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Problems with 2012 Honda Civic POWER TRAIN

On average, the 2012 Honda Civic starts to “feel” problems with the POWER TRAIN and its various aspects after 26 443 miles.

Components Affected by POWER TRAIN Issues

We have classified the 36 complaints from 2012 Honda Civic about POWER TRAIN into the following categories.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 2

Recently reported POWER TRAIN problems on 2012 Honda Civic

Shutter when going 25 to 35

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 honda civic. while driving 20 mph, the check engine and air bag warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was taken to gwinnett place honda (3325 satellite blvd, duluth, ga 30096, (678) 274-6206) where it was diagnosed that the transmission sensor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired due to the repair fees. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 151,312.

The car randomly displays a check emissions system and check transmission systems error on the dashboard while driving. the check engine light comes on and the "d" indicator on the display flashes. when the check transmission systems error displays the car does not shift as it should. i took it to my mechanic and he couldn't find anything wrong with the engine or transmission, and no error codes came up on his computer. i called the dealership and they said a software update is needed. i am concerned about wear and tear on the engine and/or transmission due to these issues.

While driving, car randomly displays check emission and check transmission system error. when i restart the car, the check engine light comes when i put it in d position. i took the car for repair and they say everything is normal and they didn't find any issues. i'm really worried about the safety in mid-way and also the engine or transmission might get effected.

Recently, i started noticing my vehicle experiencing a slight loss of power when attempting to accelerate, and a tendency to over-rev, as well as spotting in my parking space. the problem was intermittent at first, occurring mainly in the morning. after two days, i took it to a mechanic to take a look, and after cleaning the undercarriage, he took it for a test drive. upon entering a roundabout, the vehicle lost all driving power. he inspected it again, and found that the front left drive shaft had slipped out of the automatic transmission housing, allowing all of the transmission fluid to leak out. while shopping for replacement parts, i found mention of this exact problem being reported in the same make, model and year of vehicles, requiring a recall.

I have experienced acceleration problems for over a period of 3 months, similar to those listed by other honda owners online. most recent incident occurred on 11/27/2017 ,10/6/2017,10/9/17 and in other several occasions when operating the vehicle and its inability to perform in a safe matter has greatly troubled me concerning my safety and the safety public. the following occurred on that day, while i was making a left hand turn crossing lanes of traffic and car would not accelerate when the gas pedal was being pushed all the way to the floor, nearly causing an accident. the car also launches forward while in the drive gear or on reverse after it has been parked for several hours. on other occasions , when pulling into or out of the garage/driveway the car clunked and lurched ahead. on other occasions the car has unattended gas control issue, the car also reaches top speeds of over 37 mph without even touching the gas pedal once. this now happens daily, i have taken it to the dealership and they tell me this is a normal function of the car when i know that this is not true. i have owned several cars and i know this is not normal. i no longer feel comfortable driving this car because it is unsafe. i have reached out to the manufacturer and i feel they keep giving me the run ?around. i have also taken the car to the dealership where i purchased it, but they say there is nothing wrong with it. i have also contacted the manufacturer (american honda) requesting a field engineer have not been able to get any resolution and i?m getting nowhere with them. this car is dangerous to drive i fear for my safety and my families as well as the public safety. i have no other means of transportation and renting a car is not within my budget. i hope that with your help i can get this matter resolved. thank you, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

For manual transmissions rpms remain high even after foot is off the gas pedal consequently making it impossible to match rpms and causing premature failure to friction disks (clutch). un necessary wear causing 1200+ in repairs. brakes locked up on highway.. lost control spun 5 times and even after new alternator.. the rpm never reduces properly.. had in shop 3 x's set at your spec is wrong to make brake elease jerk, car shake at lights and causes me to rear end another car. 2/6/16

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 honda civic. while parking, the vehicle lunged forward and crashed into the front of another vehicle. the air bags failed to deploy. the contact stated that there were no injuries sustained and a police report was not filed. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

The vehicle had a dragging noise coming from under the car and then a whole chunk of metal fell off from under the car

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 honda civic. while shifting from first to second gear, a loud noise emitted from the vehicle. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 32,000.

For manual transmissions rpms remain high even after foot is off the gas pedal consequently making it impossible to match rpms and causing premature failure to friction disks (clutch). un necessary wear causing 1200+ in repairs. has failed twice now in less than 80,000 miles first failure under 30,000

I was driving on an exit ramp from a highway, car was coasting, and as i was approaching the stop sign, i applied the brakes softly, the car started slowing down further due to braking and then suddenly came to a brutal stop with tires screeching. engine was stalled, automatic gear had shifted in neutral by itself, and there was a burning smell in the car. fortunately there was no car behind me, otherwise it would have not been possible to prevent being rear-ended. the 25 mph speed is approximate as i was decelerating. a similar situation on a highway when traffic slows down could have dramatic consequences, causing a pile-up and possibly multiple deaths and injuries. i will drive the car very carefully to the dealership today. the car was purchased certified pre-owned yesterday. *tr

Car will roll backwards while in drive (automatic transmission). i was in my driveway that is uphill. i let off the brakes and the car started to roll backwards. i conducted more tests and found it does this regardless of the grade. i also tested our 2 other cars and neither did this. i called the dealership and they said it is normal. i called honda (file # n012014-03-1702499) and they said it is normal. i feel that this is unsafe. i'm 41 yrs old have been driving for 25 yrs, i have never been in an automatic car that will drift backwards in drive. this is dangerous for people who are not used to this and not informed that the cars will do this. *tr

When turning the steering wheel right and left, there is a loud clanking noise. it happens 95% of the time. the dealer told me it was the power steering fluid (even though there is no power steering fluid as the 2012 model has an electronic system). the noise has continued and gets worse. they told me other models had a recall on the driveshaft which may be the issue but they cant do anything unless i pay out of pocket because my car was not under the recall.

