It's Official: Mid-Day report on Civic Suspension issue

[GTO]

I HAVE TAKEN UP THE ISSUE WITH THE CO, (HONDA SIEL) MANY TIMES, BUT NO RESULT. They say that there is no problem. For my detailed reports you can check my earlier posts to other threads too. WHAT DO I DO?

If the issue is really bothering you, then look at an after-market solution. A pro-grade tuner will be able to help you better, but maybe you could consider performance koni's?

[ST7677]

Civic's suspension does bottom out easily. It's a soft suspension...
I have myself complained this to dealer and then directly to Honda, but they said it is by design and there is nothing wrong with it!

Besides that I don't have any other problem with the suspension, so I am fine with it.

But what's Recall got to do with this...???

[hellspawn]

even OD and ACI dont really mention or stress enough on the bottoming out of the suspension.the whole page of their review will be great comments on the car,and the last line says "the car bottoms out on speed breakers if loaded".i thought they are the first line of defense for the customers and they should take the fight to the manufacturers.
in my colony,i have witnessed that even if two people are sitting in the rear,the car's underbelly scrapes the speed breakers...the ones that my zen easily clears .

[alankarm@sancha]

Originally Posted by GTO

If the issue is really bothering you, then look at an after-market solution. A pro-grade tuner will be able to help you better, but maybe you could consider performance koni's?

GTO, Why do I look fo an after-market solution, even after paying through the nose for the car? (12+lakh). Should not Honda do something about it? Wont any after-market fitments like these void the warranty? What of tyre warranty?

Its all so fustrating.

[drifter]

The civic suspension problem isn't as bad as its being made out to be. But yes it exists. The suspension is soft and it does bottom when loaded. The low ground clearance doesn't help. But apart from this, its a fabulous car. The pros far outweigh the cons.

Drifter

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by drifter

The civic suspension problem isn't as bad as its being made out to be. But yes it exists. The suspension is soft and it does bottom when loaded. The low ground clearance doesn't help. But apart from this, its a fabulous car. The pros far outweigh the cons.

Drifter

Well said. One weakness does not make a car bad. However, those that have an issue with this weakness can do well to look at other options in future.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

A friend who was looking for a new car in the segment, read through many reviews (here in team-bhp also), and he was saying that Civic owners reported more issues in their cars- mainly suspension, ease of ingress, service etc

In comparison, Corolla owners didnt complain much. And i personally feel Corolla owners are a happier lot, even though Civic may have better features/looks.

My neighbour owns a Civic, and he has complained numerous times about the suspension issue. The suspension doesnt offer much insulation from the road, and also scrapes the belly with a full load on may speed breakers.

Is sad to see Honda taking such an arrogant attitude, and people still going after the Honda brand name.

Lets all hope the new Corolla teaches them a lesson, and they rectify the current issues in the Civic.

[sanchits]

hey..guys, i am buying the civic next week. i am shocked to know about the suspension problem. i do not ride with full load very often, will it prove to be a problem then. is this problem a major issue even in the new models and the 1.8v also. should i be buying this car or not because of this problem..is it that big a problem.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by sanchits

hey..guys, i am buying the civic next week. i am shocked to know about the suspension problem. i do not ride with full load very often, will it prove to be a problem then. is this problem a major issue even in the new models and the 1.8v also. should i be buying this car or not because of this problem..is it that big a problem.

Sanchits, in my opinion, the problem with the suspension isn't the big
issue. The bigger issue is Honda's refusal to deal with it. All manufacturers
have problems one time or the other. I bet Honda wouldn't pull
this sort of callousness in the USA. They do it in India, only because
people take this rubbish & are still willing to pay a premium for Honda.

[amit]

Originally Posted by drifter

The civic suspension problem isn't as bad as its being made out to be. But yes it exists. The suspension is soft and it does bottom when loaded. The low ground clearance doesn't help. But apart from this, its a fabulous car. The pros far outweigh the cons.

Noone denies that the Civic is a fabulous car and that it's pro's far outweigh its cons. This isn't about whether the Civic is a nice car or not, it's more about Honda's attitude. If GM, Ford, Fiat behave even 0.0001% of how Honda's behaving, we make a huge noise about pathetic customer service and how these companies need to pack up and go. Why then are we so forgiving towards Honda?

Meanwhile, here is the scanned image from the article. This is make things more clear.

[doomsday]

The Civic has been reported to have an overly soft suspension by many mags. This month's OD track test Sirish Chandran mentioned that on the track, the Civic rolls a lot and tires squeal in protest, but still is able to carry good amounts of corner speed. So I guess the suspension has been setup for comfort as in all Honda offerings in India. The OHC VTEC is another case in point. However, slight tweak is all what it should need to set it up the right way. Since the Civic weighs more than the OHC VTEC, the rebound is more and hence it tends to scrape the underbelly while loaded over speedbumps.

[Bomi]

Originally Posted by sanchits

hey..guys, i am buying the civic next week. i am shocked to know about the suspension problem. i do not ride with full load very often, will it prove to be a problem then. is this problem a major issue even in the new models and the 1.8v also. should i be buying this car or not because of this problem..is it that big a problem.

If this bothers you, have you considered the Skoda vRS or the 1.8 litre turbo petrol. Better performance and build though I don't know the price comparison.

[arunk]

Civic was one of the first cars i TD d when i wanted to change my car. Thankl god i dindnt do a honda! I agree that TATA may be not yet there in quality but atleast the guys are constantly at it and one day soon we all will have the happiness in buying a fairly priced well engineered automobile from an indian company

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by amit

If GM, Ford, Fiat behave even 0.0001% of how Honda's behaving, we make a huge noise about pathetic customer service and how these companies need to pack up and go. Why then are we so forgiving towards Honda?

Well said, Amit. When a Fiesta was reported with a water logging issue, there was a lot of hue and cry over it. When a member reported the case of a CRV which failed under similar circumstances, it was forgiven, and no one even bothered to rake up the issue.

Hail O' mighty H.

[GSHA]

Originally Posted by drifter

The civic suspension problem isn't as bad as its being made out to be. But yes it exists. The suspension is soft and it does bottom when loaded. The low ground clearance doesn't help. But apart from this, its a fabulous car. The pros far outweigh the cons.

Drifter

Well said...

But, this doesn't sound like a "con". It is a real problem. Do all the latest fully loaded features justify the buy when the car cannot clear speed humps with 4 people on it?

Please help understand... Is there a clear defined low-point on the Civic (something like a guard) that scrapes or is it something more functional (like the CAT or side skirts etc.)?