Civic FN2/FD2 buyers guide

FN2

Bodywork

These cars do not have any major issues, however some suffered with rust on the top edge of doors under the trim, if treated it will be fine, if it isn’t treated it can become a problem. The paint was also very thin so they do suffer with stone chipping particularly on the bonnet. Make sure any stop chips have been filled in.

Suspensions, Wheels and Brakes

Many owners complain that the standard pads lack any real bite and were never as good as its predecessor, this means that many owners upgraded their brake pads, the discs were the same as the old car. The rear double wishbone suspension of the EP3 was replaced with a torsion beam setup, which means that anyone looking to upgrade their suspension set up will face problems with setting up the geometry.

Engine

Make sure any car you look at has the oil level spot on, the 2 litre engine, as was fitted in the EP3, consumes a lot of oil compared to other cars. This means you need to look out for the cars owned by people that do not check their oil between services.
Some cars had problems with the push button start, its caused by the starter not catching on the flywheel. This is fixed by a replacement of the flywheel.

Transmission

Early cars occasionally suffered with problems shifting into 3rd as well as it jumping out of 3rd gear. The fix for this was replacing the synchro, however many cars had this done under warranty, although it is also worth asking if its done if you are looking at an early car.
Listen out for any creaking noises from the clutch as this would indicate a worn clutch release bearing.

FD2

This was the JDM version of the car so there isn’t quite as much information on common issues or problems with these cars.
One of the biggest problems you will face is a lack of parts and difficult access to parts!

Some owners have reported their drivers window becoming stuck, this is down the car de-lubing, which is an easy fix using a bit of silicone pray.

Many of the other issues reported by owners has been shoddy build quality issues especially with interior trim, this includes a rattle coming from the passengers door, trim around the gear lever coming lose in one corner, as well as other parts popping out or coming loose. There has also been trouble with owners not being able to get into the boot as the key wont turn.

Other than these issues it is just the general things you would look out for on any other used car, look for lots of paperwork, check oil levels and make sure all the bodywork looks good. Tyres are also a good indicator of how a car has been looked after.