Honda Problems

Honda Jazz is the smallest model from the at-times quirky Japanese car maker that’s sold in Australia. Since its launch in October 2002 the Jazz has gained an excellent reputation for build quality and trouble free running.Quality is of particular interest as the Jazz comes from Thailand, not Japan, to hold down manufacturing costs. We have visited Honda’s Thai plant and came away impressed, though hardly surprised, to note Honda's big emphasis on quality control.Honda Jazz has a high roofline to maximise interior space in what is a relatively small body. It can seat four adults with little compromising on legroom, but in Australia is more likely to carry either a couple or a family with young children. It fulfils both tasks with ease.There’s reasonably easy entry to the back seat, but some may find the rear door opening is a little tight in the original model. Those sold from the new model of 2008 this mild problem had been rectified. The Jazz has one of the best folding rear seat designs of them all. The rear seat slides backwards and forwards to let you choose your own compromise between people and/or luggage.And it can be folded in a few moments to create a huge luggage area. Even better, the front passenger seat backrest can be reclined all the way down to let you carry long loads extending from the dashboard to the rear window. In August 2008 Honda introduced a new Jazz that looked the same as the first generation, but was actually a major evolution of the old.The gen-two car is larger and sits on a longer wheelbase, so has significantly more space inside, particularly in the rear area of the cabin. Boot space increased and the 60/40 split rear seats could be folded flat without having to move the front seats a few notches forward as in the original model. At the same time the body was more rigid to improve NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness). The post-08 Honda Jazz has the sort of refinement that normally requires a car a size larger.Honda Jazz comes with a 1.3- or 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine. Though the engine sizes remained in the second-generation Jazz, they were actually all new. Power and torque were both increased, yet fuel consumption and emission decreased. Best of all, the torque graph has stretched to give you more grunt at the bottom end of the rev range.The gen-one Jazz has a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The 1.5 CVT comes with a sports mode offering seven preset gear ratios operated by steering wheel shifters. The 1.3-litre engine runs purely as an automatic. However, Honda decided to go back to a conventional torque-converter automatic transmission in the gen-two Jazz. Honda made this decision because potential buyers didn’t like some of the characteristics of the CVT, particularly the way it selected relatively high engine revs to gain maximum efficiency.Handling of the little Honda is good if roads are reasonably smooth, but it can be bounced about on bumps. On surfaces that suit it, the Jazz turns in easily, is happy to change direction in corners and is generally well set up for everyday driving. Enthusiastic drivers may find it a little lacking in steering precision. While the Jazz is reasonably easy for the amateur mechanic to work on, there is some underbonnet crowding that’s inevitable on a car of this size. Keep some band aids handy - and don’t forget the workshop manual.The Honda Australia dealer network is widespread in the heavily populated areas, but isn’t all that established in remote areas. We seldom hear of any real hassles with getting hold of spare parts, but if you are concerned about this it may be smart to make local enquiries before falling too deeply in love with one of these cute little models. Spare parts prices for Hondas are more reasonable now than they have been in the past.Insurance costs for Honda Jazz generally sit in the mid-range of the field. There doesn’t appear to be any real differentiation between companies on premium charges. It’s always wise to spend some time shopping around for the best deal, though.WHAT TO LOOK FORCheck that the engine starts easily and responds quickly and positively to the throttle, even when it’s completely cold. A continuously variable transmission should be crisp in its reactions to changes in throttle position and road conditions. Because a CVT transmission sounds and feels different to conventional automatics, have an expert drive it if you are not confident it’s working correctly.Make sure the brakes stop the car without any pulling to one side and that no one wheel locks while the others are still turning. Bodywork should be undamaged and free from rust. Corrosion is not common unless the car has been poorly repaired after a smash. Look over the interior to make sure it hasn’t suffered at the hands of uncaring owners, especially bored young kids. As always, it makes a lot of sense to get a professional inspection after carrying out initial checks to the best of your ability.CAR BUYING TIPCars that are always used in cities or close-in suburbs can suffer from a lot more parking scars than those that live in more spacious surroundings. Small cars are often city cars, so check them very carefully. 

