Problems with 2003 Honda Civic POWER TRAIN

Driving on highway and suddenly transmission shifted down into 1st gear and stuck. i called honda care (2003 honda civic hybrid) and asked them to pay for these repairs because of a long history of problems with this transmission. they have issued an extended warranty (7yrs/100,000miles) for this transmission to avoid a recall, but will not let me use it because the car carries a salvage title...which has nothing to do with the transmission that has been a problem for this vehicle from the beginning. if there had been a recall on this transmission, they would be required to replace it. they are somehow getting around a recall by saying it isn't a safety issue. but, i disagree. if i had been driving this highway at normal traffic hours, i would have been rear-ended at 60+mph. that is a safety issue, and thousands of people are having the same experience. they should be forced to do a recall. *tr

After numerous transmission problems with my 2003 honda civic hybrid, the transmission failed completely while i was driving on us 11 in berwick pa. fortunately did not cause a crash. honda dealer says the car needs an entire transmission. *tr

While parked in a parking garage, i was backing my car out of a space. when about 90% out of the space, the car suddenly shifted into drive (without my help) and slammed into the wall in front of which i had been parked. the airbags went off, and the front of the car is really banged up. *tr

I purchased the car used in 2006 with 21,000 miles. the transmission failed at 56,000 miles (1/27/08). told needed transmission overhaul. the transmission also failed again at 89,000 (2/4/09) miles, requiring another transmission overhaul. 6 months later experiencing similar symptoms (shuddering/shake/vibration between 30-50 mph) as before took it to aamco to get an outside opinion and i am told the torque converter is failing and if not replaced will cause transmission failure once again. the car currently has 124,000 miles on it. so much for honda reliability. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda civic-hybrid. while driving 60 mph with the cruise control engaged, the engine suddenly revved, but the vehicle began to decelerate. the tachometer escalated and the contact pulled the vehicle onto the shoulder. after a few minutes, he attempted to drive back into traffic and the vehicle moved very slowly. the vehicle could only be driven 5 mph; however, the engine was still revving. after the contact shut off the engine for several minutes and restarted it, the vehicle worked perfectly fine for approximately 30 miles. when he attempted to exit the highway, the vehicle began losing speed again while the engine was still revving. he managed to drive the vehicle home and left it parked for a few days. he did not start the engine during that time. a few days later, he drove the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that a new transmission was needed. the vehicle has not yet been repaired and is still at the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 116,000. updated 02-18-09updated 02/18/09. *jb

Since the purchase of my 2003 honda civic hybrid the car has stuttered when taking off from a stop. my wife took it back to the dealer and they told her it was "normal" for a hybrid. i have since researched this and found this is not normal and would like honda to replace the transmission. *tr

I bought my 2003 honda civic hybrid with 70,000 miles on it. in less than a year, i had to have the catalytic converter, egr valve, fly wheel, and transmission replaced. the transmission was replaced 7 months ago and the same exact problem is happening again: the transmission slips every time i press on the gas or take my foot off the gas, and when i'm coasting the transmission chugs. *tr

I own a honda civic hybrid 2003. several months ago the vehicle started to jerk (judder') upon acceleration at low speeds. i took my vehicle in to be serviced, and they 'burnished' the transmission and said to come back if the problem persisted. the performance was fine for a few thousand miles, when the judder returned. once again, i went back and they performed a second burnishing. the problem has since returned. *tr

The power steering motor and pulley failed and had to be replaced while the car is not even 5 years old. *tr

While my vehicle was still under warranty, i took my car to the dealer with a slipping/shuddering problem. they changed the transmission fluid and the problem seemed to go away. the problem re-curred and i took it back again. again they changed the fluid. by the third time i took the vehicle back a third time, for the same problem, the vehicle was out of warranty. now i am finding out, only after researching the issue myself, that the belt is the problem and that the issue is consistent with 2003 to 2005 models. the problem is becoming worse and now my car is bucking when i try to start out from a stop. i am afraid to drive because of the fear or the car stalling at inopportune times and i am distracted by the issue. *tr

This was also filed under the general header powertrain, but since i saw more complaints here i thought i should file it here instead as there seems to be more strengths in numbers and this problem is dangerous and needs to be addressed. my car has been shuddering/bucking/slipping. it started before the car was out of warranty. with all of the stories i have read it has become clear to me that honda was aware of the problem and that the transmission fluid change was a way of stalling the consumer until the warranty had run out. i took my car in, had the fluid flushed and it temporarily fixed the problem. this was done a second time and after the warranty had run out a third time. each time there was only a temporary fix. now the problem has become dangerous. the car hesitates, races and bucks. i am afraid to drive it as i don't know if it will quit on me while making a left turn and i am afraid that the car will stall in front of oncoming traffic. this is especially dangerous in congested city driving where quick turns are frequently necessary. i am not a risk taker and i am still hesitant to make turns even when there is plenty of room for a highly conservative person such as myself. *tr

