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I often see this car put forward as a good reliable buy but I see on HJ's column that gearbox bearings are a problem and they cost around 1k to fix. Surely this would tend to make this vehicle unatractive especially when they are not cheap.
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HJ says it happens to 5-year-old Jazzes. The Jazz was first introduced in 2002, so many people haven't had theirs for 5 years yet.
SWMBO had one of the early ones for 2 years from new, and it never missed a beat (missing a beat isn't a good idea in jazz....).
Edited by Avant on 13/01/2008 at 12:33
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Because it's a neat little car that has lots of little touches that will impress the sort of people who would buy one. The fold flat back seats for example - lots of room for gardening rubbish/grandkids, and it was one of the first to have an ipod socket. Little innovative things like that, coupled with the fact that it looked smart.
I would have had one, had I not been doing so much motorway driving at the time I was choosing my new car.
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I'm a Honda fan, but the Jazz just looks far too expensive for a small car. Not sure what we'd replace our old Civic 1.6 auto with if we had to - probably a Jazz, given the poor packaging of the new Civic, but I'd resent the cost.
I think I'll take her to look at a Roomster!
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> think I'll take her to look at a Roomster!
Hope you have better luck with that than PU, and she does actually get out of the car when you get to the Skoda dealer!
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Hope you have better luck with that than PU and she does actually get out of the car when you get to the Skoda dealer!
Well, carpe diem - we've just been to the shops and dropped in on the way back - she not only got out of the car but did a fair impression of the man from Del Monte. Would welcome some comments, so will start another thread!
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I would agree ?if this fault is fairly common on 5yr old models, and costs £1-1.3k to right then it does not deserve it?s very good reputation for reliability.
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We'll be delighted to see the back of our Jazz as it's good as a shopping trolley but has no handling and is a pig on long journeys. Don't be seduced!
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Yes, I was almost sold on this car (the early version) as a result of the over gushing praise heaped on it. It is smart-looking, well-built, had a very sewing-machine like engine - but utterly useless on the motorway! Incredible wind and tyre roar and gutless engine at higher speeds...
Your sensitivity to its rock-hard ride around town depends on where you live - anywhere potholed and you'd be ready to bin it.
I think it should have been named the Honda 'Jazz-Rock' - loud and hard - now, if only they made a car called the Honda 'George Shearing' :-)
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I think I'm going to have to defend this little car! We have a five year old Jazz and it has been totally reliable. It's versatile with it's seating arrangement, well built and has good performance around town. It will buzz along at 70 mph ish and return between 48 to 58 mpg on a petrol engine. Not bad for a five year old car that was probably designed 7 years ago!! Ok. I'd like a turbocharged petrol version (if Honda made one) but ours will do fine!
The car is what it is and quite rightly if you want to travel 300 + miles per day then an accord or similar size car would be a good choice, we have an Audi A6 for that sort of work.
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My Mum has a 54 reg Jazz that had to have a new steering rack fitted (luckily a few days before the three year warranty was up)
She is happy with it but I am concerned about this gearbox bearing thing. What sort of mileage is this occurring at?
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Mrs BP has a 4yr old Jazz which I use quite a bit around town.
The main thing I like (from an engineering point of view) is that the car seems so well put together and is very "solid" feeling.
I think its price compares well to other similarly equipped superminis - there's a 1.2 Jazz now but I doubt they sell many. Ours is the 1.4 (1.3 really) SE and with 4 elec windows, sunroof (which I like but Mrs BP *never* uses, and is an option now) a/c and remote locking. We looked at Polo when we bought ours and that was more expensive and wasn't as well equipped. Yaris T3 is about the same price too.
The engine feels fine to me for all sensible purposes and feels reasonably torquey (down to the twin plugs, apparently). It's easy 48+MPG around town is very welcome.
I agree with other comments that it's not a car for long journeys - although you do see a lot on motorways. I find it tiringly unstable (I guess due to its height) and the seats are crap.
I really do not like the dash that was intro'd in the minor facelift about 2yrs ago - it looks like Amstrad designed the radio/cd. However the ride is better on the newer models.
Our daughter has a 5dr (so looks very similar to Jazz) Colt CZ1 and it's interesting to compare. Her car has a the 3cyl 1.1 engine but it's adequate in a fun kind of way and does similar MPG to our Jazz (high 40's). With optional a/c it cost £7500 but you can really feel the difference - ironically the ride is better, but I think that's because the whole car flexes! The plastics are just horrible and there is evidence of cost cutting everywhere - there's no tray under the engine, for example and the gear-change is baulky etc.
We're quite eagerly awaiting the new Jazz (later this year) but I'm not enthused that it will probably be build in China. I'll certainly also be looking at Nissan Note.
Edited by Bill Payer on 13/01/2008 at 20:44
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Re "We'll be delighted to see the back of our Jazz as it's good as a shopping trolley but has no handling" You can hardly complain that an urban vehicle is not best suited to long Mway journeys. The wifeliness has a Jazz for short journeys ~(max 60 -70 miles on occasions) but for longer trips we use the other car. Had we bought a Jazz to drive 300 each way, we'd be in bother, but its only a 1.3 and within its limitations and intended use its extremely good. Handling is fine, better than the Yaris she chose before, but its not an MX5, nor was it intended to be. Bandwagon, jumping upon, it seems here.
