The cars we drive can define us. They tell all who see us pass by what cars we trust and what colors we may like. And if they see us drive the same car over and over again, the same model, purchased again every few years (only a newer one), then we as drivers are sending out a clear message: we trust what we drive and we are loyal consumers.

And there are all sorts of automotive consumers out there, trusting the same brand time and time again. You’ve got your Ford aficionados, your Dodge lovers, and the list goes on. But perhaps one of the most loyal groups of car consumers are the Honda Civic owners, as many have gone to that vehicle time and time again despite a few problems with some model years along the way.

There is no one like a Civic fan, as they can blast the car with insults all day long, complaining here and there, but still, that’s what they choose to drive time and time again. It's pretty funny if you think about it. And of course, we can’t forget the loyal fans of the car who will not speak ill of this car even if they’ve had some bad experiences. They prefer to keep those experiences between themselves and the car.

But the Civic has its fair share of problems, and we’ve amassed quite a few comments made by users—some rather serious and some, well, we’ll let you read for yourselves.

25 THE 2018 DOESN'T LIVE UP TO ITS NAME

via Alpha SQUAD official/youtube

Right off the bat, we've got to mention that the complaints about the newer models of the car are definitely outstanding. A large amount of complaints have been coming in regarding this model year, as well as the previous year, the 2017. Now, the Civic hasn't been around as long as it has because of shoddy work and a horrible reputation. It is a decent car and has had some prominence in the past, but these newer models don't show that at all. They'd have people believing that they're letting themselves go. In the end, they don't live up to the standards that Honda has built in the past.

24 OIL CHANGE EVERY THREE DAYS!?

via unfinishedman.com

This one's definitely disconcerting, to say the least. There have been many reports regarding the 2017 model year pertaining to oil changes. Consumers have reported going in for an oil change, something that should be done regularly, and only after three days, the oil has already been rendered a thick brown sludge! Oil in that state is terrible for your car, but to have that happen after only three days makes no sense at all. This can be attributed to the mechanics at the dealership using used oil or there could be something wrong with the car, burning the new oil up in record time. Regardless, this is something that needs to be looked into.

23 "FEATHERING THE BRAKES"

VIA CarsGuide

Of all the complaints to bring up, this one is interesting, and would definitely bug the heck out of the avid driver. Issues regarding the smoothness of the drive affect those drivers among us that are either expert drivers or those who can feel a problem with a car simply by driving the first few minutes down a particular road. This is the case for this particular comment made, as the user experienced a particular "feathering of the brakes" during slow speeds and some have even reported fluttering of the transmission from moment to moment. This issue may not even be felt by the regular driver, but a keen driver will notice such issues and know that bigger problems are in store further down the line.

22 THE PERFECT STREET RACER

via Pinterest

And of course, it is no doubt that many gearheads and aficionados of the racing world favor the Civic as their number one car to modify for street racing or even track racing. Many of these cars have been transformed and modded to perform incredibly on the track and it is the go-to vehicle of many novice gearheads, as it's the perfect car to start off with. As far as performance goes, we're also pretty sure that a few owners have proudly walked away with first place wins, depending on what they put under the hood that is. It always depends on what's under the hood. Didn't you learn anything from Dominic Toretto?

21 TOO MANY VISITS TO "THE SHOP" AND SO LITTLE TIME

VIA www.sallasauto-overlandpark.com

The friendly mechanics might be overjoyed at the prospect of having to repair your new or relatively new Civic time and time again, but we're more than certain that you wouldn't be thrilled if you had to drag yourself and your car to the garage time and time again, especially if such visits were so close together on a timeline. Many users have reported too many trips to the service station or garage and in just under 21,000 miles. Relatively speaking, that's not a lot of time from when the odometer read zero! It can definitely be disconcerting and may have you regretting your choice in vehicles, that's for sure.