I have an intermittent problem with a 2003 honda civic hybrid cvt transmission. it occasionally bucks when accelerating or decelerating. i have taken it to my dealer and had the transmission fluid changed and gears "burnished". i am afraid that the problem will get worse. my brother's 2003 civic hybrid also experiences the same problem. when i asked about the problem in july my dealer will only tell me that a recall has not been issued. *tr

My 2003 honda civic hybrid (hch) with its cvt transmission (52,500 miles) exhibits severe bucking, hesitation and lurching. during low speed maneuvering in a parking lot or turning a corner, less than 20 mph, the car will lurch and buck. it will become so pronounced and violent that the car will lurch forward and your head will hit the headrest. i took the car to honda of tyson?s corner in virginia in early august 2007 and their solution was to replace the cvt fluid. this did not solve the problem. now in september 2007 the issue is becoming worse and a lurching or slippage is noticed at speed up to 50 mph. i took the car to an independent garage and they confirmed a major transmission issue but due to lack of technical information they were not equipped to repair the cvt. they also reported that no engine trouble codes were detected. searching the internet it appears other hch owners are experiencing the same problem. the only fix seems to be replacing the cvt fluid progressing to rebuilding or replacing the cvt without correcting the core problem. you just end up with a transmission with the same technology doomed to failure again. i am afraid that honda is not helping the dealers fix the defect and instead just taking a band aid approach. *jb

My 2003 honda hybrid has vibrations when movement first begins and when climbing hills and after reading some of the statements of others on this blog it seems my problems are the same as theirs. service manager informed me my problem is starter clutch, same problems the other folks complained of on this blog. others seemed to get temporary satisfaction with burnishing clutch and a change of transmission fluid both of which i plan to do because that is much cheaper than the price of repairs i was quoted by service tech. *tr

Continued problems with me 2003 honda civic hybrid and the constant velocity transmission. slipping or surging when accelerating and bucking or shimmy when decelerating. honda has only flushed the transmission fluid. it does improve the situation, only to return within a few thousand miles. this will only push my vehicle to the end of it's warranty period with no annotated issues in my vehicles records. honda needs to fix this ongoing issue as it pertains to hundreds, perhaps thousands of owners. *ak

I own a 2003 honda civic hybrid with a faulty transmission. it jerked into gear and had many problems. i bought the car from carmax, and they assured me it was fixed. they patched it up at aamco. now the warranty expired and i need to buy a new transmission. *ak

I have a honda civic hybrid 2003. i bought it used at 63,000 miles. for the first 10,000 miles, i had no problems. then a slight shudder started to happen each time i moved the car from a stop, especially when on an inclined hill. i took it to the dealership, where they flushed the transmission, which they said was completely black. a few months later, the problem returned. this time they did a transmission flush and a "burnishing' process. the problem returned again in a few months, and i had the process repeated. finally i read online that many others were having similar problems. i got honda to partially pay for a replacement starter clutch. the problem went away for a few months, then returned. now i am paying for a second starter clutch because the shudder is worse than ever. *tr

When accelerating on the freeway the transmission started slipping. the car lurched , and the transmission wouldn't catch. luckily, we brought the car to a safe stop on the side of the freeway. then, the transmission was stuck in first gear and would not shift. we limped off the freeway in first gear. *ak

Grinding when shifting into 3rd gear upshift or downshift esp when rpms when going into 3rd gear are over 3,000 rpm car now has 47k miles has been doing this for over 15k miles is getting progressively worse. *tr

2003 honda civic hybrid began slight shuddering noise upon acceleration, which eventually got worse, taken in for repair and was told transmission fluid was flushed out 6 times in order to fully clean it out. not even 3000 miles later shudder came back. unfortunately, at the time was unable to afford another repair bill since car was still drivable. now shudder is accompanied by tapping noise only when in gear, slight in reverse but loud when in drive. *tr

