How Did Honda Reliability go from FIRST to WORST?! 

Would you buy a Honda?!

It used to be that turbos were only on performance models, driven by enthusiasts who cared to make sure their vehicle ran well. Now they're in regular cars where people don't care about the upkeep.

Small turbo engine and cvt, what can possibly go wrong?

NONE of Mazda's cars have CVT. they also have good and reliable non-turbo options. And nicer interiors...

I'm convinced that manufacturers have been trying to recoup losses during covid and have been cutting corners and jacking up prices to accomplish that ever since. Lotsa turbos, CVTs, infotainment screens and other bad ideas have also contributed. And its not only Honda; Toyota, Ford, ALL of Stellantis, Mercedes and others have all suffered QC issues lately. All I know is my 2000 Lexus GS400 with 210K, runs like new, and is built like a bank vault...will run forever. From a time when you got extra engineering when you paid extra $$.

I work at a honda dealership. We get recalls on fuel pump, seatbelt, steering rack, rear camera, touchscreen radio, and some emissions recall to this day. We get tens of customers with recalls.

Anything else will seem unreliable if you’ve ever owned a civic from the 90’s

They'll certainly never be the company that made the Integra Type R or S2000 again.

They are going trough the same problem bmw faced late 2000s. Switching from n/a to forced induction is pretty hard when you’ve mastered the n/a engines for so long

I wouldn't buy any vehicle made in 2024. Too much fragile technology.

Post 2018 build quality across the board has been bad.

To be fair, Honda CVTs are more reliable than most other CVTs. In Honda’s bigger vehicles, their 10ATs are reliable unlike the older 9ATs and 6ATs. As for engines, the L15 turbo is a bad apple in Honda’s engines, whereas Honda’s other new engines like 2.0s, 3.5s, and hybrids are reliable by design. The 3.5 recalls were caused by manufacturing, not design. The fuel pump recall involves DENSO fuel pumps, which DENSO was actually owned by Toyota.

Current honda Tech here we have all these recalls in our shop Currently, and this is talk among out techs that quality control has really slipped. I have had old honda products, 3rd Gen integra, and 1st Gen crv that have been reliable at 100,000 +miles, but yeah, they're not built like they used to,the found of the company would be very disappointed in his company now

my honda dealer said my 95 Civic is the most reliable and should last a lifetime. currently she has 211K miles.

2022 civic si 18k miles... Oil dilution was so bad i had to sell it.

I disagree with some things and agree with others. Consumer reports ratings have already been improving if you looked at recent years. 2021: 5th place. 2022: 5th place. 2023: 4th place. Also, Honda hasn’t had issues with their CVTs, they’ve been using them since early 2010s. People just like to lump all traditional CVTs as unreliable because of Nissan. The 1.5 Turbo is terrible and probably Honda’s worst engine. Looks like they’re phasing it out for the hybrid system. You can’t get the 1.5 Turbo in the 2025 Civic anymore. New Civic is only 2.0 NA hybrid and 2.0 NA. They’ll most likely make the CR-V hybrid only in the mid cycle refresh. Their new battery plant is going online next year and you’ll see them offer/produce more hybrids. A hybrid HR-V is coming in too. Their paint quality is terrible though.

I love my 2017 honda civic si w/6 speed manual, I've had it for around 5 years now with no issues.

This is not the only problem in auto industry. The problem is causing from the world leaders, the global emissions, the political, the climate change, the EPA, the local government, the education and the EV development costs . All of these causes all of the cut costs, cut development, cut quality, cut value , cut reliability, cut customer support and cut labor. Finally, we got a dream of problems EV!

Saab proved a long time ago that 4 cylinder turbo engines can run forever, even at relatively high compression. I just passed 200K on my 2002 Saab 9-3 Viggen which runs great and doesn't burn oil at all. There are thousands of Saabs still running with that 2.3 L engine which makes up to 230 hp.

