Honda Civic Problems

The Civic quickly won a following after it was launched here in the early 1970s. It was stylish, economical, performed well, and was well built, the same qualities that drive Civic sales today.The Civic was never a cheap small car; those perceived qualities so loved by Australians came at a price. So much so that the Civic lost ground to its rivals as other carmakers, Mazda, Subaru, Nissan, and Toyota closed the gap through the 1980s and early 1990s.In that crowded small car arena there wasn’t as much that made the Civic stand out as it had in past times. It was still stylish and well built, but its performance was lacklustre and it was no longer as economical when those were key qualities small car buyers wanted.Perhaps the thing that brought the Civic out of the doldrums it found itself in was the arrival of the VTEC engine. With its clever variable valve timing and lift system Honda could extract quite amazing performance from a small engine. With the VTEC engine under its bonnet the Civic, particularly the performance-oriented VTi, came to life.In the blink of an eye the well-built small car was transformed. There was good reason to buy the Civic again.MODEL WATCHThe heavily revised fifth generation Civic Honda launched late in 1991 wasn’t anything to write home about. It was a little larger than its predecessor, its styling was wishy-washy without being in any way offensive, its performance was breathless, but it handled well, and was well built.The new Civic range opened with the Breeze, a bright and bubbly three-door hatch with a 1.3-litre single overhead camshaft, carburettor fed four-cylinder engine that managed to produce 55 kW at 6300 revs. It had a five-speed manual gearbox and power steering was standard. The performance wasn’t great, but the economy was acceptable.The mid-range GL came in four-door sedan and three-door hatch forms. It had a 1.5-litre single overhead cam four cylinder engine with twin carburettors, which produced 74 kW at 6300 rpm.There was a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearboxes, and the list of standard equipment included power windows and mirrors, central locking, tachometer and an Alpine radio cassette system.This was a disappointing performer, and thirsty to boot.Top of the range at launch was the Si, which also came as a four-door sedan or three-door hatch. Power was from a 1.6-litre double overhead camshaft fuel-injected four-cylinder engine that boasted 96 kW.It too had a choice of manual or auto transmissions, along with four-wheel disc brakes, upgraded trim, and tilt adjustable steering wheel.The VTEC variable valve-timing engine made its first appearance in the four-door VEi sedan, which was released in 1993. It was a 1.5-litre single overhead cam engine configured for fuel economy. It produced 66 kW, and was offered with a five-speed manual trans only.Other standard features included a driver’s airbag, power steering, central locking, power windows and mirrors, tachometer, and cloth trim.As long as you weren’t expecting much get up and go the VEi was worth a look.In September 1993 the Civic came in for a much-needed mid-life makeover, with a raft of revisions, particularly to the engines offered.The Breeze got a new lease on life with a 1.5-litre single overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine, which now had throttle body injection, and produced 67 kW.The GLi replaced the GL with a 1.5-litre multipoint fuel-injected single overhead cam four-cylinder engine that developed 74 kW.Fuel economy continued to be the main focus of the VEi with its 1.5-litre VTEC/E engine, which produced peak power of 66 kW.If economy was a priority for the VEi, the new VTi was a breath of fresh air with the emphasis on performance. Available as a sedan or hatch it was a taste of what was to come as Honda developed it system of variable valve timing and lift.The VTi had a 1.6-litre double overhead camshaft four cylinder engine with 96 kW on tap at 6600 revs. It had plenty of low down grunt as well as impressive top end zip, endowing the VTi Civic with impressive performance.Standard equipment on the VTi included four-wheel discs, electric sunroof, cloth trim, and four-speaker AM/FM cassette sound.Driver’s side airbags became standard across the Civic range in August 1994.IN THE SHOPGenerally the trade highly rates the Civics after the revised engines arrived late in 1992. Prior to that, they say, the engines were generally thirsty and lacked performance.The VTi is highly regarded and easily the pick of the bunch. It’s got good performance while still delivering impressive fuel consumption.Performance and economy issues apart, Honda engines, as well as gearboxes, drive lines and diffs are robust and give little trouble. Rear wheel bearings are a source of trouble.The problems are mostly related to ancillaries, like air-conditioning compressors, which are a known source of trouble.There are no real problems with the Civic body, they’re well built in the first instance and stand up well in service. Same goes for the paint, which continues to shine if maintained as it should be.Check for service record, and evidence of regular maintenance.OWNERS’ VIEWSKristen Jones has owned her 1993 Honda Civic Breeze for four years, and says it has been very cheap to run, and easy to drive and park. She has had no problems with it and would happily recommend it.Debbie Williamson bought her 1993 Civic GL new, and has now done 210,000 km. She says it is reliable, comfortable, economical, attractive, and roomy, is easy to drive and to this point has had nothing go wrong.Jim Liaskos has owned his 1994 Honda Civic manual GLi for 10 years. It has now done 240,000 km, and he says it handles well and is very economical. Apart from normal service items, he has replaced the front wheel bearings, the clutch master cylinder, noisy gearbox bearings, thermostat, and the brake master cylinder.LOOK FOR• good build quality• robust and reliable mechanicals• poor performance and fuel economy prior to 1991 engine upgrade• noisy rear wheel bearingsTHE BOTTOM LINEThe Civic was struggling to live up to its reputation before the revised engine range arrived in late 1991, and improved both its performance and economy.RATINGPre-1993 – 60/100; Post-1993 – 75/100

