The Honda Civic is a line of cars produced and manufactured by Honda. Produced nearly 40 years since the first model year in 1972, the Civic is a popular car worldwide. However, despite the safety awards, performance features, long-lasting production, and owner popularity, the high Honda Civic engine replacement cost deters car buyers from purchasing certain production years. Owners have reportedly paid $3,000 to repair a cracked engine block, $1,000 to replace piston rings, and $4,000 to replace the entire engine.
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Honda Civic Engine Types
The first generation of Civic, produced in 1972, contained a four-cylinder water-cooled engine. Since the engine could run on either leaded or unleaded gas, it gave car owners flexibility over where to fuel up their car and reduce any risk of using the wrong type of petrol or the vehicle.
The second generation of Civic had increased engine horsepower, acceleration, and performance qualities. All engines used in the Civic vehicle now used the CVCC design, which included a third valve per cylinder. The third valve was known as the lean-burn swirl technology and burned the fuel with excess air in the internal combustion engine.
The second generation’s base engine produced 55 horsepower, with the second engine option producing 67 horsepower. Although this new technology increased performance, the swirl technology led to new mechanisms and the potential for a higher Honda Civic engine replacement cost.
The third generation debuted in 1983 and introduced the four-cylinder D series engine. In this lineup was the 1.5-liter CVCC engine that produced 76 horsepower and a 1.6-liter DOHC ZC engine that could reach 128 horsepower. In addition, Si models were introduced and feature a fuel-injected SOHC 12-valve engine. This fuel-injected engine used a camshaft position in the cylinder head instead of the combustion chamber, creating a new set of problems that could lead to an expensive Honda Civic engine replacement cost.
In the fourth generation of Honda Civic, the company utilized the B16A DOHC VTEC engine, a family of inline four-cylinder DOHC engines produced and used by Honda since 1988. Sold at the same time as the D-series lineup, the B-series were created for performance benefits.
The fifth and sixth generation included the 1.6-liter SOHC and DOHC engines, with the 1.8-liter DOHC engine available for the liftback and estate body style. In the seventh generation, power and acceleration increased on some trim levels due to the newly introduced Honda K-Series engine. This engine is a four-cylinder four-stroke car engine that uses roller rockers to reduce friction and increase acceleration.
The eighth, ninth, and tenth had no drastic changes in terms of the engine or performance qualities. Today, the high Honda Civic engine replacement cost could deter some users from purchasing the vehicle. For some, the performance benefits could be worth the extra money you will spend.
Worst Honda Civic Model Years
To get a good idea of why there is a hefty Honda Civic engine replacement cost in some model years and not others, we need to know which production years of the Civic are problematic and contain extensive issues. The production years with the highest severity and prevalence of issues is 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2016.
The top three concerns across every single model year of the Civic include the transmission failure in the 2001 and 2002 Civic, and the cracked engine causing performance concerns in the 2006 Civic.
2001 Honda Civic Engine Problems
The 2001 is known for its transmission issues, premature transmission failure, dangerous airbag defects, and a high Honda Civic engine replacement cost. The top engine concerns from winners focus on the exhaust manifold cracking, engine failure, the car idling and stalling, the check engine light turning on, the car burning oil, and the ECM failing.
Fix: Replace the Exhaust Manifold
To fix the cracked manifold, wonders will have to fork over around $700 for the Honda Civic engine replacement cost to purchase a new exhaust manifold and install exhaust shields at around 105,000 miles.
2006 Honda Civic Engine Problems
The 2006 Civic is known for premature and expensive engine failure. Let’s see what other engine concerns plague car owners who own this production year.
Owners complain of the engine block cracking, the serpentine belt idler bolt failing, the engine block leaking, the head gasket blowing, the engine mount cracking, sudden acceleration, excessive oil consumption, and piston slap.
Fix: Replace Serpentine Belt Bolt
For owners to repair the serpentine belt idler bolt failing, owners will have to pay below $500 to replace the bolt at around 91,000 miles to repair the serpentine belt idler bolt failing. All things considered, this is a relatively low Honda Civic engine replacement cost to remedy Owners
Fix: Replace the Engine
However, owners will have to pay around $3,000 to fix the cracked engine block in their 2006 Civic. This extremely high Honda Civic engine replacement cost is due to owners needing to replace the entire engine at around 98,000 miles, with owners complaining of the car randomly dying, the engine overheating, and the car not being able to accelerate.
2007 Honda Civic Engine Problems
The Honda Civic in 2007 had concerns with the wheels hubs, interior accessories, and the engine. Owners cited issues with the cracked engine block, side engine mount failure, engine surging, excessive oil consumption, and rear motor mount failure. Furthermore, the NHTSA cited concerns regarding the engine and the cooling system.
Fix: Replace Side Engine Mount
To remedy the side engine mount failure, owners will have to pay around $410 to replace the side engine motor mounts at around 74,000 miles. Drivers complain of the engine block cracking, the water pumps cannot adequately cool the engine, and the car makes loud noises while trying to accelerate.
2008 Honda Civic Engine Problems
The main engine concerns from owners focus on the cracked engine block, bad engine mounts, engine rattling when starting, excessive oil use, engine overheating, oil leaking, no oil, loss of power, and engine ticking at low speeds.
Fix: Replace Engine Mounts
To get rid of the loud and annoying rattling when starting, owners will have to pay $250 for the Honda Civic engine replacement cost to replace the engine mounts or the hydraulic motor mount at around 61,000 miles.
2016 Honda Civic Engine Problems
Although there was a long spell of relatively few engine concerns in the Civic, the 2016 had serious issues in the interior accessories, AC and heater, electrical, and engine categories that have to be addressed.
Owners state the car stalls while driving, the oil is diluted with fuel, the piston pin snap rings do not work, the engine surges while driving, and there is a rough idle.
Fix: Replace Piston Rings
The replacement of piston rings is unfortunately quite expensive, even though the parts themselves are cheap at around $30 to $150 on average. However, this repair’s labor is costly due to the importance of this part in the engine system.
The average auto mechanic charges between $80 and $200 on average to perform a replacement job dealing with the piston rings and the engine. Therefore, it will take around 10-12 hours for the mechanic to do the job, bringing your total to $1100 and $2200 for the Honda Civic engine replacement cost.
Honda Civic Engine Replacement
Honda issued a new engine block, free of charge, for those who own a 2006-2009 Honda Civic. Some of the affected vehicles develop a coolant leak from the engine block, leading to the potential for excess friction, overheating, and, in some cases, engine fires.
The free service of installing a new engine applies to every Civic produced during this time period, except the Hybrid and the Civic Si. Honda extended the warranty to 10 years, regardless of how many miles the owner drove in their car. Luckily, owners who have one of these production years will not have to spend anything on the Honda Civic engine replacement cost.
This issuance is extremely important since the leak can allow the coolant to leak and drain away completely. If there is no coolant in the engine system, there is no liquid to lubricate and cool down the hot parts. If this occurs, it can lead to imminent overheating and complete engine failure, leading to a much higher Honda Civic engine replacement cost.
For Civics with multiple cracks in the engine block and that have begun leaking coolant at high rates, Honda dealers are ordered to replace the engine block and the engine head at no cost to the owner. The offer is applicable to 2006-2009 Civic models that have been on the road for less than 8 years.
The Bottom Line
The Honda Civic engine replacement cost differs drastically depending on which model year you are analyzing. In the 2006-2009 model years, the high prices, lack of reliability, and safety concerns made the Honda Civic a poor purchase. However, once Honda fixed the engine concerns and began offering additional engine choices for various trim levels, owners found this car to be a high-powered, safe, and reliable option.