2003 Honda Civic Power Train

I PURCHASED THE CAR USED IN 2006 WITH 21,000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 56,000 MILES (1/27/08). TOLD NEEDED TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL. THE TRANSMISSION ALSO FAILED AGAIN AT 89,000 (2/4/09) MILES, REQUIRING ANOTHER TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL. 6 MONTHS LATER EXPERIENCING SIMILAR SYMPTOMS (SHUDDERING/SHAKE/VIBRATION BETWEEN 30-50 MPH) AS BEFORE TOOK IT TO AAMCO TO GET AN OUTSIDE OPINION AND I AM TOLD THE TORQUE CONVERTER IS FAILING AND IF NOT REPLACED WILL CAUSE TRANSMISSION FAILURE ONCE AGAIN. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS 124,000 MILES ON IT. SO MUCH FOR HONDA RELIABILITY. *TR

TRANSMISSION ON 2003 HONDA CIVIC STOPPED WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT (ABOUT 11:30PM ON A FRIDAY NIGHT). THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, BECAUSE WHAT IF I WAS REAR-ENDED BY SOMEONE ON THE HIGHWAY & I AND A FRIEND (GIRLS) WERE ALONE IN THE CAR AT NIGHT & IF I HAD BEEN UNABLE TO GET HOME, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN SUSCEPTIBLE TO ATTACK BY LATE-NIGHT MISCREANTS - WE WERE ON OUR WAY HOME FROM A CHURCH YOUTH MEETING - SINCE WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE ON THE HIGHWAY IN QUEENS, NY. I WAS ABLE TO FEEL SOMETHING WAS WRONG & MANEUVER THE CAR OVER WHERE WE COLLIDED WITH THE CURB AND MANAGED TO GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD, BUT IT DIED WITH THE CORNER OF THE REAR, DRIVER'S SIDE BUMPER STICKING OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY WHERE IT COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY BEEN HIT BY ANOTHER CAR. *TR

2003 CIVIC HYBRID WITH CVT HAS TRANSMISSION ISSUES. UPON ACCELERATING FROM A STOP (EVEN SLIGHT ACCELERATION), THE WHOLE CAR WILL SHUDDER AND HARSH SLIPPING FEEL WILL START UNTIL THE CAR GETS MOVING A BIT. FAR WORSE WHEN STARTING ON AN INCLINE FROM A STOP. HONDA REPLACED MY TRANSMISSION WHILE UNDER WARRANTY AT ABOUT 40K MILES, BUT IT QUICKLY BEGAN HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AT AROUND 70K MILES AND HAS BEEN HAVING THE ISSUE EVER SINCE. GETTING A TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGE HELPED A BIT, BUT IT IS COSTLY TO CONTINUE CHANGING THAT FLUID AT EARLIER THAN THE MANUAL RECOMMENDED 30K MILE INTERVALS. *TR

HONDA CIVIC HYBRID 2003 TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE AT 60,000 AND 90,000 MILES. DEALER CHANGES FLUID AND 'BURNISHES THE STARTER CLUTCH', BUT IT DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF A FAULTY TRANSMISSION. NOW THEY SAY THAT IT IS A FAULTY EGR TO DEFLECT THE HEAT FROM THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION. THERE ARE MANY POSTS THAT REFER TO OTHER OWNERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. HONDA NEEDS TO FACE THE PROBLEM AND DEAL FAIRLY WITH IT. *TR

VEHICLE HAS HAD A CONSTANT "JUDDERING" (VIBRATION) ISSUE WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO BE SERVICED SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO DEFECTS FOUND BY THE DEALER. THE "JUDDERING" HAS FINALLY RESULTED IN A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITH A REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. I HAVE READ OF SEVERAL PROBLEMS OF THE SAME NATURE WITH THIS PARTICULAR YEAR, MAKE , AND MODEL. *TR

HESITATION OF CVT TRANSMISSION IN HONDA CIVIC HYBRID 2003 MODEL . THE TRANSMISSION HESITATES AS YOU APPLY GAS ON THE PEDAL. THIS HESITATION IS DANGEROUS WHEN YOU NEED TO MOVE QUICKLY IN CERTAIN TRAFFIC SITUATIONS. *TR

2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID HAS A VIBRATION FROM THE TRANSMISSION. DEALERS SAID THEY DIDN'T FEEL IT, THEN REPLACED TRANS FLUID. NOTHING HELPED . OUT OF WARRANTY AND ITS NOT THEIR PROBLEM NOW. IT IS DANGEROUS AT SPEED. HONDA IS COVERING UP A PROBLEM AND THEY ARE AT FAULT BY CORPORATE DECISION TO RISK AMERICAN LIVES. HAVE GONE ROUND AND ROUND WITH HONDA USE AND THEY STILL SAY THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH ANY OF THE HYBRIDS. LIARS. *TR

THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH HONDA CIVIC HYBRID CVT TRANSMISSION: "A SHUDDER OR JUDDER UP TO 15 MPH REQUIRES HONDA TO DRAIN AND BURNISH THE 2003-2005 HONDA HYBRID CVT CLUTCH.HONDA WILL CHECK THE EGR VALVE DURING THIS SERVICE TOO. HONDA TECH ARTICLE# ATS06070" MY 2003 CIVIC IS HAVING THIS PROBLEM, WHICH IS UNSAFE BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION STUTTERS TO ENGAGE WHEN STARTING OUT FROM A STOP, WHICH CAN BE DANGEROUS IF YOU NEED TO GET GOING QUICKLY TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID 2003 SLIPS WHEN THE CAR IS GOING SLOW OR ON AN INCLINE. *TR

ONGOING PROBLEM WITH MY 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID CVT TRANSMISSION. AFTER PUTTING IN A ONGOING CHRONIC COMPLAINT TO THE MANUFACTURE HONDA ASSIGNED ME A CASE MANAGER WHO DECIDED TO REPLACE THE PROBLEM TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTER WITH A REMANUFACTURED ONE. IT WAS THEN FINE FOR 7500 MILES AND NOW HAS STARTED OVER THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM OF SHUDDER AND SLIPPAGE AS BEFORE. THE DEALER IS TRYING TO SAY IT IS AN EGR VALVE AND PUTTING ME THROUGH THE PROCESS OF RUNNING OUT OF THE WARRANTY AGAIN AS THEY EXTENDED THE TRANSMISSION WARRANTY TO 100,000 MILES AND I NOW HAVE 97,250. AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE THIS TRANSMISSION SHUDDER AND SLIPPAGE IS A SAFETY ISSUE (CHECK YOUR PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS) AND I AM A PUBLIC SAFETY ADVOCATE AND PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONAL. *TR

TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. LOSE OF POWER ON ACCELERATION, ESPECIALLY QUICK ACCELERATION LIKE MAKING A TURN. THIS IS SECOND OCCURRENCE. IN 2007 DEALER "BURNISHED" TRANSMISSION. NOW, SAYS CAN BURNISH FOR $200 (WHICH MAY RESOLVE IT TEMPORARILY) OR CAN TAKE CARE OF PROBLEM, FOR $1200, TO REPLACE STARTER CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. *TR

2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID BEGAN SLIGHT SHUDDERING NOISE UPON ACCELERATION, WHICH EVENTUALLY GOT WORSE, TAKEN IN FOR REPAIR AND WAS TOLD TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS FLUSHED OUT 6 TIMES IN ORDER TO FULLY CLEAN IT OUT. NOT EVEN 3000 MILES LATER SHUDDER CAME BACK. UNFORTUNATELY, AT THE TIME WAS UNABLE TO AFFORD ANOTHER REPAIR BILL SINCE CAR WAS STILL DRIVABLE. NOW SHUDDER IS ACCOMPANIED BY TAPPING NOISE ONLY WHEN IN GEAR, SLIGHT IN REVERSE BUT LOUD WHEN IN DRIVE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC-HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY REVVED, BUT THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE. THE TACHOMETER ESCALATED AND THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE ONTO THE SHOULDER. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, HE ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE BACK INTO TRAFFIC AND THE VEHICLE MOVED VERY SLOWLY. THE VEHICLE COULD ONLY BE DRIVEN 5 MPH; HOWEVER, THE ENGINE WAS STILL REVVING. AFTER THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE ENGINE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AND RESTARTED IT, THE VEHICLE WORKED PERFECTLY FINE FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES. WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE BEGAN LOSING SPEED AGAIN WHILE THE ENGINE WAS STILL REVVING. HE MANAGED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME AND LEFT IT PARKED FOR A FEW DAYS. HE DID NOT START THE ENGINE DURING THAT TIME. A FEW DAYS LATER, HE DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED AND IS STILL AT THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 116,000. UPDATED 02-18-09UPDATED 02/18/09. *JB

