1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC engine: faults and reliability

• 1.4 i-DSI 83 (L13A1, Civic VII and VIII)

  2005–2009 · 83 hp · L13A1

  Buy

  We have not found a fault pattern specific to the i-DSI block in the sources consulted: it is mechanically simpler than the i-VTEC (no variable valve timing actuators) and shares the timing chain of the rest of the family. Because of its limited sales in Europe it also has the fewest owner reports, so the assessment rests more on its mechanical simplicity than on an extensive track record.^[1][6]

• 1.4 i-VTEC 100 (L13Z1, Civic VIII, Civic IX and Jazz II)

  2008–2017 · 100 hp · L13Z1

  With caution

  The block itself shows no clear pattern of serious faults, but a good share of the Jazz II and Civic VIII units were sold with the i-SHIFT automated gearbox, whose actuator fails repeatedly according to the reports consulted, and several owners also document early wear of the clutch and flywheel. It is worth checking the gearbox type and the clutch history before buying, especially on the Jazz II and Civic VIII.^[3][4]

• 1.2 i-VTEC 90 (Jazz II)

  2008–2015 · 90 hp

  Buy

  It is the Jazz II variant with the fewest issues in the Fiches-auto.fr reports: it is not associated with the i-SHIFT gearbox failures (documented on the 1.4) or with clutch problems, and only isolated cases of oil consumption or a radiator leak are cited.^[3]

• 1.3 i-VTEC 102 (Jazz III)

  2015–2018 · 102 hp

  Buy

  Fiches-auto.fr records a very positive assessment of the Jazz III (15 positive opinions against 2 negative) and, for this engine, cites only one case of a dirty EGR valve and another of injectors with an unstable idle; there is no sign of the gearbox or clutch problems that do affect the Jazz II.^[7]

• 1.5 i-VTEC 130 (Jazz III)

  2018–2020 · 130 hp

  Buy

  The reports collected by Fiches-auto.fr are few (6 cases) but without serious issues; only one case of noise related to the variable valve timing phaser is mentioned. With so few reports, the assessment is cautious because of the lack of track record, not because of problems found.^[7]

• 1.8 i-VTEC 140 (R18A2, Civic VIII)

  2006–2011 · 140 hp · R18A2

  With caution

  It is the engine with the most reports in the whole Civic VIII (92 cases, 127 positive ratings against 25 negative) and the block itself does not concentrate serious faults, but it shares with the rest of the Civic VIII range the i-SHIFT gearbox and clutch/flywheel failures, and units built between 2008 and 2010 fall within the technical notice on the water pump pulley.^[4][8]

• 1.8 i-VTEC 143 (R18Z4, Civic IX)

  2012–2017 · 143 hp · R18Z4

  With caution

  None of the 28 owners' reports collected by Fiches-auto.fr describes a serious engine failure, but high oil consumption (0.2-0.8 l per 1,000 km) associated with piston ring wear is common, and the rings were replaced under warranty in at least one case at 45,000 km; it is worth monitoring the oil level between services.^[9]

• 1.3 i-VTEC IMA hybrid 98+14 (LDA-MF3, Insight II and Jazz Hybrid)

  2009–2015 · 98 hp · LDA-MF3

  Buy

  It is the best-rated variant of the whole family in the reports consulted: Fiches-auto.fr describes it as the most reliable Jazz II, with a single documented problem (the battery cooling fan) at 12 years and 150,000 km. Consumer Reports even named the Insight the most reliable model in its 2010 comparison, although Honda later extended the engine warranty over excessive oil consumption in some units.^[3][10]

• 1.2 i-DSI 78 (L12A, Jazz I, 2002-2008)

  2002–2008 · 78 hp · L12A

  With caution

  Gebrauchtwagenberater.de notes, for the Jazz GD in general, that the EGR valve can carbonise and stick open, causing jerking or stalling at idle, which often ends in worn spark plugs and coils. We have found no reliability data specific to this capacity.^[11]

• 1.4 i-DSI 83 (L13A, Jazz I, 2002-2008)

  2002–2008 · 83 hp · L13A

  With caution

  Gebrauchtwagenberater.de notes, for the Jazz GD in general, that the EGR valve can carbonise and stick open, causing jerking or stalling at idle, which often ends in worn spark plugs and coils. We have found no reliability data specific to this capacity.^[11]

• 1.5 VTEC 111 (L15A1, Fit/Jazz I, 2002-2008)

  2002–2008 · 111 hp · L15A1

  With caution

  Gebrauchtwagenberater.de notes, for the Jazz GD in general, that the EGR valve can carbonise and stick open, causing jerking or stalling at idle, which often ends in worn spark plugs and coils. We have found no reliability data specific to this version.^[11]

Buy: No known serious faults, or they have already been corrected, in this version. With caution: Worth buying if something specific is verified: history, a replaced part or a completed campaign. Avoid: High risk of a serious fault that is hard to check for or prevent.

