Comments: 1-15, 16
The engine knocks loudly. Honda calls this "piston slap" and they say it is normal. It at first sounds like a monkey under the hood with two pipe wrenches. Then, a hollow knock begins, sounding like a two-by-four banged against a wall. Finally, it quiets down after about ten minutes. Sometimes it takes longer to quiet.
The engine computer (electronic control unit) had to be replaced.
Honda is very overrated, and don't believe the hype. A relative owned this car before me for 25K miles, and I was the one who maintained it. The car has been perfectly maintained. I have gone above and beyond regular maintenance, yet at 50K miles or so, the engine developed a knock. Honda calls this "normal." They even have service announcements about it, and a representative read the memo to me over the phone. A local dealer mechanic tells me the engine is shot. Honda knows about this problem and is doing nothing. Check out reviews from Canada. They rate Honda far below what Americans say.
Honda cars have got to be the most overrated cars ever built. It seems that anyone who owns a Honda becomes a brainwashed Lemming, buying into the delusion that Hondas are defect free, never break down, and have better performance than any other make of car, especially those "unreliable American gas guzzlers". The automotive press consistently praise Honda products while overlooking their flaws, and do exactly the opposite to any domestic vehicles.
I hear Honda Pilots, CR-Vs and Odyssey's are being recalled for failing transmissions. It was about time to do some justice to the whole game!
After my experience with the Civic, I will never touch a Honda as long as I live.
I have been pleased with our 1997 Civic. Last yr. the transmission blew. The Honda dealer replaced it at no cost to us. Other than that, we have had the car for 4 years and have had very few problems.
I agree, honda sucks. My stepdad has had an 88 honda accord, which has broken down at least twelve times, and four times it was the radiator, and three times it was the carburetor. He then purchased a 1997 honda accord, which has been breaking down since we got it, it broke down on various occassions, for apparently no reason at all according to the mechanic at the dealership. I think yesterday was the fourth time.Honda=Crap, and the sooner people realize it, the sooner we can all move away from the little foreign machines that we have come to build false relationships with regarding their reliability.
I believe Honda's are quite reliable. I have a '97 Civic and bought it new. Currently has 106,000 miles and have only had one problem with it so far. Had to change the CV Boots/Joints at 70,000 and that cost about 500. After over 8 years it still runs perfectly.
Racism is not objective criticism. All machines eventually fail including Honda. I have owned several Honda cars 4 civics, 4 preludes and one accord. Some had over 400 000 KMS. I had a few problems, but nothing I couldn't fix. I used to work at a Honda dealership and I worked as a tow truck operator for 4 years. Domestic vehicles broke down more frequently. 9 out of 10 times Ford, GM, and Chrysler vehicles had drive line failures in comparison to the Japanese models. For four cylinder cars the Japanese cars can take a lot of abuse and then some. A manual transmission is always recommended. One bad apple out of a 10 is better than 9.
If GM, Ford and Chrysler engineered better cars I would be proud to buy American!
To 17 July 2005, an 1988 Honda Accord would not have a carb. They started having fuel injection in 1986, so in all likely-hood your car would have had fuel injection... unless you typed the date incorrectly...
I actually Rally (yes, as in WRC/SCCA style) my 1990 Accord, and while I have to admit it's certianly no Subie or Mitsu fighter, after some 500-600 trail miles on it, the only things that broke were my shocks and tires. Engine is bombproof. My folks own a Civic and a Pilot as well. The Civic has had it's problems, but with all of the canyon driving we do to it, it's to be expected. And the Pilot, which is maintained top-notch condition, will go into a shop for the first time since we bought it in 2003... for new tires. Not saying Hondas are the best, but can't think of anything other than a Toyota truck that's more reliable.
The LX-i had Fuel injection only. Not the DX or LX models. If the whole line up had fuel injection there would be no point to the LX-i model.
My family has had four Hondas: a 1975 CVCC Civic, 1984 Honda Accord, 1996 Civic Hatchback, 1999 Civic Hatchback.
The '75 lasted until about 1984 (it was rusted, and the frame was cracked at the front left side). The 1984 Accord lasted till 1998 when it simply decided not to start on Xmas eve. That and it was quite rusty and possibly had an exhaust leak. The 1996 Civic lasted till winter 1998 when it caught on fire and burnt the whole front end (it was parked and plugged-in outside). The 1999 Civic is still up and running and ready for anything, still a teenager at only 140,000kms.
Anybody that says that Honda is a bad car should try owning a BMW, Mercedes, or Audi. I think that if you had one of those cars you would come running back to Honda like I did. These are the cheapest cars to run and they will give you no unreasonable problems!
To this last comment, I have to tell you I have had Honda, and since some years now I have 2 Mercedes and a 3 series BMW and I would never consider to buy a Honda. Not only Honda doesn't have better reliability -although they have better dealer service than BMW-, but the handling, the great driving and all the technology that Mercedes and BMW have, Honda just doesn't has it. Just think, Mercedes introduced ABS brakes in 1978, ASR -traction control- in 1990 and ESP -estability control- in 1995; there is a big gap between Mercedes-BMW and Honda. My Mercedes and BMW have been as trouble free as no other vehicle I have owned, and with very high mileages.
Just to throw in you put 1.5 litre engine. the 97 civic came with a d16y7 1.6 litre sohc engine. I know I own one and I love it. not the power I want, but it is amazing. any car costs money, jus ttake care of it.
Get a valve adjustment once in a while, as stated in your owners manual. This will make your engine nice and quiet!