Honda Problems

Graham Smith reviews the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 Honda CR-V as a used buy.

The return of Honda to the sporty coupe field with the petrol-electric CR-Z has rekindled interest in the Japanese marque long known for its sporting successes.As a follow on from that buyers are starting to take an interest in other, sadly superseded, sports models from Honda. And in particular the Integra range.All Honda Integras are built to a high quality in the Japanese manner and the combination of sportiness and quality means they retain their value well. Resales may further increase due to the aforementioned revival in interest, no promises though...Honda Integra can be confusing as it changed its character on more than one occasion over the 15 years it was on sale in Australia from 1993. The positive side of that confusion is that many will find an Integra to suit their particular needs. Because you can get either an attractive cruiser, a full-on sports machine, or somewhere in between.Integra was almost a four-seater in its earlier periods, prior to 2001, and can be used as a nice family machine while the junior travellers are still small. This makes a good compromise for the person who wants a good looking coupe, but who is forced by financial circumstances in the direction of practicality.At the other end of the scale, the third-generation Honda Integra Type R, is a semi-race machine. While it had been on sale in Japan for a long time the Integra Type R didn’t reach Australia until August 2000, and even then only in limited numbers.It's a really hot little beast aimed at the serious driver. Those wanting a comfortable cruiser should look elsewhere as this Type R has no compromise suspension settings.Having introduced us to the delights of a genuine sports machine in that first Type R, Honda went and spoiled things with the fourth-generation, launched in August 2001. It is a softer car than its predecessor, though still reasonably easy to punt hard if you put your mind to it.It wasn’t until October 2004 that Honda Australia woke up to itself and brought in another ‘proper’ sports Integra, this time tagged as the Type S. Now you can understand why the word confusing appears above...Engines are 1.8 litres until the fourth-generation model of 2001, when the capacity climbed to 2.0 litres. However, Honda's ability to get big power from smallish engines is renowned and the hottest of them all, the limited edition Type R of 2000 managed a hefty 141 kW from its 1.8 litres.Transmission choices are five-speed manual in most models, with the high-performance Type R and Type S getting six-speed manuals.Four-speed automatic transmissions with a conventional change were offered until the 2001 fourth-generation Integra arrived with a five-speed auto using sequential manual overrides.Even the standard Honda Integras handle pretty well, with good turn-in and not too much understeer if pushed hard.The hot sports models are amazingly good for front-wheel drive cars, but can be harsh in their ride. There is a good number of Honda dealers Australian wide, with this Japanese company being reasonably well represented in country areas.Spare parts and servicing are usually well priced, with Honda having put some hard work into pulling prices down a few years back when it had a reputation for charging top dollar for spare bits.Insurance charges are about average for a sporting coupe, meaning fairly expensive but not outrageously so. Few companies seem to understand that there are some really hot variants amongst them.The Integra suffered from the general decline in popularity of sports coupes that began early in the 21st century. Though it hung on for longer than some of its competitors, production eventually ceased in 2007.WHAT TO LOOK FORBeware of the Honda Integra Type R that has been thrashed on race tracks, or traffic-light drag racing.Look for a body kit, extra instruments or a large exhaust tailpipe extension, these may be a sign of hard driving, though many dress up their cars with go-faster.Excessive brake-pad dust, usually at its worst on the insides of the front wheels and callipers, is another indication of hard driving.Check for repairs to crash damage by looking for paint that doesn’t match correctly from panel to panel. Ripples in the panels, easiest to spot while looking lengthways along them in good light, are another solid cue. If in doubt, call in an expert.Make sure that the engine starts properly and idles easily. These sports engines are complex items, particularly for their day, and can be expensive to repair. They really should be checked by a Honda dealer, or at least a specialist technician from a motoring association.Pay attention to the transmission during your road test and be sure it works smoothly and easily with a minimum of noise.Look over the interior for signs of damage. Though they usually age well they can suffer rough treatment. Listen for squeaks or rattles inside the car during the test drive, a rough road will magnify.CAR BUYING TIPCoupes aimed at cruising buyers may be thrashed, and hot coupes may be driven gently - there’s no logic in this market segment. So don’t jump to conclusions, get a full technical inspection before buying.

