2003 HONDA CIVIC Complaints

I HAVE A HONDA CIVIC HYBRID 2003. I BOUGHT IT USED AT 63,000 MILES. FOR THE FIRST 10,000 MILES, I HAD NO PROBLEMS. THEN A SLIGHT SHUDDER STARTED TO HAPPEN EACH TIME I MOVED THE CAR FROM A STOP, ESPECIALLY WHEN ON AN INCLINED HILL. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION, WHICH THEY SAID WAS COMPLETELY BLACK. A FEW MONTHS LATER, THE PROBLEM RETURNED. THIS TIME THEY DID A TRANSMISSION FLUSH AND A "BURNISHING' PROCESS. THE PROBLEM RETURNED AGAIN IN A FEW MONTHS, AND I HAD THE PROCESS REPEATED. FINALLY I READ ONLINE THAT MANY OTHERS WERE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I GOT HONDA TO PARTIALLY PAY FOR A REPLACEMENT STARTER CLUTCH. THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY FOR A FEW MONTHS, THEN RETURNED. NOW I AM PAYING FOR A SECOND STARTER CLUTCH BECAUSE THE SHUDDER IS WORSE THAN EVER. *TR

THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE CAR WAS BRAND NEW, AND CONTINUES TO THIS DAY. WHILE SLOWING DOWN, AND IF THE CAR GOES OVER A BUMP OR ROUGH PATCH IN THE ROAD, THE ELECTRICAL BRAKING BY THE HYBRID SYSTEM TURNS OFF. THIS CAUSES THERE TO BE NO BRAKING AT ALL ON THE CAR FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME. THE REGULAR BRAKING SYSTEM WILL ENGAGE BUT IT REQUIRES MORE FORCE AND TIME THAN NORMAL TO SLOW AND STOP THE CAR. THE STOPPING DISTANCE IS DEFINITELY INCREASED AND COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. IT OCCURS OFTEN, AND CAN BE RECREATED OVER THE SAME ROUGH PATCH IN THE ROAD. THE AMOUNT OF ROUGHNESS REQUIRED TO CAUSE THIS IS LOW AND THERE IS NO WAY TO PREDICT BY LOOKING AT THE ROAD. IT IS ACTUALLY QUITE SHOCKING HOW LITTLE IT TAKES AND HOW DIFFERENT THE BRAKING IS AFTER IT HAPPENS. I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER BUT THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO, THAT IS JUST THE WAY IT IS. *TR

2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID- STARTER CLUTCH HAS FAILED AT 57,000 MILES. CAR SURGES UNEXPECTEDLY. MUST HAVE IT REPLACED OR WILL ADVERSELY AFFECT SAFE DRIVING OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

