Questions about issues with 1.5 6MT before purchasing

[garoto]

I love driving my 1.5T A-SPEC 6sp, i think its the right balance of power & economy (40MPG).

BUT honestly the rattles drive me wild (wasn't there during the test drive). A few locations:

1. Clicking noise around/under the shifter console.
2. Rattle at certain music frequency on the right side door panel.
3. Rattle from seatbelt tensioner.

All I can do is just driver the car harder & turn up the volume like in the 90s .

I agree with others to wait for the Civic Hybrid.

Not interest in a hybrid, that route is not an option. But it just doesn’t sound to me that the Integra is worth the premium, I may go the Si route.

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[mopar_man]

We have a ‘23 Si with that engine and after 28,000 miles really have no complaints. I mean I could nitpick here and there but the darn thing runs well, gets 40 or more mpg on the highway, has plenty of passing power, and is fun to drive.

 

[wagood]

Over 8,000 miles on a 2023 model, also drove it on a 1.5k road trip. My thoughts so far:

1. Biggest is probably the steering rack issue, although I have not experienced it.

2. So many rattles. Passenger and driver seatbelt adjuster, passenger A pillar/speaker, the trim piece to the left of the steering wheel, the dashboard area directly in-front of the passenger. Some I’ve used weather stripping foam to fix, others seem to have gone away with the summer heat and I’m assuming will be back once it’s winter again, etc. Other than the rattles it’s fine I guess.

3. I’ve been in a co-workers civic, and while the integra is slightly nicer they seemed similar quality wise.

4. Others covered

5, 6. My understanding is that it was only a big problem if you live in a cold climate, and that a small amount of oil/gas mixing is “normal”, and it should’ve been “fixed” after 2018. Personally, I live in a warm climate so I’m not worried about it, and it already recommends a 7.5k mile change which is probably good enough.

I got the car because I wanted a manual hatchback under 40k, so it was pretty much either this or a golf gti. I don’t regret the car and certainly have fun with it, but I do think if I wasn’t fully committed to the manual hatchback I would have gotten a CPO IS350 or A5 sportback instead.

Biggest complaints? NVH (a camry is quieter), the rattles, and lack of ventilated seats. I don’t plan to sell it for at least another year, but after that who knows.

 

[TheRas900]

Over 8,000 miles on a 2023 model, also drove it on a 1.5k road trip. My thoughts so far:

1. Biggest is probably the steering rack issue, although I have not experienced it.

2. So many rattles. Passenger and driver seatbelt adjuster, passenger A pillar/speaker, the trim piece to the left of the steering wheel, the dashboard area directly in-front of the passenger. Some I’ve used weather stripping foam to fix, others seem to have gone away with the summer heat and I’m assuming will be back once it’s winter again, etc. Other than the rattles it’s fine I guess.

3. I’ve been in a co-workers civic, and while the integra is slightly nicer they seemed similar quality wise.

4. Others covered

5, 6. My understanding is that it was only a big problem if you live in a cold climate, and that a small amount of oil/gas mixing is “normal”, and it should’ve been “fixed” after 2018. Personally, I live in a warm climate so I’m not worried about it, and it already recommends a 7.5k mile change which is probably good enough.

I got the car because I wanted a manual hatchback under 40k, so it was pretty much either this or a golf gti. I don’t regret the car and certainly have fun with it, but I do think if I wasn’t fully committed to the manual hatchback I would have gotten a CPO IS350 or A5 sportback instead.

Biggest complaints? NVH (a camry is quieter), the rattles, and lack of ventilated seats. I don’t plan to sell it for at least another year, but after that who knows.

I totally agree with this post. I have almost 16,000 miles on my Apex Blue 6MT. It's had tons of rattles, some experience of the sticky steering (dealer can't replicate), and I LOVE the car!

The interior quality is not befitting a luxury car - hard stop. And it doesn't matter to me at all. The transmission and steering are pure perfection, and the car gets such great fuel economy I am not enticed by the Type S.

I was looking at this car or a new M2/M3 or CT4. I couldn't justify the increased cost for my use case, which is a daily driver into the terrible Philadelphia roads. A 6MT M340i would have been perfection. I'm not a VW fan and the Corolla interior is much worse. Therefore, here I am! Only you can decide how much the rattles will bother you - you will have them. Next month will be two years and I still love driving the car each day.

