1999 Honda Civic LX from North America - Comments

Needed alignment after half year of buying it, and it requires constant alignments ever since.

Replaced all tires at 30,000 miles with alignment.

Replaced front lower ball joints and all tires again with alignment at 46,000 miles for $500.

Replaced front brake rotors, lower front wheel bearing, left front wheel bearing and left front axle shaft at 55,000 miles for $800.

Replaced rear struts with front alignment at 58,600 miles.

Replaced right front axle, left and right lower ball joints with 4 tires replaced, alignment again at 90,000 miles for $1000.

Replaced rear wheel bearing at 92,000 miles for $500.

And it needs a front wheel alignment again.

I guess we just do not have any luck on this car. After 40,000 miles, it gives us trouble every year as you can see roughly above.

One of the main reason we suspect is that this car was born defected -- it requires the alignment right after a few months we bought it, but we were not alert on that. Then the tires were worn out, and it seems it needs alignment periodically, and all the later problems are related to that defect.

Now at 94,000 miles, after an alignment at 92,000 miles, the mechanics told us it requires a front alignment again. Another reason is maybe because of New England's severe winter snow storms and pit holes on the ground. This car is just too vulnerable. At 90,000 miles, it totally collapsed right after I got off the highway -- the left front wheel fell off.

Every brand has some lemons I guess. I just hope our next car won't give us so much trouble and cost us so much. And I wish other people learn some lessons from this one and won't be as unlucky as us.

You have only problems with your suspension and you call your car unreliable. At least it still runs! As far as alignments go, it is easy to knock a car out of alignment. Any imperfection you hit in the road can knock it out and you must live by pot holes and train tracks and stuff in that nature. As far as wheel bearings go, I have had them go out on my 99 Accord with 120,000 miles right after I was traveling on highway 96 in Detroit Michigan in the right lane... Big Mistake!!! The worst road I have ever seen in my life! You write your review like you are conspiring to take down a great auto manufacturer. Examine your driving habits before you come on here with a big horn and complain about bald tires.

Have 2001 Civic LX with 94K. Wheel bearing going bad all around. Spoke with other Civic owners... typical problem.

Sorry to be straight...

The problems you faced, (about the alignment and suspension problems), usually caused by your own driving style.

Perhaps you should try to see is there any problem with your driving style.

I have a 99 honda civic. I have had it for about a year and a half. It has over 200, 000 km. It runs good. I have replaced ball joints galore, and the oxygen sensor, and the air filter. Nothing really big really. I bought it second hand, and there was nothing wrong with it when I bought it. I was a little discouraged, but it gets me from point A to point B.

My engine light recentlty came on, and I have yet to get it looked at. It's been acting out lately. It's leaking something dark near the top part of the hood. I don't know what it is? Any suggestions?

Anyway, I like my civic, and unlike the main post, I think it is very reliable!

Harsh review. Obviously anyone can have a bad experience with an automobile that has historically proven to be incredibly reliable. Hey, I'm sure even Honda rolled out their share of lemons back in 1999 with this model. but overall, this car was ridiculously solid! My mom still has hers, and other than normal wear and tear over the course of time (normal maintenance, etc), this bad boy is a stud.

Seriously, as one poster pointed out, each and every single complaint you listed leads to your driving style. You must be a very aggressive driver who makes hard turns and brakes hard. I can only assume this, but your comments all have that common thread that lead me to believe that your driving style may very well be causing the premature replacement of certain parts (tires, pads, etc).

Are you sure your problems are the car or your mechanic? It's possible that his diagnosis was wrong and never fixed the root problem, thus causing you to constantly have to do realignments. I've had two Civics, one I sold at 225,000 miles and my current one has 206,000 miles and yes I do have to repair it when things go out but very little in the way of very expensive repairs. These are the most reliable cars on the planet.

I am an ASE certified automotive technician, and it sounds to me like you have a problem with your mechanic. Try bringing it to a different alignment shop with a good reputation. A quality alignment is going to cost you more than $50. Ask them for the read-out that shows you what it was before and after the alignment, and what the specifications are. If they won't take the time to explain it to you, that's because they're hiding something - take your business elsewhere. If the tech was doing his job right, you should only need an alignment every 80-100k miles. (assuming nothing wears out in the mean time) Also as for the tires wearing out, a correct alignment will greatly improve tire life, but also don't buy junk tires. I personally will only buy Cooper (because they're the only tires made in USA), but BF Goodrich and Perelli also make quality tires. Also make sure you regularly check/adjust tire pressure. I hate to see people struggling with recurring car problems, and in your case I suspect there's more than a weak suspension and/or bad driving habits at work.