2022 Honda Civic Mechanical Review Finds Very Few Potential Issues

Speedkar99 is much obliged to answer that curiosity with a black-painted Civic featuring the force-fed engine, and obviously enough, there’s not much that could go wrong. The first potential issue comes in the guise of a fuel line that’s kind of dangling loose. Being a direct injection system, the L-series engine is also prone to carbon buildup on the eight intake valves.

The PCV system connects the valve cover to the intake. Because it’s located before the turbocharger, the positive crankcase ventilation system may gum things up over time if the four-potter engine burns oil. 0W-20 oil, that is.

Typical of a mechanic, speedkar99 isn’t exactly fond of the water pump’s location because he would need to remove the turbocharger to replace it. The same applies to the alternator, which can’t be accessed easily due to an exhaust pipe. Worse still, the all-important starter motor is located just above a CV axle and exhaust piping in a difficult spot of the engine bay.

Changing wheel bearings will prove troublesome as well because the Civic features a pressed-in design rather than bolt-on bearings. As for the suspension, the front shocks attach to steel knuckles using pinch bolts, a setup that’s prone to rust inside the knuckles, binding on the pinch bolts.

As it’s often the case with modern cars, the Civic is fitted with a plastic radiator support that can’t be bent back like metal in the event of an accident. Speaking of which, the location of the engine control unit makes it rather vulnerable to a fender-bender accident involving the front left fender.

And finally, the washer tank’s hose seems a little vulnerable as is. On the upside, the continuously variable transmission comes with a dipstick and an easily accessible drain port underneath the vehicle. The oil pan’s drain plug and the oil filter are similarly easy to access according to the mechanic.