[***nomorehonda***]

I have a 2007 Civic with a cracked engine block, coolant seeping out in area
behind alternator.
Bought new in 2007 and have 115,000 km on it.
I've read a bunch of stuff on the net about this problem with these 2006 - 2009
Honda Civics.

I phoned the dealer and he said, sorry nothing I can do.

I emailed Honda Canada, so far no response.

I had every intention on keeping the car but what really bothers me is that
this February (2020) the passenger side coil
spring broke so I had to have both front suspension strut and coil spring assembly replaced.
Total inc tax $ 1,244
In 2019 I had to replace the starter motor.
Total inc tax $636

I spent all this money and now the car is worth
nothing, I can't even sell it.

Honda should be made to pay for this.
Look at VW they have already paid out tens of billions for
that emission scandal.
How many engines were replaced by Honda over the years
and how much did it cost them?
A few million?
Honda should be held to account no matter how
much time has passed.

 

[Civic si 442]

10 year warranty recall is out of date.

 

[FD7683]

If you are taking the vehicle into the Honda Dealership, expect a 5K+ quote. Honda doesn't care about their customers with this issue and wants customers to pay out of pocket for this defect. If you argue with Honda of Canada enough, you will be lucky to even get this fixed for under 3k. Its in the rare case though. If you are knowledgeable enough with tools, i suggest you find a low mileage 2010-2011 R18 Engine and perform an Engine Swap. If not, unfortunately scrap the car for parts if you think it's not worth it. My car has 160k and i'm worrying about this issue happening. I'll eventually be saving up for another vehicle. Your's seems to be low mileage. NHTSA has lots of reports of engine block failure and most happen as early as 80K.

 

[***nomorehonda***]

Thanks for your advice but I don't want to spend another 3K on this car and I'm certainly
not capable myself of switching engines out.
What really bothers me is that I spent close to 2K in the last year and a half
on repairs since I intended on keeping it for a few more years and now I got
a piece of scrap.
Ironically we bought a new Honda civic in 2015 because the wife
likes civics. IMO this one is a piece of garbage, noisy, gutless on the highway, gas guzzler.
Overall the 2007 was a better performing car, great on highway,good mileage, even the style looked better.
I had a 1999 Toyota Corolla with 360km on it when I traded it it in for the 2015 civic.
Never no problem with it, great car.
Both my kids bought Corollas in the last 4 years and are really happy with them.
But my wife wanted Civics. What can I say.

 

[Messerschmitt]

Never again a **** honda, that's my new matra.

Regarding this, if I would be you I'd take this to small claims court. Present all the documentation that this is a known issue and argue that Honda and Honda Canada can't just tell people to go pound sand after their arbitraly 10 year "extended warranty". Many manufacturers are issuing recalls if this is a problem, but honda think they are smart and **** people over. Worst that can happen is lose ~100 something in filing fees and a few hours from work.

Curious, do you live in the prairies where it's very cold in the winter and high difference of temps between day and night?

 

[FD7683]

I agree with the 8th gens being nicer, i can honestly say its the last best design from Honda. if only their engine's didn't come with this known defect, it would be the perfect car to keep for years. Some lucky people have surpassed the 200K mark with their original engine blocks - I hope to be one of them. I also agree on the small claims court. I would hate to part out a car that i have bought and driven brand new off the lot because of a dumb manufacture defect that Honda knew about.

 

[***nomorehonda***]

@ Messerschmitt
I don't live in the Prairies but in the the GTA about 40km north of Toronto.
Yes I have been thinking about taking this to small claims court.
Problem is the court system here was already overloaded before Covid19 and
now I'm sure it's even worse.

I have to decide soon what to do because I dont want to leave this
thing in my driveway over the winter plus there is the plate sticker renewal
and insurance fees to think about.

Every time I look at the car all I can think about is that Honda should
make this right.
Plus the fact that Honda Canada didn't even respond to my email
makes me even more angry.
They show a total disrespect to their loyal customers and I hope
they will get pay back in one way or another.

 

[mj112588]

I can relate to the pains of buying a car and having a major issue. It’s happened my entire lifetime but it’s made me very knowledgeable and a good mechanic so I can’t complain too much. I’ve swapped out a transmission 10-11 times and an engine as well as about anything you can imagine. Don’t think buying new makes you immune to repair costs either. I bought a 2014 Ford Focus with 1,500 miles and at 15,000 miles the automatic transmission went out. I couldn’t justify putting thousands into a new one once I learned all the automatics had the same issue. I actually converted it to a 5 speed manual and it’s been flawless ever since.

