9.0

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$2,910
Average Mileage:
98,250 miles
Total Complaints:
183 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. get new engine (60 reports)
  2. not sure (38 reports)
  3. replace short block (28 reports)
  4. replaced engine (18 reports)
  5. honda paid for full repair (12 reports)
  6. get a new car (11 reports)
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This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Honda dealer.

problem #183

Aug 182021

Civic EX 1.8L In-Line R18a1

  • Automatic transmission
  • 145,000 miles

Like others have said I had a 2006 Honda Civic with a cracked engine block and leaking coolant. Car was out of the 10-year Honda warranty. It happened after a mechanic did a coolant flush. I don't blame the mechanic since the engine walls were probably weak from the manufacturer defect. As a short-term work around, I keep adding coolant and then tried K-Seal. It slowed down the leak for about a year. I had a jug of coolant and distilled water in my trunk just in case. But then it resumed the leak at an unsustainable rate. I added another round of K-Seal and it didn't help. Then steam was venting out the hood after a few mile drives. So I donated the car to a local PBS station. They got like $3500 out of it based on the tax receipt I got. Whoever bought the car at auction probably didn't check out the engine closely and overpaid.

- cochequejas, Escondido, US

problem #182

Jan 022023

Civic ES 1.8L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 78,662 miles

On Jan 1, 2023, my 2006 Honda civic with only 78K left me stranded on the road when it overheated due to there being no coolant in the system. All of the coolant leaked out through the cracked block. The crack was in the exact spot as so many other Hondas and as described in the tech note. The local dealer told me over the phone that it was not covered and quoted me $6,000 for repairs. The national deal was willing to take a "Good Faith" claim but I needed to take the car into a certified Honda dealer for Diagnostics which would cost about $300. I doubt that I would get anything for my 18-year-old car.

I had bought a Honda because I wanted a high-quality car after having a series of American cars which all broke down at about 120,000 miles. I thought that Honda would do better, but it didn't even make it to 80,000 miles-. The only solution is to get another car that's not a Honda. This was my first and last Honda (or Acura).

Needless to say, I am very disappointed in Honda, and in my own opinion, are no better than any other car manufacturer. Honda should have sent out a recall notice to inspect the engine of these cars.

- Crothers W., San Jose, CA, US

problem #181

Aug 162022

Civic LX 1.8L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 186,000 miles

I would never buy another HONDA ever!! This company is deceptive and horrid. We were the ORIGINAL owners and took great care of this little car, religiously changing oil every 5,000 miles even when using synthetic oil! We are horrified to learn that HONDA KNEW about the defective cracked engine blocks and NEVER contacted the original owners to warn them. In fact, we just learned that it was so pervasive with cracked, defective engines since 2006 (and other years) that HONDA gave a 10 year warranty BUT only if you were savvy enough to figure it out as they did NOT NOTIFY OWNERS of this massive, expensive, and dangerous defect!! They are sneaky, and deceptive! They should be forced to pay given the fact they KNEW and WITHHELD! This is clear deception knowing you sold a defective product and not standing by that product! Owners should be compensated.

- H. T., Murrieta, California, US

problem #180

Feb 092014

Civic EX 1.8L 4l

  • Manual transmission
  • 90,099 miles

I was a fortunate costumer to claim the Honda Technical Service Bulletin #a08-044 - Engine Overheats or Leaks Coolant

- Javier V., Ensenada, BC, Mexico

problem #179

Oct 012019

Civic EX 1.8L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 196,000 miles

2006 Honda Civic. Worst car ever!!! This is a known issue that they extended the warranty on, but never recalled the faulty part. This is horrible customer service, because my engine failed due to a known issue by Honda after the extended warranty. I am stuck with the $6k bill to get this fixed. It was not a known issue to me when I bought the car. But now after my engine is shot I find out that if it was ruined a couple years ago for the same issue it would be covered 100%. Honda needs to step up and fix this problem!!! Or at least fix it at a discount. Even just charge the consumer for parts only!! This is over 13 hours of labor to change this out. How do we start a class action lawsuit? Anyone?

- Db B., Wellsburg, IA, US

problem #178

Nov 022017

Civic EX 1.4L

  • Manual transmission
  • 109,119 miles

After being left on the side of the road with an overheated engine in November 2017. I took my 2006 Civic into the local dealer. They "found a crack in the short block behind the starter. Need to replace short block or order used engine." and wanted $4921.16 to fix it! Or $3800 to drop in a used engine - are you kidding me? The Car is only worth 5k. And the Dealer just said they were sorry. It was a little over a year out of the extended warranty issued by Honda. and this was not covered anymore.

So I took my 11 year old Civic home with 109,119 miles on it and decided I would top off the coolant every couple days and see how it went. The crazy part was it never leaked into the Oil and never left a drop on the ground. it would run down the block onto the exhaust manifold and burn away.