It’s not only worse and also twice more expensive

All CVT transmissions SUCK, SUCK, SUCK! People: don’t buy any car with a CVT & the manufacturers will stop making them. What’s the next problem we can solve? lol 😂

As much as I hate Nissan. I have actually made their CVT easily last beyond 200k. The secret is to change the CVT Fluid, transmission filter, etc. every 25k miles.

I have a 23 Civic Sport, 14k miles. It hasn’t started 6 times throughout my ownership and now has a slipping CVT transmission. Honda can’t find any issues with it and claim it’s perfectly normal. That about sums up my Honda experience and many others’ experience recently

I knew someone with a honda accord 2017 and it started eating oil at 45k miles. Think they got a 2019 altima after that and it has 100 something thousand miles. They do change the fluid every 30k miles drain and fill.

honda has become just another shitty ford

Wife has 11th Gen. 2022 Honda Civic Touring it's a 1.5L Earths Dream i-4 Turbo since Fall 2022 and as of June 2024 has 6,300 miles. We live in the Northeast, average annual snowfall of 126 inches, and her job is 6 miles round trip, not often on the highway, just saying in many ways short drives. Said short range driving and cold weather contributes to Oil Dilution. So far no signs of it and the 2022 Civic Touring been serviced 3 times now (6 mo., 12 mo., and 18 month routine maintenance). The 10th Gen was the one with Oil Dilution problems. One problem at the Honda Factory/Assembly Plants is the use of defective body parts, They do not care if there are ridges, uneven cuts, scratches, marks, bad paint job, and large Gaps when put together. We will just refer that Honda makes LEGO SNAP ONS. Yes! Honda's quality and workmanship have declined in the last 10 to 20 years. It's all about going Green, or less Emissions, and adding lots of Technology gadgets or semi-functional Safety Features that will either distract you, intimidate, aggravate, lot of lights flashing, and become annoying while driving. For all this crap, less quality and pay a fortunate for the Technology. One Recall been for Electronic Steering, Honda Tech looked at it, and took a Photo and sent to Honda Company. Total time in labor between 5 to 10 minutes but the Honda Dealership needed the car for the whole day as the scheduled appointment was 7:30am ... I was not a walk-in. Civic was ready to be picked up at 4pm as I was called at 3:50pm. It would have been simpler to have waited there providing they do the work at the appointed scheduled time. What's 10 minutes vs the inconvenience that my wife had no car all day. I have a 2023 Camry XSE V6, I have consistantly complained about Very Poor MPG. It gets average of 16.99MPG. Window sticker 22 City/ 26 avg,/32 Highway and I am 9 MPG below average. Toyota trying to convince me that the tires are causing low MPG. I'm not biting. It's an engine problem or computer that not calibrated for the injectors or fuel-air mixture. Toyota has refused to do anything about it. I would accept 2 to 3 below but 9 is way too high. Toyota is just as bad as Honda. Bottom line is about profit and don't care about the person who purchased one of their vehicles. Supposedly, Recalls will be occurring more often in the near future.

I blame greed and technology. But I'll still buy a Honda over Nissan, Hyundai, KIA, Ford, Dodge, Chrysler, Chevrolet and Mazda. Honda and Toyota only.

I own a 2019 civic Si. I love the car now, but I went through blowing up a motor at two 260 horsepower, going thirty miles an hour, not even boosting. Honda's just aren't the tuner car platforms that they used to be. There's still good economy cars, but if you want a good project car, you have go straight for the top.

Wasn’t aware. Pretty surprising. I’ve had 3, and sold all 3 after one to many problems with all of them but never thought of them as bad cars, but I didn’t like working on them - everything was too tightly cramped.

I have a 10th gen SI I know of the gas issue. I smell it too and that’s why I change it at 3k miles. Tuned and modded. It’s a fun car

I wouldn’t buy any with a CVT transmission. I do need some advice on a 5th gen Prelude with automatic transmission though. What was up with those transmissions and would you recommend I get one?

