2003 HONDA CIVIC Complaints

CVT TRANSMISSION SLIPS AT 45K MILES. REPLACED TRANSMISSION AND PROBLEM REAPPEARED AT 75K. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO INSERT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION OR START THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN.

THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO SLIP, THE ENGINE RPM'S WOULD GO UP BUT SPEED WOULD NOT CHANGE. AS YOU DROVE DOWN THE ROAD YOU COULD SEE THE TACH WHICH SHOWS RPM GO UP & DOWN, UP & DOWN ALL THE TIME BUT THE SPEED WOULD STAY THE SAME. VERY POOR GAS MILEAGE AROUND THE MID 30'S NOT EVEN CLOSE TO THE 50 MPG THAT WE WERE TOLD. THEN ONE DAY THE CAR JUST MADE A BANG AND STOPPED, THE TRANSMISSION STEEL BELT INSIDE BROKE INTO MANY PIECES AND THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. $1800.00 TO FIX THIS THEN WE STILL HAD THE RPM UP & DOWN PROBLEM. THEN @ 80,000 MILES THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON HAD UPDATE DONE TO COMPUTER, MADE THE MPG EVEN LOWER AND WE WERE TOLD THE HYBRID BATTERY IS GOING BAD, REPLACEMENT COST $3000.00. COULDN'T AFFORD THIS THEN THE HYBRID BATTERY DIED 100% COULDN'T DRIVE CAR WITHOUT ANY KIND OF CHARGE IN BATTERY AND IT ALSO CAUSE ANOTHER PART OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM TO GO BAD WHICH COST $1700.00 TO FIX. SO WE NEEDED A NEW BATTERY @ $3000.00 AND ANOTHER HYBRID COMPONENT FOR $1700.00 SO WE COULD DRIVE THIS CAR. IT HAD UNDER 100,000 MILES AND HONDA WOULDN'T HELP PAY A DIME, AND ALL THIS NOT TO LONG AFTER WE SPENT $1800.00 TO HAVE TRANSMISSION BELT FIXED. SO WE TRADED IN THE CAR TO HONDA FOR A FORD. WE ALSO SPENT $1200.00 TO HAVE THE AC COMPRESSOR REPLACED ON THIS CAR SO IT WAS A LEMON FROM THE START AND ALL THIS TIME HONDA WOULDN'T HELP AT ALL EVEN THOUGH WE HAD COMPLAINED TIME AND TIME AGAIN. NOW THEY ARE IN A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT WHICH I HOPE THEY ARE MADE TO PAY MILLIONS. I WOULD NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER HONDA HYBRID, THIS CAR WAS TO SAVE US MONEY ON GAS BECAUSE OF THE MPG BUT IT COST US THOUSANDS IN REPAIRS THAT BY FAR COST US MORE THAN THE MONEY WE SAVED IN GASOLINE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SRS AIR BAGS WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT IF THE COMPONENT WAS NOT REPLACED, NOT THE AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD VIOLENTLY JERK WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AND ALSO WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES WHERE VARIOUS TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

SRS WARNING LIGHT APPEARED IN DECEMBER 2011, MADE APPOINTMENT WITH POHANKA HONDA IN FREDERICKSBURG, VA. TO HAVE DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED. DEALER STATED THAT SEATBELT BUCKLE HAS BAD SENSOR AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. SEAT COMPONENTS HAVE A LIFETIME WARRANTY AS STATED IN USERS MANUAL PAGE 48, AND IN WARRANTIES MANUAL PAGE 31 STATING: HONDA PROVIDES A LIFETIME WARRANTY ON SEAT BELTS. HONDA WILL REPAIR OR REPLACE ANY SEAT BELT COMPONENT THAT FAILS TO FUNCTION PROPERLY DURING NORMAL USE. IN WARRANTY MANUAL IT STATES, HONDA WILL REPAIR OR REPLACE, AT ITS OPTION, ANY HONDA SEAT BELT COMPONENT THAT FAILS TO FUNCTION PROPERLY DURING NORMAL USE THIS INCLUDES ALL PARTS AND LABOR CHARGES. POHANKA HONDA FAILED TO WARRANTY PART STATING THE BUCKLE IS NOT PART OF THE SEAT BELT IT IS PART OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND THEREFORE NOT WARRANTIED. HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE STATED THAT THE BUCKLE IS NOT PART OF THE SEAT BELT AND THEREFORE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. HONDA NEEDS TO WARRANTY AND STAND BEHIND THIS WARRANTY. NOT ABLE TO PASS VIRGINIA STATE INSPECTION WITH THIS LIGHT ON AND FAILURE. *TR

