Hey everyone!

Hope you don't mind me being the classic newbie & posting a question that's been asked 1,000,000 times before (I did try the search but I couldn't get good usable results).

It's time for a new car I've pretty much decided on a 2003 Civic sedan (either left-over inventory or certified used) and just want to get your feedback on any common problems I should look out for. Anything I should look extra closely at while I'm looking for a car? Anything I should watch out for once I've bought one? Thanks everyone!

 

Watch for the fit and finish inside the car...The fit and finish inside is poor at best, the sound system is poor and paint quality is very poor.

 

Personally, I would get the 04. My gf just got the 04 coupe and I like the front and rear refresh much better. Also if you go HID, the 04's use the 9006/9005 bulb combos.

 

Wow--has anyone else experienced this with the 2003 Civics? I'd rather not spend the money on a 2004 if I don't have to. Thanks for the good info so far!

 

IMO, much nicer.

 

Since the forum's been down so long I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask again--has anyone else had problems with their 2003 Civics, or is the one in the post above an isolated case? Thanks again!

 

id get the 04....i hear the interior is alot nicer and i just like the new front end

or u could try to find a 99 00 somewhere....u could prolly find one with low miles for a good price....and they look hot

 

I'd rather stick with the 2003--I can't afford a 2004 and want the newest car I can afford. Are the 2003s really that bad?

 

Personally, I would think all the 03 civics are going to be the same way, unless it wasn't built in the US. The issues my parents are having are just poor designing and poor quality control. The quality isn't that bad, but it's not something I would expect from Honda. The quality is comparable with a GM car. So if you can live with that, go for it. Otherwise, see if you can extend the warranty out to 100,000 miles. It would be worth it. And there is always the Lemon Law.

 

How is the interior on the '04s different from the '03s?