The Honda Civic stood apart from the rest of the small car crowd from the moment it hit our shores in the early 1970s. It was the small car for buyers who could afford a little more than was being offered by other carmakers.Honda was quickly able to establish a reputation for quality and design innovation that set it apart in the eyes of small car buyers.With each new generation Honda was able to build on the reputation established by pervious models.Every new generation offered an attractive blend of quality, style, packaging and price, and the sixth generation that arrived here in the mid-1990s was no different.MODEL WATCHThe Civic that hit our shores late in 1995 was the sixth generation of the small Honda, and took it to a whole new level of quality, refinement and performance.The fifth generation, while maintaining the things that made the Civic so appealing was criticized for its packaging, noise level and ride. It was even rated below rivals like the cheaper Toyota Corolla. Clearly Honda had some ground to recover with the sixth generation.Honda had obviously heard the criticisms and answered most of them with the new car. The style and build quality that was so well liked was carried through, but with much improved packaging and refinement. The interior noise levels in particular were much lower than those of the earlier model.There were three body styles in the new Civic range. There was the Japanese-sourced three-door hatch and four-door sedan and a coupe that came from America.All three were based on a modified version of the previous model sedan’s platform, which retained the sedan’s longer wheelbase.That meant the hatch grew in wheelbase by 50 mm, which resulted in rear legroom and much needed passenger comfort. It was also higher and that also made it a more comfortable place to be.The sedan body was also reworked, but in a less obvious way. It was 55 mm longer than the previous sedan, 38 mm of which was used to increase rear legroom, with five mm added to the legroom in the front.Under the bonnet the sixth generation Civic had a choice of three 1.6-litre four-cylinder engines and all delivered better performance than those in the earlier model.They started with a single overhead camshaft unit that punched out 88 kW at 6400 revs and 144 Nm at 5000 revs in the CXi and GLi models.There was also a choice of two VTEC variable valve-timing engines. The opener was a single overhead camshaft unit that gave similar performance to the base 1.6-litre, but was configured to work with Honda’s the new Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and optimize fuel consumption.The ultimate performance engine was the double overhead camshaft VTEC engine that thumped out 118 kW at 7600 revs and 148 Nm at 7000 revs. The notable thing about this engine was that it delivered 100 horsepower per litre, a benchmark for engine performance.Honda offered three transmissions in the Civic, the CVT, a regular four-speed auto and a five-speed. The CVT was available in the VTi, the auto in the CXi and GLi, and the manual in the CXi, GLi, VTi and VTi-R.The three-door hatch was offered in CXi, GLi and potent VTi-R models, while the sedan came in GLi and VTi variants.IN THE SHOPMechanics hate Hondas. Not because they’re a bad car, but because they don’t break down. It’s hard to make a living when the cars you’ve chosen to specialize in rarely arrive on the back of a tow truck.Honda engines are generally bulletproof, but look for a service record showing they’ve seen the inside of a service shop as required. Regular oil changes are necessary to avoid the expensive build-up of sludge that can cause the demise of any engine, but Honda engines in particular.Likewise the gearboxes, which stand up well, but the auto likes the Honda-recommended oil. Straying from the Honda oil may save a few bucks, but it can lead to troubles down the road.Bodywise the Civic copes well. It’s a solid little car that generally stays rattle free as the kays mount. Obviously look closely for the telltale signs of a bingle; mismatched paint, sagging doors, boot lids or hatches.The Civic interior also copes quite well with our harsh sun. The general fit and finish is of a high quality, the parts are durable, and the trim seems hard wearing.IN A CRASHRigid bodies provide a stable platform, on which Honda built a car that was agile and responsive, which enhanced primary safety when it came to avoiding a crash,Only the VTi sedan and VTi-R hatch had the protection of anti-lock brakes.Driver airbags were standard across the range, with the VTi and VTi-R also boasting a front passenger airbag.OWNERS SAYMarilyn Gardiner intended to keep her 1999 Civic GLI sedan