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Whats the scoop on the Honda Civics ?

moruga welder

moruga welder

Curious my friends , looking for some direction on the Honda Civic . Durability , miles , etc. Pros / cons . Looking to buy my youngest daughter a car and I'm looking at a 2004 Honda Civic excellent condition , had timing belt changed . immaculate , 133,000 miles . The guy want $ 4000 . 
 
 
What ya think ? 
 
frank
 
I drove a 1992 Honda civic ex hatchback from 94 through 2004.  2nd owner, car ran great, good on gas and could fit more than most thought.  Was a damn site better than the volvo 240 gl wagon it replaced as far as maintenance went.  After the Honda joined the rainbow bridge I got a Mazda 3 hatchback and have been driving that model car since - I'm on my 2nd one now.  The civic and the Mazda 3 hatchback are both great cars and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another of either.
 
This looked like mine:
 
1992_honda_civic_2dr-hatchback_dx_s_oem_1_500.jpg
 
I had an early 90's Civic hatchback just like SmokenFire's though I was probably the 7th owner or so. It was a basic model,5-speed, no frills, with upwards of 250k miles on it. The body was wearing away before any mechanicals did - my little brother drove it round trip from Central Iowa to North Florida without issue before retiring it due to the sheer amount of rust. Not sure about newer, more electro-mechanically complex models, but those old Civics just keep on rollin'.
 
Long time Honda technician/owner.....
 
Use this link to get an idea of value. If good maintenance was performed this vehicle it has many years/miles left as long as regular maintenance continues. The owners manual or Service Schedule can guide you.
 
One example is my in-laws contacted me about "growling" from the rear of their CRV-AWD during sharp turns and after a road test I asked when they had the rear differential fluid changed, vehicle had 90K miles on it. Of course the answer was never and after a Honda CR-V Rear Differential Fluid Change noise was gone. Another example is my sister was having "shifting" issues (Engine RPMs flared up when shifting up to next gear as if car was in neutral.) with her Accord that her local shop said $4K for a rebuilt transmission would fix. Vehicle had 130K on odometer and when asked when she had trans oil changed she responded , "I'm not sure - 30K miles"? This one takes a bit more explaining:

Buy a case of Honda trans fluid, 12 qts. (Not aftermarket! Note AAP has 8 different "flavors"....)
Have shop change fluid, requires 3 qts.
Drive 2-3 weeks, have fluid changed again. (Driving mixes the new fluid with broken down fluid.)
Repeat.
Repeat.
 
My sister drove that Accord to 250K miles and the transmission was fine, she thanks me to this day (She did change fluid ever 45K after that.). All fluids break down with mileage/age, let's move on to brake fluid, Is it necessary to replace brake fluid on a car every 3 years? WHAT!!!! CHANGE MY BRAKE FLUID?!?!?! Yes, there are two reasons as brake fluid is hygroscopic , meaning it holds water in suspension. So contaminated brake fluid has a much lower boiling point resulting in brake fade (Note very unlikely in a street driven soccer mom cruiser.) but when this ability is compromised water will collect at low points (Instead of suspension.) causing oxidation which generally leads to leaks by seals, either visibly around master/wheel cylinders or calipers and internally causing low brake pedal or illumination of a warning light on the dashboard as the fluid uses the oxidized points to slip by the seals.
 
Yes, the brake fluid thing is on the extreme side......BUT!.... Let's hope you never have to slap on the brakes in an emergency situation and the pedal is low - mushy - on the floor.
 
As always, YMMV!
 
 
 
I couldn't tell ya at all what they are worth, but what I can say is my dirty hands are all over that particular car you are looking at as I worked for a major Honda Parts supplier that was owned and operated by Honda, all of our stuff went directly to the Alabama plant or to Alliston Ont here in Canada.
 
I can say though, our quality expectations were very high and exceeded all the major car manufacturers in North America, esp the big 3. People havve raved about "The Honda Engine" and how long it can last since I can remember, which is why it's not uncommon to see alot of older Honda still running around, up here in Canada at least.
 
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