I know it’s hard to be positive when issues arise like this trust me but a life of misery is no way to live. Keep your head up. Maybe this is just the excuse you need to purchase some tools and learn to swap out an engine? It seems daunting but if you have friends that can help it can be done. This is why I now have thousands of dollars in tools. All paid for from savings of not getting my car issues fixed by the dealership but instead doing them myself. It’s easier to justify to the wife too ;-)

 

[NKaufman]

I'm glad to see that my idea of taking Honda to small claims court is getting some traction

 

[EpistleNo.81]

Hope it is okay to ask but how does someone get banned after only three posts that were not even spam?

Some lucky people have surpassed the 200K mark with their Original Engine Blocks. I hope to be one of them.

You have expressed concern over the engine in several threads. May I ask, why not get out from under it while you still can? I have been toying with the idea. The only reason I haven't just yet is I would feel guilty about it. You see, I inherited my civic when a relative passed away. On the other hand, having worry about the engine cracking then the car be worth only scrap is not comforting.
BUT if mine does crack any time soon, I still have my old car parked and ready to roll.

 

[FD7683]

I have expressed concerns on the other forums, but i still love my car. Now, i don't see the block of my car cracking anytime soon but when it does happens it's just going to sit in the driveway for another engine swap.

 

[EdNaviEx]

I have expressed concerns on the other forums, but i still love my car. Now, i don't see the Block of my car cracking anytime soon, but when it happens, it's just going to sit in the driveway for another engine swap.

The sluggish acceleration will be corrected with a Valve Adjustment in a couple of days. Honestly, i thought that this car was to slow for me, but since i am a new driver, it's pretty zippy.

Let us know is the valve adjustment does anything tangible or seat of the pants difference! Mine is fine, has never been adjusted, yet I do feel it is a little sluggish when accelerating. I'm always told by the dealer that the motor is "within spec"..... whatever that means. Anyway, I do remember the car being a little more "zippy" as you say.

 

[EpistleNo.81]

Ed, for those who do not know, how many miles do you have on your civic?
We read a lot of bad news on this sub forum, of course it IS the "mechanical problems" part.
So tell us the good news in some cases, like on yours? Aren't you pushing like 300,000 miles on the original engine/trans?

 

[NKaufman]

You have expressed concern over the engine in several threads. May I ask, why not get out from under it while you still can?

I think I've been voicing my concern even before than he has been (perhaps not is as many threads as he has). With only 104K miles on my 07 EX and car running fine (i also do experience issues with acceleration), I don;t see why I should spend 25k for a new car just because Honda messed up..

And I have gathered all information to get them to small claims if this happens to me.

 

[FD7683]

I think I've been voicing my concern even before than he has been (perhaps not is as many threads as he has). With only 104K miles on my 07 EX and car running fine (i also do experience issues with acceleration), I don;t see why I should spend 25k for a new car just because Honda messed up..

And I have gathered all information to get them to small claims if this happens to me.

Some people want to keep thier 8th Gens for the longest time as they can (like me).

With only 104K, it's just now getting broken in. They can surpass over 300k if maintained properly. On a Toyota, that's still barely broken in.

 

[EdNaviEx]

Ed, for those who do not know, how many miles do you have on your civic?
We read a lot of bad news on this sub forum, of course it IS the "mechanical problems" part.
So tell us the good news in some cases, like on yours? Aren't you pushing like 300,000 miles on the original engine/trans?

yep, I'm at 291,000 miles. I recently replaced the alternator and the door knob rod that opens the door fell out of its place b/c of a broken plastic part. Fix: $4. I religiously take care of my car and drive it conservatively. It also helps that that commute is mostly highway. YES, I dread the day I MIGHT see a crack on the block and notice a loss of coolant. So far I haven't. My mechanic friend told if it hasn't done so by now, it won't, especially at that mileage.

