2003 HONDA CIVIC Complaints

THE DRIVER SEAT STARTED ROCKING AS YOU DRIVE THE CAR. DEALER STATED THAT THE BUSHINGS ARE WORN OUT AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. HONDA IS NOT OFFERING ANY ASSISTANCE OR RECALL ON THIS KNOWN ISSUES WITH THE 2001 - 2003 VEHICLES. *TR

THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS) LIGHT CAME ON, READ THE CODE AND WAS A 7-2 CODE MEANING THAT THE AIR BAG OR SRS MODULE HAD AN INTERNAL FAILURE. THIS CAN BE CAUSED BY A VOLTAGE DEFICIENCY PROBLEM SO I HAD MY CHARGING SYSTEM CHECKED AND EVERYTHING WAS IN SPECIFICATION RANGE. CONTACTED HONDA AS I HAVE READ THAT THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THESE MODULES TO A 10 YEAR/ 150,000 MILE WARRANTY BECAUSE OF SO MANY FAILURES. THEY OF COURSE SAID THAT WAS ONLY ON SELECT MODELS. I AM NOW LOOKING INTO HAVING THE MODULE REPAIRED OR REPLACED AS THE AIRBAGS WILL FAIL TO WORK IN A COLLISION DUE TO THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS THAT YOU CAN READILY FIND ONLINE ABOUT THESE MODULES FAILING. HONDA SHOULD HAVE TO BE REQUIRED TO FIX THESE IRREGARDLESS OF MILEAGE OR AGE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING SOUTH BOUND ON THE 215 SHORTLY BEFORE THE EXIT, MILLS, THERE WAS A CONE LAYING ON ITS SIDE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD THAT I WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE FROM A DISTANCE BECAUSE THE COLOR OF THE CONE WAS FACING FORWARD . BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO REALIZE WHAT IT WAS, I COULD NOT AVOID IT AND GO TO ANOTHER LANE BECAUSE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF TWO CARS, WHICH PROBABLY WOULD HAVE CAUSED MUCH MORE DAMAGE THEN THERE IS IF I ATTEMPTED TO DO SO. AS A RESULT THE CONE CRACKED MY FRONT BUMPER ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IN THE SHAPE OF A V, THERE WAS A LITTLE STEAM COMING FROM MY ENGINE AND THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME KIND OF LEAK NOW, AS WELL AS SOME BLACK RUBBER TYPE THING THAT LOOKS LIKE ITS SUPPOSED TO BE OVER THE TIRE WAS DRAGGING. *TR

THE PEELING METAL PLATING ON THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES CAUSES CUTS TO FINGERS AND HANDS. THEY RANGE FROM SEVERE PAPER CUTS TO DEEP FINGER CUTS. THE CHROME PLATING ON THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES PEEL AND CREATE SHARP EDGES THAT CUT AND DRAW BLOOD. THIS OCCURS WHEN THE DOOR IS OPENED. OUR WHOLE FAMILY HAD CUTS ESPECIALLY MY DAUGHTER.

I GOT A RECALL NOTICE (NOV. 2012) ABOUT 2003 HONDA CIVIC'S HEADLIGHTS FAILING. ABOUT A WEEK LATER IN THE EARLY MORNING AS I WAS GOING TO WORK, MY CAR HEADLIGHTS FAILED AS I LEFT MY DRIVEWAY. I LEFT THE CAR AT HOME AND TOOK ANOTHER. ON RETURN FROM WORK I FOUND BOTH HEADLIGHTS OUT, NO BLOWN FUSES, HEATER FAN NOT WORKING, BOTH ABS AND BRAKE PANEL LIGHTS ON. I SCHEDULED REPAIR AT O'HARE HONDA, DES PLAINES, IL. I ARRIVED AT THE SERVICE DEPT. WITH RECALL NOTICE AND ALSO TO HAVE ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE SERVICES. I LEFT THE CAR FOR THEM TO WORK ON IT. REPAIR WORK DONE ON INVOICE #410741 DATED NOV.19, 2012. THE SERVICE WRITER CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY AND TOLD ME THE BRAKE LIGHT REPAIR REQUIRED THE MASTER CYLINDER TO BE REPLACED. I OK'D MAJOR WORK. SERVICE WRITER CALLED BACK TO SAY THE ABS MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED TOO. I OK'D THAT REPAIR AT LARGE COST ALSO. WHEN I PICKED UP MY CAR THE SERVICE WRITER TOLD ME THEY "PUT IN A FREE ALTERNATOR AS THAT TOO WAS BAD". THE HEADLIGHT REPAIR COST $1,877.77 ($1,326.17 FOR PARTS + $551.60 LABOR). I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS REPAIR AND HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR ON THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AND PUT A LARGE SURGE ON THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF THE CAR. THIS SURGE "FRIED" THE ELECTRICS ON THE TWO BRAKE PARTS AND BURNED OUT THE HEADLIGHTS. THE "FREE" ALTERNATOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE CLUE TO THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SOME DEVICE CAN NOT BE INSTALLED INTO THE ELECTRICAL WIRING SYSTEM OF THE CAR TO PREVENT THIS EXPENSIVE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS FAILURE. THE FINAL PROBLEM WITH THIS REPAIR WAS THAT I HAD TO IMMEDIATELY RETURN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM INSTALL NEW HEADLIGHT BULBS AS THEY MUST NOT HAVE CHECKED THEM AND THEY WERE STILL BURNED OUT. SO MUCH FOR QUALITY CONTROL. *TT