Lmao just saw a 2015ish civic getting hauled on a flatbed today with a smoking engine bay and here's this video lol the irony

Their quality has been going down ever since.

My last Honda was a ‘17 Civic EX hatchback. Absolute garbage, no dealer support. Won’t be back.

I had a 22 civic si loved it but passenger window was going down slow and noticed it so I waited for my first oil change to bring it up also noticed the logo moving inward and all they did was spray silicone and then sent the car out with the trim damaged noticed it brought it in the next day and they had to order $500 worth of parts to replace it. Then at 13k I was parked up a hill and when I turned the car off the steering wheel turned with my hands on it with a good amount of force and my steering wheel was off ever since. A few months down the road and guess what the steering starts getting sticky 😂. The funny part is was watching a video on a 22 civic si and the steering getting stuck and it happened to me when I was turning I ended up trading it in unfortunately

How? I tell you how.... Being cheap 😂 Massive profits. I have a 2020 honda and not even the door panels align properly 🎉

I had a 90 civic with the garbage automatic transmission. It was my pizza delivery car. At one point I lost reverse so whenever I pulled into a driveway I made sure it was a hill so I could just coast back down in neutral. That 1.5 liter engine was gutless but was the least of my concerns.

What about the Non turbo engine in the 2017- 2018 Civics? Any common issues?

Bought my 2018 Civic Hatchback, LX, 6 speed, 1.5 turbo, brand new in Nov of 2017. Just turned over 100k miles last week, no major problems except A/C work under warranty a few years back. The engine runs great, I get 40 mpg on the highway, and some You Tube guy has 700,000 miles of his 2016 Civic 1.5 turbo, so it's not too bad. I did get a recall notice on my fuel pump but haven't had any problems yet so haven't replaced fuel pump. I think it's a great car ..... and tons of room too! And I also have a Honda dirt bike, a Honda lawnmower, and a Honda generator - all work great. Cheers!

I've known 3 friends with accords. I remember they lose oil quick. 1 friend had to replace the engine before 80k miles. The other 2 i pulled out the dipstick and it was dry.

My 2020 accord needed another head gasket and fuel pump at 25,000 miles! 😡 A $7,500 cost! 😡

at the time honda was more focused on reliability and efficiency. but today’s demand is for convenience and fun. heres the result for now.

Not just Honda, those new Tundra motors are blowing up left and right. Your best bet is to purchase an older Honda or Toyota. They built cars back when reliable was the most important factor of building cars. Now it’s about money, dam the reliability.

I hear people who don't do their research snub their nose at Hyundais, saying they all blow up and that Honda is soooo good, bc of their ethos. I bought a new Hyundai Elantra N in 2023 for the price of a Civic SI after learning how good the car is and seeing how much better Hyundai has gotten over the last 5 years. Honda got fat and lazy and Hyundai hit a home run with the N brand and the Elantra models but people who don't think for themselves have not heard that enough from the people they get their opinions from yet. That means stealerships mark-up Hondas and Hyundais sell for MSRP and I am so glad, otherwise I might own a Civic SI and be getting gapped by Golf GTI and Dodge chargers instead of gapping them in my 320 whp tuned CN7. Why would Honda mess up the MT gearbox that they are famous for? They were great! Have fun with the CVT ATV-type transmission. The CN7 comes with an amazing DCT or the standard 6-speed manual that I bought! BTW, the turbo engine can last if maintained and cared for. The DI gets dirty, but water-methanol injection done right cools intakes and acts as a detergent for the engine and injectors. Turbos get starved for oil or bake when people just park and turn them off without letting them cool and cycle oil for a minute or two. I let my CN7 cool until the oil temp is under 200 degrees, then turn it off.

Clicked on this thinking it was donut media but enjoyed it eitherway

My 2013 civic never gave me any major issues. It was all just really annoying stuff like weak rotors, weak AC, hard to keep straight at highway speeds, and tpms warnings that never went away. My Corolla Hatchback 6MT hasn't had any annoying issues. It drives as well as day one 4 years in. 😌

Nice well balanced information - appreciated as a potential Honda buyer.