Tl* - contact stated that on the evening of april 9, 2007 while driving at 35 to 40 mph in light highway traffic, the contact heard a loud noise from under the 2003 honda civic hybrid. the check engine light turned on, and transmission gear shifted from drive to neutral. the contact noticed that the rpms went up to 4000, but the vehicle was not accelerating. the vehicle lost power, and would only drive at about 15 to 20 mph. the contact was waiting for honda to inspect the vehicle. the current and failure mileage were 83,000.*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda civic hybrid. while attempting to accelerate from idle at a stop light the vehicle began to vibrate and then shut off. the check engine light illuminated intermittently prior to this failure. the dealer replaced the catalytic converter. presently, the vehicle will start,but was not drivable. the vehicle was towed to a honda dealer, and diagnosed as needing a new transmission. the dealer found a salvaged transmission. the current and failure mileage were 158,000.*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda civic hybrid. while driving 40mph, the engine the vehicle would lose power which caused the vehicle to slow down to 3-5 mph. the dealer inspected the vehicle on two occasions however they were unable to diagnose the failure. they advised him that if it occurred again he would have to shut the engine off and restart it again to be able to have the vehicle run well enough to get to the destination. they changed some of the fluids and some electronic boards. the failure mileage was 45,000 and current mileage is 83,000. the vin was unavailable.

The cvt transmission in my 2003 honda civic hybrid totally gave out. this followed months of jerking and repeated treatments of transmission fluid replacement and "reprogramming.," which started before 30,000 miles. each treatment seemed to work temporarily, only to have the jerking return, each time sooner than before. the evening it gave out entirely i was crossing a bridge, then turned left onto a main street. as i turned the car jerked, then acted as though it was permanently in neutral. the dealer told me i must have been spinning my wheels on snow or ice, but this was not the case. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda civic-hybrid. at 72,000 miles, the contact noticed that the transmission is beginning to vibrate upon acceleration. the failure occurs during speeds of 0-15 mph. the dealer and the manufacturer have not been notified. however, the contact went to the dealer to get honda's brand of transmission fluid in hopes that it would resolve the failure. the current mileage was 72,000 and the failure mileage was unknown.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda civic-hybrid. the contact stated that the vehicle shutters and jerks when shifting gears. the failure occurs at all gears, with the greatest difficulty shifting out of second gear. the dealer replaced the catalytic converter, starter clutch, and flushed the transmission, however, the failure still persists. the dealer stated that some jerking was normal. the speed was unknown. the current mileage was 71,000 and failure mileage was 30,000.

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.

2003 honda civic hybrid transmission problem: pulling into traffic, sometimes the transmission seems to go to neutral then slam into gear. also has a strong vibration intermittently, yet happening now almost daily. so far, honda dealership is following a service bulletin to correct the problem, with no luck and out of pocket expenses building while they experiment. found over 128 similar problems posted online. *tr

The problem is intermittent, ongoing for the past 2 years. the failure is that the transmission will not come out of park, there are no brake lights, there is no brake regeneration in the hybrid system, and the auto stop function does not work. over the last 24 days there the car has been started 75 times with 24 times failure of the brake system to work. i've kept a log since the last dealer visit. the last time in shop they tested/replaced ignition switch and brake light switch (second brake light switch in 2 years). the dealer " cannot duplicate the problem, even when it is acting up when i take it in. there seems to be a correlation between failure and lower temperatures and high humidity/rain. the problem is driving without stop lights and never knowing while driving if everything is working. at some point i'm going to be rear end, hopefully the kids will not be in the car. *nm

When starting my car, i could not get the auto shift selector to go into drive. i had to use the key to unlock the shift lock... it is in the honda shop at this time. *jb

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

On the expressway the car would not go out of 1st gear then would not shift gears at all, it was less than 2 years old. it had to be towed and the transmission replaced. it was a honda civic ex 2003 from rick rousche honda. *jb

My 2003 honda civic hybrid has a history of the transmission/car shuddering and slipping during acceleration. this has been occurring regularly since july 26, 2005 at 40,440 miles. on one occasion after having the clutch replaced, transmission fluid sprayed all over the engine and manifold while traveling down the interstate which would have caused the fatality or serious injury of my son driving the car had it ignited. the spokesman at the honda dealer in portland oregon said my son was very lucky not to be engulfed in flames. since this occurrence, the shuddering issue has continued requiring regular trips to the honda dealer. each honda service representative i have complained to have said there is nothing they can do because honda of america has not authorized a fix to the defect other then to burnish the start cluth and change the transmission fluid. this has only been a band aid fix which hasn't worked for some time now, but originally used to work for about 2-3 thousand miles at which point the problem re-occurred. this is clearly a defective product and honda is using a band aid approach to mask this serious defect until the warranty has expired, at which point, they quickly say the transmission needs to be replaced with a new one at the owners expense (approx $3,400 to $4,000 dollars). honda of america claims to have fixed the problem in their new transmissions but they have not been willing to use this fix on existing cars like mine until the warranty expires. i have actually been told this by honda representatives. all this is despite a safety recall for this very same problem in japan, india, and indonesia. please investigate why honda of america has not been held accountable for this serious defect in their honda civic hybrid 2003 cvt transmissions. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda civic hybrid. while accelerating from a stop light or stop sign, the vehicle vibrates and makes noises. the vehicle slows and then surges forward intermittently. the current mileage was 61,000 and failure mileage was 36,000.