No matter how schmick the car looks, though, at this sort of money there are probably one or two expensive time bombs lurking within it.

Honda Civic began as a small car but increased in size over the years to become a small-medium by the period we are considering here.Because of the expansion in body size Honda also imports a smaller model, the Honda Jazz. Those who loved the smaller Civics of old may care to check out the Jazz. The Honda Civic has long had a reputation for build quality and reliability and this has lifted it a notch or two in the image stakes in Australia.Civic is a Japanese design in sedan format, with a fair bit of European input in the hatchback. The latter is built in England, the sedans in Japan or Thailand, the Civic petrol-electric hybrids are all made in Japan.Build quality doesn’t appear to be dependent on the country the Civic is manufactured in because the Japanese head office keeps a tight rein on the output of the factories. Interior room in the Honda Civic is good without being outstanding. There is space for four adults but in reality the rear seat is probably best left to children.Boot space is fine. Sedans are longer than hatches and most of this extra body size is put into a larger luggage area. There is some loss of boot space in the hybrid due to the installation of a large battery, but it’s better than many hybrids in this area.The Honda Civic is easy to drive and park thanks to light controls and good feel for the driver. These cars are popular with suburban users, but can be used on the open road, although bumpy secondary roads in the bush can cause a rough ride at times in older Civics as they have relatively short-travel in their suspension. Later models, from 2006, are better than the older ones.On smooth and moderate roads the Civic offers the sort of relaxed noise and vibration levels that are generally only found in cars from the next size class upwards. Engine sizes in the standard Civics are 1.6 litres and 1.7 litres in the older models; rising to 1.8 and even 2.0 litres in the current versions, introduced in 2012. The 2.0-litre engines are fitted to the sportier Civics and give plenty of performance.The semi-race Civic VTi-R, sold from 1996 until 1999, is very quick and is a delightful hot four. However, its engine only has a capacity of 1.6 litres and you have to work vigorously at the gearbox to keep it high in the rev range. If you’re not a keen driver you may find it frustrating and should perhaps avoid it. But if you do love pushing a car hard all the time then a VTi-R should definitely be on your short list.Five-speed manual gearboxes are standard in most models. Four-speed automatic transmissions are offered in all except the sporting Civic VTi-R. A five-speed auto is used in the eighth-generation Civics, launched at the start of 2006.The Civic Hybrid was introduced to Australia in early 2004 and is less extreme than previous Honda hybrids. As a result it’s more favourably priced. It has significantly lower pollutants from the exhaust as it runs a small 1.3-litre petrol engine, as well as an electric motor.The automatic fitted to the Civic Hybrid is a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Repairs and servicing can be relatively expensive. Spare parts also used to fall into that category, but Honda has worked hard with its parts network in recent years and things have improved considerably on the later Civics.Civic is reasonably simple mechanically so a good amateur mechanics can do a fair bit of the work themselves. Having a workshop manual at hand makes a lot of sense. Don’t attempt to carry out repairs to safety related items unless you have top class experience.Insurance costs are generally reasonable, with few companies making any real differentiation for the sportier versions of the Civic. Which is a surprise for such a little hotshot, it probably hasn’t sold in sufficient numbers to have come up on the radar of the insurance guys, let's hope it stays that way.Bodywork should be undamaged and free from rust. A Civic that has been poorly repaired after a smash may turn rusty later. Make sure the engine starts promptly and responds quickly and positively to the throttle. If possible arrange to start it when it’s cold after an overnight stop. Any engine that hesitates when revved suddenly should be treated with suspicion.A worn engine will smoke from the exhaust when it is driven hard after a period of idling. A conventional automatic transmission should be crisp in its changes and not hold onto any gear for too long. A continuously variable automatic transmission feels different in its operation so have an expert drive it if you are not confident it’s working correctly.The clutch pedal should be smooth in its operation. All manual gear changes should be light, positive and quiet. Problems will show up first on fast down changes, usually when going from third to second. Make sure the brakes pull the car up without any pulling to one side and that no one wheel locks while the others are still rolling freely.Look for Civics with a full service history as many belong to people who are very fussy about their cars.