I BOUGHT THIS CAR 2 YEARS AGO WHEN THE CAR HAD ABOUT 96,000 MILES. CAR NOW HAS 130,353 MILES AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS NOW ON. APPARENTLY HONDA DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. SEVERAL RECALLS FOR MY CAR. HONDA REFUSES TO FIX SAYING I'M NOT AFFECTED. *TR

THE SRS (SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM) WARNING LIGHT CAME ON MY DASHBOARD. THIS IS A KNOWN DESIGN/QUALITY DEFECT. HONDA PROVIDED EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THIS ITEM FOR 150,000 MILES/10 YEARS. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE ON 7/16/2013, 3 MONTHS AND 5 DAYS BEYOND 10 YEARS. GIVEN THE MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE FACT THAT THE CAR WAS JUST BEYOND WARRANTY, I EXPECTED THAT IT WOULD BE FIXED AS A WARRANTY ITEM. INSTEAD I WAS BILLED $65.14 FOR READING A CODE FROM THE DIAGNOSTIC LOG. THIS WAS A REQUIRED CHECK BY HONDA BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN A SEAT BELT SENSOR ISSUE WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED FOR NO CHARGE. SINCE THIS ERROR CODE (15-3 ODS UNIT FAILURE) APPEARS TYPICALLY AFTER SEVERAL SENSOR ERRORS, IT IS PROBABLE THAT THE ERRORS WERE OCCURRING EVEN DURING THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PERIOD. I ALSO ASKED FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF THE DIAGNOSTIC CODES SINCE I PAID FOR IT, BUT I WAS REFUSED AND TOLD IT WASN'T AVAILABLE. THE DEALERSHIP, FRONTIER HONDA OF LONGMONT, COLORADO AND HONDA CORPORATION WERE UNWILLING TO PERFORM ANY SERVICE WITHOUT ME PAYING FOR IT. THE ESTIMATE FOR THE ADDITIONAL WORK WAS $403.40 PLUS TAX. I WAS THE HARDWARE PRODUCT MANAGER FOR SEVERAL WORLDWIDE PRINTER PRODUCTS OF A FORTUNE 100 CORPORATION. I FIND IT INCONCEIVABLE THAT HONDA WOULD SACRIFICE THEIR REPUTATION, CUSTOMER GOOD WILL, AND POTENTIAL FUTURE LIABILITY EXPOSURE OVER THIS ITEM. I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE A MANDATORY RECALL OF ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES GIVEN THE APPROACH HONDA IS TAKING. *TR

WE WERE DRIVING ALONG THE FREEWAY AROUND 8:30 AT NIGHT AT ABOUT 70MPH IN THE FAST LANE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. WE HAD TO COAST OVER 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO PULL INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING, I WAS THE PASSENGER, AND OUR 4 MONTH OLD NEWBORN WAS IN THE BACKSEAT. IT TOOK AN HOUR FOR US TO GET A TOW AND A RIDE HOME. ALL THE WHILE I FEARED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY, AS IT WAS QUICKLY APPROACHING DARK. AFTER SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT I AM NO THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS ENCOUNTERED SUCH A PROBLEM WITH THE '03 CIVIC HYBRID CVT. APPARENTLY, HONDA ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT WOULD COVER IT FOR 7 YEARS UP TO 100K MILES. UNFORTUNATELY, I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR A YEAR AGO, SO I AM WELL OUTSIDE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY LIMIT. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT THERE SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN. WE WERE JUST DRIVING ALONG, AND THERE WERE NO SOUNDS OR ANYTHING. BY NOT HAVING A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES, HONDA PUT MY LITTLE FAMILY IN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD VIOLENTLY AND STALLED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND AGAIN THE FAILURE RECURRED BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE FORWARD, ONLY IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE LATER BEGAN TO ACCELERATE FORWARD AND WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT A HARD RESET OF THE COMPUTER WOULD BE REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 117,000.