationary, since this causes much strain on the auto.
  • redraider98redraider98 Member Posts: 4
    I have never had a vehicle with an automatic trans that did not roll back on steep inclines. It does not sound like a problem since by virtue automatics are built to slip. I would try driving with two feet when starting out on an incline. (one foot applying a little gas while the other slowly lets off the brake)
  • cwosignscwosigns Member Posts: 13
    Geez...

    It's not a problem with the car, it's a problem with the driver. I live in Cincinnati which is the city on 7 hills (and they're big). I never have this problem, and I have a 5 speed. Do not drive with one foot on the brake and one on the gas. Learn to drive right and you won't have the problem.
  • mdrivermdriver Member Posts: 385
    Don't use one foot on gas, one on brake. Although this may be OK for starting forward on a hill, one may develope the bad habit of driving this way all of the time.
  • riverwolfriverwolf Member Posts: 3
    Yo ... I have my eye on a '95 Honda Civic and was wondering if anyone here knew of any problems with that year? Also - it is a Honda Civic "LX", rather than a CX, DX or VX, which I cannot find in Edmunds to look up. I'd appreciate any info anyone has on this - need it right away. Many thanks!
  • scooter62scooter62 Member Posts: 18
    I would first check Consumer Reports car issue from April that list problem cars and ratings back 7-8 years on all cars, tho not necessarily trim lines. I think you'll find some good info there.
  • tlindeman1tlindeman1 Member Posts: 23
    I just purchased a 2001 Civic LX Sedan w/5 speed. I am a little concerned about the 5W20 weight oil that Honda is insisting be used in this car and have read several posts here and elsewhere regarding it's possible impact on long-term engine reliability.(I noticed that Ford is also recommending 5W20 for some of it's new models) I spoke to a service tech at the dealership who stated that Honda only recommends this weight oil for this car and that they only use 100% Honda oil and filters (duh!). The owner's manual says that synthetic oil of the recommended weight can be used and that 5W30 oil may be used if 5W20 is unavailable but should be switched BACK to 5W20 at the next change. My research indicates that Amsoil now makes a 5W20 synthetic and my guess is others will follow soon. Any thoughts to the use of this recommended weight oil and long-term durability? Is there any advantage to switching to 5W30 oil? If 5W20 is the "way to go" I'll switch to a synthetic at about 5,000 miles after proper break-in. I am really enjoying this car (after driving minivans for the last 10 years) and want to take good care of it. Thanks in advance
  • scooter62scooter62 Member Posts: 18
    I think if you check this board and the oil subjects in the Maintenance and Repair sections that most people out there are skeptical about the 5w20. So far Amsoil is the only one with a 5w20 synth. It costs over $5 per quart even in case lots. No one really knows if this weight oil will stand up and do the job over the long haul. My guess is if you stick with dino and change regularly and frequently there shouldn't be a concern, but this is new and I'm a skeptic by nature......

    I'll use the dino until I run out of free oil change coupons at my dealer. Then we'll see and I'll be better informed, I hope. The weight has to be good for me in the winter up here in the north country (MN)
  • scooter62scooter62 Member Posts: 18
    Just talked to a tech person at Mobil. There are plans to come out with a Mobil 5w20 synth at some time but no specific date is set but it's in the works. He said that that 30 years ago when Mobil 1 first came out, it was 5w20, but the industry didnt want it, so the technology is there.
  • hvtec2000hvtec2000 Member Posts: 12
    I read so many messages that you all put in this room and I feel really bad about Honda. I bought my 01 last year in Sept 2000 and it started to make noise from the engine after 7000 miles. I hate it so much when the tech at the three different dealers didn't find out the problem. I'm thinking to trade it in to get the Altima 2002 this Sept. I just found out that Honda Civic placed 154th this year.........awwwww damn it. I lost my trust with Honda from now on and I would never go back with it. They are really nice when you are going to buy theirs cars but wait until your car has problem and you will see their real face. Good luck with your Honda.
  • fxashunfxashun Member Posts: 747
    There are only 550 or so messages here with over 95,000 Civic's sold so far this year alone. Do the math. Your Civic is an anomaly. Be patient, I'm sure it'll work out.
  • gasguzzgasguzz Member Posts: 214
    Prompt maintenance is "really taking care of it", syntec or not. I am not a fan of synthetics (in motor oil), especially on 6-mos intervals. Although it appears that syntecs are superior, I see MTBF dynamics purport them to be overkill. Within reason, I doubt anyone can assert killing an engine due to oil alone (let alone a significant diff between 5w-20/30). There are certainly numerous components in a car that will fail and collectively render your car at the end of its life, long before modern oil lubrication properties become a factor. Are the car makers are moving towards 5w-20 to mainly satisfy tightening EPA mandates (so why not go after SUVs, we say)? Also, are the makers using 5w-20 to increase fuel performance in the domestic marketplace, and enhance competition and marketability? At whose expense (from a mechanical longevity standpoint)? If Honda themselves acknowledge you can use 5w-30, that tells me it is mechanically sound (with appropriate maintenance schedules).
    I find it interesting that Mercedes (who uses syntecs), by using the on-board oil monitoring system, you can stretch oil changes out to 18k (depending on driving habits/conditions). Standard engineering thresholds can make that 18k minimum, and still preserve warranty. That looks like if an engine lubrication problem occurs - it is not the oil (or they would have embedded a firmware algorithm that alleviates that). Now, are Honda and Mercedes engine manufacturing tolerances considerably apart?
    Hmmm.
  • mdrivermdriver Member Posts: 385
    Only 550 messages here with 95,000 Civics sold? Is this the only website where Civic owners complain about problems? Are there Civic owners who have problems, but choose not to respond on this site? Sounds like fuzzy math to me.