I would religiously top off the coolant every 2-3 days. It never overheated again and I was going through less than 1 gallon of coolant a month. Take that Honda - I spent less than $100/year to keep driving my car with a Cracked block.

Now 43,000 miles later, I am walking away from my Civic because it needs a new rack and power steering pump. And I am not dropping another Dime into that piece of work.

- Eminyity H., Minneapolis, MN, US

problem #177

Dec 142019

Civic

  • Automatic transmission
  • 54,000 miles

Well here you go, yet another 2006 Honda Civic engine problem! We are the second owner. I am so angry right now, my daughter was driving when with no warning the check engine light began to flash. She lost power and drifted to the side of the road. The car then began to smoke.

It was towed to our local mechanic where he promptly told us the car is a total loss. The engine got so hot it melted the dip stick and catalytic converter. He never saw anything like it. Mind you - this car has only 54,000 miles on it. I should have gotten another 100,000! I called the Honda customer service line, and not only were they not interested because it is out of warranty and was not serviced by a Honda dealer, they were completely RUDE. They know this is a factory defect but it is my loss to take. I am only thankful my daughter was not hurt because we would be having a much different conversation with Honda. Lesson learned, no more Hondas for me.

- Lynn S., Pittsburgh, US

problem #176

May 052021

Civic EX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 70,000 miles

I got this used car with all my saving and found out engine block is cracked with leaking coolant. I expect Honda to fix this for me.

- aqdus, Kansas City, US

problem #175

Sep 222018

Civic LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 194,000 miles

The engine block was cracked and we were leaking coolant. We never knew it because the engine light never came on. The temperature gauge for the engine also wasn't working. So it randomly died on the highway. And we blew a gasket. The entire thing was totaled. We had it towed to a mechanic who said that the engine had gotten so hot, it had melted the dipstick. We were lucky there wasn't a fire. We had regular maintenance done on the car but the way it was cracked meant no one ever saw it.

- Rachel O., Atlanta, GA, US

problem #174

Sep 012016

Civic

  • Automatic transmission
  • 213,130 miles

When I bought my civic 2nd hand,it seemed to be working fine. Within a few weeks I noticed that there was anti-freeze leaking out of the engine. I phoned Honda Canada and they didn't feel they should help me with this problem because even though it was 2016 at the time,and my car was only 10 years old,the warranty that they had extended for 10 years wasn't going to include my car. They claimed that I was 3 months too late to qualify for any help with this problem. I am still sickened about this company which prides itself on the longevity of their engines. I still drive my car and it still looks great,but alas I know that the main brain of the vehicle is only surviving on borrowed time. I add a "stop leak" agent every time it starts to leak a little. I am still hopeful that if enough of us complain then we may still be heard. It is very frustrating!

- MaryAnn M., Sydney, NS, Canada

problem #173

Mar 212019

Civic LX R18a1

  • Automatic transmission
  • 54,000 miles

The car is well kept and well maintained. On March 21, 2018 found coolant on the garage floor, and discovered that it was coming from the engine block. Further researched of this problem and found that this was a major problem with the 06-09 Civics with the R18A1 engines, apparently Honda issued an extended warranty up to 10 years and is very aware of this issue. I did not receive this warranty extension though, I brought the car to the dealer and notified Honda corporate office. I was assigned a case manager and provided the maintenance record.

The dealer called me after a day or so, and told me that the corporate office offered me a deductible for the repair of $2,700. So the first $2,700 is mine the rest is the dealer cost. The dealer told me that I'll be getting a re-manufactured engine block, not a whole engine, and that the cost for the total repair will reach to almost $10,000. I ask if I could appeal this and told the service manager that I'll call the case manager. Apparently the case manager does not answer or return my calls.

I called and ask for clarification of the offer, and then the case manager called back. The case manager asked me if I brought the car to the dealer, and I asked why she did not know. She then said that the dealer probably talked to someone else in the main office and made a determination. I asked why she did not know if she is the case manager for my case, and she changed the subject and said she had to talk with the service manager for details, and will call back. She did not call back.

I will have to get the car fixed, but my opinion is that Honda needs to own up to this and do the honorable thing and provide 100% support and solution to resolve this issue. Not offer deductibles for a known mistake Honda made.

- lenny, Silver Spring, US

problem #172

Feb 012019

Civic LX 1.8L

  • Manual transmission
  • 134,838 miles

Honda extended the warranty to fix this issue up to 10 years. In my case the engine block cracked on the 12th year. No longer covered by warranty. Estimated cost to fix was $4000. I made the decision to put this money towards buying a new car instead. I wish the car had lasted a couple of years more since I was not ready to start car payments yet.

