10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
56,971 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2006 Honda Civic engine problems

engine problem

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2006 Honda Civic Owner Comments (Page 2 of 3)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #25

Jan 052010

Civic

  • 87,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving, the car began to overheat and the heat in my car went cold. I pulled over into a parking lot to check my antifreeze, the tube running into the reservoir tank was still wet from anti-freeze. I added more anti-freeze and began to drive, my car once again began to overheat after 30 seconds of driving. Car was towed to a private mechanic which he determined my engine block was cracked in 2 places. The mechanic told me that Honda had released a tsb 08-044 stating that this was a problem with the 2006-2007 models. I had the car towed to a Honda dealership in which they also concluded that I had a cracked engine block. Honda is only willing to pay 50% of the costs. This car is only 4 years old and with doing research, many like me are dealing with the same problem. I believe Honda should take full ownership on this defect and cover the costs 100%!

- Harrisburg, PA, USA

problem #24

Dec 232009

Civic

  • 70,000 miles
Honda Civic with 70,000 miles lost all anti freeze during a 20 minute drive resulting in a cracked engine block. Engine steamed. Car died pulling into parking lot.

- Sanbornton, NH, USA

problem #23

Dec 222009

Civic

  • 68,000 miles
Began smelling anti-freeze one week ago, took cr to shop 3 days later, told their is a crack in the engine block. 2006 Civic, under 4 years old, but 68K miles, so dealer says it is out of warranty. As they have seen similar problems, their district manager approved them covering 50 % of the estimated cost of $3100 to replace the engine / block. While I appreciate their generosity, I would expect them to cover it 100 %, as this is a known problem on the R18 engine used in the 2006 Civic. That I was unlucky enough to have made it passed 60K miles before the crack appeared seem ironic. I suggest that Honda make good on a 90 / 10 replacement program, 90 % of the cost covered by american Honda. If this was some other brand with a lesser reputation for quality and reliability, I would not be so surprised, but the Honda name leads me to expect better.

- Newark, DE, USA

problem #22

Aug 222009

Civic

  • 60,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have a 2006 Honda Civic. Recently my car engine block had a crack and failed when I was actually driving. Honda new about this problem with my engine and decided not to inform me until after the fact. This is could have caused serious injury to myself or my family with my driving on the highway.

- North Attleboro, MA, USA

problem #21

Dec 162009

Civic

  • miles
There is a big "engine block crack" with alot of 2006-2008 Honda Civics, many of the owners have already post their problems on many forums. Many owners took the car back to the Honda dealership and Honda did repair it for free. But !!! I still think the government should do an inspection on it and tell Honda to setup a recall on this problem. Honda will fix the problem only if its under the warranty, but what will happen if the car is not under warranty? and I still think Honda should fix it because it is a manufactures fault for using bad heating material on engine blocks. Heres a link to a forum site ""www.8thcivic.com/forums/mechanical-problems-technical-chat/42339-my-R18-block-cracked-check-yours.html"" P.S. some people already mention that Honda already known this problem but never mention it to all the Civic owners........ this is very sad to hear.

- Anonymous, CA, USA

problem #20

Dec 142009

Civic

  • 82,000 miles
I own a 2006 Honda Civic and over this past weekend I started to get the sweet smell of antifreeze and the engine started to overheat. I thought this was very odd because I am only at 82,000 miles. When my local Honda dealership inspected the car, they informed me that the engine block was cracked and that this is a design flaw in the 2006 and 2007 engines used in the Civic. I was very lucky not to have ended up stuck on the side of the highway during this frigid new england winter. If Honda knows about this flaw they should be doing something about it. I have an extended warranty, but the dealership has not agree to fix my vehicle yet. They've estimated the repairs to cost between $3,000 and $7,000. I am hopeful they will help me. From what I have been able to gather, many other Civic owners are dealing with the same problem of engine block cracks with low mileage on their vehicles.

- Coventry, RI, USA

problem #19

Oct 312009

Civic

  • 130,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2006 Honda Civic. While driving 30 mph the temperature gauge had moved towards hot. Moments later smoke engulfed the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic, and she was informed that the engine block had cracked. The current and failure mileages were 130000.