    A reasonably true guide to the number of problems is the latest J D Power initial quality survey results that put the Civic below average. Yes, that's right, BELOW average.
  • sherman_wmsherman_wm Member Posts: 1
    We've got a 1999 Civic DX coupe, standard transmission.
    The A/C never felt too cold, but our previous car had none, so I let it go.

    After a year, the A/C died totally. I turned it on one day, and it sounded like somebody dropped rocks in the engine.

    So i took it in, and the dealer replaced 'the entire A/C system' - dryer(?), compresser, condenser, etc.

    After a month my fiancee told me the air still wasn't working right. In denial, I ignored it.

    This morning, I noticed a medium loud squeaking noise over the sound of the engine when I stepped out, with the engine running. That was the first sign the last time.

    So I'm taking it in again.

    My question - anyone heard of sucky, break down prone a/c's coming standard on 1999 Civics?
  • madirishman1madirishman1 Member Posts: 15
    I'm I correct when I say that the JD Power survey's BELOW AVERAGE designation means that the Civic has a below average number of problems than other cars?
  • mdrivermdriver Member Posts: 385
    The Civic has more than average number of problems according to the survey not less.
  • fxashunfxashun Member Posts: 747
    My point was that with the number of Civics out there only 550 posts is doing rather well. Especially when you consider how many of them consist of bickering back and forth about the best way to judge actual reliability or what type of oil to use. I don't doubt there are totally screwed Civics out there but there are totally bulletproof ones also. Since the Civic scored so terribly in J.D. Power what are you going to go buy now???? A Corrolla???
  • mdrivermdriver Member Posts: 385
    Corolla has great reliability, but is possibly the most unexciting car to drive according to the reviews I have read. Unfortunately, the totally bulletproof Civics are probably older ones, not the 01s.
  • madirishman1madirishman1 Member Posts: 15
    I have a brand new '01 Civic and the only gripe I have with it is when hitting certain roads, there's a pretty noticable rattle in the dashboard and doors. I can't figure out what it is so I've decided to take it in to the dealership. Maybe they can figure something out. Has anybody else had this problem?
  • daveyddaveyd Member Posts: 14
    I just got my 2001 Honda Civic EX last week. For the week I have had this i havent heard any of the noises some people are describing. One noise i noticed was coins rattling around in the little coin box underneath the cruise-sunroof switches. I have the automatic transmission, and i have noticed that there is a clicking noise when i shift it into reverse and than into drive. One other thing I am very disappointed with is quality control at Honda Motors. My car is the silver metallic color. On the passenger side the door and front fender are a different tint of the silver. My dealer is actually taking the car and going to have it repainted. I am not happy with that. I know the body guy who is going to repaint it, so i know he is going to do a good job. But it could happen that the paint might not match up with the rest of the car, than what should i do? Send the car back and say i want another one? But other than that problem, i love the car. I try to drive it all over if possible. For me being 20, this car is afforidable, with gas going up, and my old car kept breaking on me.
    This whole JD Power survey is just that: A SURVEY!!! What one person likes, maybe someone elses dislike. Car and Driver, Consumer Reports, and Edmunds.com reports are just that too, opinions of some person. I like my 2001 Honda Civic. I compared this car to a Mazda Protege, Ford Focus, and ZX2, Dodge Neon. And the Honda was the best decision for me.
    This is just my 2 cents
    D
  • britton2britton2 Member Posts: 305
    Hondas are GOOD cars - Toyotas are GOOD cars - I have driven nothing else for the past 21 years - however, no two cars are exactly the same - and there is no such things as "the perfect car" -
  • gasguzzgasguzz Member Posts: 214
    What about the driver's side, does the paint on the door and fender match? Although possible, it is highly unlikely that there will be a mismatch at the factory (it's not like they paint the parts and assemble them). The culprit... has your car been damaged/repaired? Check the fender splashguard push-clips, do they have tool marks (indicating they have been removed)? And the same with the fender bolts under the hood.
  • carguy000carguy000 Member Posts: 55
    I bought a 2001 Civic EX Auto w/side air bags on March 27, 2001. I've had none of the problems, such as the radio "CODE" problems, gas gauge, and PCM module problems. My car was built in 2/01. I now have 3500 miles on it and consistently get 34 miles per gallon in city, and get 38 on the highway. The only problem that I've had is a small creak that comes from the driver door area when I go into my driveway. This didn't happen when it was new and I'm going to have it checked; maybe they can do something about it. I'll be going to college next year (UNC-Chapel Hill) and am looking forward to many trouble-free years with my Civic. I understand that the Civic didn't do too well in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey. I believe this can be attributed to the widespread radio "CODE" problems and the gas gauge problems that plagued early production Civics. I believe Honda has these problems fixed since I haven't had trouble with these problems. Hondas and Civics are known for their reliability records. The '01 Civics may have had some INITIAL problems that the Initial Survey would have picked up on, but I believe that they will be just as reliable as they have always been in the long run.

