Quality of 2008 Civics

[jjanders]

So I'm currently deciding between the Civic EX, Corolla S, and Mazda 3i Touring Value.

Now that all 3 manufacturers are offering 1.9% financing (0% in the case of Toyota) this month, I have decided it is finally time to pull the trigger.

The only thing holding me back from the Honda is the build quality issues I have read about extensively on here.

I know the 2006 model had quite a few issues being the first model year, and I know the SI has had it's own issues. I would THINK that most of the kinks have been worked out by this years model, correct? It seems there are still some people complaining about paint chips and other minor things, but have the majority of the mechanical issues been worked out?

Every indication points to me getting the Civic, but the bad things I've heard about the 8th gen have me worried.

[IceWindius]

NO car is perfect. EVER. About the closet thing you could ask for damn near perfection is when your spending several hundred grand on a Lambro, Ferrari and the likes.

That being said, Honda has almost always done its best to make the best cars at the best available price, they really "think outside the box" in order to achieve great quality cars at fair prices.

Almost every new model of car that comes out the factory is gonna having some defects or little loose ends which are usually fixed, upgraded or replaced by the manufacture as people buy and drive them in the real world. As a few years pass, these kinks are usually ironed out. Honda is no exception to this.

With that, so far i've seen nothing out of the ordinary on my 2 week old EX-L coupe that would concern me to get it taken care of, and I went over the entire car with an eagle eye to spot anything out of the ordinary.

Remember, these are Honda's "economy" class cars, so your not going to find the absolute best in everything put in, they have to make cutbacks somewhere. Of course, when you compare those cutbacks and still achieve a kick ass, reliable vehicle vs what Ford, Chevy, or Dodge puts out, you have little reason to worry.

Honda's paint IS weak, no matter what Honda model you buy. You can blame the smelly hippy enviromentalists for that. Falling to "saving the earth" pressure, Honda along with other import companies are using more an more enviromentaly friendly paint and painting process on their vehicles. Drawback is that its not as durable as say 10 years ago. Gain some, you loose some.

Something breaks or happens, thats what the warranties are for.

[SapphireRaven]

I have owned my 2007 LX coupe for a little over a year now. I know that you were thinking more of the 08s but i think it's still valid. My car has had absolutely NO mechanical problems. It had one recall and we got it fixed quickly before it could have ever caused problems. The only problems i have experienced are a few creaks and rattles that worked themselves out over time. The dash and windshield are a pain to clean on the inside due to the slope and size but that is minor compared to the enjoyment that i still get from my car a year later. I agree that the paint is weak on the hondas, but i know that honda isn't the only car company with weak paint. Overall i would still choose the civic over every other import compact econo car. I don't think of my car as an economy car as it is. It's definitely a sports coupe. Just remember that mazdas are only one step up from ford and the corolla sucks when it comes to handling. hope this helps. good luck

[Jstone624]

I had an 06 lx sedan for 2 years and in that time...

1)had the driver's side window replaced after a track clip broke causing the window to bind in it's track and shatter.

2)had the water pump replaced because of a bad pulley bearing (loud howling noise)

both times my dealer gave me a rental and had it fixed in 2 days at no cost to me.

Now I just purchased an 08 lx coupe to give that a try...

[c_bongo]

ive ha dmy 08 for about 3 months and have had no problems, no rattles like ive heard the prior years having. one thing i will say is the paint quality seems to be a little less then on prior years, i do city driving and have never had this many rock chips before.

[cajun]

I was looking into the Mazda3 i as well, but I saw something on the web that may or may not be a big problem. Do a search on Mazda3 and door damage. Apparently if you kick or smack the Mazda3's driver door in a specific spot it unlocks the power lock (also does NOT set off the alarm). Mazda came out with a retrofit door plate, but in some cases that just makes the thief/punk hit it harder. There are a lot of posts out there from Mazda3 owners with >$1K in door damage. Like I said it may or may not be a big problem. It's on the web so it may even be a bunch of bull, but check it out. Also, while the Mazda3 has good reliability ratings, some of their other stuff like the Mazda6 aren't rated well.

[Civic06SiR]

I have a 06 Civic Si, with absolutly no problems. No third gear slippage, only thing was the window visor mysteriously bursted...probably from the heat which was replaced quickly by Honda.

[kgeier82]

im a little peeved about the interior rattles on my 07 coupe ex, from CA.

it rattles in a bunch of places, and i justify it because its just a civic.

my moms 2dr coupe accord does it too, so i guess i knew it was coming.

[korey@teamhonda]

over a year and 25,500 miles and no complaints or issues. I am pro Honda. For more reasons then i care to list, it is the BEST and SAFEST car on the marketall around. I sold Hondas for 4.5 years and now i work at an Acura store, nothing beats the overall quality of a Honda/Acura. I even have a Honda lawn mower and it is over 2 yrs old and cranks on the 1st or 2nd pull everytime.....

[kgeier82]

Originally Posted by korey@teamhonda

over a year and 25,500 miles and no complaints or issues. I am pro Honda. For more reasons then i care to list, it is the BEST and SAFEST car on the marketall around. I sold Hondas for 4.5 years and now i work at an Acura store, nothing beats the overall quality of a Honda/Acura. I even have a Honda lawn mower and it is over 2 yrs old and cranks on the 1st or 2nd pull everytime.....

it may be our two specific cars, but our two honda's are extremely loud in the inside.

