2001 HONDA CIVIC Complaints

MY 2001 HONDA CIVIC EX SRS LIGHT CAME UP LAST WEEK. THIS CAR HAD LOT OF ISSUES SINCE I BOUGHT IN 2000 DECEMBER 1. RADIO REPLACED 1 MONTH AFTER PURCHASE. 2. RIGHT FRONT SIDE WHEEL BEARING WAS REPLACED WITHIN 6 MONTHS UNDER WARRANTY. IT FAILED AGAIN IN 2005. I HAD IT REPLACED AGAIN IN 2005 FOR $500. 3. SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT RESET WITHIN 2 YEARS. IT CAME BACK AGAIN IN 2000. THE DEALER DOESN'T KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. ITS GOING TO COST ME $600 TO REPLACE THE SENSOR. 4. FRONT SIDE WINDOWS GET STUCK AND DON'T ROLL UP PROPERLY IN COLD WEATHER. IN 2003 DEALER REPLACED THE MOTOR FOR $600 BUT STILL DOESN'T WORK. 5. REPLACED FRONT STRUTS IN 2006 6. POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED IN 2006 WILL COST ME $500 TO REPLACE. 7. SRS LIGHT CAME UP AND STAYS ON IN 2006. DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO GET THIS REPAIRED. OVERALL I THINK 2001 CIVIC IS A PIECE OF JUNK. *JB

ON MY 2001 HONDA CIVIC LX, THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS) LIGHT COMES ON AND HAS REMAINED ON FOR THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS, INDICATING FAILURE OF AIR BAGS AND/OR SEAT BELT PRETENSIONERS. THIS IS APPARENTLY A PROBLEM WITH MANY OF THESE VEHICLES AND THE REPAIR TO RESET THE SYSTEM OR REPLACE THE FAILED SENSORS/COMPUTERS IS NOT ALWAYS SUCCESSFUL (I.E. LIGHT WILL EVENTUALLY COME BACK ON). I HAVE NOT REPAIRED THIS AS YET AS I AM WAITING TO SEE IF HONDA WILL ISSUE A RECALL NOTICE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE LOW BEAMS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, #04V086000 CONCERNING THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING HEADLIGHTS. THE VEHICLE IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AGAIN. THE DEALER WAS ALERTED.

SRS LIGHT REMAINS ON IN MY VEHICLE. VISITED FORUMS THAT DISCUSSED SAME PROBLEMS IN OTHER CIVIC EX VEHICLES (ALSO ODYSSEY AND ACCORD MODELS). APPARENTLY IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM PERMANENTLY. *NM

POSSIBLE SUSPENSION DEFECT. INCIDENT DATE OF 04/05/2006 IS DATE INFORMED BY DEALER OF PROBLEMS. NOTICED CAR SQUEAKED/CREAKED A LOT WHEN TURNING. BROUGHT CAR TO DEALER FOR 75K CHECKUP AND ASKED HIM TO EXAMINE SUSPENSION. DEALER INFORMED ME THAT BOTH OF MY FRONT STRUTS LEAKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, THAT ONE MOTOR MOUNT WAS CRACKED, AND THAT BOTH OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CAR WAS MAINTAINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH OWNER'S MANUAL AND SERVICED ALMOST ENTIRELY BY SAME DEALER FOR 5 1/2 YEARS. NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED, BUT ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS WITHIN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME (3-6 MONTHS BETWEEN PRIOR MAJOR AND MINOR CHECKUPS AND THE CHECKUP THAT DISCOVERED THESE PROBLEMS AND 5 1/2 YEARS FOR THE CAR AGE) ARE CAUSE FOR CONCERN, ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY COULD HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO CAUSE A DRASTIC LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE CAR. BASED ON MY PRIOR OWNERSHIP EXPERIENCE WITH A 1992 HONDA CIVIC AND RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, IT IS DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS SHOULD HAVE OCCURRED. THUS, I BELIEVE THAT CERTAIN COMPONENTS OF MY 2001 HONDA CIVIC'S SUSPENSION MAY BE DEFECTIVE. THE ASSUMED DEFECT MAY BE DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW, SINCE 2001 WAS WHEN HONDA STOPPED USING DOUBLE-WISHBONE SUSPENSION IN THEIR U.S. CIVICS IN LIEU OF OLD SUSPENSION TYPE. *NM