    My .02
  • daveyddaveyd Member Posts: 14
    I had three different auto body guys look at my car. They all determined that this car has NOT been repainted. This car was NOT taken apart and fixed again. The drivers side matches just fine. What I believe, the auto body people, and the dealership and dealership sales manager, is that the computer that controls the paint spray probably ran out of paint and the car kept right on going down the line, without it be checked over. I had the car for three days without actually noticing the problem because of the cloudy weather we had, but in the sun the door is Very noticeable. I also have to say that this car looks much much better than the black one I was looking at. I already have a black car. Black is nice, but so hard to maintain clean, and with the recent rains we have been having, this car looks clean from a distance.
    But what should I get the car back and it still doesnt match correctly? There is only one Honda dealership up here. Should I request a different vehicle because I am paying for this car, and I want to keep this car for a while. I love driving this car.
    My car also doesn't have the radio, or gas gauge problem, but I have only had the car for a week, but we will wait and see what happens
    D
  • mdrivermdriver Member Posts: 385
    Give the dealer a chance to repaint your fender before getting into a fighting match. If it matches after the repair, you will soon forget about the whole experience.

    JD Power survey is not just a bunch of opinions. If the same questions are asked to all of the car makes surveyed (which they were), then you still have a level playing field. The "opinions" of a Lexus owner are no more or less accurate than those of a Kia owner. So why wasn't Kia at No.1? No it is not scientific, but I believe it provides a reasonable idea of how each model is performing. The Civic scored low and I can understand some people may be in a state of denial. But denial is just a river in Egypt. Sorry, I had to end all of this negativism with a joke.
  • fxashunfxashun Member Posts: 747
    Is that when it comes time to sell it it implies that the car has been in an accident of some type. If a professional appraiser looks at your car he is going to ding it for paintwork. Keep the paint to an absolute minimum.
    All this is moot if you drive you car until the tires fall off.
    To all... Long live your Civic.
  • massagemassage Member Posts: 7
    hi I am a new honda owner even thou it is a 92 civic with 60,000 miles. The speedometer shoots up to 60 mph then sits at 0 for a couple miles every so often I brought in to honda dealer and they told me to check connections with the two sensors they said they could not check the sensors unless it was happening at the time they checked it. does any one have a suggestion. The connections were as clean as a whistle
    thanks
  • brorjacebrorjace Member Posts: 588
    hvtec2000, don't let the correspondence on this site get you down about your car. EVERY car has problems and discussions like these tend to make one think they are an epidemic. It's kinda like medical students who are convinced they have several serious illnesses when they start their course of study. You are likely to get great service from your Civic. >:^)

    As for 5W20 motor oil, there is a great deal of discussion about this in the "Engine Oil - a slippery subject" and "Synthetic Motor Oil" threads in this maintenance section. Basically, 5W30 (especially synthetic) is an acceptable substitute if you (like me) feel the new stuff protects engines only marginally.