- Trevett, ME, USA

problem #18

Sep 302009

Civic

  • 45,000 miles
This morning I found a pool of coolant/anti freeze underneath my car. I took it to the dealer and they told me that it had a "cracked engine block". the service rep told me that they have been seeing more and more cases of 2006 Honda Civics with these same problem. I went online and quickly found 13 cases of people with the exact same problem this year alone. www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Civic/2006/engine/cracked_engine_block.shtml my car is just under the 60,000 mile warranty so I'm covered for now. But how do I know if the new block they are putting on my car won't crack in 3 or 4 years? so far it seems that Honda is ignoring this as a factory defect and they should be called on it.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #17

Aug 202009

Civic

  • 30,000 miles
The ima system on the 2006 Honda Civic hybrid is slowly disintegrating. The fuel economy has plummeted and the battery crashes intermittently rendering the car a highway menace. I doubt that driving the car without the ima is legal in any state. It is a recipe for death and disaster. I urge a complete investigation into american Honda who won't even admit that there is a problem. If that were the case, they would not have developed pcms (computer patches ) in an attempt to deal with this issue.

- Middletown, NY, USA

problem #16

May 162009

Civic

  • 68,000 miles
2006 Honda Civic sedan with 68,000 miles had two cracks in the engine block causing the coolant to leak and causing the car to overheat suddenly without any warning. Also, the rear tires only last about 15,000 miles before they develop a flat spot. There are two service bulletins issued by Honda on these malfunctions but unfortunately they are not admitted as a problem with the car until after the powertrain warranty runs out. Honda dealerships have acknowledged these are defects in the car and are widely known but Honda refuses to cover repairs or will only pay for partial repairs. The engine block is a casting problem per the dealership and the rear wheels are a control arm problem which causes premature uneven wear and possible blowout. Honda refuses to pay for the control arms at all. Thankfully we did not have any crashes or injuries due to catching the problem before anything happened. Unfortunately, the first dealership I went to tried to hide the problems and would not acknowledge it is widespread in 2006 and 2007 Civic models. I am being forced to pay for a portion of the engine block and all of the control arms to fix the problems.

- Chuluota, FL, USA

problem #15

Sep 222008

Civic

  • 26,731 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have owned a 2006 Honda Civic ex for a little over 2 and a 1/2 years now. Less than 6 months ago, I noticed that my vehicle was leaking engine coolant. I spoke with a technician at my dealership who told me to bring it in. When I did, they informed me that there was a "hair-line fracture" in the engine block that was causing engine coolant to leak and also to mix with the oil in the engine. My vehicle at the time had only 26,731 miles on it, so the dealership was able to repair my vehicle at no charge. On top of the engine trouble, I have also had to get the windshield wiper fluid pump replaced and also two sun visors inside the vehicle that fell apart replaced as well. All replacements, luckily, were provided at no cost by the dealership.

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

problem #14

Feb 222009

Civic

  • 78,400 miles
2006 Honda Civic LX with 78,000 miles began leaking coolant. Had vehicle looked at Honda service dept and informed it was due to a cracked block and would require a new engine. I have read multiple complaints about this same issue with Honda Civics 2006-2007 with mileage from anywhere between 13,000-120,000. It is reported to be a problem with the casting on this model. Honda has a service bulletin (08-044) posted. No assistance offered from Honda for repairs even though this is a known problem.

- Red Lion, PA, USA

problem #13

Feb 122009

Civic

  • 81,000 miles
I bought my 2006 Honda Civic in 2008 with 61000 miles on it. At 81000 miles the engine block has cracked. I went online and found numerous complaints about this problem and a service bulletin at Honda recognizing this problem. I took my car to Honda and am now being told it is my problem and they will not help to repair it. The cost is over $4000.

- Lawtey, FL, USA

problem #12

Nov 112008

Civic

  • 75,000 miles
I backed up my car and liquid was leaking out at a fast rate. I immediately took my car to breakaway Honda. They called and said my engine block was cracked. This is a 2006 car! I researched and found that this has happened to a large number of this make and model. I had to pay $881 and do not feel I should have had to pay anything. The car should have been recalled.

- Simpsonville, SC, USA

problem #11

Oct 102008

Civic

  • 30,000 miles
During warmer times of the year (60-90 F), my 2006 Honda Civic hybrid will suddenly lose 75-100% of the charge in the high-voltage hybrid ima battery without warning. The ima hybrid system then fails to function and leaves the vehicle dependent upon the internal combustion engine entirely for propulsion. While the battery does have safeguards built in to protect it during extremely high temperatures, in my personal experience, I have had the high voltage battery temporarily fail at temperatures as low as 60 degrees F, while garaged at my home or parked in a shaded, lower space in a parking deck. During colder periods, the problem appears intermittently at most. The vehicle must then recharge the high voltage battery, which can take varying amounts of time from several minutes to over a half hour. The ima hybrid system will function on a limited level when the hybrid battery is partially charged, though obtaining full function of the ima system following a "crash" can be a prolonged experience. This is a safety concern because the Civic hybrid is markedly slower without the assistance of the electric motor, creating a hazard in adverse traffic conditions, such as when attempting to turn left across traffic. I have experienced at least 1 near miss when the electric assist failed without warning while attempting such a turn. Currently, Honda has not issued any tsbs or recalls regarding the issue.

