Faults:

Before I go into it I have to say that I drive this car really really hard, so these things were to be expected:

Tires and rims- stock 14 inch does not hold up if you try to drive like a race car. I put 17 inch wheels and low profiles. Problem solved (fuel economy has gone bad because of mass and radius change of wheels).

Shocks and struts were gone by 60,000 miles, but because of the way I drive. It handled great until then.

Never had any mechanical problems!!! Amazing for $12000 brand new car!!

General Comments:

Best money I spent on a car so far. I just need to upgrade my shocks to Tokico HP (not available yet) and Eibach pro springs. I don't see any reason to do any other mods since the car only has 117 hp and not meant to have 400 hp, but I believe that suspension upgrade is a must.

I only paid $13500 OTD and it has been the best car ever. I don't care for power windows or locks, so keeps the car simple and maintenace cost low.

If I want a sports car, I'd get a 911 or something, but to drive everyday and do everything, this is it!

Design wise this car looks better than any of previous models and the new 07s. It's my opinion though.

Faults:

At 63000 Km, The clutch Pressure plate failed. I am very displeased with this. Common wear for a clutch friction plate is 100k km, but the pressure plate failing prematurely at 60 km is very disconcerting.

General Comments:

The 2004 is my favorite year for the exterior styling. I love the front headlight design versus the 2001-2003 design. The headlamps are longer and look much better in my opinion.

The interior is not much to brag about: basic cloth material, but headroom is better in comparison to the equivalent year of gm j body.

The performance of the engine is nothing to rave about. The 1.7L non v-tec head outputs 115hp. So it is not the type of car you would buy to go fast. None the less it is a fun car to drive with a 5pd manual. The air-conditioning compressor greatly affects the performance of the engine when in use. Visibility is excellent and blind spots are small.

The original tires are garbage (Dunlop’s). The suspension and steering are nothing to brag about. The car handles relatively well, but performance upgrades would be required to increase comfort level.

Trunk space is decent. Leg room is decent as well, but crammed in the back if you are a tall individual.

The only major problem has surfaced recently: After 63200km, my clutch decided to stop working one day; I could not disengage and thus could not select a gear without extreme difficulty. The car was brought to the dealer and the transmission inspected. The friction plate was still in excellent condition; however, the pressure plate had failed. A couple of the fingers on the diaphragm spring had sheared near the enclosed side of the assembly. This is my only major mechanical problem with the vehicle. The only other quirk I have with the car is that 2nd gear seems to be a little difficult to engage. Synchronizers are a little rough in my opinion for that gear and have been like this since I bought the car brand new.

Generally, the car has been excellent except for that clutch. It is weird because I do not beat my transmission or push the car very hard. It seems either it was a defective part, or maybe Honda civics are not longer as bullet proof as they used to be.