    Sherman_WM, the A/C on Civic DX cars is DEALER INSTALLED and is not as good as the factory installed units most Hondas have ... on average. The dealer-installed air on my '95 Civic Coupe DX with over 100,000 miles on it is fine, however.

    --- Bror Jace
  • john326john326 Member Posts: 2
    Hi, curious if anyone else besides me and the other gentleman has had slow power windows. The problem is readily apparent when it's wet out. They go down OK, but coming back up is really slow. I guess I will just have to take it in.
  • john326john326 Member Posts: 2
    To Rogger1, check the fuses of course, doubt that it's a relay. Do they ever work? If so, may be the wires between the door and car body. Move the wries around and see if it starts working. But, if you've checked the fuse, and think you can find the relay (good luck), and both are OK, it's likely the wires have broken inside the wiring harness. Had the same problem with my '89 Camry.
  • hvtec2000hvtec2000 Member Posts: 12
    too many problems to list out about Honda. Noises, painting, seat, radio, mechanical, etc. I took my car on a trip for two hours and noticed that my car is really weak. It took awhile to get it up to high speed. Put it on cruise and it kicked the rpm up to 4x1000 when it needed to climb.
  • dudkadudka Member Posts: 451
    i have a 99 civic ex (factory a/c) no problems, every morning when i turn it on, i get fog coming out of the a/c vent (that is how cold it is) i actually have to cycle it on and off to not to freeze in my car when it is 90 outside. at one point last summer when driving long distance i had frost forming on the outside of the window (i had the vents blowing air to the sides so that i don`t freeze to death in my car) on a hot and humid day. and it is a black car, which is more difficult to cool. the reason i opted for ex over other trims was the fact that it came with everything standard, no dealer options except for a cassette deck on top of the am/fm/cd 6 speaker stereo.

    as far as pick up, i would assume the 1.7 liter would have more pick up than my 1.6 liter. you just have to learn how to drive it. the reason people reccomend 5 spd with a honda engine is that you need to shift very late to get the full potential out of the little engine. when i am in the mood for fast driving i usually shift very close to the red line. if you want pick up at low rpm`s you have to buy a car with at least 2.0 liter engine. but your fuel economy will suffer greately. great fuel economy that civics offer comes at a price. the price is pick up, that is why honda developed the vtec, so people who want more pep can get it on demand. but don`t complain when your MPG`s go into the 20`s from the mid 30`s you have been enjoying. shifting late will lower your mpg significantly.
  • madirishman1madirishman1 Member Posts: 15
    I really don't care what JD Power says. If you read Consumer Guide or Consumer Reports, they both rate the 2001 Civic higher than any other car in its class, i.e. Corolla, Elantra, etc. It's way above the class average and thus influenced my decision to pick this vehicle up.

    My thought is JD Power must be in bed with the American auto industry because I have a really hard time believing that any American car could have better quality than a Japanese make.

    Don't flame me; just stating my 2 cents.

    Wick
  • pj23pj23 Member Posts: 158
    daveyd-

    My '01 Civic coupe is silver, and also has the mismatched paint on the passenger side door, while the driver side door is fine. I really notice it on the trailing edge of the door, and only in certain light.

    As for having the dealer repaint it, I won't let them touch it. This is actually the second car they've given me. The first one had a deep paint chip in the passenger door, and when they repainted it, it was a very different shade of silver than the rest of the car. My confidence in their ability is not high. However, when I think back, I believe that the original paint on that car's passenger door was also slightly off.

    Sounds like maybe this is a common problem?

