Faults:

Nothing much. Despite being the ORIGINAL A/C, it was not quite blowing cold enough at idle on hot days. Had it converted to new freon and recharged 3 weeks ago, and they said that the compressor was on its last legs. After almost 20 years, if that's all that has gone wrong, so be it!

I do NOTHING to this car but change the oil, and it runs great. It needs shocks/struts, a timing belt (if you replace these every 80,000 miles or so, these cars will last FOREVER), and some ball joint, but it runs great as my daily driver.

General Comments:

GREAT car. I bought it with 130,000+ miles on it, and have driven it across 3-4 states regularly without concern. I get 30-33 around town (depending on how much the air conditioning is used), and have gotten 41 on the highway.

EVERYTHING I have replaced on this car - brake pads, tuneup parts, etc., is cheap! Small, but if you need reliable, affordable transportation, you can't go wrong with these little cars.

Faults:

Third paint job - but the previous owner kept it outside, did not clean/wax it - just kept slapping cheap paint jobs on.

General Comments:

AMAZING little car! Super reliable, MPG is phenomenal - I get mid-30s around town, near 40 on the highway (I hit 41 MPG with one tank!).

I have a small trailer hitch and a roof rack on it, which will allow it to haul 4 kayaks and 3 bikes, all while getting 30+ MPG. I call it "the world's smallest SUV".

This car has done EVERYTHING I have asked of it, and never sputtered. GREAT around town car. I have a buddy at a Honda dealership, and he says if you change the timing belt regularly, they'll go on and on and on... says they regularly see these with 300K+ miles on them still running strong.

GREAT around town, and not too bad for road trips with small kiddos.

Faults:

IACV (idle air control valve) started surging the idle at 175000 km. A very common problem, easy fix, but pricey for new at over $300 CDN.

Alternator at 178000 km; a simple replacement can cost anywhere from $60 used to $200 rebuilt or new.

I spoil the car with 91 or higher octane with every fill, and it is worth every penny for the performance and economy.

General Comments:

Having a JDM B18c swap in a 1800 pound Eg 2dr hatch is like Godzilla in a can! This car is insane! I have owned a Cobra, and currently own a 95 GT with a few minor mods, and my Civic eats it up in the first 4 gears with its close ratio LSD tranny. The VTEC is a beast, and with a Skunk2 stage 2 cam, it is screams like a banshee :)

The interior of my DX has stood the test of time with honors, and everything still functions as it should.

The mileage is incredible for a car that I red line every day.

The only major draw backs, are some parts will be hard to scavenge, and 4th and 5th gear are way too short. At 8500 rpm in 5th, the car is topped out at 210-220 kph :( LOL as if you need to go faster in the city.

This car will surprise many V8's on a daily basis.

Faults:

Transmission synchros slip going into second gear.

Brake master cylinder failed.

Dash lights come and go.

Check engine light; bad distributor or ECM?

Leaks oil.

Door locks work intermittently.

Broken door lock.

Upholstery has holes and cracks on visors.

General Comments:

I am disappointed because of the higher expectations I got from reading a lot of the reviews on this site. I think there is a double standard for Japanese cars.

If I told you all of the problems this car has, you are probably picturing the typical run of the mill American car and not a Honda. The worst part, is that all of the problems I've already encountered are typical for this year and model.

It is a cheaply made car with a lot of problems, big and small, but it has a reliable, powerful, and economical engine that counts for a lot in these days of $3 + gasoline. It gets 40 mpg pretty consistently if you can put up with grinding gears, cosmetics falling apart, and a lot of wind and road noise.