2003 HONDA CIVIC Complaints

I'VE ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM WITH HONDA HYBRID BRAKING SYSTEMS ON TWO MODELS (THE 2000 INSIGHT AND THE 2003 HCH - BOTH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS). RECENTLY, AMBIVALENCE COST ME DEARLY. DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, A TRUCK CUT ME OFF. I HIT THE BRAKES BUT FOUND MYSELF ACCELERATING TOWARDS THE TRUCK INSTEAD OF STOPPING. AT THE LAST MINUTE, I SWERVED TO AVOID THE TRUCK AND ENDED UP SKIDDING, ROLLING, AND FINALLY CRASHING TO A STOP. ON A POSITIVE NOTE, I WALKED AWAY FROM THE ACCIDENT WITH SOME MINOR SCRATCHES AND NO ONE ELSE WAS HURT. MY CAR HAS SUSTAINED SERIOUS DAMAGE AND I AM WAITING TO RECEIVE FINAL WORD ON ITS STATUS FROM MY INSURANCE COMPANY. *NM

MY 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID WORKED FINE UNTIL ~50000 MILES (~3 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP.) AT THAT TIME, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO CAUSE THE CAR TO LURCH FORWARD WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS FROM 5-15 MPH. AFTER A FEW MONTHS, THE PROBLEM WAS SEVERE ENOUGH THAT I NO LONGER FELT SAFE DRIVING THE CAR TO WORK IN TRAFFIC WHOSE SPEED WOULD CAUSE THE CAR TO LURCH FORWARD REPEATEDLY INSTEAD OF MAINTAIN A SMOOTH SPEED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE TO GET THEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT ALTHOUGH THEY COULD DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM - THEY CLAIMED THE CAR HAD NO FIXABLE PROBLEMS. READING FROM OTHER CIVIC HYBRID OWNERS HAS SHOWN THAT THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON AND EXPENSIVE TO FIX. *NM

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE 2003 HONDA CIVIC HIBRID ( AT 50 MPH AND MERGING ONTO THE INTERSTATE THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. IT REGAINED POWER BY ACCELERATING, BUT THE VEHICLE JERKED BACK AND FORWARD. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE DRIVEN SLOWLY UNTIL IT GOT UP TO PROPER SPEED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE EGR VALVE, THE STARTER GEAR AND THE FLYWHEEL FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *AK

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 HONDA CIVIC-EX ON A MAIN ROAD, SPEED LIMIT 40 MPH. AT AN INTERSECTION, I STOPPED IN THE LEFT LANE AND WAITED FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC TO CLEAR, SO I COULD TURN LEFT. SUDDENLY, MY CAR WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND BY A MACK TRUCK. THE IMPACT SENT MY CAR ACROSS THE INTERSECTION, OVER A CURB, AND INTO A TREE TRUNK. AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. MY PASSENGER AND I WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS, BUT OUR INJURIES WERE SERIOUS. WE WERE TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM. *NM

IN AUGUST OF 2006 MY VEHICLE OVERHEATED FOR THE FIRST TIME. I PROMPTLY TOOK IT IN AND THEY FIXED AN "AIR HOSE LEAK". AFTER THAT MY CAR OVERHEATED EVERY FEW WEEKS WITHOUT WARNING AND AFTER COOLANT HAD BEEN FOUND LEAKED INTO THE ENGINE A NEW THERMOSTAT WAS INSTALLED. IT OVERHEATED A MONTH LATER AND THE WHOLE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *NM

PURCHASED 2003 CIVIC LX IN JULY OF 2006. HAD 30,000 MILES ON IT. THE DRIVER SEAT HAD A SMALL ROCKING MOTION AS IF IT WAS NOT BOLTED TO THE FLOOR. HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE IN 6 MONTHS AND 9000 MILES OF DRIVING. MECHANIC DURING OIL CHANGE TOLD ME HE HAD SEEN THAT A LOT ON THIS MODEL OF CAR, BUT HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS. HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO BE CHECKED, BUT FEEL HONDA IS RESPONSIBLE. *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT CALLED IN FOR HIS CLIENT, STATES THAT THE CLIENT WAS DRIVING HER 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID ON 10/12/06. THE DRIVER WAS SITTING AT A STOP SIGN AND A SEMI TRUCK HIT THE CLIENT'S VEHICLE. THE ATTORNEY STATES THAT THE TRUCK HIT THE CLIENT'S VEHICLE AT 40-50 MPH. THE IMPACT CAUSE DTHE CLIENT TO HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED A 5 VEHICLE CRASH. THE ATTORNEY WAS CONCERNED THAT THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY, AND THE CLIENT SUSTAINED FACIAL INJURIES. THE DRIVER DID HAVE ON THE SEAT BELT AND IT DID RESTRAIN HER. THE DRIVER HAD TO BE CUT OUT OF VEHICLE BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE POLICE REPORT AND PHOTOS OF THE CRASH WERE AVAILABLE. *AK

NEW YEARS DAY, I GOT OFF THE FREEWAY AND MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND MY CLUTCH STIFFENED. SECONDS LATER THEY RESUMED THEIR NORMAL FEEL BUT MY BATTERY AND TEMP LIGHT CAME ON AND SMOKE/STEAM CAME OUT OF MY HOOD. I PULLED OVER AND OPENED THE HOOD...COOLANT RESEVOIR WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY EMPTY AND COOLANT HAD EXPLODED ALL OVER THE ENGINE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR WARRANTY REVIEW. THEY CALLED AND SAID NO COVERAGE, THEY BELIEVE THAT A ROCK HAD PUNCTURED THE RADIATOR AND HENCE IT WAS NOT A PARTS PROBLEM. SINCE, I HAVE REVIEWED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT ROCKS PUNCTURING CAR INTERNAL PARTS, SPECIFICALLY HONDA'S. THIS IS A POOR DESIGN AND IN OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IT SHOULD NOT TAKE A DEATH TO CALL ATTENTION TO A COMPANY WHO IS SELLING CARS WHICH ARE NOT PROPERLY DESIGNED FOR HIGHWAY DRIVING CONDITIONS. SINCE I HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF THE FREEWAY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER RIGHT AWAY AND CEASE ANY FURTHER DAMAGE. PARTS AND LABOR WILL COST ME 1000.00 FOR A 3 YEAR OLD CAR THAT WAS BOUGHT WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY (WHICH COST A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS AT TIME OF PURCHASE). I AM OUTRAGED AND DISAPPOINTED WITH HONDA. *JB

SUDDENLY LOST POWER WHEN DRIVING, STALLED-STARTED AGAIN, ALL LIGHTS CAME ON DASHBOARD WHEN DRIVING, ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. REPAIRS @ GARDENA, TOLD IT WAS ELECTRICAL, HONDA-CONTROL MODULE ENGINE REPLACED, O2 SENSOR, W-BULB (12V 21W) DROVE CAR LESS THAN 2 HOURS SAME PROBLEMS OCCURRED (DAY CAR WAS PICKED UP). *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE BUCKED SLIGHTLY. THERE WAS ALSO A HESITATION IN THE TRANSMISSION, WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SOUND LIKE IT WAS REVVING TOO HIGH, HOWEVER THE TACHOMETER NEEDLE DID NOT MOVE HIGHER THAN NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE SPECIFIC PROBLEM, BUT STATED THAT IT WAS MOST LIKELY AN INTERNAL TRANSMISSION ISSUE.