From a safety point of view, it sucks that this happened and when it happened. I remembered, a Saturday as I was drying my son to his martial arts class my heating was not working. After a few minutes, it started to work again. Lack of experience with this issue did not raise any red flags. On Sunday, I did not drive. On Monday, it was a very cold day (-35 C). Again the heating was not working and the temperature gauge was elevated. I dropped off my son at school and decided to continue driving thinking it was due to the extremely cold weather. About 15 kilometers into my trip, the car started to overheat. Heating was still not working. I was freezing inside the car due to the extreme weather. My car stopped in the middle of they highway but I was able to steer it towards the shoulder. After a few minutes of wondering my next move. I didn't have any road assistance service and did not want to be stuck in the highway in this extreme cold. I was able to restart the car after a few minutes. Knowing that I was closer to work than home, I continued driving. I soon as I was able to exit the highway I got out and stopped the car at the closest side-street and turned off the engine. I was still a couple of kilometers from work. I tried to restart the car but it wouldn't start. I grabbed my things, locked the car and walked to work. Later that day, after Google-ling the issue, I went to a gas station and got coolant and refilled the radiator. Moved the car to my work parking lot and called my mechanic.

The issue was assessed as a crack in the engine block that led to coolant to sip into the engine and causing the car to over heat.

After considering fixing it, I ended up getting a new car and sold the old car for $500.

- Edward C., Toronto, ON, Canada

problem #171

Dec 152018

Civic EX 1.8L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 194,000 miles

2nd time owner. Purchased in 2016 for $7k. Upon purchase, dumped $2200 of repairs into the vehicle. Have kept up with all maintenance. Completed my own work on the vehicle. Replaced AC Compressor. Replaced all 4 tires 2 months prior to crack in the engine block issue. Absolutely no reason why the vehicle should have died on me (unless something happened to the transmission which is very hard to determine when something like that would happen).

Contacted multiple dealerships; all told me they couldn't help me. Contacted Honda international and filed a case. The case stretched 2 and a half months before I heard any word for any kind of assistance. They quoted $6,995 for the repair and promised to provide assistance which would knock my out of pocket cost down to $4,400 plus any dealership tax. When I asked if they could apply the credit to a new vehicle purchase, they denied the request.

Absolutely disappointed in Honda. Furious that my car (which could have had another 2-3 years of life) is not a giant paperweight because of a manufacturer defect.

One purpose of a TSB is to avoid a media frenzy and quietly replace/repair vehicle issues. For example, A similar situation happened with Ford a number of years back where the frames rusted prematurely on their trucks. Ford replace/repaired everything in order to avoid media attention and keep their customers happy. Honda is neglecting its customers who have bought vehicles with the expectation that they would fail from normal wear and tear; not from their own manufacturing errors. Why are they able to get away with something like this?? Why is there not a class action suit against them? Why is this not a public issue on the news? This is outrageous

- ddowdy, Doylestown, US

problem #170

Nov 152018

Civic LX 1.8L

  • Manual transmission
  • 208,000 miles

My Honda Civic 2006 has a crack on the engine block. I contact to Honda of America because the problem is originated for bad manufactured engine block as is published in Service Bulletin 10-048. Customer Service asked me to take the car to an authorized Honda and the diagnostic was cracked engine block and the recommendation is replace the engine block. After one week waiting the answer from Honda of America the they say the repair will cost $6,950 and I have to pay more than $2k from my own because the warranty ended. It is clear that Honda does not have any consideration for their own mistakes. It is a shame because $6900 is the third of the price a new car.

Very disappointing!

- Willo F., Strathmore, CA, US

problem #169

Aug 192018

Civic EX 1.8L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 142,915 miles

Original owner of a 2006 Honda Civic EX coupe. I've taken great care of my car. Have all receipts. Same story as everyone else. No previous issues. Great car until this! Dealership has been wonderful and paying for a rental car while I'm in "mediation" with Honda Canada. Offer from Honda Canada consisted of 3 choices: 1. $1000 towards a new car 2. $4600 to replace with new engine block..... at MY COST 3. $2800 to replace with used engine block.....at MY COST

Yes, at 230,000 kms I've overextended both my mileage and time warranties but bottom line if Honda didn't have a faulty product I'm confident that I'd be enjoying my car well into 400 if not 500,000 kms!! How is it fair that a poorly maintained vehicle with 199,000kms qualifies for an engine replacement and my beautiful little rust free car doesn't?

To say that I'm disappointed with Honda Canada is an understatement! I have come to expect way more from a company with such quality products. I feel as if my concerns have fallen on deaf ears. I chose to by a Honda product for my first new car purchase ever!! I researched and talked to people and chose Honda over all the others for it's quality and seemingly integrity for customer care! I had this car oil sprayed yearly. I maintained all maintainance schedules. I responded in a timely manner to all manufacturer recall and warranty issues...... except one, namely the "Engine Overheats or Leaks Coolant" warranty extension which states "NO action is required on your part unless you experience a problem"

In the future you can be sure that I will investigate such a notice much further!! After this experience I will have the dealer examine the suspect part to ensure no such future potential issues!! How would Honda Canada like that? If every client made such a request!! As mentioned previously I trusted Honda Canada's integrity to do the right and honest thing! This in my opinion is a recall issue but Honda chose a more economical solution to instead extend the warranty. Shame on you!

