2003 HONDA CIVIC Complaints

WITHIN THE 8 DAYS WE OWNED THIS CAR, IT HAD ACCELERATED TWICE WHILE MY TEENAGED DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING. THESE INCIDENTS HAPPENED WHEN SHE WAS ACCELERATING AFTER HAVING STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN. BEING AN INEXPERIENCED DRIVER SHE DID NOT REALIZE THE PROBLEM, ONLY COMMENTED THE CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS DRIVING FUNNY. WHEN THE INCIDENT ON 08/08/03 HAPPENED, I WAS DRIVING WITH MY YOUNGER DAUGHTER IN THE CAR. WE WERE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN FRONT OF A RESTAURANT AT A VERY SLOW RATE OF SPEED, WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, CAUSING US TO JUMP UP ONTO THE SIDEWALK AND RUN INTO A CEMENT PICNIC TABLE, DENTING THE FRONT BUMPER. I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES TO STOP THE CAR FROM DRIVING THROUGH THE FRONT WINDOW OF THE RESTAURANT AND POSSIBILY INJURING OR KILLING THE PEOPLE INSIDE. WE TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEIR DIAGNOSTIC TECHNICIANS WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. WE WERE TOLD THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND TO COME AND PICK IT UP AS THERE WAS NOTHING FURTHER THEY COULD DO FOR US. WE FOUND ON THIS NHTSA WEBSITE THAT THERE WERE SIX OTHER SIMILAR INCIDENTS OF THIS MODEL OF CAR HAVING SUDDEN ACCELERATION DURING SLOW SPEED OR STOPPING SITUATIONS. WE PROVIDED THIS INFORMATION TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THEY ARE STILL UNWILLING TO HELP US.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH VEHICLE WAS IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HYDROPLANED AND IMPACTED ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD ON. PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DIDN'T RETRACT, AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY UPON IMPACT, ONLY THE DRIVER'S SIDE DID.*AK

I PURCHASED A HONDA CIVIC HYBRID VEHICLE IN MARCH OF THE CURRENT YEAR WITH THE INTENTION OF SAVING GAS AND BEING KIND TO THE ENVIRONMENT. THE CUSTOMARY BRIEF TEST DRIVE BEFORE PUCHASING THE CAR LED ME TO BELIEVE THIS WOULD BE A GOOD CAR FOR MY HIGH MILEAGE LIFESTYLE. WITHIN A MONTH I STARTED HAVING ACHES AND STIFFNESS IN MY NECK AND LOWER BACK. AT TEN WEEKS I WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN THAT I CALLED A CHIROPRACTOR, CRYING WITH PAIN, ON A SUNDAY MORNING TO BEG FOR HELP. (I HAD NOT REQUIRED CHIROPRACTIC HELP FOR THE PREVIOUS 5 YEARS). THE CHIROPRACTOR TREATED MY BACK WITH HEAT AND MASSAGE FOR OVER AN HOUR AND THEN WENT WITH ME TO MY NEW CAR TO CHECK OUT THE SEATS. SHE IMMEDIATELY POINTED OUT THAT THE DESIGN OF THE SEAT GAVE NO BACK SUPPORT AND WAS TOO SHORT IN THE SEAT TO SUPPORT THE LEGS WHILE DRIVING. WITH THE DOCTOR'S HELP AND ADVICE AS TO CUSHIONS I COULD PURCHASE I WAS ABLE TO LEAVE ON THE TRIP BUT COULD ONLY DRIVE AN HOUR AT A TIME. MY COUSIN DID MOST OF THE DRIVING FROM BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA TO PORTLAND, OREGON (APPROXIMATELY 900 MILES) WHILE I SAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT ON SPECIAL CUSHIONS WITH MY FEET UP ON THE DASHBOARD TO RELIEVE THE PAIN.WHEN I GOT BACK HOME I WENT BACK TOT HE CHIROPRACTOR IMMEDIATELY, AND HAVE BEEN TREATED TWICE A WEEK FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS. I'M DOING PHYSICAL THERAPY AND USING A WIDE VARIETY OF SUPPORT CUSHIONS. RELAX THE BACK STORES HAVE BECOME MY NEW BEST FRIEND. BUT THE CIVIC IS STILL IMPOSSIBLE TO BE COMFORTABLE IN. EXTRA CUSHIONS ARE MAKING THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE ALMOST BEARABLE BUT I COULD NEVER DO A LONG DRIVE. FORTUNATELY MY HIGH MILEAGE LIFE IS SPLIT UP INTO 1/2 TO 1 1/2 HOUR TRIPS. BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM FAIR THAT I CAN'T DRIVE LONG THAN 90 MINUTES IN MY $23,000 CAR.*AK

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE DIDN'T STOP UNTIL IT WAS IN THE INTERSECTION. *MR *CB *NLM

FREQUENTLY, BRAKING WILL ACTUALLY CAUSE AN ACCELERATION. IF I'M GOING DOWN A HILL AND AM PRESSING SLOWLY ON THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN, AND THEN HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD, THE CAR ACCELERATES AND THERE'S A BUMP, BUMP, BUMP UNTIL FINALLY THE BRAKES ENGAGE. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN FOR SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THIS IS JUST THE WAY ABS WORKS. HOWEVER, I HAVE DRIVEN OTHER CARS WITH ABS (INCLUDING HONDAS) AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. THIS HAS HAPPENED OVER 30 TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. ONE TIME I NEARLY COLLIDED WITH THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. *AK

DRIVERS SIDE SEAT ROCKS BACK AND FORTH, FIRST GEAR LUNGES OUT TO NEUTRAL, SHIFTING GEARS IS NOT SMOOTH AND HAS ROUGH GRINDING FEEL, CLUTCH DOESNT ENGAGE AND DISC ENGAGE PROPERLY.*AK

AIRBAGS ON MY 2002 HONDA CIVIC EX DID NOT DEPLOY AFTER HAVING 2 ACCIDENTS GOING BETWEEN 40 AND 60 MPH.

WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. *AK THE CONSUMER HAD COME TO AN INTERSECTION, HAD HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE, SUDDENLY THE STEERING LOCKED, AIMED THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT, WENT OFF THE ROAD, OVER THE CURB AND ALMOST REAR ENDED BY A TRACTOR TRAILER. THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN THE DRIVING LANE. THE CONSUMER WAS ON THE WAY TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECKED OUT ALONG WITH THE REMOTE STARTER WHICH ALLOWED THE VEHICLE TO BE DRIVEN WITHOUT KEYS. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER FOR A BRAKE DEFECT. *SCC *JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING FUEL SUPPLY WAS "FULL ON" AS IF DEPRESSING GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, CAUSING CONSUMER TO UTILIZE PARKING BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP.*AK