Dt: when traveling at a slow speed the car bucks. one feels like in a mix master. it doesn't run smoothly. took it ito dealer, and they said it was bad oil, had the oil changed, drove fine for 1 month and started up again. *ak

After a few months of driving my brand new 2003 honda civic si. i started to experience a very "notchy" and rough feeling in my manual transmission. occasionally it will also grind gears, and i am more than definite that i am shifting properly. it gets worse in the winter because the car will hesitate a lot when trying to go in any gear. i brought my vehicle into honda north of danvers, ma for them to inspect the problem, yet they found nothing to be wrong. therefore, no attempts to were made to repair the problem. this isn't a problem in which they can try to simulate after 5 minutes of driving. i feel that if this problem remains, it will be increasingly difficult to drive and is decreasing the chances of driving safely. the car's second winter is coming and i do not feel safe driving my car with this particular problem. i am a member of www.ephatch.com, a online forum community of 2002-2005 honda civic si owners, and many of the members have had similar problems, yet the dealer they went to could never help them. only a rare few have had there transmission problem fixed, but only through a lot of arguing and persuading.*ak

Consistently grinds transmission when going into 2nd gear (manual transmission). dealership says its ok and normal, but i know it is damaging my transmission. even with perfect shifting at a high rpm shift, it will grind every time.*ak

Ongoing transmission problems. have replaced transmission 4 times and still having problems. *tr

The air bags in my vehicle did not deploy in a front end collision that i was involved in. it caused me to fly forward and injure myself, almost hitting the front windshield. in addition to this problem, i have discovered that the cigarette lighter plug-in does not work in my vehicle. i have found that the transmission in my vehicle had a defective part that a car repair man fixed. *jb

Transmission failure while driving vehicle, engine raced, resulted in loss of acceleration, transmission replaced nov 03, second transmission has same problems, in to be replaced march 03, currently in for replacement at dealership. *ak

1) purchased the car 2) within the one year that i have owned the car, i have experienced gears grinding when shifting from 1st to 2nd with the manual transmission on numerous occasions. i do not think it is a problem with my technique as i have owned manual transmission cars for approximately 18 years and and never previously had a similar problem. 3) nothing done as of yet to correct the problem. *ak

Manual transmission clutch depressed all the way to the floor but shifting is not smooth and lots of times even "grind" into 2nd gear at low speed(disengage at about 3000rpm then shift into 2nd). feels like the shifter tires to push back to neutral. also clutch pedal does not release so smooth after a long period of driving, making noise when pushing down and "clicks" when engaging.*ak

When the vehicle was parked on a slight incline it had a tendency to roll backward or forward. while the consumer was making a left turn a loud pop was heard. vehicle stalled, and was unable to move in either direction. then, vehicle was towed to a dealer, who informed the consumer that a new transmission was needed. *ak honda reported no parts or transmissions. (hybrid transmission) *sc

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

The engine shut of when the vehicle stopped or slowed down at 10 mph. engine will not restart unless clutch is depressed all the way to the floor. *tt *jb

Gear shift failed to shift into first gear. there was also a loud ticking coming from the engine. ph *jb

Transmission failure. *nlm

Vehicle won't back-up when set in reverse. when tow truck driver arrived and started the car, it backed up. also, vehicle was stopped at a stop sign then car wouldn't move forward even though it was in drive. *la this occurred twice and a truck collided with the vehicle and totaled it. *ph

2003 honda civic hybrid has a vibration from the transmission. dealers said they didn't feel it, then replaced trans fluid. nothing helped . out of warranty and its not their problem now. it is dangerous at speed. honda is covering up a problem and they are at fault by corporate decision to risk american lives. have gone round and round with honda use and they still say there is no problem with any of the hybrids. liars. *tr

The transmission went from drive to neutral while driving.*jb *ts