Question to all...... Has anyone used/tried JB Weld as a solution?? Thanks and please advise.

- Kim M., Newmarket, ON, Canada

problem #168

Jul 252018

Civic EX 1.8L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 124,274 miles

Very disappointing because I never got any letter that this matter was a recall. I was trying to fight for reimbursement although the warranty has expired. It's sad because it only had 200k km on it. So it's very annoying.

- Nylan M., Vancouver, BC, Canada

problem #167

Jul 132018

Civic EX 1.8L

  • Manual transmission
  • 90,000 miles

I bought a 2006 Honda Civic 2 months ago from a small 3rd part dealership. My temperature gauge was spiking so I decided to take the car to a local Honda Dealership. I was told, like so many other people, that I had a crack on my engine block and needed to replace the entire engine.

When I informed the mechanics that my temperature gauge had been spiking for about a week, they were surprised the car made it that long in one piece. They strongly advised me not to drive the car as is for safety reasons.

How is this not a recall?

- Frank H., Bethlehem, US

problem #166

Jun 292018

Civic

  • Automatic transmission
  • 137,000 miles

Yet another 2006 Honda Civic with a cracked engine block. No warning whatsoever. Had it serviced two weeks ago and fluid levels were fine. The cars been in the family since brand new and I have maintenance records since date of purchase. Honda needs to step up and deal with this. 10 years is an arbitrary time period for a known manufacturing defect. This is not a normal wear and tear issue. I buy cars new and expect 200,000 miles out of them. I've got a Toyota that is going strong with almost 300,000. At the moment I have a piece of scrap metal with 137,000 miles on it because the cost of repair greatly exceeds value of car. If Honda doesn't make this right they have lost a customer and a family of customers for life.

- Christine G., Austin, US

problem #165

Apr 042018

Civic

  • Automatic transmission
  • 135,000 miles

Original owner. No other problem with vehicle. Well cared for. Car began overheating. No visible signs of problem. Had checked several times and problem couldn't be found except to say it was losing coolant. Last time to my mechanic he said it was a probable small crack in the block and the engine needed to be replaced. This is a large financial burden. I took very good care of my car. Upon reading about the problem online I read it was a manufacturers defect and am upset I was never informed about this problem. I wish to seek help for the repair.

- Elizabeth K., Cleveland, TN, US

problem #164

Mar 292018

Civic EX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 260,000 miles

My 2006 Civic slowed to a crawl and started smoking from under the hood on Thursday, March 29, 2018 while driving down the highway. There were no warnings or precursors to this event. Luckily I was able to find a safe place on the side of the highway without being struck by another vehicle or precipitating an accident. AAA towed to our mechanic who ran a coolant pressure test which revealed a cracked engine block. I am the 2nd owner. The vehicle was bought in 2007 as certified from local dealer. I was given no notice of warranty extension or TSB 10-048. Had I known, I would have sold the vehicle before incurring these unexpected costs for an obvious manufacturing defect.

Honda Civics manufactured between 2006 - 2009 have this defect. If was due to a redesigned engine that had a weak aluminum casting defect which causes a coolant leak. Over time this leak worsens. In my case, it appears that all of the coolant was released at once causing catastrophic failure. Honda issued Technical Service Bulletin 10-048 was issued on January 9, 2015 that covered all VINs begins with 1HG or 2HG. My Honda Civic VIN begins 1HG. The TSB states that the engine block may leak engine coolant resulting in engine overheating. The TSB also stated that the vehicle warranty would be extended from eight to ten years for affected vehicles. The TSB was extended to include 2009 Civics with the 1HG and 2HG VIN numbers. VIN’s starting with 19X were also added at this time.

This is an obvious safety concern which should have been escalated into a recall instead of a TSB.

Why is a Safety Recall not in effect for this? With a Safety Recall...Honda would have to send out a mandatory notice for a Safety recall. Obviously if a car just stops while driving and catches fire, it can result in serious injuries. Only a secret warranty...TSB (Technical service bulletin) was put out for this. With a technical service bulletin..tsb...honda does not have to notify the owners of their mistakes or defects in the vehicle they sold.

If anyone has information on the Class Action Lawsuit with honda on this " TSB" secret warranty defect, please advise. The defect which Honda admits to (because of the TSB) meets the requirement for a safety recall, so what's going on?

- RECALLvsTSBsecretWarranty S., Indianapolis, US

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