2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING UP A HILL THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

IN 2006 THE CAR WAS JOLTING WHEN YOU TOOK OFF OR WERE TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS. THE DEALERSHIP BURNISHED THE STARTER CLUTCH/ENGINE AND THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. NOW IN 2012 THE PROBLEM HAS BEGUN AGAIN AND READING THROUGH BLOGS AND POSTS IS SEEMS THERE MAY BE A DESIGN CHANGE IN THE TRANSMISSION FROM PLASTIC BELTS TO METAL...SO IF THIS FIXES THE PROBLEM, THEN MY OLDER MODEL SHOULD BE RETROFIT TO REPAIR THE FAULTY ISSUE. *TR

I DROVE MY CAR TO HONDA OF SAN ANGELO DEALERSHIP FOR A RECALL, A SOFTWARE UPDATE CAMPAIGN WAS DONE, I PICKED UP THE CAR AND UPON DRIVING OFF THE DEALERSHIP LOT, I NOTICED IMMEDIATELY THAT THE ELECTRIC PART OF THE HYBRID WAS NOT WORKING, AT ALL, IT WAS WORKING WHEN I DROPPED IT OFF AND GETTING 47 MPG. UPON RETURNING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME NOT TO BLAME THEM FOR HAVING A 9 YEAR OLD CAR WITH 100,000 MILES ON IT. I ARGUED THE POINT, THAT IT WAS WORKING WHEN I DROPPED IT OFF, AND IT ISN'T NOW, SIMPLE AS THAT AND AS I DROVE OFF, THE SERVICE MANAGER FLIPPED ME OFF. THE CAR IS UNUSABLE, I PARKED IT IN MY GARAGE, AND DROPPED THE INSURANCE ON IT. I PLAN TO TOW IT TO A SAN ANTONIO DEALERSHIP, WHICH IS A 4 HOUR DRIVE ONE WAY, WHEN I CAN AFFORD IT. *TR

THIS VEHICLE HAS A SLIPPING IN THE CVT (TRANSMISSION) AT LOWER SPEED AND WHEN COASTING. *TR

CVT TRANSMISSION SLIPS AT 45K MILES. REPLACED TRANSMISSION AND PROBLEM REAPPEARED AT 75K. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO SLIP, THE ENGINE RPM'S WOULD GO UP BUT SPEED WOULD NOT CHANGE. AS YOU DROVE DOWN THE ROAD YOU COULD SEE THE TACH WHICH SHOWS RPM GO UP & DOWN, UP & DOWN ALL THE TIME BUT THE SPEED WOULD STAY THE SAME. VERY POOR GAS MILEAGE AROUND THE MID 30'S NOT EVEN CLOSE TO THE 50 MPG THAT WE WERE TOLD. THEN ONE DAY THE CAR JUST MADE A BANG AND STOPPED, THE TRANSMISSION STEEL BELT INSIDE BROKE INTO MANY PIECES AND THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. $1800.00 TO FIX THIS THEN WE STILL HAD THE RPM UP & DOWN PROBLEM. THEN @ 80,000 MILES THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON HAD UPDATE DONE TO COMPUTER, MADE THE MPG EVEN LOWER AND WE WERE TOLD THE HYBRID BATTERY IS GOING BAD, REPLACEMENT COST $3000.00. COULDN'T AFFORD THIS THEN THE HYBRID BATTERY DIED 100% COULDN'T DRIVE CAR WITHOUT ANY KIND OF CHARGE IN BATTERY AND IT ALSO CAUSE ANOTHER PART OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM TO GO BAD WHICH COST $1700.00 TO FIX. SO WE NEEDED A NEW BATTERY @ $3000.00 AND ANOTHER HYBRID COMPONENT FOR $1700.00 SO WE COULD DRIVE THIS CAR. IT HAD UNDER 100,000 MILES AND HONDA WOULDN'T HELP PAY A DIME, AND ALL THIS NOT TO LONG AFTER WE SPENT $1800.00 TO HAVE TRANSMISSION BELT FIXED. SO WE TRADED IN THE CAR TO HONDA FOR A FORD. WE ALSO SPENT $1200.00 TO HAVE THE AC COMPRESSOR REPLACED ON THIS CAR SO IT WAS A LEMON FROM THE START AND ALL THIS TIME HONDA WOULDN'T HELP AT ALL EVEN THOUGH WE HAD COMPLAINED TIME AND TIME AGAIN. NOW THEY ARE IN A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT WHICH I HOPE THEY ARE MADE TO PAY MILLIONS. I WOULD NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER HONDA HYBRID, THIS CAR WAS TO SAVE US MONEY ON GAS BECAUSE OF THE MPG BUT IT COST US THOUSANDS IN REPAIRS THAT BY FAR COST US MORE THAN THE MONEY WE SAVED IN GASOLINE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD VIOLENTLY JERK WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AND ALSO WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES WHERE VARIOUS TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