I HAVE BOUGHT HONDA CIVIC 2001 IN JAN 2001 FROM GOODSON HONDA, HOUSTON, TX. AFTER ONE YEAR I MOVED TO THE CANADA AND INFORMED THE COMPANY. THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THE RECEIPT OF MY MOVE LETTER. ALL THE REPAIRS HAVE BEEN DONE BY DEALERS SO FAR IN US AND CANADA. HERE IN CANADA COMPANY COVERS ALL CIVICS FOR UP TO 60000 KM FOR TRANSMISSION. IN JANUARY 06 AFTER OIL CHANGE AND AIR FILTER REPLACEMENT MY CAR STARTED MAKING STRANGE NOISE AT STARTUP, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO SAID ITS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I TOOK TO THE TRANSMISSION SHOP WHO SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. SINCE AMERICAN HONDA CLAIMED AND INSTRUCTED CUSTOMERS NOT TO CHANGE TRANSMISSION OIL UNTIL 80000 MILES, I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AT THAT LESS MILEAGE. BUT RECENTLY MY RARELY DRIVEN CAR WITH 45309 MILEAGE BROKE DOWN. AS IT WAS EVIDENT THAT ENGINE WAS RUNNING BUT CAR REFUSED TO MOVE, I TOWED TO THE TRANSMISSION SHOP. APPARENTLY IT IS A MANUFACTURER FAULT AS REPORTED ON INTERNET MANY CIVICS WITH MY KIND OF VIN SERIES DEVELOPED THAT PROBLEM (SEE WWW.ABOUT.COM) AS THEIR LINEAR SOLENOID IS FAULTY. I CONTACTED AMERICAN HONDA AND HONDA CANADA BOTH REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. TRANSMISSION EXPERT MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT HE IS GETTING MORE AND MORE CIVICS AND ACCORDS WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS CAUSED BY FAULTY LINEAR SOLENOID. *JB

SRS LIGHT IN MY CIVIC IS ON AND THE DEALER IS UNABLE TO PROPERLY FIX IT EVEN THOUGH I HAVE FOUND IT IS EXTREMELY COMMON. *NM

THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON AND THE DEALER -- BARBER HONDA CHARGED ME $80 TO RESET IT AND NO PART NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A DESIGN FAULT THAT MAKES THE CUSTOMERS PAY UNNECESSARY DIAGNOSES AND ONLY BENEFIT THE DEALER. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SO THE CUSTOMER HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO VISIT THE DEALER. *JB

MY 2001 HONDA CIVIC LX 4 DOOR SRS LIGHT CAME ON THIS MORNING AND WILL NOT TURN OFF. THIS APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH LOTS OF HONDA CIVICS. HONDA NEEDS TO DECLARE THIS ISSUE A RECALL AND FIX THE PROBLEM, WITHOUT CHARGING THE CUSTOMER DIAGNOSTIC FEES. *JB

2001+ CIVIC STRUT BEARING AND STEERING DEFECT ON THE 2001 CIVIC THE STRUT BEARING (SHOCK UPPER BEARING, NOT THE WHEEL BEARING) IS A PLASTIC COMPONENT AND NOT A BALL BEARING AS ON THE 2002 AND UP CIVICS. THIS PLASTIC BEARING HAVE MORE FRICTION THAN A BALL BEARING. THAT MORE FRICTION RESULT IN YOU (DRIVER) HAVE TO APPLY MORE FORCE ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND EVEN IN ALL THE STEERING COMPONENTS CAUSING WEAR ON THE PARTS. ANOTHER FACT IS WHEN THE WHEEL (AND TIRE) HIT ON A HOLE THE PLASTIC BEARING DOESN'T "RESIST" THE IMPACT (AS A METAL BALL BEARING CAN DO). THIS RESULT IN FAST WEAR AND DEFORMATION TO THE PART. THIS PLASTIC BEARING, (THAT YOU CAN EASILY BEND WITH YOUR HANDS AND ISN'T WELL ENGINEERED) CAN'T SUPPORT A 2500 POUNDS CAR HITTING A HOLE AT 60 MPH (120 MPH SPEED LIMIT; AS SAFETY FACTOR). WHEN THE BEARING FAILS THE WHEELS CAN'T BE TURNED WELL AND SOME TIMES THE SPRING SEATS HIT (OR SCUFF) THE STRUT TOWER RESULTING IN A NON WELL STEERING AT ALL. EVEN THIS CAUSES DAMAGE TO OTHER STEERING AND SUSPENSION PARTS. THIS RESULT IN SOME PROBLEMS THAT ARE COMMON SUBJECTS IN MANY 2001 CIVICS AS YOU CAN SEE IN CAR FORUMS: THE STEERING WHEEL DOESN'T RETURN TO ITS CENTER POSITION AFTER TURNING IN ANY DIRECTION, WHEEL MISALIGNMENT, VIBRATIONS IN THE STEERING WHEEL, PARTS AND TIRES UNUSUAL WEAR, SOUNDS AND CLICKS ON THE STEERING AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS, AND OTHERS. IS KNOWN MISALIGNED VEHICLES, WORN STEERING AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS, VIBRATIONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL, AFFECTS THE VEHICLE DRIVABILITY AND CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND INJURIES. THE VIBRATIONS AND THE EXCESS OF FORCE THAT HAVE TO BE APPLIED TO THE STEERING WHEEL, AS ON OTHER MECHANICAL PARTS, CAN CAUSE HEALTH DISEASES. AS MENTIONED, HONDA CORRECT THIS DEFECT ON THE LATER MODELS FROM 2002 REPLACING THE PLASTIC BEARING WITH A METAL BALL BEARING AND DOING SOME CHANGES TO THE UPPER SPRING SEATS AND OTHER COMPONENTS. *JB