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Honda UK
Accord 93-98
Steering a bit light. Exhaust rear silencer boxes rot out on low mileage 'short run' examples. Electric front windows have a habit of popping out of runners. New 1999 model instantly 'dates' a 98R old model.
What to Watch Out For
Tend to be entirely trouble-free as long as serviced on time with regular changes of coolant and brake fluid. Look for stone and screen chips on the quicker versions. Make sure electric front windows work properly and are not sluggish. Rear wings rot out along bottom edge above bumper extensions. This is a big panel in short supply, so the problem is very expensive to remedy. Check for emulsified oil under the oil cap of 2.3i engines as this could indicate a cracked cylinder head which is £2k to replace.
Civic UK 95-2000
1.5 VTEC-E sometimes seen at head of long traffic queue as elderly driver tries to keep in economy range. 5-door range did not sell as well as Honda might have hoped as was still some anti-Japanese ill-feeling and 'True Brits' went for the Rover equivalents. R reg cars can suffer from heater switch failures.
What to Watch Out For
Quite a few 1.5 VTEC-Es were laundered into second-hand cars via the rental fleets. All 'Swindon Civics' appreciate frequent servicing and clean oil. Some complaints of poor reverse gear selection, so check this on test drive. Open hatch of 5 door and look for rust where the hinges join the body. The similar Rover 400 5-door has a big problem here. Wiper motors have been known to fail due to ingress of water which doesn't easily drain out. |