IN AUGUST OF 2011, I NOTICED A BURNING SMELL WHILE USING THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS. SOMETIMES THE SMELL WAS QUITE STRONG, BUT I COULD NOT FIND WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. UNTIL I COULD FIND THE PROBLEM, I DECIDED ONLY TO USE THE CAR WHEN I DID NOT NEED TO USE THE HEADLIGHTS. A COUPLE OF TIMES I HAD TO USE THE LIGHTS. EVENTUALLY, THEY STOPPED WORKING AND I HAD TO FIND THE PROBLEM. WHEN I TOOK THE COLLAR OFF OF THE STEERING COLUMN, I NOTICED THAT THE CONNECTOR TO THE HEADLIGHT (COMBINATION SWITCH) WAS MELTED. THERE WAS A GREENISH/BLUE CORROSION ON ALL OF THE TERMINALS AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE SWITCH TERMINALS ARE MADE OF A DIFFERENT METAL FROM THE CONNECTORS. IT NOW MAKES SENSE...TWO DISSIMILAR METALS CAN CAUSE A GALVANIC REACTION WHICH LEADS TO CORROSION WHICH LEADS TO HIGH RESISTANCE WHICH LEADS TO HEAT BUILD UP. CURRENT DRAW ON THE WIRE FOR THE LOW BEAMS IS 9 AMPS. I ALSO HAVE FOG LIGHTS CONNECTED TO THIS WIRE, BUT THROUGH A RELAY THAT ONLY DRAWS 0.1 AMPS. I CALLED HONDA AND THEY STATE THAT MY VIN IS NOT COVERED AT THIS POINT. THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER CLAIMS THAT THE CAUSE IS THE FOG LIGHT WIRE BEING CONNECTED TO THE LOW BEAM WIRE. MY RESPONSE IS THAT WIRE ONLY ADDS 0.1 AMPS TO THE CIRCUIT AND CANNOT BE THE CAUSE OF THE MELTED CONNECTOR...THE CAUSE IS FROM THE CORROSION AT THE TERMINALS. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, I SEE THAT MY HEADLIGHT SWITCH (PART #35255-S5A-A02) IS USED ON MANY HONDA PRODUCTS THAT HAVE THE SAME ISSUE WITH MELTED CONNECTORS. THESE MODELS INCLUDE THE CIVIC, FIT, INSIGHT, AND CRV. MILLIONS ARE BEING RECALLED FOR THIS, BUT HONDA WILL NOT INCLUDE MINE. THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM AND HAVE DEVELOPED A REPAIR KIT...PART # 35012-S5A-307 TO REMEDY. IT INCLUDES THE SWITCH, A CONNECTOR, AND SOME WIRE. A RECALL CAMPAIGN NEEDS TO BE STARTED FOR THE 2003 MODEL YEAR (LIKE MINE) AND ANY YEAR OR MODEL THAT THIS HEADLIGHT SWITCH (#35255-S5A-A02) IS USED IN. UPDATED 11/25/11 *BF *TT