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA HYBRID WITH 146K ON IT...THE CAR STARTED MAKING SLIPPING AND GRINDING NOISES WHEN COMING OUT OF A FULL STOP. I NOTICED THAT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME EXACT ISSUE AT VARIOUS INTERVALS AND ARE GETTING THE RUN AROUND FROM HONDA DEALERSHIPS-REPLACING TRANSMISSION FLUIDS, BRANDISHING, ETC. ONLY FOR THE PROBLEM TO RETURN. AT THIS POINT I HAVE A VEHICLE THAT COSTS ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO FIX-$1300 CATALYTIC CONVERTER, $4000 IMA BATTERY PACK RESET/PURCHASE, $750 TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGE. THIS IS REALLY A BIG PROBLEM. IT SEEMS LIKE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY FOOLED INTO BUYING THE CAR WITH NO SUPPORT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND MANY HYBRID OWNERS HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE AN EXPENSIVE AND FRUSTRATING REPAIR-NOT TO MENTION THE OTHER COSTS. PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY'RE DRIVING LEMONS AROUND. MY REPAIRS THAT I RECENTLY FOUND OUT ABOUT BECAUSE THE CAR DID NOT PASS EMISSIONS WILL COST ME MORE THAN WHAT THE CAR IS WORTH. THE ISSUE OF THE SLIPPING AND GRINDING WHEN COMING FROM A FULL STOP NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER AND RECALLED TO BE REPAIRED AT NO COST TO THE OWNERS. THIS PARTICULAR SLIPPING STARTED APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS AGO. I HAD A TRANSMISSION FLUID REPLACEMENT AT THAT TIME AND IT SEEMED TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM ONLY TO HAVE IT RETURN ABOUT 10K LATER. THIS IS AN ONGOING CYCLE. I FEEL LIKE I'M BEING GAUGED BY THE DEALERSHIPS AND THE MANUFACTURER WHO IS REFUSING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE-AMONG MANY OTHER ONES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 40MPH, THE ENGINE THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN TO 3-5 MPH. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE ON TWO OCCASIONS HOWEVER THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THEY ADVISED HIM THAT IF IT OCCURRED AGAIN HE WOULD HAVE TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTART IT AGAIN TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE RUN WELL ENOUGH TO GET TO THE DESTINATION. THEY CHANGED SOME OF THE FLUIDS AND SOME ELECTRONIC BOARDS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS 83,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID WITH NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH CAR SHUDDERING WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND THEN TAKING OFF AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING REGULARLY SINCE JULY 2, 2007 AT 74,000 MILES. IT HAS BEEN IN THE DEALER 6 TIMES FOR THIS CVT SLIPPAGE. THE VERY FIRST DOCUMENTED PROBLEM HOWEVER WAS APRIL 20, 2003 AT 9783 MILES WITH THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING WHEN PLACED INTO REVERSE AND THEN SUDDENLY CATCHING. THE SLIPPAGE IS WORST IN HOT WEATHER. BEEN BROUGHT IN AND MISDIAGNOSED OR DELAYING TACTICS TO CIRCUMVENT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY BY THE HONDA DEALER EACH TIME. THIS IS DESPITE A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM IN JAPAN, INDIA, AND INDONESIA, HONDA NOTIFIED NHSTA IN A LETTER TO ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR MR. KENNETH WEINSTEIN OF THE OFFICE OF SAFETY ASSURANCE OF THIS RECALL IN THOSE COUNTRIES.. SINCE THAN AMERICAN HONDA EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE CVT TO 100,000 MILES BUT ACCORDING TO ALL THE COMPLAINT SITES I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MONITOR HONDA INSTEAD USES DELAYING TACTICS UNTIL THE EXTENDED WARRANTY RUNS OUT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AS CAN BE SEEN BY THE NUMEROUS NEAR MISS TESTIMONIALS ON YOUR NHTSA FILED COMPLAINT NARRATIVES. I AM A EMS BATTALION CAPTAIN FOR A MAJOR METROPOLITAN FIRE/RESCUE DEPARTMENT AND RESPOND TO DEATHS AND SERIOUS INJURIES ON A DAILY BASIS. I AM ALSO A RESPECTED PUBLIC SAFETY ADVOCATE AND THE INITIATOR OF SENATE BILL 486. I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE WARRANTS SERIOUS INVESTIGATION. I BELIEVE DEATHS AND SERIOUS INJURIES HAVE PROBABLY ALREADY OCCURRED FROM THIS SAFETY HAZARD BUT WERE NEVER REPORTED NOR RECOGNIZED AS TO THE CAUSE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *TR

I OWN A HONDA CIVIC HYBRID 2003. SEVERAL MONTHS AGO THE VEHICLE STARTED TO JERK (JUDDER') UPON ACCELERATION AT LOW SPEEDS. I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN TO BE SERVICED, AND THEY 'BURNISHED' THE TRANSMISSION AND SAID TO COME BACK IF THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE PERFORMANCE WAS FINE FOR A FEW THOUSAND MILES, WHEN THE JUDDER RETURNED. ONCE AGAIN, I WENT BACK AND THEY PERFORMED A SECOND BURNISHING. THE PROBLEM HAS SINCE RETURNED. *TR