07 civic ex coupe
03 accord ex coupe

lots of rattles.

About the same as previous brands iMO. as far as rattles go. not impressed, not shocked though either.

[ironman1964]

I will be curious to see how many rattles my car develops. And I am also willing to acknowledge that being a lower end car I should expect some. I was really depressed with how much my previous car (2000 pontiac GTP) rattled, drove me nuts some days.

[natedog_37]

Bought a 08 SI and love it. I would say it is the better of the car in its price Range.

[Special Ringpop]

I disagree. I think the Mazda3 is truly the best car in the segment in every category except fuel economy. The engines and mechanicals in the Honda may be more reliable, but if interior quality is any indication of Honda's dedication to quality, I'm worried/not impressed.

In 20,000 babied miles, I have fixed more rattles and wear issues than all three of my old, old, old cars (with far more miles on them) combined.

[natedog_37]

Originally Posted by Special Ringpop

I disagree. I think the Mazda3 is truly the best car in the segment in every category except fuel economy. The engines and mechanicals in the Honda may be more reliable, but if interior quality is any indication of Honda's dedication to quality, I'm worried/not impressed.

In 20,000 babied miles, I have fixed more rattles and wear issues than all three of my old, old, old cars (with far more miles on them) combined.

Do you even read the Mazda boards?

They have rattles wear issue, sounds from the windows etc etc.

Same issue on both cars.

The Mazdaspeed "which is what I had order" has turbo blowing oil for no reason, the radio buts out "POS BOSE system"

THe front window rattles when cold, creeks and popping sounds from the wheels I could keep going but you get the idea.

Only issue I have had with my 08 is the sun roof make a sounds when open and going over big bumps.

[rmfa]

Let me say this: I've taken care of my car from day 1. I don't beat on it but I enjoy it thoroughly. I just finished detailing my car this weekend and besides a small number of rock chips on the front. (this happens in any car) I have no complaints and my girl friend exclaimed, 'this still looks like a brand new car.' Mind you I have 32k miles and I purchased it in September of 2006. No rattles, 3rd gear is glorious after changing to the new MTF and this thing pulls even harder than the first 30k miles. You will love this car. I don't see myself in anything else anytime soon. :-D

The only problem that I had was when I improperly installed my aftermarket intake. After reinstalling it perfectly, the surging I felt at highway speeds went away completely. This was obviously user error.

[jjanders]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I will be going to my local Honda dealer after work to take a look at the R18 one more time and get my trade evaluated. The ONLY hesitation I have about going with the Civic is the quality issues, it's hard to judge them from the Internet though since most forums are enthusiasts and are more vocal about things, you never know if the problems are due to mods, etc....

Currently I am focusing on an EX Auto, not sure coupe or sedan yet. I am also going to take a look at the EX-L tonight, and see what the leather and interior look like, I may splurge and go with that.

[Impreza_22B]

Haven't look into a Mazda 3 in details, but the doors were so light it felt like paper. Closing my Si Coupe makes a really tight and solid sound, even my passengers made comments on that. (Though 2 doors are heavier as usual).
Only downfall is there is a rattle in the passenger area.

[EXcoupe]

Originally Posted by jjanders

Thanks for the responses everyone. I will be going to my local Honda dealer after work to take a look at the R18 one more time and get my trade evaluated. The ONLY hesitation I have about going with the Civic is the quality issues, it's hard to judge them from the Internet though since most forums are enthusiasts and are more vocal about things, you never know if the problems are due to mods, etc....

Currently I am focusing on an EX Auto, not sure coupe or sedan yet. I am also going to take a look at the EX-L tonight, and see what the leather and interior look like, I may splurge and go with that.

How about an unbiased opinion...This is my first Honda product and not dissappointed thus far. There are a lot of very good products in the segment. All were less money and personally thought the materials felt cheaper and the build quality was just OK. Also trying to keep an open mind on this Civic as I traded out of an Impala that was a much more substantial car for the money. It has been a challenge just trying to like something this small again.

[Special Ringpop]

If you're going with an R18, I'd go with the Mazda3. It's infinitely more fun to drive, and looks a lot better than the Civic sedan, in my opinion. I've test driven the 3, and I found it to be a very solid little car, even if it has depressing gas mileage.

As for quality issues...you're going to hear extremes of both sides on ANY forum you go to.

[IceWindius]

Originally Posted by Special Ringpop

If you're going with an R18, I'd go with the Mazda3. It's infinitely more fun to drive, and looks a lot better than the Civic sedan, in my opinion. I've test driven the 3, and I found it to be a very solid little car, even if it has depressing gas mileage.

As for quality issues...you're going to hear extremes of both sides on ANY forum you go to.

Special, I can't help but feel that you seem to have an angst towards the Civic's in the last few posts i've read from you. Seriously, if you not that happy with the Civic, sell it and buy something thats suits you better, but this anti Civic preaching in a Civic forum is starting to get on me and other peoples nerves. Your entitled to your opinion, but your not doing it in best place.