20 AND YEAH, REPAIRS ARE VERY COSTLY

VIA The Motoring World

It shouldn't come as much of a shock that the repairs for Civics aren't the cheapest around, either. In fact, repairs for this car are quite expensive and really, always have been. No matter what the size of the part or how big or small the problem is, be ready to pay quite a tidy sum of money for repairs. Many have complained about this issue and have posted on the many forums and review sites out there, and you'd be surprised how many times the issues of payments and the price of repairs come up. In reality, there's no way around that and there's no way to pay any less, as the Civic has always been known to have expensive parts and service.

19 A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

via Driving.ca

But like we've stated, the Honda Civic is a reliable car, especially according to the reputation that older models have had over the long years. It seems to be mostly in recent model years that issues have started to surface, but we must say that there are also reports that the newer cars, or at least some of them, have been reported as being stellar, or quite a few notches above even that. According to some reports, certain consumers have reported that the 2015 model year has been a dream to handle and is operating on all original parts and is rarely in need of service.

18 4.5 OUT OF 5 OVERALL!

VIA Motor Trader

Polls don't lie—unless they've been tampered with, but that's a story for another time. Even though there have been a staggering amount of negative comments made about the Honda Civic, the car, in general, still gets a passing grade, and in fact an almost perfect grade at that. This can be attributed to two things. First, the actually good models of the past. And secondly, the fact that loyal fans of the brand and vehicle twist the truth when talking about their favored car online and refuse to put it down because of an allegiance they feel to older models. But hey, what can we do?

17 BATTERY ISSUES AFTER ONLY 6 MONTHS WITH THE 2018

via Rock Honda

And sticking with the newer model of the car, many clients have issued complaints regarding the battery in the 2018 model. Can you imagine driving around in a new car, feeling like you can trust and rely your new car, only to have the battery fail on you in under a year of ownership? It's absolutely horrible to even think about, but unfortunately, this has happened to many consumers in the last year or so and that's pretty much unacceptable. A brand new car should run well and without problems of such a nature for at least the first 2.5 years or longer. Looks like somebody over at Honda has started to cut some corners, reminding us of other car brands of a lesser quality.

16 CLIENTS HAVE HARD TIMES DEALING WITH DEALERSHIPS

via harrisonburghonda.com

One of the most common critiques made by Civic owners is that they have a hard time dealing with employees at dealerships. In fact, the statement is so common, threads have started on many internet review sites of people sharing their experiences and commenting back and forth. On the surface, it seems comical, but really, the people at the Honda service outlets and dealerships should definitely consider getting their collective acts together. For drivers, it's hard enough to deal with the issues they're having with their vehicles, but to deal with a difficult employee or a lazy one would be taking it over the top.

15 SUN VISOR ISSUES ( 2008-2011 MODELS)

via Enter Motors Group Nashville

Any issue, big or small, is worth bringing up. When you purchase a car, you should be getting everything you were promised, and often, what you're promised on the showroom floor is durability, quality, and a sleek ride for a few years. So when you start having sudden problems with your vehicle, and seemingly out of nowhere, you're more than supported in your right to blow a gasket or two (pun definitely intended). The 2008 and 2011 models of the Civic have all had consumers reporting problems with the sun visors. Apparently, they become detached and just hang there limply as motorists try to drive.

14 AC FAILURE

via SHAFER AUTO GROUP

You're driving down some deserted road, it's extremely hot outside, and you thank your lucky stars that your new Honda Civic has got a powerful air conditioning unit installed. You're on your way to your favorite cousin's wedding and are dressed to the nines. You're all smiles and listening to an old Pearl Jam classic blasting on the radio when suddenly, the fans blowing that all-too-necessary cold air on you starts to sputter and slowly stop. The heat starts to attack you instantly, once the cold air has stopped washing over you, and slowly but surely, you start sweating profusely in your new suit. You show up at your cousin's wedding looking like you just went for a swim. Did we mention that many have reported AC issues with their Civics? Thanks a lot, Honda!

13 A HORRIBLE DISASTER

VIA 10th Gen Civic Forum

One user, who happens to be in the military, was driving his Civic home from the base one day when all of a sudden, smoke started escaping from under the hood. That smoke soon turned into a fire and an uncontrollable one at that. He pulled over to the side of the road and a witness explained to him that a large amount of smoke was also escaping the exhaust. At the time that this user posted the complaint online, he had no idea what happened. It was a spontaneous combustion and as he posted, the car was at the dealer being inspected. Scary stuff indeed.

