Used Honda Civic review and buying guide (1994 to present): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Honda Civic should you buy?

The 2012 to 2016 Mk9 with the 1.8 i-VTEC petrol is the safest Civic to buy, because it dodges the clutch and flywheel trouble of the 1.6 i-DTEC diesel, though some 1.8 manuals have juddered in first and second. On 2012 cars the rear handbrake calipers have failed at 20,000 to 25,000 miles and let the car roll, and a recall fixed a filter in the ABS unit that could stop the stability control working, so test the handbrake on a slope and ask for the recall paperwork.

For a newer car, the 2017 to 2022 10th Gen with the 1.5 VTEC Turbo is the one to pick over the 1.0 VTEC Turbo. The 1.0's timing belt runs in oil, and as it breaks down it clogs the oil strainer and starves the turbo and engine, a known fault between 50,000 and 80,000 miles. The 1.5 has no known engine fault against it, though owners have reported squealing front brakes and one manual's clutch juddered at 7,500 miles.

From 2006 to 2011, the Mk8 to have is a 1.8 i-VTEC with a manual gearbox, backed by proof of the handbrake recall and, on a 2006 to 2008 1.8 Si, the cylinder head campaign. It's the i-SHIFT automated manual you don't want: it's a known fault for failing, parts can be hard to get since Honda dropped it, and one owner's repair quote came to more than the repaired car was worth.

The 2001 to 2005 Mk7 and the Swindon-built cars before it are only worth buying after close checks and with recall paperwork. Every Mk7 has known faults in the immobiliser, which causes intermittent non-starts, and in the electric power steering, which goes stiff or clunks between 60,000 and 100,000 miles. Cars from 1999 to 2001 were covered by five recalls between them, from the ignition switch to the rear suspension bolts and pedal pins, so check each one was carried out.

Which Civic engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The 1.8 i-VTEC petrol with a manual gearbox is the engine to go for in the Mk8 and Mk9. There's a caveat on each. On the Mk8, 30 of the 1.8 Si engines were built with the wrong exhaust rocker shaft, which starved the cylinder head of oil, and Honda swapped the head under a service campaign, so ask for proof on a 2006 to 2008 Si. On the Mk9, the 1.8i manual has had clutch judder in first and second at 5,000 to 10,000 miles, fixed under warranty.

The Mk8's 2.2 i-CDTi diesel is the engine to be most wary of. On manuals, the clutch and dual-mass flywheel have failed anywhere from 10,000 to 80,000 miles, and at high mileage its exhaust manifold can crack and let fumes, carbon monoxide included, into the cabin (one owner's went at 150,000 miles). It can also get through a litre of oil in 600 miles, so check the dipstick on any you view.

The later diesels aren't free of clutch trouble either. On 2014 and 2015 1.6 i-DTEC manuals the clutch and dual-mass flywheel have given repeated trouble, with one owner getting through three clutches in 35,000 miles, and one 2014 Tourer's oil level sensor kept throwing false warnings. The 1.6 and 2.2 i-DTEC both use a timing chain built to last the engine's life, as long as the oil's been changed on schedule.

In the 10th Gen, pick the 1.5 VTEC Turbo. The 1.0 VTEC Turbo's timing belt runs in oil and wants replacing every 70,000 miles or 6 years; left too long, it degrades, blocks the oil strainer and brings on a low oil pressure warning, a failing turbo or limp mode. Whatever the year, don't buy the Mk8's i-SHIFT automated manual, which can fail and leave the car stuck waiting for parts.

What should you check when viewing a used Civic?

The handbrake's the first thing to test on a Mk8 or a 2012 Mk9: stop on a steep slope, pull it on and make sure the car doesn't creep. Mk8s were recalled because a spring in the lever went in the wrong way round, and on 2012 cars the rear calipers have let go at around 20,000 to 25,000 miles. One owner still paid £150 after Honda covered the parts.