 

[pomegranate]

I had the seat belt rattle from the jump, weirdly enough.. you know how the seat belt height near your shoulder is adjustable. I just put it at its lowest setting and rattles are gone.

Don’t have a 6mt but just had my gear box replaced literally last week. Took 2 days and they gave me a loaner. Dealer receipt stated the TSB that was recently released and replace the whole rack under warranty.

I was excited to see the prelude announcement but was kind of bummed out when they said it was gonna be a hybrid (most likely what’s in the civic). I did have a Honda Accord rental one time the hybrid model it was pretty nice but the “battery” on that does drain pretty fast and if you drive and mountainy areas often or need to quickly accelerate with dead motor batteries that 2.0 engine does scream for help lol. But realiable and great on gas.

Shouldn't it charge quickly breaking in the mountains?

Also agreed. It makes no sense to give the Prelude a hybrid. It's practical fuel economy + impractical coupe application. Meanwhile the Civic in the US only just got it and the Integra probably won't. I really have no idea what Honda is doing. Just give it the K20 everyone wants, I don't know why they think a 2.0t is such a prestigious engine

 

[jayy_swish]

Shouldn't it charge quickly breaking in the mountains?

Also agreed. It makes no sense to give the Prelude a hybrid. It's practical fuel economy + impractical coupe application. Meanwhile the Civic in the US only just got it and the Integra probably won't. I really have no idea what Honda is doing. Just give it the K20 everyone wants, I don't know why they think a 2.0t is such a prestigious engine

You basically have to ride the brakes to see any % difference.. which you obviously don’t want to do going down hill lol. Last thing you need is brake fade.

EPA ratings are king now, that’s why the v8 is being axed by most automakers. Everyone is going smaller engine with force induction, hybrid, or electric. That is the future in the automotive world whether we like it or not. I personally wouldn’t mind electric, if the technology was there. That instant power band is fun but I don’t want to have to sit for 30/40min charging my car. Money comes and goes, I can’t get back wasted time.. so don’t mind paying for gas (let alone CA prices lol).

 

[creaturemachine]

That instant power band is fun but I don’t want to have to sit for 30/40min charging my car. Money comes and goes, I can’t get back wasted time.. so don’t mind paying for gas (let alone CA prices lol).

I just drove a 6-7 hr road trip through upstate NY with the wife's ID.4 and let me say the charging was a complete non-issue. It was topped up to where we wanted it long before our rest stop was over. No kidding the chipotle order took longer. Normal day-to-day driving is charged from home where it doesn't matter how long it takes.

 

[NotAnAlltrack]

2024 ASpec Tech with 6sp.

I only have 10K miles on it so far but i love it. I'm not a big displacement guy so the power is not an issue for me. The transmission is a dream.

I have experienced no problems with rattles or any of the other problems experienced above but I went nuts with the rear seat belts flapping in the wind which was taken care of by just buckling up all three.

 

[rui]

If someone wants to find a reason not to buy a car, they always will. There are no perfect cars. The so called "trouble free gem" of an 2022 MX-5 you have has been blowing up transmissions like it's some sort of fashion (check forum.miata.net - it's so bad they have an entire forum section on transmission issues).

The Civic/Integra's "sticky steering" issue should be more than fixed in MY 2025 cars. The Japan-built CTR never had it so it's not a design problem. The American-made versions must have caught up by now. The TSB has been out for a long while - only 2022 and 23 models are affected.

 

[garoto]

If someone wants to find a reason not to buy a car, they always will. There are no perfect cars. The so called "trouble free gem" of an 2022 MX-5 you have has been blowing up transmissions like it's some sort of fashion (check forum.miata.net - it's so bad they have an entire forum section on transmission issues).

The Civic/Integra's "sticky steering" issue should be more than fixed in MY 2025 cars. The Japan-built CTR never had it so it's not a design problem. The American-made versions must have caught up by now. The TSB has been out for a long while - only 2022 and 23 models are affected.

CTR and ITS most certainly use a beefier steering rack, different ratios too. So I wouldn't expect sticky steering to translate to those.

Regarding the ND2 Miata, I've had zero issues with mine, nor has my brother with his ND1. Most of the people complaining have never driven a MT before, or are bad at it. I've seen these complaints everywhere: FK8 with the 2nd gear grinds (but I can see why an amateur could screw that up), and all kinds of other models too.

That said, the sticky steering problem is not as much as problem for me as it is that Acura has not officially admitted it, issued a TSB specific to the Integra, and a recall like the civics. My turn-off is the "Acura playing dumb" part, and unfortunately or fortunately, I do value my time to be spending it at dealerships.

