Everything that goes WRONG with a USED Honda Civic Type R (EP3)

Now that you can pick them up relatively cheaply, a used Honda Civic Type R (EP3). But given it's plenty of years old now, what goes wrong with them? What do they like to drive and live with, and should you seriously consider buying one? We do a deep dive to find out.

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Honda Civic Type R advertisement footage, courtesy of Honda.
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Skip ahead:
00:00​​​​​​​ - Intro
00:21 - What is it?
04:26 - Exterior issues
07:07 - Interior issues
09:40 - Practicality and features
13:57 - Safety
14:37 - What's it like to drive?
17:51 - What goes wrong?
19:26 - Should you buy it?

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#honda #hondacivic #hondacivictyper #typer #civictyper #hothatch #performance #hatch #carreview #carexpert #carenthusiast

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Listen to the podcast!

[lukeh]

Not revving this car out in the ‘what’s it like to drive’ section is criminal

[stevenloynds]

Doesn't matter what car is being reviewed I'm just here to support the team and boost the algorithm

[Piranga]

I bought mine in February of 2002, this year did 23 years and it's perfect. Every day put a smile in my face.

[ppyk]

Had one when I was younger. Was one of the most engaging cars I’ve owned to date.

Besides dealing with broken engine mounts often, a bad 02 sensor, hazy front headlights and constant torque steering, it was a great car and very reliable in stock form.

[thecountsaintgermaine]

As a young man, I had one of these. I loved it! I want one again just to reminisce about my early 20's. I totally get those older guys now who buy the car from their younger days and cherish it 😢

[brotherabid]

I have one of these jdm version in the uk, always puts a smile on my face when I drive it, they are not the most comfiest of cars but very engaging, the value of these are also creeping up all over the world and should be worth more in a few years

[__GMA__]

Ep3 is a legend. I've owned my type r for 6 years. Tbh this week she gets a new clutch. And ooo yeah it's had an amazing service life. Steering, ac, alternator, clutch slave cylinder, radiator, suspension 2 times now, both windows lol with one now again not working and all new brakes. But I still love it! Great video much love from Brandon Manitoba. O yeah 271 ooo kms

[sgambino]

Have one of these - one of the only cars that feels fun driving normally. You just don’t get that anymore.

[djmandrick]

Ep3 (UK prefacelift) (and Mk6 Fiesta ST owner so a little smaller than the ep3 sized mk7 you mentioned). Bought the ep3 at the end of covid with a recent rebuilt bottom end due to blown engine. Travelled 150 miles, bought it as it was all undersealed and rust free, rest id budgeted for. Had a complete refresh of all suspension (all standard) and had all the missing undertrays replaced, all missing bolts replaced, and the thing back to how it should be. I got the head gasket done as it was found to be starting ot leak and caught it before anything happened, new exhaust front to back, remap. Prefaclift seats were green (???) so I've binned the back seats and got some Premiere trim seats to go in it now. (those JDM seats fetch 1500 quid over here atm) Also subsequently had an Integra diff fitted which my Honda man put me onto - it wa a lot but i bought it so i could say it was original and i imported it from Japan. Its tranformed the driving. I love my ep3 - i used to stare and dream about having one as my neighbour had one sat outside their house back when these came out (in my early 20s) . The EP3 is so fun, the map dropped VTEC to 4800 and gave me 221BHP (from UK 197 standard, JDM is 215 i believe) which all makes up for the lack of torque low end (i was a bit disappointed after a week of owning it tbh and that how much you had to rag it to get anything out of it meant most of the time it felt a bit "wet" - VTEC i expected something to happen other than a change in noise.) However the remap made it a different machine altogether. its droney on motorways and 6th gear has you at 3300 rpm at 70 mph, even with the quietest performance exhaust i could find> it does about 28mpg. The ST is also fun with less power but unless i have to at some point I wouldn't get rid of either. For the Ep3 always carry oil and always check it and keep it topped up. Oil starvation is the biggest killer of these engines (so my Honda performance garage man tells me) . If tracking an ep3 he's also recommended to have a baffle fitted as that can cause issues of oil starvation too, once you start chucking it about . My advice get as standard a one as you can find (they are fairly common here) bung on an exhaust add a cold air intake and remap that's all you need to have LOT of fun.

[wingmanlmg]

Great video as always - I honestly think it would be really nice if you could take the car up to the mountains or some twisty roads for a bit and do a segment on spirited driving - how it handles, how the breaks feel, the power delivery etc. Would really bring the videos up a notch

[NathanielStudios]

Would I buy one? Yes, because for me, it's the best Civic Type-R model of all of them.

[leowinsnever]

I’ll watch every video anyway but I will always be very happy when they review one of my favourite cars that are actually affordable to someone like me

[christophermahoney]

I owned an ep3 a decade ago, I sold it before moving overseas and wish I still had it.. such a great car

[sabzone]

Gorgeous machine. Currently doing a nut and bolt resto on my ep3 type r. Lovely cars

[frankaloo]

Offttt that camera angle at the start 🔥 🔥

[BikesNBeers]

Had mine for 12 years. Great fun. Very much in its era compared to modern cars but simple and fun.

[Peginafication]

Clio RS 172 / 182 is really one of the main competitors for the EP3. You should drive one! Come to Tassie and you can drive mine 😄
Great review as always. Heard the steering feel is not great on the EP3 (the words used were "feels like you're driving the car in front of you" 🤣). No mention of that here?

[darcybenjamin]

Hey ReDriven team, I thought I'd leave a comment to reach out about being on the show for an episode. I have a completely factory 2007 Subaru Forester Cross Sports S Edition that I've recently purchased, and thought it could make a great piece for a look into an older car. It's a rarer spec than a Forester STI, and hasn't been modified!

[RATADATUAVELHA]

I had face lift civic exclusive CTDI with heated seats and leather...the overall car is medium, like every japanese car of that decade. plastics are acceptable...brakes are good, comfort good, handling very good, engine was great because was Isuzu. but answering to your question, yes, I love this type-r from year 2001.

[kirsty-ge]

Great review Adam! 😊 Could you please do a review on a Honda City? 🙊