BRAKING WHILE ON A BUMPY ROAD OCCASIONALLY RESULTS IN A DELAY OF THE BRAKING ACTION. WE THOUGHT THIS WAS PART OF THE ABS SYSTEM, BUT THERE WAS NO ABS "FEEL" IN THE BRAKE PEDAL. WITH THE TOYOTA PROBLEM DESCRIPTION, WE NOW FEEL IT MAY BE A SIMILAR PROBLEM. ONLY OCCURS WHILE BRAKING ON ROUGH PAVEMENT. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. I HAD PULLED OUT OF MY SMALL ROAD ONTO A RURAL HIGHWAY HEADING INTO TOWN TO TAKE MY 14 YEAR-OLD SON TO SCHOOL. I HAD ACCELERATED TO ABOUT 45 MPH AND NEEDED TO SLOW FOR A CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF OF THE PEDAL AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. IT DIDN'T JUST STAY STUCK AT THE SPEED I WAS GOING IT TOOK OFF LIKE I HAD IT FLOORED. I HAD MY SON LOOK DOWN AND CHECK THE MAT AND HE EVEN PULLED ON THE PEDAL BUT IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE. I CONTROLLED THE SPEED SOMEWHAT BY PUSHING ON THE BRAKES WITH BOTH FEET VERY HARD AND WAS ABLE TO KEEP FROM OVERTAKING OTHER CARS. LUCKILY, THE INTERSECTION I CROSSED DID NOT REQUIRE ME TO STOP AND I WAS ABLE TO PUSH ON THE BRAKES HARD ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO PULL OVER AND TURN THE CAR OFF IN THE PARKING LOT OF A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE BRAKES WERE SMOKING BADLY. THE MECHANIC SAW HOW FRIGHTENED I WAS AND CAME OUT AND STARTED THE CAR AND IT WAS STILL REVVING AT FULL THROTTLE. HE SHUT IT OFF AND SAID THEY WOULD PUSH IT IN LATER. WHEN THEY DID LOOK AT IT LATER, IT WASN'T DOING IT ANYMORE. THEY DROVE IT AND IT DIDN'T DO IT AGAIN. I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP(IKE'S HONDA IN MARION IL) AND THEY BRUSHED ME OFF. I THEN CALLED THE HONDA COMPANY. THEY CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY AND OFFERED TO DO DIAGNOSTICS FOR FREE IF I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER. THEY WOULDN'T COMMIT TO FIXING IT. I HAD IT TOWED THERE(ON MY INSURANCE BECAUSE THEY REP. NEVER CALLED ME BACK EVEN THOUGH I LEFT 2 MESSAGES) BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. THAT WAS FRI., FEBRUARY 26,2010 AND I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THEM YET. WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY DON'T FIND ANYTHING? I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN. I WAS VERY LUCKY THE FIRST TIME. WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY SAY THE FOUND SOMETHING? ARE THEY REALLY GOING TO LET ME DRIVE OFF IN IT IF I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX IT? *TR

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. THE LAST PART OF LAST YEAR (2009), I TURNED MY CAR ON, AND THE SRS AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, AND I TOOK MY CAR IN TO ALLEN HONDA IN COLLEGE STATION, TX FOR SERVICE. THE SERVICE TECH ASKED IF I HAD SPILLED ANY WATER ON MY STEERING WHEEL OR HAD ANY FENDER BENDERS RECENTLY, TO WHICH I ANSWERED NO. I WAS THEN INFORMED IT MIGHT COST UP TO FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS TO COMPLETELY INVESTIGATE AND FIX THE PROBLEM. THE TECHNICIAN SAID IT COULD MEAN THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH EITHER MY DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG THAT WILL CAUSE THEM NOT TO DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. I WAS TAKEN ABACK BY THIS BECAUSE IT IS NOT PART OF REGULAR WEAR AND TEAR, BUT A VEHICLE MALFUNCTION AND I DID NOTHING TO CAUSE THE AIRBAG LIGHT TO COME ON. I HAVE NOT YET GOTTEN THIS ISSUE FIXED AND THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT IS STILL ON. I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY, AND FEEL IT SHOULD NOT BE MY RESPONSIBILITY TO COVER THE COST OF SOMETHING THAT IS NOT CONSIDERED NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AND IS NOT THE RESULT OF ANY TYPE OF MISUSE OR ACCIDENT. I HAVE SINCE BEEN CONTACTED BY HONDA AND THE REPRESENTATIVE ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT THE GOVERNMENT HANDLES ANY TYPE OF RECALLS. *TR

CARPET UNDER PASSENGER SIDE MAT BECOMES COMPLETELY SODDEN DURING AND AFTER EVERY RAIN. HAVING BLOWER ONLY OPERATE ON "RECIRCULATE" AS A HONDA BULLETIN SUGGESTED DOES NOT HELP THE PROBLEM. (ALSO, IN WINTER, OPERATING DURING WET COLD WEATHER ON RECIRCULATE DOES NOT ALLOW WINDSHIELD TO PROPERLY DE-FOG.) DOOR SEALS APPEAR TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE, WITH NO APPARENT WEAR, AND ARE IN PROPER POSITION. BECAUSE MAT IS NOT WET, APPEARS THAT WATER IS GETTING IN CAR STRUCTURE FROM BELOW, NOT FROM DOOR, FOR EXAMPLE. I FEAR THIS WILL CAUSE FLOOR OF CAR TO RUST AND ROT, AND CARPET IS BECOMING STAINED BY MOLD GROWING UNDER THE MAT. DIFFICULT TO KEEP THIS DRY WHEN ONE LIVES IN A RAINY CLIMATE. THINK THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR QUITE A WHILE, BUT I WAS UNAWARE BECAUSE THE MAT ON TOP WAS DRY.R