for three years, but it is so stylish and has been so reliable in 106,000 km she hasn’t been able to part with it. Unlike the 1989 Holden Astra she owned before the Civic, which was called the mystery car because she never knew when or where it would let her down, the Civic has been totally reliable. The Civic lacks the zip of her Astra, but doesn’t cost much to run. Her only criticism is of the Honda colours, which she says are boring.The CXi three-door hatch Geoff McDonald bought new in 1997 is still his prime mode of transport. Honda dealers have regularly serviced it and the only expense he’s incurred other than filters and plugs in 10 years and 115,000 km is a replacement light bulb costing $5. The car is as good as new in terms of performance and consumption, the body is perfect, and the paintwork is excellent. The McDonald family has collectively owned six Hondas and all have been equally reliable and trouble free.LOOK FOR• chunky styling• decent interior roominess• agile and responsive handling• standard drivers airbag for safety• zippy VTi-R hatch• low fuel consumptionTHE BOTTOM LINEWell-built, good-looking small car that shows no signs of ageing with the passing years.RATING85/100

What is a grey importIt’s a vehicle – new or used — that is legally imported outside the manufacturer’s official import channels.HistoryIn the mid 90’s the various state motoring regulatory authorities and the federal government agreed that a scheme — should be put in place to allow Australians to buy used vehicles from overseas that were never sold in Australia.  The initial focus of the scheme was performance vehicles such as the Toyota Supra Twin Turbo, and Nissan Silvia Turbo. The cars became known as grey imports due to the vast number of grey-coloured cars arriving here as they were often the cheapest available in the auction houses of Japan.  The scheme now also covers any car manufactured before 1989 as well as many people movers, and various diesel models.The rulesCars brought in using the grey import scheme must go through a compliance process on arrival in Australia to conform with ADR requirements, including changing to Australian standard tyres, emissions control gear, and AC gas.Only certain models that are in some way different to any locally delivered example are allowed to be imported under the scheme.  Any other models are hard to comply as the car must go through full ADR testing including a full crash test process.  Some regulations have been relaxed in recent years – for example, the forced replacement of every seatbelt.Why buy a grey import?Most of the models available through the grey import scheme are heavily optioned compared to comparable models in Australia.  High performance turbo engines, rear wheel steering, all wheel drive, and multi-zone climate control air were all common as early as the 90s on even basic models in Japan. Basically, if you could buy a comparable model in Australia you would have paid more-for-less.  The cult status of many grey imports also makes them appealing.  The current plethora of Nissan Skylines on Australia’s roads attests to grey imports popularity.  Choice of turbodiesel powerplants has also driven the grey market when looking at 4WDs and people-movers in car yards.Owning a grey importBack in the early days of the scheme, when grey import dealers were few and far between, it was extremely difficult to acquire spare parts for many of the plenty of spare parts dealers and many manufacturers such as Nissan are able to bring in brand new parts from Japan to suit.  There are also a multitude of specialty vehicle clubs and web forums devoted to these cars with members who are only too happy to help out with parts — or even help with entire engine swaps — for a very reasonable price.The true costsMany people fall for grey imports due to the bang-for-bucks factor.  Cars such as the Nissan 180SX offer great looks and performance for a bargain basement price in comparison to say a Subaru WRX of the same year.  The trade-off comes when you look at the lack of any service history, and possibly wound back odometers.  A full mechanical check (pre-purchase) is a must!Most non-diesel grey imports coming from Japan will require premium unleaded as the quality of fuel in Japan is higher than Australia. And like any performance car they will also need love and attention in the service department too with frequent oil changes.One of the biggest turnoffs for people looking to buy a grey import is the cost of insurance.  There have been a lot of insurers who simply cannot insure them due to their underwriters refusing them. In recent years the situation has relaxed with even heavily modified performance grey imports being insured by several big name insurers.  You should expect a slightly higher premium, or excess at least, than an Australian delivered model, especially if the ‘T’ word – turbo — is added to the end of the model name…SummaryDue to the number of grey imports in the country now and the cult status they have gained no one should be turned off buying an import.  Do your research, trawl the information, get a proper inspection and you could be driving away with a unique, and extremely well-equipped car at bargain price.Top 10 grey importsNissan 180SX and Silvia variantsNissan Skyline and Nissan Stagea Wagon variantsNissan Elgrand People MoverToyota SupraToyota Hilux SurfMitsubishi FTOMitsubishi DelicaMistubishi Evo IV and VHonda Civic Type R EP3Toyota Soarer / Lexus SC400