Original motor yes. I change the oil everytime the oil reminder goes to 15%. I average 6-8K miles between oil changes (all filters get changed regardless if they are not dirty). Original Tranny, yes. Regarding the tranny, I've changed the ATF every 30,000 (and again with the next 2 oil changes after that to get most of the old ATF out). Trannies can grenade themselves if the fluid isn't changed regularly. Should be done every 30,000 regardless of mileage.

In these 300,000 miles, I've:

1) replaced the front calipers (ok by me and this was several years ago)
2) replaced the A/C compressor (seems to be problematic at 100K or so). I got a new one on amazon for $300 last year.
3) replaced the passenger side motor mount. This was about 2 years ago.
4) replaced the alternator (two weeks ago)
5) replaced the pipe behind the muffler (It could've been the whole muffler with the pipe, I don't remember). This was last year.
6) replaced rear shocks. This was 3 years ago.

Good news? These cars WILL LAST if you take care of them. If not, well, whatever, that's on you, LOL. Other problem areas of the 8th gen is the paint. A lot of their clear coat seems to peel, but my Borrego Beige hasn't. I wash my car by hand about 5 times a year with Meguiar's shampoo (yellow liquid, it also waxes it) and nothing else. I SHOULD hand (or buffer) wax my car more often, but the paint is in great shape. When I do, I use cleaner wax. I know, my car deserves better, but I just don't have the time. Anyway, I can't think of anything else these cars suffer from.

The coolant/cracked block issue is hit and miss (IMO). It doesn't happen to ALL civics, but when it does, it sucks. Hard. If the car is in good shape (mechanically and esthetically), then I would venture on to say it is worth getting a new (2010+) block. It all depends if it's worth it to its respective owner.

Sorry for the long post.

 

[NKaufman]

yep, I'm at 291,000 miles. I recently replaced the alternator and the door knob rod that opens the door fell out of its place b/c of a broken plastic part. Fix: $4. I religiously take care of my car and drive it conservatively. It also helps that that commute is mostly highway. YES, I dread the day I MIGHT see a crack on the block and notice a loss of coolant. So far I haven't. My mechanic friend told if it hasn't done so by now, it won't, especially at that mileage.

I'm assuming you do a Drain and Fill with ATF at 30K and then the next 2 oil changes.

I got the Full Drain and Fill - 3/4 times per Honda manual. Had a special and the whole thing cost like 80 bucks which was sweet since many places charge that for just One Drain and Fill.

 

[EpistleNo.81]

Takes care of it religiously and drives conservatively.

It must be a Honda Civic "republican Christian" model. Sounds like the only thing missing is putting a face mask over the air intake filter and exhaust to prevent possible covid spread.

But for real, yeah I would say if the block were going to crack for no reason, it would have done so long ago. Even if it does, I would say at 291,000 miles you got your money's worth at least.

My 08 is at 84,000 miles so time will tell. Mileage is so low cause the last owner bought it in 2014 and just didn't drive much.

 

[NKaufman]

Takes care of it religiously and drives conservatively.

It must be a Honda Civic "republican Christian" model. Sounds like the only thing missing is putting a face mask over the air intake filter and exhaust to prevent possible covid spread.

The fact that it is a Honda Civic "republican Christian" model is precisely the reason why its missing face masks..😋

 

[EdNaviEx]

I'm assuming you do a Drain and Fill with ATF at 30K and then the next 2 oil changes.

I got the Full Drain and Fill - 3/4 times per Honda manual. Had a special and the whole thing cost like 80 bucks which was sweet since many places charge that for just One Drain and Fill.

Yes, sir, I drain and fill every 30K, then again the next 2 oil changes which, for me, is about 6-8K. It's not perfect, but my ATF has ALWAYS been red/pink in color. I've never seen it dirty.

Takes care of it religiously and drives conservatively.

It must be a Honda Civic "republican Christian" model. Sounds like the only thing missing is putting a face mask over the air intake filter and exhaust to prevent possible covid spread.

But for real, yeah I would say if the block were going to crack for no reason, it would have done so long ago. Even if it does, I would say at 291,000 miles you got your money's worth at least.

My 08 is at 84,000 miles so time will tell. Mileage is so low cause the last owner bought it in 2014 and just didn't drive much.

Yep, that is why if the engine vomits, I'd be ok with it (still would be upset, but at least I made it this long)

The fact that it is a Honda Civic "republican Christian" model is precisely the reason why its missing face masks..😋

Oh snap!