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Honda Civic
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Comments
Well, when I traded in my Integra, Lucy's "spirit" stay with me. So, this new car is Little Lucy!!
How's that for a silly story!!!
Pam
carlady/host
The A/C problem you mention is, I believe, due to the fact that you need to recycle the air in your car for the cooling to work at its peat for any summer temperature - when I got my car, in 1990, that's one of the first things the salesman showed me, and I had already been using recycled car air for A/C anyway. NJ summers can be brutally humid, and A/C keeps the sweat out your eyes here. It does make sense, when you look at it from an efficiency point-of-view.
Sorry to hear about the starter, haven't had that problem (yet), but check NHTSA's website, they may have entries on that problem for your car already in a tech service bulletin, or in a recent year model. You can enter the problem yourself into their database. If they receive enough complaints like yours, they'll begin an investigation. Good luck, and I hope this info is helpful,
escapevelocity
miles on the clock aren't exactly correct.
Ignitor failure is REALLY common for instance,
and that stops you dead when you go to start your car in the morning. I have an '87 civic that was great, went to over 190000mi before I started using a newer one, and was still going strong at the time. The one I replaced it with was total
crap - a 1990 that ate a little oil at 50000mi and now at 120000mi it goes through 1 1/4 quarts every tankful of gas. I'm looking at buying a new econobox soon and I'm seriously considering a
new Honda but frankly the VERY poor reliability of the 1990 has me a little worried. If VW had the warranty in Canada that they offer in the states, Honda wouldn't be in the running. Honda
seems to be going backwards with maintainability of their vehicles also. With the 1987 honda timing belt replacement took 45 minutes in a home garage with minimal tools. With the 1990 you have to remove the drivers side motor mount. What genius though that up. To replace the wheel cylinders in the 1987 it was a straightforward operation. On the 1990 you have to remove the brake backing plate. Given the trend, I wonder what horrors await if I buy a new '98 hatchback?
Maybe its just a sign of the times. I was looking at a new beetle and it looks like you have to pull off the rad and the front sheetmetal to remove the engine.
any other good/bad experience about Honda??
Plz tell me...everybody..
See my posting in the New Beetle discussion about some of my personal Honda problems.
One thing that I didn't mention there was that they dent very easily, buy this I mean what would normally be just a simple stone chip becomes a small dent. ( I spent years as a professional detailer and custom painter ). The paint finish is so-so. Once neglected they are very difficult to bring back. Expect some of the exterior trim to deteriorate after 3-4 years. My windshield trim is starting to peel and I am at the 3.5 year mark with my Civic. And believe me, I pamper my car. I noticed the same peeling and trim degradation on some of my customers cars.
Road noise can be excessive. This is subjective, so test drive other cars in the same class. I found the VW NB MUCH more quite than my Civic. My mother has a 4 door Civic(96) and she complains about road noise.
Small crash parts can be expensive. Edmunds just did a small comparision. I found it under the Sept. installment of their long term test of the NB. Check it out. Good Luck.
Your problems with your 90 Civic are unusual.
Nobody builds a perfect car. Hondas just seem to hold up the best. Toyotas are also great.
Ignitors would sometimes fail in older Hondas but it wasn't THAT big of a problem.
As to timing belts, these are replaced every 90,000 miles. This job was never intended for a do it yourselfer, but can be done. Loosning the motor mount isn't that big of a deal either.
anyway. The price is right, everything is in a
familiar spot. Criticism wrt the timing belt applies to the new model (and the engine bay
sheetmetal doesn't look like it would take well
to supporting the motor via a bar running over
the top of the engine bay). I did notice that the clearance behind the drum brake backing plate seems to have been increased so Honda may actually have made an improvement here over the
'90 vintage. The 1998 was also quite sluggish
compared to the '90, problems and all. But that's
ok, if it drives me nuts I can always get that
150hp 1700lb 1977 Rabbit going (dual sidedraft
mikunis, whee). It can't idle but it is fun.
You are "shaken" ??
Why would you let one negitive comment affect your decision?
No matter the make, SOMEBODY will have something bad to say.
I am a proud owner of an 98 Civic Hatchback. I have to tell you that the car is a solid buy. You won't regret it. I agree with what isellhonda said. Just one negative opinion can't put down Honda's reputation.
Why don't you have a New Beetle instead of a Civic?
To everyone else, Pinhead's descriptions and experiences are not normal for a Honda. I'm wondering if he may be exagerating because I've NEVER heard of such problems coming from a Honda - certainly never from one mine.