Honda execs implored Australians to look past the badge when shopping for a prestige car, and add the new Legend to their shopping list alongside the prestige heavyweights from Europe.The new all-wheel drive Legend had the engineering to compete they cried, it also had all the bells and whistles, but at the end of the day it didn't have the badge some buyers valued above all else.As a result the big Honda was relegated to older folks, ones who wanted a softer, more relaxed ride, those who preferred a zippier drive mostly went the Euro route. There's no doubt that the Legend was a sound choice, it offered good value for the prestige dollar, was safe and refined. It accommodated five in comfort, with three in the back seat, and had a large boot.Anyone who cared to dig deeper would find it also had decent performance courtesy of its high-tech 3.5-litre V6, which put out 217 kW and 351 Nm, and its five-speed auto with sequential sports shifting.The Legend was quite a sizable car and relatively heavy, all of which hindered its performance somewhat, and any idea that it could be considered a sports car.In normal situations it drove as a front-wheel drive car, but its smart all-wheel drive system could detect when a wheel was slipping  and redirect drive to the other wheels as needed to maintain progress.If you signed up for a Legend you drove away in a car with heaps of features. On top of all the things regarded as normal in a car today, you also got leather seats, a sunroof, electric seats, power adjustment of the steering column and a rear view camera.On the road the Legend was comfortable, refined and relaxed. It did everything well. If it lacked anything it was that it wasn't a very thrilling drive, but if that didn't matter to you it delivered everything you could wish for.IN THE SHOP On average the Legend would have done between 50,000 and 75,000 km, a good time to buy used when they're still in their prime. With such relatively low kilometres on them you wouldn't expect any nightmare stories and there hasn't been any to date.Given Honda's track record on engineering you would expect that to continue, given proper and regular servicing. Check the service record of any car under consideration.IN A CRASH You can't do any better than five stars on the ANCAP scale and that's what the crash body gave the big Honda. That's no surprise as the Legend had it all, front, head and side airbags, ABS braking with all the associated trimmings of Emergency   Brake Assist, traction and stability control.UNDER THE PUMP Honda's claim for the Legend was a rather poor 11.8 L/10 0 km, while the Carsguide road tester returned a rather more optimistic 9.7 L/100 km in real life driving. Prospective buyers should be aware that the Legend requires premium unleaded.AT A GLANCEPrice as new: $74,500Engine: 3.5-litre V6 petrol, 217 kW/351 NmTransmission: 5-speed auto, sequential shift, AWDEconomy: 11.8 L/100 kmBody: 4-door sedan Variants: Legend sedanSafety: 5-star ANCAPVERDICTRelaxed, refined ride packed with features, all it misses is the badge.COMING UP Do you own a Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series?  If so tell us what you think of it by sending your comments to Graham Smith at grah.smith@bigpond.com or Carsguide, PO Box 4245, Sydney, NSW, 2010.

The Accord V6 was so different to the Accord Euro that shared Honda showrooms that it could well have come from a completely different maker. The V6 was bigger and plusher than the svelte, agile Euro; it was also quieter and more comfortable. That might suggest that it was less assured on the road, but it wasn't, it actually performed well on all levels.Inside, the cabin was airy and spacious and rear seat passengers had all the room they needed to be comfortable. Under the hood it had a sophisticated V6 that delivered plenty of punch along with a good dose of torque that made it a smooth, pleasantdriver in all situations. The V6 was coupled to a smooth-shifting five-speed auto, there was no manual gearbox offered, but you wouldn't want a manual in the V6.Honda's claim of 10.6 L/100 km was reasonable for a V6 of the  Accord's size. On the road the ride was comfortable on all surfaces and the handling reassuring and quite responsive with light steering that still afforded the driver plenty of road feel. The level of standard equipment was quite good with dual-zone air-conditioning, cruise control, remote central locking with alarm, six-stack CD player, steering wheel controls, fold-down rear seat. If that wasn't enough you could step up to the Luxury and enjoy a powered sunroof, powered driver's seat and leather upholstery.In general Hondas are well built and perform well over time and but for a couple of issues that can affect it the Accord V6 is no exception. On average a 2003 V6 Accord has now done around 125,000 km, so it's reached the stage of its life that you would anticipate that problems could arise. Hondas do need to be religiously serviced, if they're not that's when problems can occur. It's also important to stick with Honda's recommendations for the oils and lubricants when having them serviced.One thing that does crop up on occasions is the automatic transmission, which is regarded to have questionable durability. One owner we heard from had the automatic transmission in his 2005 V6 quite while driving along the Hume Highway. The diagnosis was that the transmission needed to be replaced. It's a good policy to have automatic transmissions serviced regularly, and it seems that it's even more important when it's a Honda. When it is serviced it's critical that the correct Honda-recommended transmission fluid be used. Using oil other than that recommended is to court disaster.Honda paint, at least some colours, appears to fade worse than other makes and models. Avoid red, that's the worst. When checking a car for possible purchase, check its service record, if it isn't complete or up to date walk away.Well-built, good driving and comfortable sedan but be aware of potential auto issues.

The Japanese carmaker says the faulty locks could allow the vehicles' doors to open unexpectedly.The recall is for the 2012 CR-V sports utility vehicle and 2013 Acura ILX sedan (the latter not sold in Australia).The vast majority of the recall is for the CR-V model, sold mainly into Japan, North America, China and South America. About 7,300 Acura models would be recalled from North America, the company added.No accidents or injuries have been reported due to the door lock defect, a Honda spokesman said. Japan's car giants have recalled millions of vehicles in recent years as they have become more proactive about dealing with faults.