AFTER NUMEROUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH MY 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED COMPLETELY WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON US 11 IN BERWICK PA. FORTUNATELY DID NOT CAUSE A CRASH. HONDA DEALER SAYS THE CAR NEEDS AN ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. *TR

CAR IS SLUGGISH WHEN TAKING OFF AND DRIVING. HAVE READ THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION (CVT). *TR

MY 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID HAS A SHUDDERS ON START-UP FROM A STOP. WAS TOLD THAT CHANGING THE CVT FLUID TWICE FIXES THE PROBLEM AND THAT HONDA HAS POSTED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ABOUT THIS ISSUE. OTHER HCH OWNERS HAVE STATED THAT CHANGING THE CVT FLUID IS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX AND THAT IT IS REALLY A FAULTY CLUTCH PROBLEM. WHY ISN'T HONDA BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM? *TR

WHILE PARKED IN A PARKING GARAGE, I WAS BACKING MY CAR OUT OF A SPACE. WHEN ABOUT 90% OUT OF THE SPACE, THE CAR SUDDENLY SHIFTED INTO DRIVE (WITHOUT MY HELP) AND SLAMMED INTO THE WALL IN FRONT OF WHICH I HAD BEEN PARKED. THE AIRBAGS WENT OFF, AND THE FRONT OF THE CAR IS REALLY BANGED UP. *TR

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND SUDDENLY TRANSMISSION SHIFTED DOWN INTO 1ST GEAR AND STUCK. I CALLED HONDA CARE (2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID) AND ASKED THEM TO PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS BECAUSE OF A LONG HISTORY OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS TRANSMISSION. THEY HAVE ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY (7YRS/100,000MILES) FOR THIS TRANSMISSION TO AVOID A RECALL, BUT WILL NOT LET ME USE IT BECAUSE THE CAR CARRIES A SALVAGE TITLE...WHICH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TRANSMISSION THAT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE FROM THE BEGINNING. IF THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON THIS TRANSMISSION, THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO REPLACE IT. THEY ARE SOMEHOW GETTING AROUND A RECALL BY SAYING IT ISN'T A SAFETY ISSUE. BUT, I DISAGREE. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING THIS HIGHWAY AT NORMAL TRAFFIC HOURS, I WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED AT 60+MPH. THAT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME EXPERIENCE. THEY SHOULD BE FORCED TO DO A RECALL. *TR

AFTER NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH OUR 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID, THE CVT TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING SO BADLY THE CAR CAN BARELY TAKE OFF FROM A STOP AND PETERS OUT WHEN GOING UP A HILL. THIS LATEST PROBLEM OCCURRED SOON AFTER THE TRANSMISSION JUDDER PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED UNDER WARRANTY. NOW AMERICAN HONDA IS HAVING THE DEALERSHIP REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION ON WARRANTY. ALTHOUGH THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE 2003 CVT TRANSMISSION, AMERICAN HONDA CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO ISSUE A FULL RECALL, CLAIMING IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. WE HAVE A RECORDING ON OUR ANSWERING MACHINE FROM THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER AT OUR HONDA DEALERSHIP SAYING THAT THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. THERE ARE MANY MORE 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRIDS ON THE ROAD WITH THIS SERIOUS ISSUE. FORTUNATELY, WE HAVE NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN A CRASH WITH THIS UNSAFE VEHICLE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT MANDATED A RECALL FOR THIS GENERATION OF HONDA CVT TRANSMISSIONS IN JAPAN AND PARTS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA. HOPEFULLY, THE NHTSA WILL SEE TO IT THAT THIS FAULTY VEHICLE?S PROBLEMS ARE ADDRESSED IN OUR GREAT COUNTRY AS WELL. *TR

CAR STOPPED WHILE DRIVING ON BELTWAY. NO WARNING. CAR WAS TOWED TO HONDA DEALERSHIP. HAS BEEN THERE FOR SIX DAYS SO FAR, WE WERE FIRST TOLD IT WAS A CVT BELT, OR SO THEY THOUGHT. NOW THEY STATE THE TRANSMISSION CAN NOT BE REPAIRED BUT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR IS FIVE YEARS OLD AND WE HAVE NOT HAD ONE PROBLEM PRIOR TO IT STOPPING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, THE VEHICLE VIBRATES AND MAKES NOISES. THE VEHICLE SLOWS AND THEN SURGES FORWARD INTERMITTENTLY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.