Pam
I don't have a NB because I ordered the 1.8Turbo. They won't be available until next spring. I am also considering the TDI.
Pam, I am not exagerating about the problems. How would you react about your brand new car having a wet floor? Mechanically, I can only rave about the car. I have never been back to the dealer since. I do my own oil changes etc.. As far as trim degradation? Sorry Pam, I have seen it on too many cars, mine included. I do like my Civic, but i can also admit to its faults. I actually talked my retired mother into buying one. I've owned both Honda/Acura (Legend) and VW. I have lived with both therefore I have an opinion on both.:)
I din't get any of those components that you listed installed at the dealer, except for the AC. The dealer gave me really steep prices. Let's see if I can remember... I believed that they asked $269 for the fog lights, around $300 for the CD player, and they wouldn't go much lower than that. So I said forget it, this is ridiculous. Ruwaka, I would suggest that you take your car out to an audio specialist and have them install the CD player for you. You will get a much better price and higer quality component. I took my car to Best Buy and had them install a nice and powerful Sony CD player along with 4 brand new JBL speakers. I have to tell you the new system sounds great. Now if you still consider buying genuine Honda parts, I'd suggest you order them from "Honda parts" (www.hparts.com). They offer genuine parts at a very good discount price. I order my floor mats here and save myself $20. Good luck Rukawa!
I'm on the verge of closing the deal - but just found this web site, and wanted to get some opinions from experienced Honda owners. I've never owned one (my own car is a '97 Camry). What do you all think? Thanks in advance for your comments!
If I have to, I could post quite a long, boring litany of problems I've had with my 1990 Civic, which I purchased in March of that year. I already posted a partial list on Edmund's here, I'm afraid you'll have to search for it. If not found, I'll post (or email) anyone who's interested. Let me know.
As for the igniter problem, Honda recalled cars with that problem for a free replacement. Unfortunately a friend who bought the sedan Civic at about the same time had a sudden failure on the Parkway before any notice came out. He was lucky no one was behind him at the time. Look at NHTSA's site for a list of problems with this year Civic.
As for the timing belt change being 'possible' for the home mechanic, my father, with over 30 years of fixing our cars, including timing belts on fairly recent model Nissans and Toyotas, is convinced my Civic is a nightmare when it comes to the same. Maybe if we installed a hydraulic lift and used Honda's breaking bar specially designed for the generator bolt removal. But even a 120 psi air wrench can't remove the thing!
Sorry for this lengthy post, I just had to let it out after (again) being told that the 1990 problems listed by other people were 'unusual'. Now my blood pressure is much better.:)
From my vantage point, I sure haven't heard of any unusual problems on 1990 Civics. Igniters can fail on Hondas as well as other makes that use them. It is not common, however.
My 1985 Toyota truck that I once owned had this happen. I didn't hate the truck because of this, I had the igniter replaced and that was the end of it.
I don't understand the big deal you make about the timing belt. This only needs to be replaced every 90,000 miles!!
There are LOTS of jobs on today's cars that were never intended for a do it yourselfer.
With the proper tools and a shop manual, you could do a timing belt, but, by the same token, you could overhaul your automatic transmission too, but, would you?
Maybe I just don't understand your complaints?
I recently bought a 1996 Civic DX Hatchback. It's a 5 speed with no CD stereo and 24,000 miles. I paid $9,998 for it. It sounds like the one you're looking at is a good deal. For the extra $1,500 your getting a car one year newer, 10,000 fewer miles, CD stereo, automatic transmission (and the power steering that goes with it).
As far as being safe and reliable, I think you'll be happy with a Civic. This is my 4th Honda product and I've been very pleased with each of them. Very reliable and fun.
Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
Pam
Thanks for the encouragement! I'm working through the paperwork now and will let you know when I have the keys in my hot little hands...
kkf.
What color is it? Mine is bright red!
First, we used a manual - Hayne's, very good, I've used them for two other cars, very detailed and good pictures, plus lots of tools, including a breaking bar, but one self-tightened generator bolt threw everything out of whack (bent the bar). No, we didn't tighten it that way.
Second, I don't -hate- the car. I'm just a reluctant realist regarding its genuine maintenance costs, problems past and present, and quirks, beyond little stuff.
Dealers charge over $400 for the timing belt change, which is mostly labor (the parts costs are only about $100 or so), for this car. Add the other items I've had to see to this past year, it becomes pretty staggering, so, yes anything to keep upkeep down is a big plus in my book. It isn't just the belt that's expensive and difficult to deal with. As I've mentioned, other similar cars don't appear to have this problem overall, why should a 'cheap' Honda model be so difficult?
