Known for reliability, quality, and value, the Honda Civic Type-R has earned sufficient respect from Honda lovers all these years. Its reliability score of 76 out of 100 according to J.D. Power’s rating has always been a major advantage against some of its primary competitors when it comes to market popularity. Such paramount popularity of Type-R enabled Honda to hit a sales record of 14,000 units in the particular year. Despite the market popularity of the Type-R hatchbacks, the car’s faulty tire issues, a manufacturing defect in the sunroof, and other problems compelled the buyers to raise complaints against the car’s market reliability. As a result of this, 2 recalls along with 290 other user complaints were registered on the NHTSA website, raising questions about Honda’s brand faith. However, the complaints registered against Civic Type-R were fairly higher than the recall rates and complaints issued against its rival brands like the Volkswagen Golf R hatchback and the Ford Focus ST hatchback. The Civic Type-R managed to earn more publicity with its economical MSRP of $37,645, which is lesser than its competitors.
User Complaints and Problems
Electrical Problems
- Problematic TPMS software- Lack of adequate software updates might stop the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring Software) to work properly. As a result, problematic TPMS software may not detect if there’s leakage in any of the tires. Apart from that, an inadequate software update may stop the TPMS to function properly, and it might pop up the warning light unnecessarily causing inconvenience to the driver. That’s why the TPMS software should be reprogrammed and updated so that it functions normally.
Safety Problems
- Fire ignition threat- Fire ignition threats are a common problem with Honda engines. A user complaint includes sudden ignition of fire from the engine compartment out of the blue when it's parked. Such problems may show up when the overheated engine catches fire due to any electrical shortage. Sometimes it can also be due to any internal oil leakage from the fuel pump. The dealers should inspect the problem and replace the faulty engine or repair it with a newer one.
Structural Problems
- Problematic moonroof- Faulty moonroof is a common problem in the majority of Honda vehicles. User reports include crack marks on the moonroof which often expands on time leading to its explosion sometimes. Such instances occur when the moonroof’s quality check is ignored due to any probable manufacturing defect. As a result, the dealership should inspect such issues and try to repair or replace the moonroof with newer ones.
- Tire issues- The tire of the Honda Civic Type-R getting punctured has been frequently noted by most of the Honda Civic Type-R owners. Such issues usually show up when the tires wear out before time. The tires can wear out when there’s insufficient air in all 4 tires, or due to any suspected leakage in the tire tubes, leading to complete air loss ultimately. Such issues should be inspected by the dealers and the tires should be replaced or repaired with newer ones.
2018 Honda Civic Type-R Recalls
|
S.No |
Dates |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
May 28 2020 |
20V314000 |
Fuel pump failure causing the vehicle engine to stall |
Low-pressure in the fuel pump failure might prevent adequate fuel flow into the machine compelling the vehicle to stall |
The owners will be notified Honda about the issue and the dealers will replace the problematic fuel pump assembly for free. The recall for the issue began on July 22 2020 |
|
2 |
November 16 2018 |
18V817000 |
Lack of adequate information in the owner’s manual- guide |
Insufficient information within the owner’s manual guidebook can mislead the owners during an emergency or in a crash event |
The owners will be notified by Honda about the issue, whereas the dealers will are going to replace the information provided in the kit for free. The recall for the problem began on January 9 2019 |
|
3 |
September 27 2018 |
18V663000 |
Dislodged magnet might fail to secure the vehicle's electronic power steering system |
Vehicle's electronic power steering maneuverability can be compromised due to dislodged magnet, resulting in loss of steering control. Such issues can trigger road accidents |
Owners will be notified by Honda about the issue and the dealer will replace the gearbox assembly without claiming any charge. The recall for the issue begins on November 9 2018 |
|
4 |
June 20 2018 |
18V421000 |
Issue with the undecipherable certification label |
Random characters on the certification label might prevent the owner to determine the exact safety recall issued for the vehicle |
The owner will be notified about the problem by Honda. The dealers will repalce the certification label for free. The recall for the issue began on August 7 2018 |
Should You Buy a 2018 Honda Civic Type-R hatchback?
The Honda Type-R hatchback’s popularity has always been on top of the hatchback picks in the market. As a result of which, the reliability of the 2018 Honda Civic Type-R can’t be easily challenged due to the queries raised against its faulty electronic power steering, fuel pump failure triggering the engine to stall, etc. That’s because the brand has been relentlessly working on the complaints that challenged the brand loyalty of the Type-R Civic, which reduced the number of user complaints issued against the car’s performance to 201 in the respective year, which was 291 in the previous year. Moreover, Honda also issued 4 recalls and asked the dealers to get rid of the technical malfunctions that challenged the car’s reputation. So, if someone is willing to purchase any of the Honda Civic Type-R hatchbacks that are free from every complaint and problem they had before, we would advise the respective buyers to initiate a purchase soon.