LEFT AND RIGHT LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT FAILURE, HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS OPERATIONAL. *TR

IN AUGUST OF 2011, I NOTICED A BURNING SMELL WHILE USING THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS. SOMETIMES THE SMELL WAS QUITE STRONG, BUT I COULD NOT FIND WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. UNTIL I COULD FIND THE PROBLEM, I DECIDED ONLY TO USE THE CAR WHEN I DID NOT NEED TO USE THE HEADLIGHTS. A COUPLE OF TIMES I HAD TO USE THE LIGHTS. EVENTUALLY, THEY STOPPED WORKING AND I HAD TO FIND THE PROBLEM. WHEN I TOOK THE COLLAR OFF OF THE STEERING COLUMN, I NOTICED THAT THE CONNECTOR TO THE HEADLIGHT (COMBINATION SWITCH) WAS MELTED. THERE WAS A GREENISH/BLUE CORROSION ON ALL OF THE TERMINALS AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE SWITCH TERMINALS ARE MADE OF A DIFFERENT METAL FROM THE CONNECTORS. IT NOW MAKES SENSE...TWO DISSIMILAR METALS CAN CAUSE A GALVANIC REACTION WHICH LEADS TO CORROSION WHICH LEADS TO HIGH RESISTANCE WHICH LEADS TO HEAT BUILD UP. CURRENT DRAW ON THE WIRE FOR THE LOW BEAMS IS 9 AMPS. I ALSO HAVE FOG LIGHTS CONNECTED TO THIS WIRE, BUT THROUGH A RELAY THAT ONLY DRAWS 0.1 AMPS. I CALLED HONDA AND THEY STATE THAT MY VIN IS NOT COVERED AT THIS POINT. THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER CLAIMS THAT THE CAUSE IS THE FOG LIGHT WIRE BEING CONNECTED TO THE LOW BEAM WIRE. MY RESPONSE IS THAT WIRE ONLY ADDS 0.1 AMPS TO THE CIRCUIT AND CANNOT BE THE CAUSE OF THE MELTED CONNECTOR...THE CAUSE IS FROM THE CORROSION AT THE TERMINALS. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, I SEE THAT MY HEADLIGHT SWITCH (PART #35255-S5A-A02) IS USED ON MANY HONDA PRODUCTS THAT HAVE THE SAME ISSUE WITH MELTED CONNECTORS. THESE MODELS INCLUDE THE CIVIC, FIT, INSIGHT, AND CRV. MILLIONS ARE BEING RECALLED FOR THIS, BUT HONDA WILL NOT INCLUDE MINE. THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM AND HAVE DEVELOPED A REPAIR KIT...PART # 35012-S5A-307 TO REMEDY. IT INCLUDES THE SWITCH, A CONNECTOR, AND SOME WIRE. A RECALL CAMPAIGN NEEDS TO BE STARTED FOR THE 2003 MODEL YEAR (LIKE MINE) AND ANY YEAR OR MODEL THAT THIS HEADLIGHT SWITCH (#35255-S5A-A02) IS USED IN. UPDATED 11/25/11 *BF *TT

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ENTER AN INTERSECTION MY 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE DUE TO A SLIPPING TRANSMISSION. I WAS ALMOST HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE WHO WAS ABLE TO AVOID ME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE WHEN SHIFTING INTO GEAR. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BATTERY AND CLUTCH FLUID IN AN ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE DEFECT, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 139,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.