Those of you that have followed my blog in the past (including those faithful subscribers who are so very loyal), know that I have a 2006 Honda Civic. I bought it during our last severe gas hike, about five years ago, when there was actually a waiting list to buy these things. I bought this car about six months after Hurricane Katrina struck the gulf coast (it actually hit more places than New Orleans if you can believe that). Gas was closing in on $5.00/gallon here. I had a 2004 Jeep Liberty that I really enjoyed. However, 16MPG in the city just wasn't going to work out for me. When I bought that Jeep, gas was about $1.35/gallon. Six months after I bought it, Hurricane Ivan hit the gulf coast and gas prices zoomed. They have never returned to those pre-Hurricane Ivan days. So, buying the Honda Civic was a no-brainer to me. I was reluctant to give up the Jeep Liberty. But, I was more reluctant to keep forking over $4-5 a gallon for gas too.

I have had very few problems since I bought that 2006 Honda Civic. Gas mileage is an impressive 37 on the interstate and about 30 in the city. But, for reasons I can't surmise, I have begun to have problems with it. They are little things. But, they keep adding up for me. Last August, I noticed paint started peeling off the front bumper. I don't mean just little chips. I mean chips as big as the palm of your hand. I took it to the local paint and body shop. The guy there told me this was common for Honda Civics. Oh joy. To completely strip and paint bumper? Since I was paying out of pocket, he said he would "only" charge me $875. What a guy, huh? But, then the problems started coming in buckets. Transmission starting slipping in second gear. Price tag of $700 took care of that for me. Had to replace the alternator after just 60K miles. My 2006 Honda Civic started running hot and the dealer can't seem to find the cause. More aggravation, more money to spend. I was turning into a shopping center just after Valentine's Day and the moon roof suddenly caved half-way into the car. Take a wild guess how much that cost.

I hate to do it, but it looks like I will be trading in my beloved 2006 Honda Civic. I just see no other way around it. I won't be buying a Jeep Liberty, of course. I would love to. At this point, I won't be buying another Honda Civic either. The Honda dealer has told me they would love to take the 2006 Honda Civic off my hands and put me into another Honda of my choosing. How kind and considerate of them. Right now, I intend to just drive my old 1995 Nissan pickup. Except for the MPG, it actually runs better than the Honda Civic. This Honda Civic has been a very good car (majority of Honda Civics are extremely reliable) up until the last six months. I guess the lemon finally got squeezed out of it.