For the people with issues on 1.5 l turbo engine, and cvt trans honda. Dont drive yours car like a race car, change oils 3 k miles, keep all the maintenance up today, and you will be fine.

Bought a 2020 civic sport with the 2.0L non turbo engine but with cvt. Bought at 34k, now at 88k with only a couple cv joint replacements and standard maintenance

I’ve had my 2018 Honda Civic since 12 miles and it’s coming up on about 127,000, the only thing in this sucker that has randomly broken is the windshield wiper fluid pump, which thankfully was reasonably replace, but then broke shortly after. From what I understand I do have a recall. I need to get checked out for the fuel pump, but I heard that the turbo Honda Civic had oil delusion issues that caused a lot of problems.

I have a 2006 Accord V6 Coupe that I drove and then gave to my son. Only car I ever owned that did not require a single repair outside of regular maintenance. That being said, I would not buy a 2018-2012 turbo Honda. Too many recalls. Too much risk that previous owners didn't properly care for their turbos.

the older ones did have some rust issues but reliability was their strong suit

Honda still makes reliable engines. It’s just the CVTs that suck. I have a 08 Honda City. Engine still runs great. It has about 145K milage on it. But man the CVT leaves a lot to be desired. Been dealing with this shuddering issue for a long time despite keeping up with the maintenance schedule. God i wish manufacturers go back to using the good old automatic transmission

We had an 18 Civic SI that developed a SEVERE dilution problem at 77k (I check my oil frequently). It was my DD, never abused, never modified, early oil and filter changes ever 5k, and Honda America said they wouldn't help us unless it was stalling or throwing engine codes. That sucked because I really like the SI otherwise....

I love Honda, even when they don't make the best looking cars. I believe in their reliability and fun driving experience, have they forgotten their heritage and reputation? I'm shocked to see that Honda would allow poor products to leave their assembly lines. Honda what are you doing?

2017 Si coupe owner since 6 miles on the odometer. Only complaint I have after 110xxx miles is the AC needing replacement at 100k. But I was luckier than most. If it last til 200k and the AC is still going I’ll be happy.

Would a 2024 Civic si be a bad car to buy then? It has the 1.5t with all the issues, have they been fixed?

I bought a pre-owned Honda Civic 2016 LX last year. It was Honda certified and bought from Honda dealership. With 100k miles. Since last one year the AC has kept breaking down again and again. Dealership has replaced Compressor, two condensers and lots of AC pipes. Still regret my decision buying it.

My 2009 Accord lx has given quite a few surprises from the 80k miles mark. Things are wearing out that even Fords would not do before 100k miles.

Worked for a delivery company that had the brilliant idea to use CPOd Honda Pilots for the bulk of their fleet. Every single transmission failed within 2 years.

My son bought a 2018 Honda Accord and it's been in the shop more than it's been on the road

Honda reliability now is just a stereotype

What do you think of crv 2023 hybrid

I bought my 2020 Accord 2.0T last year w/41K on the clock and have changed the oil every 3K. Found out a chick owned it previously so almost certain it wasn't broken in properly

I have a 2018 Civic EX-T with the 1.5T (manual 6 sp.) and am loving it. And I beat the so-called oil dilution issue! I drove all winter on the same oil change this past winter. When I submitted an oil sample to Blackstone Labs this past spring, they found very low gas in my oil! I found that if I drive right off in the winter without a warm up, the car warms up much faster than just sitting. I do drive it gently until it is warmed up to take it easy on the turbo. But the engine warms up so much faster the gas does not get past the rings much. I also drive at higher RPMs in the winter and only drive at 5th gear at highway speeds. It still gets about as good gas mileage in 5th gear. I only use 6th gear in the summer. I found that higher RPMS and therefore hotter combustion and overall higher top end temperatures also keeps gas burning up before it gets through the rings down into my crankcase. And the head gasket issue doesn't happen much in the lighter weight Civic nearly as much as in the heavier CRVs and Accord. My Blackstone sample was actually below the average for all vehicles.

