New Member, Not Yet An Owner - GreenHybrid

Stuart Rudolph · #1 (**permalink**) 09-30-2006, 05:28 AM

Good Morning All,
I'm a brand new member, and I am seriously considering purchasing a white '03 Civic with just over 16k mi, for $12k in perfect shape. I'm 41 years of age, with no children and I'm very intrigued with hybrids. Would this be a wise investment?

Stuart Rudolph
Tampa, Fla.

IMAhybrid · #2 (**permalink**) 10-01-2006, 02:08 PM

16k miles on a 03, especially a hybrid, is really low. Sounds good to me, you won't have to worry too much about running out of miles on the warranty. I love my Civic. Is it a CVT or a 5 speed?

IMAhybrid · #3 (**permalink**) 10-01-2006, 02:08 PM

Oh and welcome!

Stuart Rudolph · #4 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IMAhybrid

16k miles on a 03, especially a hybrid, is really low. Sounds good to me, you won't have to worry too much about running out of miles on the warranty. I love my Civic. Is it a CVT or a 5 speed?

Good Morning,
I ran a Carfax on this particular vehicle, and this vehicle went "In Service" June 23, '03, and I learned '03's have a 3 year 36kmi drivetrain warranty, so the drivetrain warranty expired this past June. Of course the battery pack is covered another 5 years. My question is, would the "IMA" be covered under the drivetrain warranty, or the battery pack warranty? If it's covered by the drivetrain warranty, how durable are the IMA's, and should I be concerned of it's reliability? Oh, and this vehicle is a CVT, and she's flawless inside and out. Kinda makes me wonder if this car spent the majority of it's life in somebodys' garage, or did a senior citizen own this strictly for "In City" transportation?

By the way, I work at a Carmax, a used car superstore chain, and we're also online. Anyway, this vehicle was a trade in, and our mechanics are not really trained for hybrids, so we put the vehicle in wholesale status, and was slated for our auction that we have every Monday. I put a hold on this vehicle last week, so I have plenty of time to do some research, and learn about these special vehicles, before I take the plunge and finance it for 60 months.

msantos · #5 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 05:00 PM

Stuart, you may have a gem there.

However, I would recommend you take the vehicle for an inspection at a good Honda dealership to be sure. It is not just enough to be or have a good mechanic. When it comes to these vehicles we're always better off to take them "home" where they are likely to have the support equipment, software, knowledge and literature to service it properly.

Is it possible to determine which Honda dealership performed most of the vehicle's maintenance? If it so happens that this information is available then I would definitely buy this vehicle.

Cheers;

MSantos

IMAhybrid · #6 (**permalink**) 10-03-2006, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart Rudolph

I learned '03's have a 3 year 36kmi drivetrain warranty, so the drivetrain warranty expired this past June. Of course the battery pack is covered another 5 years. My question is, would the "IMA" be covered under the drivetrain warranty, or the battery pack warranty?

I think the IMA is part of the battery/emissions warranty. If you take it to Honda to have it checked out ask them to be sure.