If I knew that the average costs for others were much larger, then I would feel better. Knock wood(hollow sound of fist against forehead) I hope I'm clear of any more real costs for a while.:o)
Does anyone have any specific information or experience with rear-end crashes in this car?
Any price info on the 99 Civic SI coupe?
Well, if you think an old Civic is hard to work on, I can show you many others that would be much worse. But really...I don't think ANY late model car is do it yourselfer friendly.
Pam,
On my desk at work I keep a scrapbook. It's filled with articles, letters from my satisfied customers (really!) and some photos of Hondas that have been in wrecks. One of these photos is of our late, great, 1989 Civic SI hatchback that met it's end last year when our 18 year old son and two of his friends were rear ended by a 1979 Dodge going 35 MPH. None of the kids got as much as a scratch! The cop that showed up at the scene (I got a call at midnight)
told me that Hondas always do excellent in crashes from his point of view. He even thought they were superior to Volvos he had seen. I had to dig that wonderful little car out of the ditch, and despite massive damage and a twisted frame, I drove it home.
It may have had 140,000 miles on it but it ran and looked like a new car!
Now, Pam, your Civic is two generations improved from the 89, and MUCH stronger, so, relax!
Abba,
No pricing info yet, but these things will be in VERY high demand!
The car I'm buying is a dark (like navy) blue pearl (metallic?). I'm not sure what the official name of the color is - maybe isellhondas can help (not that it's important).
Thanks for asking the question about rear-end collisions...I was wondering the same thing, and feel much better thanks to isellhondas' response. BTW - my son was wondering...will his golf clubs fit in the hatch without having to fold down the rear seats?
kkf
I didn't know the Hatchback came in dark blue. I know the 1998's came in a dark purple (I can't recall the exact name of it).
I can't really say about the golf clubs. I'm not sure how big a golf bag really is. The storage area with the seat up isn't as big as a trunk on the sedan or coupe. It holds my weekly groceries, though.
Thanks for the reassurance. Hopefully, I'll never find out how it will do in a rear end crash!! But, I'm telling you, these drivers here seem to be getting WORSE every day!!!
Pam
Trust me on this one,buy the Honda CD player. It fits perfectly. I've seen some aftermarket butcher jobs done so if you go elsewhere, be prudent.
Some of you will remember me from my less than
glowing comments about previous civic generations,
something I felt was a necessary 'reality check'
on the glowing praise heaped on the product
by isellhondas.
I indicated that I would probably be purchasing
a new civic despite the problems I'd encountered
with the '90 DX hatch, and in fact I did so
last Wednesday. The car is now a ways past its
breakin period and I have some things to share
now that I've had a week in the car.
Positives:
- nicer dash materials than on the '90
- nice to have a speedo (90 DX did not have one)
- foot rest is a nice touch
- seating and pedal positions accommodate
both myself (6'2") and my wife (5'3")
- accelleration is good once you break 5000rpm
as long as the engine hasn't been running
too long.
- nice to have airbags, given that auto makers
still refuse to put proper harnesses in their
vehicles
- rocker panel trim appears to be bolt-on, easy
to replace?
Negatives:
- accelleration is good only once you break
5000rpm and power is off noticeably once
things get hot under the hood (e.g.
after running 30mins at 140km/h) - poor
intake design IMHO -- it breathes hot
air from inside the engine bay where
amongst other things now resides the
catalytic converter. Hot intake air =
low charge density = less power.
- rocker panel trim is flimsy and not body-color
- airbags are full-power and AFAIK can't
be disabled. I'd always take a proper
harness over airbags
- power steering (DX manual) gives too much
assist between 10 and 80km/h - if running
sticky rubber at high G (e.g. on-ramps)
it is a distraction. Power steering should
provide zero assist past walking speed unless
the front suspension geometry would make this
impractical (not the case with the little
civic, where the CX comes without).