On a diesel manual, accelerate hard in fourth, fifth and sixth: revs rising without the speed following means a slipping clutch, while judder pulling away or a rattle at idle points to the dual-mass flywheel. With a 2.2 i-CDTi cold, listen for ticking or hissing from the engine bay, and don't buy one that smells of exhaust inside.

On a Mk8, look along the front edge of the roof above the windscreen, because bubbling paint there is the start of rust where the hard seal rubs through, and it can let water into the cabin. On a Mk7, check the hatch around the chrome strip above the number plate for rust, turn the steering from lock to lock listening for clunks from the column, and make sure the air conditioning blows cold, since 2001 to 2004 condensers shed their vanes.

Ask for proof of recall work: the passenger airbag inflator swap on cars from 2000 to 2014, the handbrake fix on a Mk8, the stability control fix on a 2012 car, and the new airflow sensor on a 1.6 i-DTEC, which could drop into limp mode in cold, damp air. On a 1.0 VTEC Turbo that's past 70,000 miles or 6 years old, don't buy without a receipt for the timing belt, and on any diesel, check the oil changes were done on time.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

Is a used Honda Civic Mk7 (2001 to 2005) still worth buying?

A Mk7 is only worth buying if it starts first time, every time, and the steering feels right, because the immobiliser and the electric power steering are known faults on every version. The immobiliser coil in the ignition barrel fails between 50,000 and 100,000 miles and leaves the engine cranking without firing. It isn't sold on its own, so the whole ignition barrel kit has to be replaced.

The steering trouble arrives between 60,000 and 100,000 miles: loose or failed racks, heavy steering with little feel, and worn top bearings in the column that clunk. On 2001 to 2004 cars the air conditioning condenser's vanes drop off and the system leaks, which Honda covered with an extended warranty, and later cars weren't affected. Mystery flat batteries on a Mk7 can come from the starter switch.

Owners have also had manual gearbox bearings turn noisy, rust break out round the chrome trim above the rear number plate, and rainwater pour into the boot when the hatch is opened after a shower. On a 2003 or 2004 Type R, the rear camber arms are undersized and scrub the tyres' inside edges, and one owner's 2004 Type R had a corroded exhaust system, so get underneath and look.

Should you buy a Honda Civic Mk8 (2006 to 2011)?

Buy a Mk8 with the 1.8 i-VTEC petrol and a manual gearbox, skip the i-SHIFT automated manual, and treat the 2.2 i-CDTi diesel with caution. Mk8s were recalled because a spring in the handbrake lever was fitted the wrong way round, and 30 of the 2006 to 2008 1.8 Si engines needed a new cylinder head under a service campaign, so ask for proof of both.

The i-SHIFT is a known fault, and with the gearbox dropped, parts can be hard to track down; one owner's 1.8 i-SHIFT was faulty from the day it was bought and still waiting for parts three weeks later. On 2.2 i-CDTi manuals, clutches have gone at 10,000 to 30,000 miles, and the exhaust manifold can crack at high mileage (one owner's at 150,000 miles), letting fumes into the cabin.

Bodywork is the Mk8's other weak spot. The hard rubber seal along the top of the windscreen rubs through the roof's paint and leaves it bubbling and then rusting from 50,000 miles, and water can get inside. Owners have also reported headlights misting up, leaks from the rear window into the boot, and batteries going flat when the car's left standing, a fusebox fault Honda dealt with through a technical bulletin.

On a Civic Hybrid, one owner's 66,000-mile 2007 car showed an intermittent engine management light that turned out to be a worn-out hybrid battery needing replacement, so ask what a recent service found on the battery. Don't let anyone jump-start a hybrid from its battery either, because a surge from jump leads can harm its electronics in ways that don't show straight away.

Is the Honda Civic Mk9 (2012 to 2016) a good used buy?