- Lake Zurich, IL, USA

problem #10

Aug 312008

Civic

  • 80,044 miles
I was driving on the freeway when I heard a squealing noise, then the smell of rubber burning, and then loss of power from the engine. When I pulled over, there was smoke coming out from the sides of the hood and I did not open it. I called aaa and they towed me to a dealership for the car to be repaired. When the dealer added engine coolant to the car, it ran right through and onto the ground. The dealer sent it out to a machine shop to see if the cylinder head could be saved. Due to the extreme heat caused by lack of coolant, the dip stick melted as well as the spark plugs and other components of the engine. The dealer had to install a brand new engine block, cylinder head, new spark plugs, new timing chain and other parts. The cost was over $6000! it had only 80,000 miles on it and was 27 months old. I average 100 miles per day to get to and from work via the freeway, 3000 miles per month, 36,000 miles per year. I had the intermediate service done at 47000 miles and another one at 70000. I don't believe that after only 80000 miles an engine would give out like that. The "check engine" light and the maintenance minder on the dash never said anything about the engine overheating or no coolant. When I got home after the incident, I found a pool of bright blue fluid on the garage floor. I thought it was window washer fluid, but it was the engine coolant! dealer said it may have been a bad seal at the base of the coolant reservoir. The car took a little over a week to fix and it's running fine now.

- Escondido, CA, USA

problem #9

Oct 292007

Civic

  • 47,744 miles
After about 16 months of owning the car, beginning in October 2007, the ima (integrated motor assist) electric assist motor in my 2006 Honda Civic hybrid has been acting erratically. An warning light came on due to ima problems, and some components of the ima computer and control system were replaced (I am not sure if any of the old parts are still available). Since that time, the ima battery that powers the assist motor has been unpredictable. It sometimes would fully discharge, and the car would run only on the underpowered 1.3 L gas engine. The car is very sluggish, causing safety issues when acceleration is needed in city or interstate driving. The problem is worse in warmer weather, 85 degrees or higher. Since the problem first was observed in early October 2007, some parts and components have been replaced by the dealership. On October 29, 2007 they replaced the mcm relay and the battery control unit. Around July 9, 2008 the original ima battery was replaced with a new experimental ima battery. On September 5, 2008 the oxygen sensor was replaced at the suggestion of another Civic hybrid owner who thought that replacing the sensor on his Civic had helped some of the erratic behavior. However the service manager of the dealership admitted to me that american Honda cannot fix the problems that my car has. He tells me that the problems are due to a change in programming of the software that controls the ima, a problem that started with the software updates installed on my car in October, 2007. He says that Honda is working on a new software update to address the problems, but no one has an idea of when it will be available. The only suggestion that was given to me was "when you run the air conditioning, direct the vents upwards toward the ceiling to send the cold air back toward the ima battery". I am very concerned that the problem will cause an accident when acceleration is needed and the ima will not work properly.

- Lexington, KY, USA

problem #8

Aug 012008

Civic

  • 29,288 miles
While backing up at approximately 2mph the engine revved up to about 3,000rpms for 2-3 seconds. My foot was firmly on the brake pedal when this occurred. I shifted into park and the revving stopped.

- Durham, NC, USA

problem #7

Feb 252008

Civic

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
The contact owns a 2006 Honda Civic hybrid. The contact spent three hours at the dealer before he was informed that they did not have the parts to repair his vehicle for NHTSA campaign id number 07V034000 (engine and engine cooling). There had been no failure to date. The VIN, engine size, number of cylinders, and powertrain were unknown. The current mileage was 11,193.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #6

Aug 242007

Civic 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 12,107 miles
On 8/24/07 my 2006 Honda Civic ex with only 12,107 miles on it began making a squealing noise. Two minutes later there was a noise, power steering was lost and car stalled. Dealer said the water pump and pulley broke, and they were both replaced. Parts were back ordered, however, and I was without my car for over a week. The dealer said they hadn't seen much of this problem, but the fact that the parts were back ordered indicated to them that this type of repair was a problem.

- Springfield, MA, USA

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