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Honda Civic vs. Volkswagen Jetta Reliability by Model Generation

Results are for year ending June 30, 2018. Only successfully completed repairs are currently included in the analysis. Routine maintenance, most wear items, recalls, and problems fixed with just a reflash or warning light reset are not included.
Year and Model % of Average Repair Frequency  
2015 - 2018 Volkswagen Jetta Reliability by Generation2015 - 2018 Volkswagen Jetta
12.285714285714% Best 59% Worst
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2016 - 2018 Honda Civic Reliability by Generation2016 - 2018 Honda Civic
15.714285714286% Best 65% Worst
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2013 - 2015 Honda Civic Reliability by Generation2013 - 2015 Honda Civic
0% Best 16% Worst
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2011 - 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Reliability by Generation2011 - 2014 Volkswagen Jetta
25.428571428571% Best 82% Worst
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2012 Honda Civic Reliability by Generation2012 Honda Civic
2% Best 41% Worst
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2006 - 2011 Honda Civic Reliability by Generation2006 - 2011 Honda Civic
24.285714285714% Best 80% Worst
See problems for this generation
2001 - 2005 Honda Civic Reliability by Generation2001 - 2005 Honda Civic
31.714285714286% Best 93% Worst
See problems for this generation

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TrueDelta Reviews the Reliability And Durability of the Honda Civic

Honda Civic Reliability And Durability: Pros
YearComment
2013 The 2012 Honda Civic wasn't pretty. It wasn't fun to drive. It didn't ride well. It outsold all other compact sedans last year anyway. Why? Because it's a safe choice. It was "good enough," and Civics have almost always been highly reliable. Even with the changes for 2013, many of the car's parts remain similar if not identical to those used in the 2006 Civic, so there's no reason to expect this to change. The Dodge Dart might eventually prove to be reliable, but in its first model year, and based on a FIAT, it's currently a gamble. full 2013 Honda Civic review
2013 Judging from responses to our Car Reliability Survey, Volkswagens have become more reliable. But risk-averse car enthusiasts will continue to pick the Civic Si over the Jetta GLI. Though the averages aren't as far apart as they once were, and perceptions likely lag reality, the Civic has been reliable more consistently over the years. Your odds of getting a lemon aren't high with either car, but they're higher with with VW. We haven't crunched any numbers on the percentage of repairs that are not successful, but my sense is that VWs are also more likely to be difficult to fix if and when they do have problems. Then horror stories appear on the Internet, maintaining the widespread (if not entirely deserved) impression that recent Volkswagens are troublesome. full 2013 Honda Civic review
 

What Our Members Are Saying about the Reliability And Durability of the Honda Civic

Honda Civic Reliability And Durability: Pros
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2011 4dr Sedan 197-horsepower 2.0L I4
6-speed manual FWD
This is my fourth Civic and they have proven reliability. full 2011 Honda Civic review
2011 4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed automatic FWD
no problems full 2011 Honda Civic review
2011 2dr Coupe 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed automatic FWD
The only problem we ever had with this car was a bad front wheel hub and front pads at 42,000 miles. Everything else on this car was sturdy and worked well. full 2011 Honda Civic review
2010 2dr Coupe 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed automatic FWD
bulletproof reliability full 2010 Honda Civic review
2009 4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed automatic FWD
Remains to be seen. Bought on basis of good reputation for this car. full 2009 Honda Civic review
2009 4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed automatic FWD
excellent full 2009 Honda Civic review
2009 4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed manual FWD
Reliable car. full 2009 Honda Civic review
2008 4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed manual FWD
There are many good cars in this regard, but Honda is again one of the leaders, as well as having the least expensive parts for maintenance and repair, according to a CAA Survey a couple of years ago. full 2008 Honda Civic review
2008 2dr Coupe 197-horsepower 2.0L I4
6-speed manual FWD
It is a low maintenance, low cost to own, and long lasting small vehicle that can be driven "worry free". full 2008 Honda Civic review
2008 4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed automatic FWD
They have a well-deserved excellent reputation. I had one several years ago and it just kept going. Sold it with 134k with the original clutch. Replaced the water pump, a dash switch, and the horn in eleven years. full 2008 Honda Civic review
Honda Civic Reliability And Durability: Cons
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2008 4dr Sedan 197-horsepower 2.0L I4
6-speed manual FWD
clutch should not go out in 9k miles full 2008 Honda Civic review
2007 4dr Sedan 197-horsepower 2.0L I4
6-speed manual FWD
little things go wrong full 2007 Honda Civic review
2007 4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed automatic FWD
Had an oil leak at 27,000 miles that required warranty work. It was a known problem. On returning home I found the engine grounding strap had not been reattached. full 2007 Honda Civic review
2007 2dr Coupe 197-horsepower 2.0L I4
6-speed manual FWD
Came off the lot with many rattles and squeaks. Had to have both rear bearings replaced and had a third gear issue. Had to have transmission rebuilt to repair 3rd gear. full 2007 Honda Civic review
2006 2dr Coupe 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed manual FWD
Major rear suspension problems that Honda refused to correct under Warranty. Definately my last Honda. I had to replace the rear control arms out of my own pocket full 2006 Honda Civic review
Honda Civic Reliability And Durability: Neutral
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2009 4dr Sedan 197-horsepower 2.0L I4
6-speed manual FWD
I have had few to no reliability issues. There are regular wear items that when driven hard will wear out faster, but otherwise, these are relatively bullet-proof. Honda's engineers really know what they're doing. I have never had an issue where something broke and I said, "Why wasn't that component made strong enough?" It's always something like, "Ooh. The brakes are pulsing really badly. Welp... I guess that's what happens when you use cheap, aftermarket brake hardware in heavy traffic." Just be sure to check your oil level every 500 miles or so if you're driving it hard on shorter, around-town trips. It'll drink some oil in that case. Long trips aren't a concern, though. full 2009 Honda Civic review
 