6:05 I feel not only the turbo 1.5L & V6, but the NA 2.4L is burning oil as well. We have a 2017 Accord Sport, and I haven’t seen any oil leaks/stains, but have to add oil before 5,000 mile oil changes.

90s model civics are still alive up to date. Engine reliability is very high! Mine is 27y.o. and my mechanic can really tell that my engine are still in a good condition.

My honda crv from 1999 has over 200k miles and still giong strong; while my father's 2016 pilot with 60k miles left him stranded and he had to borrow a family member's 2007 chevy suburban to complete the trip. Honda used to be amazing and they really need to get it back on track

My first encounter with Honda quality was with an Acura TL. The wind shield wipers broke and the rear view mirror leaked an acid that burned a hole in the console. Both at about 40,000 miles, but out of warranty. The transmission had to be replaced at 60,000 miles. My second encounter with Honda was my Pilot Touring AWD. All the trouble lights activated at 50,000 miles. After researching, I coincidentally found out that that the rear differential fluid was supposed to be changed at 5,000 miles. Also, the transmission fluid must be changed every 30,000 miles. The parts alone for these fluid changes is over $400 and labor another $400. So, I do it myself. Honda does not specify what maintenance is required; they want to force you to rely on the dealer for all maintenance (X oil change). The auto stop-start system would leave us stranded at an intersection. So, we have to disable it every time the car is started. Back to the check engine, check LKAS, check ABS, etc. lights all coming on was because of fuel system failure, which had to be replaced. I also had to clean the ground bar in the main fuses, or the lights would all activate. The auto lock system failed and had to be replaced. We had a cracked windshield that could only be replaced with an OEM Honda windshield and it took over an hour of driving to recalibrate the LKAS system ($1,500). Luckily my other cars are Toyotas (Japan) and a Mercedes (Germany). All these cars are totally reliable compared to the Honda and Acura. The Acura, I have to say, was a pleasure to drive and had less problems than the Pilot(made in Alabama).

In 2004 I bought a new fully optioned Civic VI hatch MY04....even had built in full-on infotainment including Sat/Nav, (a real rarity in 2004) I sold it 14 years later with 310,000 kms on the clock. Replaced brake pads, tyres, timing belts and a battery but, the only thing that actually broke in that times was.....one headlight globe!! I sold it in 2018 and 17 months later the guy who bought it from me sent an email saying it had clocked up 400,000Kms and it was still running just like new! On selling it I replaced it with a 2014 Civic Hatch VTI-LN, once again fully optioned. That has now done 200,000 Kms, doesn't use any oil between regular services and nothing has broken down on it. I agree the transmission is not well suited to the 1.8 Lt motor but the paddle shifters make it a pleasure to drive. For me there is no other vehicle I would consider in my life than a Honda and it saddens me to watch this video.

I have an ‘18 with the NA 2.0l and no issues so far with 60k miles on it.

I love the 2.0L in my 2019 Civic because it gets great gas mileage, but I'm not real sure how long the CVT will last. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed for now.

Love my 03 crv with a manual awd transmission. Has 237k miles and runs like a top.

I find it hilarious that my first car which was a hyundai elantra outlasted my moms CRV equipped with the K24Z3 engine known for failing piston rings. My elantra which was a HYUNDAI burnt zero oil. Hers? Every second fill up you had to add oil and it started knocking bad.

My 2011 Corolla axio is cvt. Haven't had to do anything to it except change the fluid. Got 190000+ km

Last year I bought a 2016 Odyssey because the 2018 and up have the Earth Dreams/9 or 10 speed trans. I've heard too many bad experiences with them at low mileage. The generation I bought is bad enough. A few years ago, a friend of mine had a 2015 Crv that the electronic steering messed up. It was a nightmare just moving it to where it could be pulled onto a rollback. At the time, the car wasn't that old. Meanwhile, I still daily drive a 1999 CRV with 397,000 miles on it.