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I think we have moved away a little from the starting point of this thread.
The OP was commenting on HJ comments in this Saturday?s Telegraph.
A reader with a 2002/52 needs to replace gearbox bearings. The price is £1,000 - £1,300.
HJ?s comment is that this is fairly common on older Jazz models.
Apparently Honda contributes if the issue arises at less than 5 yrs!!
I would be cheesed off if I had bought a £10k run a round to find out it needs £1k maintenance on its 5th birthday.
Even more so if I had paid, say, £4/5k for a 5yr old one, to find I need to spend 25% on top to fix a gearbox problem.
A guess this is more remarkable as it relates to Honda ? have they lost their halo??
Edited by nick1975 on 13/01/2008 at 21:21
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As asked above already, I'd be interested in the sorts of mileage of these cars at the point of bearing failure. Does it depend on gear change frequency or is it a mileage thing? Can a gearbox that has been treated sympathetically delay or even not have this bearing failure.
Is the gearbox used in other cars? How does it fare there? If the failure happens after 5 years then it probably is news to Honda too. After all, Ford did not know about the rusty doors/poor sealant problem until the rust appeared.
Personnaly, I would never buy Jazz. Ever. Just not my style of car (i.e., it has no style).
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An ex colleague had one, a 1.4 IIRC, needed a new engine at 60k, not typical though I am sure and I reckon they were not the best at regular servicing etc.
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Forget all this reliability angle - buy a Hyundai with a 5 year warranty or a Kia Cee'd with a 7 year one. Al cheaper than a Honda, all better equipment, get a service package and then run it into the ground.
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I have just made the biggest mistake of my life parting with £4000 for a Honda Jazz at local auction (local garage purchased for me). I had researched Autotrader and motor websites looking for reliable car which would retain it's value. I have had this whirring sound coming from the clutch? gearbox since it's purchase in December. Garage have now told me there is a bearing missing from the gearbox which will take 4 days in garage to fix problem. Checked with Honda they claim each bearing costs in region of £30-£40 with £600 labour on top. I am now in argument with garage over payment !!! as they purchased car for me and i think they should take care of the repair. Also i need another switch for my central locking which is not working on driver side of car !!!! so all in all i am totally annoyed at my foolish purchase without vetting the car myself. I am now wondering should i still be driving the car ? is it safe for another two weeks ? as the garage cannot repaid until then?
any comments appreciated.
JK
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May I please refer the OP and others concerned about problems with gearbox bearings to: www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=59332
With regards to the reliability of Honda cars in general, I have always been reassured by owners who contribute to: www.hondabeat.com/highmiles.php
If you go to page two on the second site and scroll down to October 4th you will read about the 500,000 mile Honda?although I admit that does not compare with the 2,000,000 mile Volvo :o)
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Hondajazzowner
Don't get into too much of a panic.
Get in touch with a gearbox specialist (not a general repairs garage).
They will be able to source the bearing from a bearing factor (much cheaper than Honda). Unless the box has been run low on oil then I would only expect 1-2 bearings to need replacing. The geabox specialist will be able to test drive the car to determine which ones (either input shaft or countershaft I would guess). These will be either ball or needle-roller types.
To R&R the box, split it and replace a couple of bearings I would reckon on paying £300-400 all in - unless you live in some part of the Soft South where they have more money than sense.
A lot of auction-bought cars are fine, but a lot do have minor problems. Noisy bearings are virtually impossible to identify at auction - you need to drive the car. Often there is a 24hour 'warranty' period when you can return the car if it has non-disclosed 'major' defects. Whether a bearing noise would fall into this catagory would depend on how loud it was etc.
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Thanks very much for your reply.
Garage have now told me they are prepared to strip the gear box and not charge me for the labour costs, only parts. Just now have to wait and find out if i need a whole new gear box as they think this might be likely!
Had the car checked this morning by another mechanic and he thinks full near gearbox and would charge me £500. Just keeping my fingers crossed the garage can do for me and keep costs to a minimum. Will let you know how i get on :(
JK
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We've just taken our 5 year old, 41,000 mile Jazz, 5 people and luggage on a round trip from Sunderland to Chester and back in foul weather. Driven on wet roads, snowy roads, almost sheet ice and all with no nasty, brown-trouser moments.
Fuel cost-£40.
This typifies why the Jazz comes so highly recommended.
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For all you non Jazz owners we have been driving for 40+ years, in VW's Audi, SAAB, Volvo Subaruu's but when the company car days are over and its real money for motoring the choice in the UK is limited.
After road testing Audi Skoda Toyota and M Benz the Jazz was the best drivers car with all round performance.
Yes the ride on the early models was for good roads but after 2006 the ride is better.
Just hire try a Jazz over 200 miles and as for the load carrying well thats just superb
Happy Motoring
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