My goal of this post was to get informed, and let that help me make a decision. Its been helpful. Had I been linked to a recall or TSB where the issue is being formally addressed, I'd have no problem with it.

 

[JohnV]

2023 A-Spec 6MT
2 years and 10K miles

I'm still real happy with the car, and enjoy driving every single day. Rattles and sticky steering have been really minor for me.

Bigger problems are-
1. Noisy. It's just a noisy ride. Now I've been in mostly luxury cars for the last 20 years, so it's not horrible, just noticeable.
2. Harsh ride. Again not really harsh, but noticeable, I'm thinking seriously about fitting 17" wheels, to increase sidewall. But I like to keep it stock.
3. Seat comfort. They are good for up to 30 minutes, but after an hour it's noticeable. As a result, we never use the car for road trips. Plus it's difficult for seniors to get in and out, especially the back seat, and we travel to do stuff for my FIL who lost his driving privileges. This is my biggest drawback.

I think I could solve all these by buying a higher end car, Lexus, Mercedes, BMW. But they are all more expensive, and I lose the dynamic driving experience that makes me love the car.

Interesting comparison to some of the other posters who have legitimate preferences. My other cars-
1. A PHEV. Gets about the same gas mileage as the Integra after the battery is consumed, and I switch to Hybrid mode. Probably a bit better, but I'd always enjoy the Integra more. No comparison. (Full disclosure, it's a Ford not a Honda hybrid)
2. RDX with the 2.0 turbo. I wouldn't want that engine in the Integra. Just the revvy lightness from the 1.5T suits it for me. YMMV

 

[creaturemachine]

3. Seat comfort. They are good for up to 30 minutes, but after an hour it's noticeable. As a result, we never use the car for road trips. Plus it's difficult for seniors to get in and out, especially the back seat, and we travel to do stuff for my FIL who lost his driving privileges. This is my biggest drawback.

The seats are fucking deadly for long drives. Whoever says these are good road trip cars is huffing only top-shelf copium. I've only done 3 hours and it nearly crippled me.

 

[JohnV]

The seats are fucking deadly for long drives. Whoever says these are good road trip cars is huffing only top-shelf copium. I've only done 3 hours and it nearly crippled me.

I don't think I'd say deadly...but 2.5 hours was my longest trip.
My worst recent experience was with a 2014 Elantra GT. It was a really great package, but the front seats were curved buckets, not bolsters. We road tripped to New Orleans, and I had to take a break in the rear seat while my wife drove. I could tolerate that, but not the front after several hours. She was not happy driving in the front by herself.

 

[TeggySteve]

Sadly, the sticky steering is a deal-breaker for me. Here’s what Honda has historically done:
- They pretend: “cannot replicate“ - even if they have seen the issue before.
- Have an issue in various models and various years
- They need to get rid of the bad hardware, continuing to ship them through new cars: now, they have made it the consumers problem.
- It becomes a widespread problem, then Honda starts dragging their feet for years and years until it‘s in the hands of the NHTSA.
- At this point cars start exchanging hands, getting sold, crashed, totalled, or their warranties expire.
- They eventually release a TSB for one model only, sometimes all VINs sometimes partial.
- They slowly start slow-dripping more vins.
- They repeat the process for a different year-range.
- They repeat the process for different models (say, Integra).
- As the cars get older, some owners who have the issue care less and less, people are just more hyperaware when the cars are new.
- When they finally DO have to fix the issue, they make it a royal pain for consumers. Long wait times for parts. Long wait times for their appointments, etc. Discouraging consumers from wanting to make claims for anything to begin with,

At this point they’ve exhonerated themselves from thousands and thousands of repairs.

It‘s what I have experienced anyway with the CR-V and the Passport primarily. And when it comes to perofmance cars, its the classic “you drove it too hard” even if they have no proof of that. Now that I recall, the did it to me with the rotors of my FK8 grooving, an issue that exists in many brembo rotors across many manufacturers.

I’ll wait to see if there’s any word from 2024 or 2025 owners experiencing this issue. But I’m pretty convinced Acura won’t see my business soon.

Service Bulletin 24-037 --- Already being addressed.

 

[garoto]

Service Bulletin 24-037 --- Already being addressed.

Good to know. But can’t find any info on it online. Not even a PDF which is unusual.

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