1. 1High severityFrequency: CommonTransmissioni-SHIFT automated gearbox actuator failureYes: the i-SHIFT gearbox (a single automated clutch) in the Jazz II and Civic VIII fails repeatedly at its electronic actuator, between 95,000 and 180,000 km; in the worst case, the repair was not worth it against the car's value. Honda also updated the software for a separate reverse-gear fault.Appears at around 95,000 km
2. 2High severityFrequency: CommonCoolingLoosening of the water pump pulley and accessory belt failureOn the Civic VIII built between 2008 and 2010, the water pump pulley can work loose and break the accessory belt, with loss of power steering and battery charging; Honda documented it as a technical notice for those production years.
3. 3Medium severityFrequency: CommonClutchPremature clutch and flywheel wearYes: several Jazz II owners and, above all, Civic VIII owners document early clutch and flywheel wear, with replacements as early as 35,000-90,000 km and the odd case of total failure while driving; it is the mechanical fault that recurs most in the reports for these two cars.Appears at around 35,000 km
4. 4Medium severityFrequency: CommonLubricationOil consumption from piston ring wearThe 1.8 i-VTEC in the Civic IX (2012-2017) can burn more oil than normal, between 0.2 and 0.8 litres per 1,000 km according to the owners consulted, because of piston ring wear; Honda has replaced this part under warranty in at least one case from 45,000 km.
5. 5Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalIgnitionSpark plug working loose on the 1.4 i-VTEC engineSeveral 1.4 i-VTEC owners, in both the Civic VIII and the Civic IX, document a spark plug working loose in its seat (in one case it was ejected from the cylinder head while driving); the cases are few, but the same symptom recurs in two different generations.

Severity colours: low, medium, high, critical. How we rate them

Manufacturer

Honda Motor Co.

Family

i-VTEC / i-DSI

Fuel

Petrol

Displacement

—

Cylinders

4

Fuel system

Naturally aspirated

Injection

Indirect injection

Timing

Chain

Power

83–143 hp

Production

2001–2020

Makes

Honda

Technical data^[1][2][5]

1. 2002–2008

   1.2 i-DSI 78 (L12A, Jazz I, 2002-2008)

   L12A block of 1,246 cc with i-DSI (two spark plugs per cylinder) and 78 hp, exclusive to the European Jazz and offered only with a five-speed manual gearbox, from 2002 to 2008.^[1]

2. 2002–2008

   1.4 i-DSI 83 (L13A, Jazz I, 2002-2008)

   L13A block of 1,339 cc with i-DSI, sold as «1.4» in Europe with 83 hp (86 hp in the Japanese Fit), which powered the first-generation Jazz.^[1][11]

3. 2002–2008

   1.5 VTEC 111 (L15A1, Fit/Jazz I, 2002-2008)

   L15A1 block of 1,497 cc with VTEC and 111 hp, presented in September 2002 and sold worldwide with a five-speed manual or CVT gearbox in the Fit and the Jazz, according to Wikipedia.^[1]

4. 2005–2009

   1.4 i-DSI 83 (L13A1, Civic VII and VIII)

   Entry-level engine with i-DSI technology (two spark plugs per cylinder, no variable valve timing): the 1,339 cc version sold as the "1.4", which Honda offered in very limited numbers at the end of the seventh-generation Civic (the 2005 "Si" body) and then more widely at the start of the eighth generation (2006), until replacing it with the 1.4 i-VTEC in the 2009 facelift.^[1][6][12]

5. 2006–2011

   1.8 i-VTEC 140 (R18A2, Civic VIII)

   The family's largest-displacement engine (1,799 cc), exclusive to the Civic VIII in this generation, with the same timing chain layout and 16-valve SOHC i-VTEC cylinder head as the rest of the block.^[2][12]

6. 2008–2017

   1.4 i-VTEC 100 (L13Z1, Civic VIII, Civic IX and Jazz II)

   It replaced the 1.4 i-DSI in the Civic VIII from the 2009 facelift, stayed on with the same power in the Civic IX (2012-2017) and was also fitted, with very similar figures, to the Jazz II (2008-2015) from its launch. It adds variable valve timing (i-VTEC) to the 1,339 cc block, sold in all three cars as the "1.4".^{[3][5][12][13][14]}

7. 2008–2015

   1.2 i-VTEC 90 (Jazz II)

   Entry-level engine in the Jazz II range, with variable valve timing and the same aluminium block and timing chain as the rest of the family, but with a smaller displacement (1,198 cc). We have not been able to confirm from the sources consulted the exact engine code Honda uses for this variant.^[3][5][14]

8. 2009–2015

   1.3 i-VTEC IMA hybrid 98+14 (LDA-MF3, Insight II and Jazz Hybrid)

   Hybrid variant of the family, of 1,339 cc, combined with an electric motor of around 14 hp and the battery of Honda's IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) system, with a CVT gearbox. It powers the second-generation Honda Insight (2009-2014) and, with very similar figures, the Hybrid version of the Jazz II (2011-2015).^[3][10][14]

9. 2012–2017

   1.8 i-VTEC 143 (R18Z4, Civic IX)

   Evolution of the 1.8 i-VTEC for the Civic IX (2012-2017), with a slight power increase over the Civic VIII's R18A2.^[9][13]

10. 2015–2018

    1.3 i-VTEC 102 (Jazz III)

    The only entry-level petrol engine in the Jazz III (2015-2020) until the arrival of the 1.5 i-VTEC; the same 1,339 cc displacement as the earlier versions sold as the 1.3/1.4, with adjustments specific to the third generation.^[7]

11. 2018–2020

    1.5 i-VTEC 130 (Jazz III)

    Larger-displacement engine (1,498 cc) added to the Jazz III in a later update, with more power than the launch 1.3 i-VTEC.^[7]

• Timing chain kit

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• Oil filter

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• Air filter

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• Spark plugs

  • Buy part at Autodoc (affiliate link, opens in a new tab)