TrueDelta Reviews the Reliability And Durability of the Honda Civic

Honda Civic Reliability And Durability: Pros
YearComment
2013 The 2012 Honda Civic wasn't pretty. It wasn't fun to drive. It didn't ride well. It outsold all other compact sedans last year anyway. Why? Because it's a safe choice. It was "good enough," and Civics have almost always been highly reliable. Even with the changes for 2013, many of the car's parts remain similar if not identical to those used in the 2006 Civic, so there's no reason to expect this to change. The Dodge Dart might eventually prove to be reliable, but in its first model year, and based on a FIAT, it's currently a gamble. full 2013 Honda Civic review
2013 Judging from responses to our Car Reliability Survey, Volkswagens have become more reliable. But risk-averse car enthusiasts will continue to pick the Civic Si over the Jetta GLI. Though the averages aren't as far apart as they once were, and perceptions likely lag reality, the Civic has been reliable more consistently over the years. Your odds of getting a lemon aren't high with either car, but they're higher with with VW. We haven't crunched any numbers on the percentage of repairs that are not successful, but my sense is that VWs are also more likely to be difficult to fix if and when they do have problems. Then horror stories appear on the Internet, maintaining the widespread (if not entirely deserved) impression that recent Volkswagens are troublesome. full 2013 Honda Civic review
 

What Our Members Are Saying about the Reliability And Durability of the Honda Civic

Honda Civic Reliability And Durability: Pros
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2011 4dr Sedan 197-horsepower 2.0L I4
6-speed manual FWD
This is my fourth Civic and they have proven reliability. full 2011 Honda Civic review
2011 4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed automatic FWD
no problems full 2011 Honda Civic review
2011 2dr Coupe 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed automatic FWD
The only problem we ever had with this car was a bad front wheel hub and front pads at 42,000 miles. Everything else on this car was sturdy and worked well. full 2011 Honda Civic review
2010 2dr Coupe 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed automatic FWD
bulletproof reliability full 2010 Honda Civic review
2009 4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed automatic FWD
Remains to be seen. Bought on basis of good reputation for this car. full 2009 Honda Civic review
2009 4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed automatic FWD
excellent full 2009 Honda Civic review
2009 4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed manual FWD
Reliable car. full 2009 Honda Civic review
2008 4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed manual FWD
There are many good cars in this regard, but Honda is again one of the leaders, as well as having the least expensive parts for maintenance and repair, according to a CAA Survey a couple of years ago. full 2008 Honda Civic review
2008 2dr Coupe 197-horsepower 2.0L I4
6-speed manual FWD
It is a low maintenance, low cost to own, and long lasting small vehicle that can be driven "worry free". full 2008 Honda Civic review
2008 4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed automatic FWD
They have a well-deserved excellent reputation. I had one several years ago and it just kept going. Sold it with 134k with the original clutch. Replaced the water pump, a dash switch, and the horn in eleven years. full 2008 Honda Civic review
Honda Civic Reliability And Durability: Cons
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2008 4dr Sedan 197-horsepower 2.0L I4
6-speed manual FWD
clutch should not go out in 9k miles full 2008 Honda Civic review
2007 4dr Sedan 197-horsepower 2.0L I4
6-speed manual FWD
little things go wrong full 2007 Honda Civic review
2007 4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed automatic FWD
Had an oil leak at 27,000 miles that required warranty work. It was a known problem. On returning home I found the engine grounding strap had not been reattached. full 2007 Honda Civic review
2007 2dr Coupe 197-horsepower 2.0L I4
6-speed manual FWD
Came off the lot with many rattles and squeaks. Had to have both rear bearings replaced and had a third gear issue. Had to have transmission rebuilt to repair 3rd gear. full 2007 Honda Civic review
2006 2dr Coupe 140-horsepower 1.8L I4
5-speed manual FWD
Major rear suspension problems that Honda refused to correct under Warranty. Definately my last Honda. I had to replace the rear control arms out of my own pocket full 2006 Honda Civic review
Honda Civic Reliability And Durability: Neutral
YearBody/PowertrainComment
2009 4dr Sedan 197-horsepower 2.0L I4
6-speed manual FWD
I have had few to no reliability issues. There are regular wear items that when driven hard will wear out faster, but otherwise, these are relatively bullet-proof. Honda's engineers really know what they're doing. I have never had an issue where something broke and I said, "Why wasn't that component made strong enough?" It's always something like, "Ooh. The brakes are pulsing really badly. Welp... I guess that's what happens when you use cheap, aftermarket brake hardware in heavy traffic." Just be sure to check your oil level every 500 miles or so if you're driving it hard on shorter, around-town trips. It'll drink some oil in that case. Long trips aren't a concern, though. full 2009 Honda Civic review