I guess I'll keep driving my '06 TL a little longer. V6, no turbo, no GDI ... six-speed manual ... fun to drive.

Bro called out my 2018 1.5t accord in every way, great👍🏼 !!!

I bought a 2024 Type R. I hope it holds up for a few years.

People don't realize short trips, sitting in drive thrus and traffic is severe driving conditions.

Yea I have 2 acuras , 2021 rdx and 2020 MDX and both have recall.. I will have the rod /engine tested next week under recall. My ‘90 accord went 215k miles.. replace oil , and repeat. Changed belt at 100k miles. Perhaps I am just reminiscing now…

Don’t scare me guys, I bought my FL5 Type R the same time you guys posted this😂😂

1991 Civic owner here. Never gonna sell my car. Modern Honda has totally LOST its way. SMH

I know a 30-yr Honda master mechanic. He says the quality has gone steadily down and continues to drop.

Had an '89 Civic hatchback. Drove it like it was stolen. It lasted 18-1/2 years until rust ended it. I still have a 2002 Acura RSX. Best car I've ever owned.

I was gonna go with a Hybrid toyota but I worried about the car once the batteries die (cost) and the cvt experiencing the problems of being in a gasoline only car. So I went with a 8th gen 8 speed automatic Camry.

Bought my 2017 civic coup brand new. Has 207,000 miles on it. Pulls every time I merge until I let off, gets 42 mpg and a blast to drive. I traded my 1999 Accord with 451,000 miles on it.

The issue is that these cars are larger and heavier. The engines are smaller and have more power, higher revs, and more heat. And its a complicated power train. Make these cars weigh 2200 lbs with 2.4L naturally aspirated engines and you'll have a solid car. Look at what makes a Camry great...

All ive ever owned all my life are hondas 90 accord 92 accord 09 crv and now a 21 civic never had any major issues with any of them lol lots of people just dont take care of their cars

Oh ok this makes sense but I change my oil every 3500 miles and I have a 2020 1.5t and when I’m driving down the highway and take my foot off the gas, and keep rolling there is a loud exhaust type sound it’s loud and when I hit the gas it goes away and then when I’m coming to a complete stop it would go away. Someone said my exhaust on the turbo isn’t opening up and is causing that loud humming sound (not the one people complain about coming from the speakers)

Took a chance with the 2020 odyssey. Hopefully it goes well.

I used to have a b18b stock internal t3/t4 turbocharged at 9psi never blow the motor or the transmission (gsr with LSD) on a 97 civic coupe.

While Toyota is the hybrid king, Honda has spread itself thin with way too many models and drive trains that nobody asked for. Still, if you’d like to see motor nirvana, just pop open a civic hood and admire! Thanks for sharing.

I have a civic 1.5t in singapore and hasnt gotten any issue since the first day of ownership. Not sure if the seasonal change plays a part in the states? 😂

Have an '07 Accord SE. About 145,000 miles, no major problems whatsoever (knock on wood). Well maintained, nobody believes it's 17 years old. Hope I get to 300,00 but I may die before it does LOL. Wait, that's not funny.....

The good news is that the 1.5 Turbo has been discontinued on the 2025 Civic for a hybrid version.

I was interested in CRV Gen-6, now you got me thinking. LOL.

I own 3 honda's from this era - 2016 accord, 2019 Oddessy and 2023 CRV. None of which have had any issues at all. 2 of them are over 100k miles and aside from a few recalls (Which have been quick and easy) I have never had a check engine or a breakdown ever. In fact, I'd argue the 2016 accord's cvt has been nothing but bullet prof. Hell, it survived 2 teenagers. It shocks me too see everyone having all these issues

So what was the issue you mentioned about the head gasket? You did not elaborate!!

The best thing for the planed is to incetive keep older cars in optimal condition, with reliable 4 cyl engines and lower speed limits again, i dont get how some street cars reach 400hp , there is no need for that in the streets