The Civic Type R builds on Honda’s reputation for reliability and quality, but early FK8 models had a few issues. The 2017 Civic Type R, the first model sold in the U.S., suffered from overheating and gear‑shifting problems when owners pushed the car hard【86742688742226†L174-L205】. Enthusiasts traced these issues to an undersized grille and weak synchros that could grind under high load.
Honda addressed these problems in the 2020 model year with a larger grille for better cooling, a retuned Adaptive Damper System, stiffer suspension bushings, and bigger, lighter brakes. The update also added a counter‑weighted shift knob to improve the feel and reliability of the six‑speed gearbox【86742688742226†L218-L228】. These changes demonstrate Honda’s commitment to continuous improvement and have largely resolved the early Type R’s mechanical complaints.
Overall reliability is still a hallmark of the Civic. According to CarEdge, a standard Civic will cost about $5,639 to maintain over 10 years and has only a 16.08 % chance of requiring a major repair【344509916737124†L165-L200】. While the Type R’s performance hardware leads to slightly higher running costs and requires more frequent consumables such as tires and brake pads, owners who follow the maintenance schedule, use quality fluids, and avoid excessive track abuse can expect the Type R to be a dependable hot hatch.