2003 HONDA CIVIC Complaints

CAR WAS IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. THE BACKSEAT OF THE 2003 HONDA CIVIC CAUGHT FIRE UPON THE FRONT IMPACT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COULD NOT DETECT WHY OR HOW THE FIRE STARTED. *TR

TRANSMISSION WILL SLIP CAUSING THE CAR TO SHUDDER / SHAKE, ACCELERATION WILL NOT OCCUR WHEN NEEDED. PROBLEM IS ESPECIALLY BAD STARTING FROM 0 MPH UP A HILL, OR WHEN 2 OR MORE PASSENGERS ARE IN THE CAR. DEALER WILL NOT OFFER THE RECALL, ALTHOUGH THE SAME PROBLEM HAS BEEN ADDRESSED IN JAPAN, AS THEY HAVE SENT OUT A RECALL FOR THE SAME ISSUE OVERSEAS. *TR

MY 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID HAS A HISTORY OF THE TRANSMISSION/CAR SHUDDERING AND SLIPPING DURING ACCELERATION. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING REGULARLY SINCE JULY 26, 2005 AT 40,440 MILES. ON ONE OCCASION AFTER HAVING THE CLUTCH REPLACED, TRANSMISSION FLUID SPRAYED ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND MANIFOLD WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE FATALITY OR SERIOUS INJURY OF MY SON DRIVING THE CAR HAD IT IGNITED. THE SPOKESMAN AT THE HONDA DEALER IN PORTLAND OREGON SAID MY SON WAS VERY LUCKY NOT TO BE ENGULFED IN FLAMES. SINCE THIS OCCURRENCE, THE SHUDDERING ISSUE HAS CONTINUED REQUIRING REGULAR TRIPS TO THE HONDA DEALER. EACH HONDA SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE I HAVE COMPLAINED TO HAVE SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO BECAUSE HONDA OF AMERICA HAS NOT AUTHORIZED A FIX TO THE DEFECT OTHER THEN TO BURNISH THE START CLUTH AND CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. THIS HAS ONLY BEEN A BAND AID FIX WHICH HASN'T WORKED FOR SOME TIME NOW, BUT ORIGINALLY USED TO WORK FOR ABOUT 2-3 THOUSAND MILES AT WHICH POINT THE PROBLEM RE-OCCURRED. THIS IS CLEARLY A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT AND HONDA IS USING A BAND AID APPROACH TO MASK THIS SERIOUS DEFECT UNTIL THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, AT WHICH POINT, THEY QUICKLY SAY THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE (APPROX $3,400 TO $4,000 DOLLARS). HONDA OF AMERICA CLAIMS TO HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM IN THEIR NEW TRANSMISSIONS BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN WILLING TO USE THIS FIX ON EXISTING CARS LIKE MINE UNTIL THE WARRANTY EXPIRES. I HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN TOLD THIS BY HONDA REPRESENTATIVES. ALL THIS IS DESPITE A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM IN JAPAN, INDIA, AND INDONESIA. PLEASE INVESTIGATE WHY HONDA OF AMERICA HAS NOT BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS SERIOUS DEFECT IN THEIR HONDA CIVIC HYBRID 2003 CVT TRANSMISSIONS. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA CIVIC EX WITH THE SAME PROBLEM LISTED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V086000 MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED AT AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS FRACTURED AND LEAKING EXHAUST INTO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC ADVISED HER TO DRIVE WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN TO HELP KEEP OUT THE EXHAUST FUMES. SHE THEN CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS ADVISED THAT HER VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND NO ASSISTANCE WOULD BE PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155,700 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 162,000.

MY SRS LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR A FEW MONTHS. IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT MY SRS UNIT IS BROKEN, WHICH I FIND HARD TO BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING CAN BE BROKEN IF IT IS HAS NEVER BEEN USED. NOW MY AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IF I CRASH. I HAVE TO ASK HONDA WHY THIS IS NOT A SAFETY WARRANTY LIKE A SEAT BELT? THIS IS THREATENING TO ANY HONDA DRIVER AND QUITE FRANKLY, SCARY. I HAVE READ BEYOND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY FAILS EVERY 30-40K MILES CREATING A TRAFFIC HAZARD THAT WILL RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, THE IMA BATTERY DOES NOT HOLD A SUFFICIENT CHARGE CREATING A LOSS IN POWER AND A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. *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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 5 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO JERK ABNORMALLY AND STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT THEN RELEASED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED WITHOUT STALLING. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND THEY DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED A VALVE. THE FAILURE PERSISTED AFTER THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,000.

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THERE IS A VIBRATION AND FORWARD JOLT DURING TAKE OFF FROM A STOP. HONDA EXTENDED THE WARRANTY BUT I PASS IT BY ONE YEAR. THEY RECALLED THE TRANSMISSIONS IN JAPAN BUT FAIL TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY IN THE US. THEY SUGGESTED PERFORMING "BURNISHING" AND IT SHOULD LAST ANOTHER 20K MILES. I HAD THIS DONE TWO DAYS AGO AT THE DEALERSHIP AND CAN STILL FEEL THE VIBRATION AND JOLT. HONDA USED THIS TRANSMISSION FOR THE 03 AND 04 CIVIC HYBRIDS AND FAIL TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ERROR AND NOW THOUSANDS OF OWNERS, INCLUDING MYSELF, WILL BE FORCED TO PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE BECAUSE THE REPAIR COST IN $4500 AND THERE IS A 6-WEEK WAITING PERIOD. THIS IS IRRESPONSIBLE OF HONDA TO PLACE THIS BURDEN ON THEIR CUSTOMERS, ESPECIALLY IN THIS RECESSION, BECAUSE THEY PUT OUT A FAULTY PRODUCT. IT IS SAID THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE LIVES TAKEN, SUCH AS THE TOYOTA RECALL, FOR A US COMPANY TO ADMIT AND CORRECT A MISTAKE THEY MADE IN THEIR DESIGN. *TR