    Other than that, no problems with the car (radio, gas gauge, etc.)
  • snowmansnowman Member Posts: 540
    I don't agree with "I have a really hard time believing that any American car could have better quality than a Japanese make."
    To me, quality does not have nationality in global economic world. I think majority of people have some type of myth that Honda and Toyota are the only superior cars in the US market. Absolutely not. Lets look at some examples like Hyundai Elantra either 4cyc. or V6. They are in the same range with Civic LX they have better warranty, they have everything that Civics have, their engines are more powerful. New generation Neon, my wife has 2K Neon. It is excellent car interms of performance (132HP), it has 4 wheel ABS Disc Brakes, in dash CD, AT and we only paid $11.5K after rebate.We put 6K miles, it works like Swiss clock. I drove 2K rental Intrepid for two weeks during my vacation. Excellent performance, nice passing power, smooth ride, good look, very comfortable seats. Unlike edmunds states interior was not cheap at all. Also the other LH cars from DC and Impala from Chevy. The Impala is far superior than any Toyo or Accord in terms of technology, power, comfort. I drove 3 different generations Honda (91, 99 Accords, 93 Civic) 94 Corolla, Subaru.
    I don't really care what JD Power says either nor Consumer report. Especially CS hence so many people don't have ability to differentiate what the real problem is on their car. Their statistical sample pools are limited to people who have subscription to CS magazine. Like one user is complaining about seat, passing power(What you expect from 114HP car???)
    and other things. Most likely he will give below perfect marks to Civic if he receives the questionnaire from CS. But in fact Civic is a good car even tough it is overpriced.
    This is my $0.02. There are others too.
  • madirishman1madirishman1 Member Posts: 15
    Hi!

    Your personal experience with American vehicles is, for the most part, positive to say the least. My family, myself included, have had terrible luck with American vehicles; vehicles that are supposed to be on the more reliable side of American automotive manufacturing. Ford, Dodge and Chevy trucks to mention a few. We were plagued by electrical and transmission problems mostly. My father bought an accord in 1991 and never looked back. It has close to 160K miles on it while never requiring irregular maintenance. He recommended the Civic to me and I took into account his success with his Accord. I traded in my 1998 Dodge Dakota 4X4 truck with only 40K miles. BTW, at 40K, I had more problems with that damn truck than you could shake the proverbial stick at.

    I enjoy my new Honda and hopefully it will give me a long, reliable life. Most individuals I talk with will tell me that Honda=reliablity. Seems true to me in retrospect.

    Thanks for listening!
    Wick
  • hvtec2000hvtec2000 Member Posts: 12
    Did any one receive the Product Update from Automobile Division to replace Civic Powertrain Control Module? Do they have head quarter phone numbers where we (Civic owners) can call and report or complaint about the problems? Dealing with dealers is not a really easy thing to do. If they don't know how to fix or what to do they just try to egnore it by claiming at something else. I brought my car back to many dealers (I think more than 4 times) and they still can't find the noise that's coming from the right front of my car. It also makes noise when shifting from first to second gear. Service at Honda is really suck not as good as Toyota, Dodge, etc. The sad thing is I keep seeing people buying this Civic 01 and have no idea what's really going on with this car. I wish there is a way to spread all the messages in here through everybody to notice them. That way Honda might think of changing their attitude with customers and sell better products. Lots of sad story that I'd seen by myself about Honda Dealers.
  • gasguzzgasguzz Member Posts: 214
    are not necessarily synonymous. A warranty is essentially an economic tool for the consumer, and a marketing component for the manufacturer. Hyundai's 10-yr warr does not make it a better car to TOY/HON, at least not in a mechanical sense. All being equal, a good car is primarily based on its longevity (afterall, it is still a mechanical device). How can you effectively tell what is a good car when it is only 0-2 yrs old. Besides, at least a major portion of a car's warr is built into the price (makes you wonder what the Hyundai is worth).
  • fxashunfxashun Member Posts: 747
    With an OHV engine? Just for starters. And no side air bags?
    Elantra has no V6. And even though the engine is rated more powerful than the EX it's slower.
    Neon has the value retention of a falling brick. And the long term reliability of whatever the brick hits.
  • dudkadudka Member Posts: 451
    impala is in accord/camry category and should not be compared here. if we would compare civic to a chevy product, it will be cavalier/sunfire, anyone here wants to say anything nice about the car. i don`t own one, but a friend does. even though cavalier has a 2.2 liter and my civic has 1.6 liter, my pick up is better. the cavalier engine, undoubtely, has more torque and hp than civic, but for some reason, after the initial violent jerk from standstill it is all gone and becomes a very annoying noise, where honda keeps on getting stronger and stronger as rpms climb, and the noise is not annoying, at least to me it is music. i may not get the neck breaking intial jerk tha cavalier gets, but i get to the next light way before he does.