12 THERE ARE STILL MANY SUPPORTERS

VIA WallpaperSafari

Yet despite many complaints over the years, especially the more recent models, there are still many owners that stand by the car and the many models and call it their favorite vehicle of choice and to that, we say, "Hey, to each, his or her own." According to many, if the upkeep of the car is kept up with and regular servicing is done at the dealer, then the car should run properly. Now, this doesn't account for many of the sudden issues and reports made, but many still believe that all problems should be avoided with proper upkeep.

11 2017 & 2018 ARE TERROR MODELS

VIA HDQWalls

Well, the reports can't lie. And there are indeed many consumer reports alluding to the fact that Honda has very recently dropped the ball. There are an overwhelming amount of complaints regarding the 2017 and 2018 models and this shows that the company may very well be slipping, so to speak. The company needs to start being careful and if they are, in fact, cutting corners, somebody should remind them that other companies with great standing in the past lost clients and their tenure in the industry by cutting corners. (Case in point: Pontiac.) If this is so, Honda needs to start returning to some older models and see what the current problem could be.

10 WE FAVOR THE 2013 MODEL

VIA Gumtree

Well, the general consensus claims that the 2013 is a definite forerunner for best of the newest models. And well, we know that 2013 was five years ago, but we'll still categorize it as being relatively new for this article. As it turns out, many, many people seem to stand by this particular vehicle as being aces and top-of-the-line when it comes to Honda's products, claiming that issues are very rare, and the car is and has been claimed to have excellent qualities, with owners happy that it drives like a dream. A definite point up for the Civic, we'd say.

9 BUT ALAS, OTHER MODELS HAVE PROBLEMS TOO

via Car and Driver

The 2012 is not exempt from issues or problems and many have reported particular problems with that model here and there. In all honesty, no model is exempt, really, despite favorable comments for some of the other models. The 2012 has had a few comments made about it, particularly the loss of power and durability over short periods of time. By the time the model hit its 100,000-mile mark for one user, many things started to fall apart all at once, particularly the compass, and the repairs for these issues were very expensive.

8 ISSUES WITH THE ORIGINAL PAINT JOB

VIA CarComplaints.com

As far as the paint job of your vehicle is concerned, we're pretty sure that you want your car to look good for as long as possible. If not, then why are you spending so much on rust-proofing it every so often? Besides, the way your car looks says a lot about you and furthermore, if you ever decide to sell it, it's gotta look great, no? Definitely. But that's why a particular issue regarding the original paint jobs on certain Civic models has sparked some concern. In actual fact, many drivers have reported issues (like chipping) with the original factory paint jobs, and not too far into their ownership, either.

7 EVEN LOYAL FANS ARE HAVING DOUBTS WITH NEWER MODELS

VIA Capital Region Honda Dealers

It says something when even fans start to turn on a model. Just like in sports entertainment, if you can forgive me a quick analogy,  but sometimes, in wrestling, a favored character needs to turn "heel" or essentially become a bad guy to keep things fresh. In doing so, he turns on the many fans and the fans let him know that they have been disappointed in one way or another. But the automotive industry isn't the wrestling business, and when loyal fans of a particular car turn on you, it's very hard to get those fans back. Honda needs to be careful, as their newer models are disappointing many of their loyal fans, and the rumblings online are getting quite loud as of late.

6 GOING WAY BACK IN TIME HERE

via Gumtree

To find a perfect model of Honda Civic, we've gotta hop in our old DeLorean with Marty, Doc Brown, Einstein the dog, and the pink hoverboard. (And somebody please bring along enough plutonium to get back this time, I'm right in the middle of an online chess game I want to finish.) Anyways, back to the point: we've gotta go all the way back to 2003, when Nickelback was popular and Nu-Metal was taking up the airwaves, a time when many have reported the 2003 model a perfect model. There are rarely any comments to the contrary, so without further ado, hooray for 2003!