2003 HONDA CIVIC Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. THE VEHICLE HAS FOUR DUNLOP SP20FE TIRES. ONE OF THE TIRES WENT FLAT AND WAS TAKEN TO THE TIRE REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE VALVE STEM ON THE TIRE WAS CRACKED AND SHREDDED. THE FAILURE WAS REPAIRED AND A WEEK LATER, ANOTHER TIRE FLATTENED. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE OTHER TIRES HAD CRACKED AND SHREDDED VALVE STEMS. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE REPAIRED. THE TIRE SIZE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

THERE WAS A CAR ACCIDENT ON PATCH BARRACKS IN STUTTGART GERMANY INVOLVING MY HONDA CIVIC EX 2003. THIS ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE AT NIGHT. THE PONDS SECURITY GUARDS LIFTED THE STEEL BARRIER AS I WAS COMING ACROSS IT. AT IMPACT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYED, HOWEVER THE DRIVER'S SIDE DID NOT. I ENDED UP HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL AND POSSIBLY THE DASH BOARD, BREAKING MY NOSE. THE CAR'S UNDERCARRIAGE WAS DESTROYED. THE CAR WAS FOUND TO BE TOTALED. I STILL AM CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE DID NOT COME OUT AT ALL. *TR

SEVERAL INTERIOR CONTROLS, SUCH AS DOOR HANDLES AND THE PARKING BRAKE, ARE METALIZED PLASTICS. AS THE CAR AGES, THE METAL PLATING STARTS TO PEAL OFF. AS IT COMES OFF IN PIECES, IT PRESENTS A SHARP EDGE THAT CAN CUT THE USER. WE HAVE HAD THREE DIFFERENT INSTANCES OF HAND CUTS THAT COULD HAVE LED TO ACCIDENTS AS THE DRIVER ATTEMPTS TO KEEP BLOOD FROM THE CUT FROM GETTING ON CLOTHING, CAR INTERIOR, ETC. THE DEALER REPLACED A DOOR HANDLE, AT MY COST, ON THE FIRST INSTANCE. SUBSEQUENTLY WE HAVE TRIED TO REMOVE THE REST OF THE PLATING FROM THE EFFECTED PARTS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE REMAINING FRAGMENTS STILL ADHERE WELL TO THE PARTS FOR NOW AND DEGRADE SLOWLY. I FULLY EXPECT TO SUSTAIN SIMILAR INJURIES IN THE FUTURE AS THE DETERIORATION CONTINUES. *TR

THE VEHICLE'S SRS LIGHT STARTED TO COME ON. IT WOULD COME ON AND OFF UNTIL IT FINALLY STAYED ON. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER SAID IT WAS THE AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE. IT WOULD COST $700 TO REPAIR. BASED ON A DIFFERENT DEFECT, HONDA HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THEIR SRS IF THE ERROR CODE COMES UP AS 15-1, 15-2, 15-3 (OPDS SENSOR OR CONTROL UNIT). THIS WARRANTY DID NOT COVER THE DEFECT I HAVE ON THE AIRBAG. MY ERROR CODE WAS 7-2, THE "CONTROL MODULE. WITH THE SRS LIGHT ON, THE AIRBAG (ACCORDING TO THE DEALER) IS NOT ACTIVE. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY $700 TO FIX THIS. THIS IS A SAFETY EQUIPMENT ISSUE RESULTING FROM A DEFECT. AIRBAG SHOULDN'T "WEAR OUT". I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS FROM OTHER OWNERS. AT $700, I'M SURE THERE ARE MANY DRIVERS DRIVING AROUND WITHOUT AIRBAGS. HONDA CIVIC HYBRID, 2003 45,000 MILES. *TR

ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO I NOTICED THE PAINT DETERIORATING FROM THE EXTERIOR ROOF OF MY VEHICLE. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THEY SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT ABOUT 6 WEEKS LATER FOR ME TO COME TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE THE MANUFACTURER REPRESENTATIVE VIEW THE VEHICLE PAINT ISSUE. THE PAINT IS CURRENTLY ONLY DETERIORATING FROM THE ROOF. THE DEALERSHIP DECLINED TO CORRECT THE ISSUE STATING THE VEHICLE WAS 1) OUT OF WARRANTY 2) ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE PAINT PROBLEM 3) CARE OF THE CAR WHILE AT THE DEALERSHIP, THERE WAS ANOTHER CUSTOMER WHO HAD AN ACCORD WITH THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE ALSO SEEN OTHER CIVICS AND ACCORDS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. THE SERVICE MANAGER NOR MANUFACTURER REPRESENTATIVE DID NOT PROVIDE INFORMATION AS TO WHY THE PAINT LOCATED AT THE AREA OF DETERIORATION WAS HAPPENING. THE SERVICE MANAGER DIRECTED ME ONLY TO WARRANTY EXPIRATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS POINTING TO THE RUBBER STRIPS AT THE EXTERIOR SIDE WINDOWS WHERE WATER SPOTS WERE LOCATED. *TR

I PURCHASED NEW TIRES IN JANUARY 2007, THEY HAD APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES ON THEM. THERE HAD NEVER BEEN ANY INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES, OR VALVE STEMS. THEY WERE BALANCED AND ROTATED ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND MAINTAINED AS THEY SHOULD BE. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED IN AUGUST 2008 WHILE DRIVING HOME. SHORTLY AFTER GETTING ON THE ROAD AND WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 70MPH, I RECEIVED A FLAT TIRE ON THE LEFT REAR TIRE; THE FLAT TIRE OCCURRED VERY SUDDENLY AND LEFT THE TIRE DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. AFTER TAKING THE TIRE TO THE REPAIR SHOP I WAS FORCED TO PURCHASE A NEW REPLACEMENT TIRE. ABOUT 3 WEEKS LATER, UNDER ALMOST THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE SUDDENLY LOST PRESSURE AND WENT FLAT. UPON TAKING IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP, I WAS TOLD I WAS SOLD TIRES WITH FAULTY VALVES STEMS BUT WAS NEVER MADE AWARE OF ANY RECALL. I THEN HAD TO PURCHASE A TWO MORE NEW TIRES AS A RESULT OF THEM NOT HAVING THE CORRECT REPLACEMENT IN STOCK, AND HAD THE VALVE STEM REPLACED THE IN THE ONLY ORIGINAL REMAINING TIRE. THE DAMAGED TIRES WERE DISPOSED OF BY NTB, WHERE THEY WERE ORIGINALLY PURCHASED AND WHERE I BOUGHT NEW REPLACEMENT TIRES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE LOST COMPLETE TIRE PRESSURE. SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE LOST PRESSURE BECAUSE THE VALVE STEM CRACKED. HE IDENTIFIED THE LOCATION OF THE FAILURE AS BEING BETWEEN THE RUBBER AND THE STEEL RIM. THE CONTACT CALLED NATIONAL TIRE AND BATTERY (WHERE THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY UNLESS THEY RECEIVED AUTHORIZATION FROM THE CORPORATE OFFICE. THE CONTACT NEVER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF A RECALL THAT WOULD ENABLE HIM TO TAKE PREVENTIVE MEASURES IN AVOIDING POTENTIAL FAILURES. HE HAD TO ASSUME FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TIRES. THE SERIAL NUMBER AND PART NUMBER OF THE VALVE STEMS WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 79,107. UPDATED 11/10/08 *BF UPDATED 11/13/08. *JB

2003 CIVIC HYBRID THROW P1491 CODE FOR CLOGGED EGR. HONDA HAS ISSUED A WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR THE SAME CODE FOR THE ODYSSEY, BUT WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE HYBRID. I CAN'T FIND THE DEALER SERVICE BULLETIN DETAILS FOR THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE ODYSSEY. *TR

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

I HAD ALL FOUR TIRE STEMS THAT WENT ON MY CAR BLOW OUT ON 95 A MAJOR HWY. I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL UPDATED 9/10/08 *NJ UPDATED 09/11/08*JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE VALVE STEM ON THE TIRES CAUSED THE BLOW OUT . UPDATED 09/22/08. *JB