ON ~5/2/2009, SATURDAY MORNING, I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 HONDA CIVIC, CROSS 141TH STREET FROM NORTH COMMUNITY TO SOUTH COMMUNITY AFTER YARD SALE, AT ~15MPH SPEED. WHEN I CROSS THE STREET, I FOUND A SUV PASS FROM WEST TO EAST, THEN I TRY TO STOP MY CAR, HOWEVER I CAN NOT STOP IT. THEN I HAVE TO TURN LEFT (EAST), THEN MY CAR RIGHT FRONT CRASHED WITH THE SUV LEFT SIDE. I REMEMBERED I PUSH THE BRAKE GEAR, HOWEVER IT CAN NOT STOP, I ALSO USED MY RIGHT HAND TO MOVE THE GEAR TO THE N, AND PUSH MY THE BRAKE SO HARD, THEN MY CAR STOPPED ABOUT 300 FEET AWAY FROM WHERE THE CAR CRASHED. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY AT THAT TIME IT TAKES ME SO LONG TIME AND SO FAR AWAY DISTANCE TO STOP A CAR AT A SPEED ~15MPH (HAPPENED ONLY THIS TIME). ANOTHER THING ABOUT THIS CAR: WHEN I SET UP CRUISE CONTROL FOR THIS CAR, IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY ACCELERATE HIGHER THAN WHAT I SET UP. SUPPOSE I TRY TO SET UP 65MPH ON HIGHWAY, THE CAR WILL AUTOMATICALLY ACCELERATE TO MORE THAN 70MPH. NOW I CAN NOT USE THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM IN THIS CAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. WHILE PARKING THE RPM'S BEGAN TO INCREASE RAPIDLY AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO SHIFT GEARS INTO PARK TO AVOID CRASHING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CONFIRMED THAT THE PEDAL WAS NOT STUCK WHEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO FAILURES. THE DEALER CONCLUDED THAT THE FLOOR MAT PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DOWN CAUSING THE RPM'S TO INCREASE; HOWEVER THEY TRIMMED THE FLOOR MATS AROUND THE PEDAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,531. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARALLEL PARK, THE VEHICLE LURCHED BACKWARDS ON A FLAT STEER AFTER HER FOOT WAS OFF THE ACCELERATOR. SHE QUICKLY BRAKED TO AVOID HITTING THE PARKED CAR THAT WAS BEHIND HER. THE VEHICLE DID STOP, BUT SIMULTANEOUSLY THE ENGINE ACCELERATED GREATLY TO AN RPM FAR GREATER THAN FLOORING THE ACCELERATOR. SHE QUICKLY OUT THE GEAR SHIFT IN PARK AND TURNED THE IGNITION OFF, WHICH STOPPED EVERYTHING. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION, OCCURRED THREE SEPARATE TIMES. ALL THREE INCIDENTS HAPPENED, AT VERY LOW SPEEDS. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE SOLD THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 12/02/14

WINDOW SWITCH MELTDOWN HAPPENS IN EARLIER HONDA CIVICS. I RECENTLY READ THAT HONDA WAS RECALLING CARS FOR A WINDOW MASTER SWITCH THAT MELTED WHEN IT GOT MOISTURE IN IT LIKE WHEN IT RAINS WITH THE WINDOW DOWN. THIS PROBLEM HAS PERSISTED FOR YEARS. MY 2003 CIVIC MELTED AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE THREE YEARS AGO AFTER A LITTLE MOISTURE. WHERE WAS THE RECALL BACK THEN IF WE WERE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM? *TR