    to compare interpid to civic is like saying my elephant can squish your taxon. take accord ex v6 and compare it to interpid. i drove a friends intrepid once, let me tell you, if you enjoy holding the steering wheel with both hands, this is the car for you. the car is contantly searching for the road, it is not staying straight, i had to keep correcting it at all times. the car was only few months old when i drove it, compare that to accords crisp handling and accord comes out on top. and for $22G (V6 ex)you get leather seats, sunroof, pwr everything, sunroof, climate control, and a whole bunch of stuff.
    dodge neon, neon has been on the market for 5 years i think. look at a 5 year old civic`s repair history and a neon history. neon has a a mile long list of minor and major failures. the "self-adjusting" ABS brakes that need to be adjusted at the shop are one for example.
    i can go on and on, but i won`t
  • cwosignscwosigns Member Posts: 13
    I have to agree with dudka on this one. Whether you are a fan of domestics or imports, you CANNOT argue with the fact that when it comes to long-term reliability you cannot beat a Honda or a Toyota. If you want proof, look at how many Accords and Civics that are on the road. Not the NEW ones, but the old ones. I'm talking 3rd and 4th gen Civics and the Accords from the mid 80's. I see a lot of them on the road, and for the most part in great condition. How many American cars do you see on the road that were manufactured in the mid 80's that are in good repair? Most of the ones I see are churning out blue smoke into the atmosphere.

    I had a '98 Neon. In the first 6 mos I owned it, my water pump went bad. Left me stranded, and I had to get a tow. And as far as warranties are concerned, yes the Neon was under warranty. But who wants to spend their time in a waiting room at the dealer waiting for their car to get repaired. I think American cars are getting better in INITIAL quality, but long term reliability is still the measure of a vehicle. My accord (still runs) has 188,000 miles and my '97 Civic has 163,500 w/nothing but regularly scheduled maintenance.

    Imports rule! Catch up, Detroit.
  • snowmansnowman Member Posts: 540
    fxashun: My intention was to write Sonata rather than Elentra. People who have negative impression on Neons are the ones who never drive the new generation Neons. This car has only 7 or 8 years old. The point it has reached is very impressive compared to very first generation Hondas in late 70s early 80s. Honda reached this point within more than 10 years. People should give the same time frame to any manufacturer.
    IMO EX is a joke. Overpriced car to squize more money from consumer. Any base model Neon can kicks out Civic EX. I am not even talking about R/T. But all these performance comparisons. Civics are good cars, to me they are overpriced. Any consumer can get the same usage from different manufacturer with less money. Civic is not a unique car interms of long term reliability. Everything depends on the owner and the maintenance.
    If you wanna explore something new and exciting, take a test drive on Impala LS. You will see what I mean.

    Dudka: I went back and reread my post, did not see any indication that I was comparing Intrepid/Impala with Civic. I gave these names to show US manufacturers might have good cars as good as Japaneese ones based on some other person's posting. For the Noen comments you can refer to my response to fxashun.
    Up until two months back I had 99 Accord LX. Last winter, during my Florida vacation I rented 2K intrepid and drove 1.8K miles. I was holding the steering with my tumbs. It was as smooth as Accord. Your friend Intrepid might have some alignment issues or low grade tires.
    Cavaliers are real junk. No smart consumer should consider that car. Our 2K Neon is ticking like a Swiss Clock. I am looking for a replacement of my wrecked Accord. Buick Century, Chevy Impala LS, or Intrepid will be in my list.
  • hmpowerhmpower Member Posts: 20
    This forum is for people who own Civics and to discuss their problems, not to discuss whether an Intrepid has a cheap looking interior or not, and to wax about the virtues of driving an impala. I have a question about my Civic, but I'm afraid it'll get lost in a sea of USA vs Japan arguments...
  • nohondanohonda Member Posts: 1
    I just bought the Civic one month ago. Yesterday when I drove on the highway. The rear door window had a big blow out, the whole glass shattered. When I returned head, I found the window glass was all gone.

    I went to the dealer, they said it was hit by a rock or something like that. I don't think so, since it sounded like an explosion. A rock should have at least left a hole there. By the way there is no damage on the body at all.

    Does anybody know about this kind of problem? Is it a defect in the glass? I just can't believe a rock has such energy to blow out the whole window instantly.
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