Yes: with the 1.8 i-VTEC petrol it's the Civic to go for, but check two things on a 2012 car first. The rear handbrake calipers have failed at 20,000 to 25,000 miles on those cars, letting one roll into its owner's garage door, and a filter in the stability control and ABS unit could break and stop the system working properly, which a 2016 recall put right.

The 1.6 i-DTEC diesel is where the Mk9's engine faults gather. On 2014 and 2015 manuals the clutch and dual-mass flywheel have given repeated trouble: one 2014 car went through three clutches in 35,000 miles, and one Tourer's owner was told it needed both at 38,000 miles. One 2014 Tourer's oil level sensor kept throwing false warnings even after it was replaced, and a 2014 recall replaced the airflow sensor, which could trip limp mode in cold, damp weather.

Short trips don't suit the diesels. One owner's 2013 1.6 i-DTEC that never did long runs blocked its particulate filter and needed a new one, and one 2.2 i-DTEC's filter didn't regenerate properly, sending extra fuel into the sump and thinning the oil. On the 1.8 petrol, feel for clutch judder in first and second, and one owner's 2012 car was using a lot of oil at 18,000 miles. On a Tourer, one owner had both tailgate struts fail at once.

Which Honda Civic 10th Gen (2017 to 2022) is the one to buy?

The 1.5 VTEC Turbo is the 10th Gen to buy, because the 1.0 VTEC Turbo's belt-in-oil camshaft drive is a known fault. That belt degrades between 50,000 and 80,000 miles, blocks the oil strainer and starves the turbo and engine, so a 1.0 needs proof the belt's been changed at 70,000 miles or 6 years. One owner's 2017 1.0 had two turbos fail before its belt snapped, with Honda's warranty covering the engine.

The 1.5 isn't fault-free. Owners of 2017 1.5s have reported loud squealing from the front brakes at low speed, which Honda acknowledged on some cars, and there's a known whistle from the air conditioning that's cured by replacing a pipe. One 2018 manual developed clutch judder pulling away in first and changing down from third to second at 7,500 miles.

Electrics and paint are the other complaints. Two owners had alarms going off at random, one 1.0 CVT going back to the dealer three times for it, one owner had paint trouble on two silver cars in a row, and another found blisters in the paint. Faulty parking sensors, adaptive cruise, auto wipers and a steering rack that's noisy on full lock have each come up on individual cars, and one owner paid £80 for an oil change after short trips diluted a 2019 1.0's oil.

What does a used Honda Civic cost to run?

What do Civic owners like about them?

The cabin's the Civic's big draw. On a Mk7 five-door from before March 2003 the floor's flat and the gear lever sits on the dash, so there's room to walk through between the front seats, and those seats fold right back into beds. From 2006 the rear seat bases lift up and the backs fold down, and the Tourer adds a split boot floor to that.

The Tourer's quick and refined, rides bumps well even on big wheels, and feels steady and sure-footed on the motorway with steering that's a pleasure to use. The 2006 to 2011 three-door Type S got sharper from 2009 while the five-door was softened for comfort, and the old two-door coupe rides more gently than the hatchbacks, with decent head and legroom in the back.

The later Type Rs are practical cars as well as fast ones. The 2007 to 2012 car has sharp steering and handling, the 2015 to 2017 turbo is ferociously quick with lots of front-end grip and a roomy cabin, and the 2017 to 2021 car's easier to live with every day than the one before. The older Swindon-built cars are nicely put together, and one owner's 2005 Type S 2.0 covered 200k miles trouble-free.

• Optional air conditioning was available from June 1997, and the car offered reasonable rear head and legroom for passengers.
• Honda was rated as Britain's fourth most claim-free used car brand in June 2001 and showed high reliability in various surveys.
• The 1.5 VTEC-E engine was capable of achieving 45 to 50 miles per gallon, demonstrating good fuel economy.
• The car featured a dash-mounted gear change and a flat floor, creating a spacious interior ideal for families.
• This Civic model achieved a five-star rating in American NHTSA assessments and four stars in European NCAP safety evaluations.