9th Apr 2008, 17:15

I too have encountered problems with the manual transmission like the two people listed above and I too was given the runaround by Honda. I will never buy another Honda again. I found that Hyundai Tiburon has a great shifter and is a better driving car overall and much less money to boot, The Mazda 3 has a decent shifter too. I only wish I test driven the competition before buying this vehicle, I definitely regret the purchase of my Honda Civic Si.

27th May 2008, 18:13

I just exchanged my Civic Si for a Mazda3. It's not in the same category at all but I want to raise a family and the Si isn't a family car. The Mazda has more space. Like the original writer noted that car is just begging to be revved up at 8000 rpm! Thing is though no torque means that if you're unlucky enough to have the best gear put you at 3000 rpm well too bad! The car will take some time to get to speed. That's why it has such a closed gear ratio and in traffic that becomes a PIA. It's fun on most road though. I partly got rid of it become I think I'm dangerous with that car; to the point that it came to annoy me and my girlfriend. It's not the fastest car in the world but it makes you feel like it.

The 3rd gear problem is a real PAIN! There is no worse feeling then this: start.. 6000rpm vtec kicks in.. 8000rpm QUICK SHIFT to 2nd! Woa tires screech! 7000rpm.. 8000rpm QUICK SHIFT to 3rd! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR grinding gear noise! POP! the gear pops off into neutral. Motor redlines immediately and NO power to the wheels! What the hell happened!? In a 'race' you just look stupid even though it's not your fault. That's an abysmal feeling.

This aside though the comfort level is great. The seats on the Si are just great and the sunroof is top quality so is the rest of the equipment. It's a truly well-made car. It also looks awesome.

4th May 2009, 19:03

I had a 2006 Civic SI with the same 3rd gear deal. Besides that, I loved that car to the core of my soul! Everything about it was perfect in my opinion. I ended up getting a job with a company car, and sold my Si, which I still regret, especially since right after my company decided to downsize and as a new guy I got laid off. The great part about the sale however, was that I paid just over $20,000 brand new in 2006 and sold it 2 and a half years later for $17.5. Try getting that resale value with any other brand. If I ever get the chance, I will buy another one of these cars!

11th Feb 2010, 02:14

I've had my 2007 Civic Si sedan for almost 3 years now. I've spent about $200 on it other than gasoline and car washes. I have experienced 3rd gear baulkiness, but generally don't experience it when shifting briskly.

Other than that, it is by far the best car I've owned, and it replaced a BMW, which replaced two Audis, which replaced a Jetta, which replaced a Mercedes, which replaced a number of American badged cars.

The seats are amazing and the interior hasn't aged a bit. I'll be keeping it for a while, as there is nothing on the market that strikes a similar balance of driving fun and practicality. I'm not a turbo fan, and nobody else seems to be bothering with high specific output naturally aspirated engines at the moment, except for Ferrari.

Very happy with this car.

15th Mar 2010, 09:30

I own a 2007 Si coupe and had the 3rd gear issue. Without question our Honda dealer fixed the issue. When the problem arose again, they fixed it again. No run around, no questions, and no charge.

I love my Honda, but now am experiencing electrical issues and was looking on here to see if anyone had a problem with dimming headlights when the engine's fan kicks on to cool the motor?

15th Mar 2010, 16:29

I've never owned a car that didn't do that. Every time the fan switches on or the A/C compressor engages, the headlights dim slightly. Just for a split second, then they return to normal. This is normal because the fans or A/C compressor engaging slightly increases the load on the engine. If the headlights dim significantly and stay dim, you might have a problem.

2nd Apr 2010, 08:20

Is anyone interested in a "Class Action" lawsuit against Honda?

I also own an 07 SI, and Honda has refused to fix the problem. I was advised by an attorney that he thought I had a case.

Please contact me at jschaindlin@gmail.com. Leave your name, address, phone (home and Cell) and type of car (Acura, SI, Etc).

If enough people respond, we may be able to move forward.

Thank You.

27th Oct 2010, 21:49

I have owned a few Hondas and was a tech a Honda dealer in the past. Honda really missed with this car.

It gets horrible fuel economy! I could drive a Challenger or Camaro and get the same mileage, and they have torque! Something this car lacks.

The power door lock switch works the opposite way it should. Pushing forward should unlock the doors. This is a basic!

The remote works great from a distance but barely from up close. Both of them and I have replaced the batteries.

The high beam indicator is easily blocked by your hand or arm and people will be flashing you all the time. Why isn't this indicator on the upper cluster? Why doesn't this car have fog lights?

The body is flexy and creaks. Yes the car is quick when revved but you just don't want to drive it like that all the time. Give me torque any day.

20th Dec 2010, 11:09

I am the original poster, and wanted to make a couple comments about this car since the last time I commented.

I sold this car about 1 year after I posted these comments, and purchased a Dodge Charger R/T. Huge difference of a car.

Anyway, before I got rid of my car, I began having lots of issues. The tranny issue was the biggest problem. 1st to 2nd grind.. 3rd gear would pop out and Honda had no fix. They tried the syncros and every other thing. I wasted a ton of money trying to fix the tranny issues and could never get it right. The crappy interior was rattling like crazy, and the speaker case in the trunk rattling. The paint began to rust 2 years into owning the car. I had a white Si, so it was easy to notice. The rear tires were wearing out on the inside because the wheels were not properly aligned from factory.

Honda wasn't the reliable company I heard so much about.. so many Honda freaks pushed me to get this car, and yet the only positive thing I could say is that the K20 engine is solid, the Vtec is great, but the rest of the car was low grade plastic interior and crappy tranny.

I would still buy another Honda, but don't know if I would buy another Civic. Next time I would opt for an Acura instead.

Anyway, since then my 2007 Dodge Charger R/T road and track with the 5.7 Hemi has been amazing. No problems now at 50,000 kms, and runs like a top. The only thing I hate is the weight of the car and handling. Other than that, an amazing car.