Some 2016 Honda Civic owners report a quality glitch or two

Granted, as new car owner, engineers can often be the most critical. There job title and related project load comes with a required, often analytical eye for detail and subsequent quality. Car manufacturing is generally a balance of both, Honda does quality assurance better than most.

Such is the case this week as I read through our Monday morning e-mails. Looking to Torque News friends CivicX.com, we discovered a CET (certified Engineer Technology) from Toronto, Ontario, Canada that is less than smitten with his or hers( they're not specific) 2016 Honda Civic Touring. In fact, this contributor refers to their specific Civic as a “lemon.”

Here’s what “mycivicisalemon” tells us

“Is anyone else experiencing 18 deficiencies with there car?” Talk about buyer’s remorse, this guy’s not a happy camper. Here’s the short list:

‘ mycivicisalemon asks? Has anyone experienced this much bad luck with their purchase?
1.) Left headlight leaks (moisture build up)

2.) Right headlight leaks

3.) HVAC makes a whistling noise in the "Feet Mode"

4.) Left center vent (up/down motion) won't stay down when it heats up (I know it defies gravity but somehow Honda managed to do it)

5.) Windshield and/or wipers leave streaks all over the glass. I have to put "Rain Away" just to see safely every 2 weeks or else in stock mode it is a safety issue.

6.) Rain sensing wipers go ape-shit when activated. Have to use standard "on" just to see properly out of my defective windshield.

7.) Wireless charger works when it feels like it which is almost never. Had it replaced with a new one and guess what? Yep...Honda gave me another clone of the one that was replaced. Honda won't admit that there could be a bad batch that slipped through QC's fingers.

8.) Rear leather seating looks way too loose (some bubbles in some seams) Compared mine with other cars and the other cars looks fine. Bad luck I guess but I am not finished with my luck yet.

9.) Rear camera resolution is of B&W quality....around 280p. It is so useless that I went back to using my mirrors. I traded in a '15 Civic EX and the rear camera was WAY BETTER than this POS camera that Honda saved $5 downgrading. You (new owners) have no idea what a POS camera you have if you step in last years model. Shame on you Tight Ass Honda for saving $5 at your reputations cost.

10.) Rear plastic trunk trim (one that houses the license plate LED) doesn't line up rear panels. Actually most doors don't line up and/or has inconsistent gaps that range from 2mm to almost 8mm!

11.) Driver front (window) door rattles when closing. Honda Service replaced the window track and now the window rattles when closing AND now it stutters when the window goes up. Thanks Honda for making my day a brighter one (more leverage in court)
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12.) Driver rear door window rattles when closing. Honda service replaced the outside glass trim to no success. Still there for me to show the judge if he want to hear it for himself.

13.) Passenger front door window rattles when closing. Honda couldn't even fix the driver side doors so they didn't even bother even trying with and other doors.

14. Passenger rear door window rattles when closing. No comment (or see #13 above).

15.) Passenger side door rubber molding deformed. It's still 2 months on back order. I guess they need all the rubber moldings that they can get so they can put it in their new cars on the assembly line. Come on Honda...you can't even spare not even 1 for someone who bought one of your lemons?

16.) Rear woofer and/or panel "farts" half volume. Honda blames my music for having too much rhythm (bass). Well excuuuuuuse me!

17.) Infotainment system sometime flashes on and off. Had a software update done on it and fixed the flashing issue. Of course when they fix one thing they create another (collateral damage). Now my Bluetooth doesn't connect all the time (popular deficiency).

18.) The transmission (this one is my favorite) jerks back and forth on the highway rocking me to sleep. Thank God the sudden deceleration from the Collision Mitigation System wakes me up.

“Mycivicisalemon" asks: Now is this bad luck or is this a lemon?

Here’s my response: Although I don’t own one, I’ve spent several hours in the seat behind the wheel of the 2016 Honda Civic Sedan and Coupe in all trim levels, and driving conditions -- so far, so good! You may read my latest drive review here. With that said, most owners reporting back to the forum have no to very few complaints, deficiencies, regrets, or buyer’s remorse when it comes to Honda’s best selling Civic in decades.

I will hand this guy or gal some credit fro bringing up a viable complaint or two. 2016 Honda Civic Sedan should be as presented by the manufacture, " the best sedan offering in the sub-premium compact sedan segment."

Sales are so good for Civic that Honda will record yet another sales record year for 2016 in North America.

While the build quality is visually much better than average, Torque News doesn’t own a 2016 Honda Civic, and look to you, our readers, for a bit of feedback here. What we do know based on several decades of car purchasing and sales experience, it generally takes a few months for a manufacturer to perfect a new generation offering. Honda, while better than most, is not an exception. In other words, ‘when they build the perfect car…”

How’s your 10th generation 2016 Honda Civic Sedan or Coupe? We want to know and welcome your (civil) thought provoking comment here.