2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID Complaints

UPON ACCELERATION, THE TRANSMISSION JUDDERS VIOLENTLY.I HAVE HAD TSB 07-049 DONE TWICE WHICH IS SUPPOSE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT THE JUDDER RETURNED SHORTLY AFTER BOTH TSB'S WERE DONE.I HAVE ALSO HAD MULTIPLE TRANSMISSION FLUSHES PERFORMED AND IT HAS BEEN USING HONDA'S NEW CVT FLUID SENSE IT WAS AVAILABLE. HONDA EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR THE JUDDER PROBLEM, BUT NEVER ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. DEALER TOLD ME THAT I NEED A NEW START CLUTCH WHICH I REFUSE TO GET BECAUSE I WILL BE PAYING UP TO $1,000 FOR THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART! AN INVESTIGATION AND RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED FOR THE TRANSMISSION'S START CLUTCH. I AM TIRED OF HAVING TO GO TO THE DEALER AND HAVE THESE SO CALLED "BAND AID QUICK FIXES" DONE TO THE START CLUTCH. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM AMONG ALL 1ST GENERATION HONDA HYBRID OWNERS AND IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT DESERVES A RECALL. *TR

FRONT AND SIDE IMPACT TO CAR, TOTALING CAR, WITHOUT SIDE OR FRONT AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. IMPACT WAS GREAT ENOUGH THAT AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. CAR WAS LAST SERVICED BY A CERTIFIED HONDA SERVICE PROVIDER FOR DEFECTIVE SEATBELT AND ROUTINE MAINTENANCE IN MAY 2013. *TR

THE SRS (SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM) WARNING LIGHT CAME ON MY DASHBOARD. THIS IS A KNOWN DESIGN/QUALITY DEFECT. HONDA PROVIDED EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THIS ITEM FOR 150,000 MILES/10 YEARS. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE ON 7/16/2013, 3 MONTHS AND 5 DAYS BEYOND 10 YEARS. GIVEN THE MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE FACT THAT THE CAR WAS JUST BEYOND WARRANTY, I EXPECTED THAT IT WOULD BE FIXED AS A WARRANTY ITEM. INSTEAD I WAS BILLED $65.14 FOR READING A CODE FROM THE DIAGNOSTIC LOG. THIS WAS A REQUIRED CHECK BY HONDA BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN A SEAT BELT SENSOR ISSUE WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED FOR NO CHARGE. SINCE THIS ERROR CODE (15-3 ODS UNIT FAILURE) APPEARS TYPICALLY AFTER SEVERAL SENSOR ERRORS, IT IS PROBABLE THAT THE ERRORS WERE OCCURRING EVEN DURING THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PERIOD. I ALSO ASKED FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF THE DIAGNOSTIC CODES SINCE I PAID FOR IT, BUT I WAS REFUSED AND TOLD IT WASN'T AVAILABLE. THE DEALERSHIP, FRONTIER HONDA OF LONGMONT, COLORADO AND HONDA CORPORATION WERE UNWILLING TO PERFORM ANY SERVICE WITHOUT ME PAYING FOR IT. THE ESTIMATE FOR THE ADDITIONAL WORK WAS $403.40 PLUS TAX. I WAS THE HARDWARE PRODUCT MANAGER FOR SEVERAL WORLDWIDE PRINTER PRODUCTS OF A FORTUNE 100 CORPORATION. I FIND IT INCONCEIVABLE THAT HONDA WOULD SACRIFICE THEIR REPUTATION, CUSTOMER GOOD WILL, AND POTENTIAL FUTURE LIABILITY EXPOSURE OVER THIS ITEM. I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE A MANDATORY RECALL OF ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES GIVEN THE APPROACH HONDA IS TAKING. *TR

WE WERE DRIVING ALONG THE FREEWAY AROUND 8:30 AT NIGHT AT ABOUT 70MPH IN THE FAST LANE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. WE HAD TO COAST OVER 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO PULL INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING, I WAS THE PASSENGER, AND OUR 4 MONTH OLD NEWBORN WAS IN THE BACKSEAT. IT TOOK AN HOUR FOR US TO GET A TOW AND A RIDE HOME. ALL THE WHILE I FEARED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY, AS IT WAS QUICKLY APPROACHING DARK. AFTER SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT I AM NO THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS ENCOUNTERED SUCH A PROBLEM WITH THE '03 CIVIC HYBRID CVT. APPARENTLY, HONDA ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT WOULD COVER IT FOR 7 YEARS UP TO 100K MILES. UNFORTUNATELY, I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR A YEAR AGO, SO I AM WELL OUTSIDE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY LIMIT. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT THERE SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN. WE WERE JUST DRIVING ALONG, AND THERE WERE NO SOUNDS OR ANYTHING. BY NOT HAVING A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES, HONDA PUT MY LITTLE FAMILY IN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD VIOLENTLY AND STALLED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND AGAIN THE FAILURE RECURRED BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE FORWARD, ONLY IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE LATER BEGAN TO ACCELERATE FORWARD AND WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT A HARD RESET OF THE COMPUTER WOULD BE REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

