1992 Honda Civic CX hatchback 1.5 inline-four

Summary:

A fun car to toss around

Faults:

The heater hose broke which caused it to leak coolant, engine overheated and head gasket blew, unfortunately it being an aluminum head on an iron block, the head warped severely and cracked from MINOR overheating, installed a new motor at a cost of $590.00.

Front suspension bushings went out at 105,200 miles, also needed alignment and axle, $700.00.

Car is notorious for going through passenger side front axles, been through 5 since I purchased the car.

Exhaust has a tendency to rattle even when everything is tightened down and clearance is good.

Car has problems with fuel pumps, too, sometimes it will start normal then shut off, will not start back up unless it sits for about an hour.

Car has the infamous "civic seat tear" on the outer side of the drivers side seat.

General Comments:

For having 70 horsepower, this car really does fly. I have done some modifications such as:

A custom cold air induction system.

Upgraded the exhaust manifold and downpipe to DX units (downpipe is 1 inch larger in circumference, and manifold is a header-style instead of the pre-cat style), to a 2.25 inch exhaust system and a performance Tsudo muffler.

NGK Blue spark plug wires.

All in all, the little things add up, now the car breathes MUCH easier and it feels like the horsepower rating is closer to 100 than 70.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th September, 2005

16th Jan 2008, 21:22

Fuel pump issues sound like the main EFI relay is bad. It heats up (interior) and quits until it cools. Other parts which heat up and quit relate to spark in the distributor. If the interior is hot when it happens and the fuel pump quits, it's the relay. If it quits whenever the engine is hot (no spark), it's likely in the distributor.

Exhaust rattles sound like a heat shield or internal... cat broken internal, double wall pipe broken internal, or internal muffler baffle. If clearance is good and everything is tight, it won't rattle. I own one, and have worked on thousands.

Axle... Civics seem to like to do that. Sometimes it has to do with driving situations or style making one wear faster. I've seen them make noise w/o torn boots, on cars with low miles, etc... Fortunately on a Honda, you can drive with some CV noise for quite a while, unlike a VW which will strand you after a month or so of hearing the infamous crackle while turning. Inferior rebuilt units are also suspect.

Overall a good car. Minor issues compared too many others.

1992 Honda Civic DX Sedan 1.5 I4

Summary:

A very dependable and low cost car to own

Faults:

2002 - Replaced timing belt, water pump, and drive belts. Replaced A/C compressor and distributor base all at 88k. Front wheel alignment.

2003 - New oxygen sensor at 101k.

General Comments:

My dad originally bought this car because of the good gas mileage to use for his 60 mile commute. When I turned 16 he bought a new car and let me use this car. I love this car even though it has its little design flaws. This car has been a very low maintenance car and barely ever needs repairing or fluids added. I feel that this car is very well built and no trim pieces ever snap off or break. It corners really well and is fun to drive even though I would appreciate more horsepower that 102. The biggest design flaw is probably the climate control system. It is not powerful enough and the fans click on the highest speed. I have also had a lot of problems with the window squirter's getting clogged from build up. The automatic transmission also has some flaws when shifting and sometimes jerks, but this could be from wear. The fabric in the interior could also be a bit more durable because now mine is stretched out and there are some small holes in it. I would recommend a new sound system because the factory one is not powerful at all. You can't really listen to the radio on the freeway because the road is so loud. Even with these few quirks I would still recommend this car to anyone who needs a very dependable car for a commute or a student. I feel very lucky to have this car and it would make a great street racer conversion because there are many parts available for it out there.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th August, 2005