- the female seatbelt connector is actually
a part of the seat. This is of concern for
several reasons. First, seat rails have a habit
of corroding over time and IMHO that will
make the design a dangerous one as the car
ages. Second, the close placement of the
female connector to the seat makes engaging
the seatbelt awkward (tends to get caught up
in clothing). Third, it means that aftermarket
seats cannot be installed. This is pretty
wretched, since
- the seats, while comfortable for the commute
have poor lumbar support, poor shoulder support,
and poor lateral support. They are inadequate
for spirited driving
- the suspension seems fair enough (at least now
while the shocks are new), but the car exhibits
excessive body roll in corners and high speed
transitions
- the brakes have a soft and indirect feel. Very
poor. They were this way on the test drive vehicle also. Has not improved as I've put miles on the car. I'll see if different pads make
a difference. Brakes are pretty simple to it
would take a pretty stupendous blunder on
Honda's part for them to really be this bad -
I can't help but believe that they just have
some bad pads or something.
- air vent controls are the worst in any car I've ever been in. IMHO they are a hazard as they cannot be safely operated if you are driving the vehicle. (By this I don't mean the ventilation system pushbuttons, but rather the actual vent aiming controls.)
- there is no light for the back cargo area when
you lift the hatchback like there was in previous generations. Very, VERY annoying!
- I don't like the new hatch locking
mechanism (where it is either locked/unlocked
with a latch to open). The mechanism in the
'90 was better (always locked, turn key to
unlock/open). I thought I'd get used to it,
but I'm becoming more annoyed with it as
time goes on.
- there is no storage area for the back seat
occupants except the pouch behind the
passenger seat. How hard could it be to
mold some recesses into the rear seat
armrests?
- stamped sheetmetal has unfinished (sharp!)
edges in maintenance areas - try pulling off
the PS reservoir without cutting your
fingers (no, don't - put some tape on these
metal edges before you hurt yourself)
- Exposed welds on the interior of the car on
the doors. Very ugly and a surprise in any
vehicle other than maybe a Yugo. Yuck.
Maybe they did this just to push people into
springing for Accords. (Look at the joint
between the main door panel and the upper
trailing edge piece)
- Factory stereo a funky faceplate profile -
doesn't look ISO/DIN and if it is the dash
will need trim pieces to make the faceplate
of any real stereo fit. Obviously an intentional move by Honda to make it more expensive to put in an aftermarket unit and have
it look good.
Well, that's about it. Still, there will be
likes/dislikes with every car. I forgot to
mention a BIG plus - this Honda is still
a really familiar hunk of metal and shares
a lot with its predecessors. For the most
part, that's not a bad thing.
tachometer! That's the instrument I had in my
weak little mind.
The problem with the Honda CD player is the price!! I don't want to spend twice as much as I have to. Can't I do something else?
Pam
know that the spot welds around the rear hatch
are rough and the factory paint job fails to
completely cover some of the rough spots. I have
surface rust on some of these spots and I've only
had my new civic for 11 days. (And warranty here
is pretty much meaningless since they will just
apply touch up paint which is no substitute for
proper factory finish). Speaking of finish, my
car came with a finish blemish (pit undeneath
the paint) which I noticed on delivery -
obviously final QA inspection is either non-
existent or incompetent. I wonder if this is just
something we have to live with now that these
vehicles are made in North America.
I think you need to find something to do besides looking for things to complain about. You act like you want the quality of a $40,000 car at a price of about $13,000. I hate to break it to you, but it's just not going to happen. If you see so many things wrong with your Civic, why in the world did you buy it???
Pam
I am not judging the civic against $40000
autos. I am judging it against former civic
product generations, as well as former and
current competitition. Hopes of good long-term
reliability is the real reason for buying this
product, since IMHO it falls short in other
areas.
OK. If you say so. I still think you could make better use of your time than looking for things to complain about.
As I read his endless ramblings, I knew better than to respond. I actually bit my tongue for once.
Thanks for doing it for me!
Maybe after I've driven it for a while, I'll be able to contribute something a little more meaningful to this site...but for the time being, I just wanted to share the good news and my excitement!!!!
Canadian models, but in Canada the DX trim
hatchback comes with power steering (5spd).
My bet would be that the parts would fit, so
it might be worthwhile to keep an eye out for
wrecked donor vehicles as time goes on if
power steering would be greatly to your
liking.
Good for you! Want to trade? I'll give you my 1996 red one for your 1997 purple one!
In looking at the original sticker on my new-used DX hatchback, I noticed that it was manufactured in Canada, but shipped to Florida for sale.
Is the term "Canadian models" as used in the owners manual and in general discussion referring to where the car was manufactured (in this case Canada) or the market where it was sold (US)?
I just want to know in case it comes up in the future...
Thanks for the tip, but I think it's unlikely I'll see a Canadian Hatchback in Texas! I'll just suffer on, I guess...