MY CAR HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE AUTO-STOP FEATURE CUTS IN SOMETIMES WHEN I SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL PREPARATORY TO DOWNSHIFTING TO ACCELERATE. IF THIS HAPPENS WHEN I AM TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN THROUGH A BREAK IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR PULL INTO A GAP IN TRAFFIC ON THE EXPRESSWAY, IT CAN BE QUITE FRIGHTENING. FORTUNATELY, I HAVEN'T BEEN HIT YET, BUT MY WIFE IS RELUCTANT TO RIDE IN MY CAR. THERE WAS A RECALL SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHICH THE HONDA SERVICEMAN TOLD ME WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT IT DIDN'T. *TR

2003 HONDA CIVIC. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RECALL NOTICES FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED A REPAIR SHOP FOUND TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING AT THE CENTER TRANSMISSION PLATE AND RIGHT AXLE SEAL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PLASTIC THAT COVERED THE HEADLIGHT BECAME FOGGY, PREVENTING THE LIGHT FROM ILLUMINATING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE BELIEVED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A SAFETY HAZARD SINCE IT PREVENTED HIM FROM SEEING WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN VERIFIED THE FAILURE BUT FAILED TO PROVIDE A REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

I WAS DRIVING NORTH IN THE # 3 OR 4 LANE ON I-405 JUST NORTH OF IRVINE, CA IN INTERMITTENT RAIN, WHEN THE CAR BEGAN SWERVING TO THE LEFT. MY EFFORTS TO COUNTER-STEER FAILED TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR, AND THE CAR SPUN COUNTER-CLOCKWISE TO THE LEFT UNTIL I HIT THE CENTER DIVIDER FACING BACKWARD WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR AND CONTINUED TO SPIN UNTIL FACING FORWARD. I MANAGED TO PULL THE CAR TO A SHOULDER ON THE CENTER DIVIDE AND STOP. TRYING TO MOVE THE CAR FORWARD MET WITH CONSIDERABLE FRICTION. SOON THE HIGHWAY PATROL ARRIVED AND BLOCKED TRAFFIC AND ASKED ME IF I WAS OK AND ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR TO THE RIGHT SIDE. DESPITE THE FRICTION, I WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR TO THE RIGHT, ENCOUNTERING DIFFICULTY STEERING THE CAR PARALLEL TO THE ROADWAY. I TOLD THE OFFICER THAT I THOUGHT THE CAR HAD HYDROPLANED AND SPUN OUT. BECAUSE NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED AND I WAS NOT INJURED, THE OFFICER OFFERED ME THE OPTION TO FILE A REPORT OR NOT, AND I DECIDED NOT TO FILE A REPORT. THE CAR WAS TOWED (FLATBED) OUTSIDE A BODY SHOP NEAR MY HOME. THE RF WHEEL WAS SEVERELY TOED-IN, AND WHEN I EXAMINED IT, THE SWAY BAR END LINK WAS DISCONNECTED. I DROVE SLOWLY A FEW BLOCKS HOME, NOTICING THE DIFFICULTY IN CONTROLLING THE STEERING, EVEN AT LOW SPEED, AND THE SIMILARITY TO HOW THE CAR SUDDENLY WAS HANDLING ON THE FREEWAY. THIS MADE ME CONCERNED THAT THE FAILURE OF THE END-LINK AND/OR STEERING MAY HAVE CAUSED THE LACK OF CONTROL, RATHER THAN RESULTING FROM THE IMPACT WITH THE CENTER DIVIDE. NEVER IN OVER 20 YEARS OF DRIVING HAVE I EXPERIENCED, IN ANY WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE COMPLETE LACK OF RESPONSIVENESS TO STEERING INPUT THAT SUDDENLY OCCURRED. THE CAR IS STILL IN MY DRIVEWAY. IF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO EXAMINE THE CAR, PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP. *TR

TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE/JUDDER FROM A COMPLETE STOP. HONDA EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR 7 YEARS OR 100K MILES. THIS VEHICLE WAS TAKEN 3 TIMES UNDER THIS WINDOW AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A MANDATORY RECALL NOT VOLUNTARY EXTENDED WARRANTY. THIS IS SAFETY ISSUE WHEN CROSSING INTERSECTIONS AND TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AND STUTTERING. *TR