Shift cable is loss - causing longer gear and sometimes almost impossible to shift. *tr

My 2012 honda civic rolled back while on a steep incline and in drive. instead of transmission staying engaged it allows the car to roll back as if it were in neutral. *tr

This has happened more than once. when descending a hill after letting up on gas pedal the vehicle will rev up for a few of seconds and hitting the brakes did not disengage throttle, also when passing another vehicle after pulling in and let up on pedal the car still revved up for a couple of seconds. have not taken to a dealer yet as i am trying to find exactly how and when this problem occurs so i can get the dealer to reproduce this problem (speed, road conditions, and any other conditions that might cause this problem). as we all know they can never get the problems to reproduce. *tr

Some clicking noise coming from under the hood when car the is accelerating to shift gears, this only happens when the car is started first thing and then if you let the car sit for 5 minutes. the clicking happens only 2 times in a row and then when the car accelerates over 10 miles the clicking stops. *tr

First purchase brand new 2012 honda civic in november 2011, ran really great for first six thousand miles. just under ten thousand i notice gas mileage got a lot worse and the check emission light comes on. take it in to shop and they say oh thermostat is bad. well thought strange at time car is new. then at just under 14000 miles gas mileage is bad and engine revs at high rpm's check emission light comes on again. this time it was a software update??? well then at under 17000 miles check emission light again and this time in shop for three weeks. thermostat again. try calling american honda and i get the sales manager who needs an attitude adjustment, and he says there is nothing wrong with my car. then i am told by the service shop that this in no way has harmed anything and they replace thermo again run some test and still runs hot so they do it again and still runs hot and then honda decides on a different thermostat that hasn't been released yet and install it. well three weeks later i get my car and all i asked for was an extended warranty and they send me one that they want me to sign to release the of any powertrain issues and cooling issues. cooling issues i understand but powertrain really i thought there was nothin wrong with my car???? all this time i am dealing with the rudest american honda company customer service. really upsets someone spend there hard earned money every month on a car payment and its like going to the store and paying for moldy bread. not one time do they think about the consumer. also interesting when picking car up on friday they have another 2012 civic low miles in shop for same issue. i live in a town in wv with 28,000 people and 1 honda dealer coincidence? *tr

When making a left turn at a busy and dangerous intersection i lost power for several seconds. i managed to pull onto the shoulder until the car accelerated again. i had called the dealership previously about this recurring problem. i took the car into the service department of the dealership prior to the date of this incident and the problem could not be replicated. because of safety concerns i traded the car in with mileage at less 2000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 honda civic. the contact stated as the vehicle entered the driveway on an incline the vehicle began to move in reverse. the gear shift was in drive when the failure occurred three times. there was also a clanking noise when the gears changed automatically and whenever the contact made a left or right turn the steering wheel did not return to its normal position. the vehicle will be taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 994.

2012 honda civic. consumer writes in regards to defective vehicle and clunking noise coming from gear shift. *tgw the consumer stated the windshield wipers would leave lines and smears on the windshield. the wipers were replaced four times. there was a buzzing noise coming from the heater, the passenger air bag light illuminated and stayed on for an hour. the dimmer lights didn't change from high to low, the seat belts did not release when she moved forward, instead it locked up and there was a smell of carbon monoxide coming through the vents. the rubber slides in each window did not work correctly, because of the moisture on the windows.

On saturday, august 25th, when driving on a hilly roadway, i accelerated to p/u speed to get up the hill. the transmission sounded like it was straining and rpm was over 3000. when i reached the top of the hill and started the descent, i hit the brake to reduce my speed, but the vehicle did not slow down and the transmission was stuck with rpms still over 3000. it took more than 10 seconds for the transmission to shift down. if there was a vehicle in the same lane as mine, there would have been an accident. *tr

Rev. suddenly goes about 3500prm and stay there for a while when i drive downhill. at that moment when you step on the gas pedal the car will not accelerate like normal. sometime there are car behind you and this is very dangerous because your car can not go as far as the car behind you. please test the 2012 honda civic, this car have problem. *tr

2012 honda civic. consumer states problems with vehicle after recall repairs *tgw the consumer stated after the recall work was completed, the brakes started making a loud noise and the speedometer indicated eight miles, when it was actually at a stop. the consumer stated she did not have any problems with the vehicle, until she took it to the dealer. *jb

When the car is parked in a downward slope facing down, and you engage the reverse gear, the car rolls forward. this is especially difficult to control if you are parked in a tight spot and you will roll and hit the car in front of you. we reported this to honda corporation and they said that this is normal behavior. i do not agree, since my other car (different make/model) does not perform the same. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 honda civic. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 12v256000 (power train: driveline: driveshaft) and the vehicle was taken to dealer for repairs. the vehicle was repaired however, one week later as the contact turned on the vehicle and depressed the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate. the contact depressed the brake pedal and the lights on the instrument panel also failed to illuminate. the vehicle was not taken to dealer for inspection or repair. the current and failure mileage was 28,146.

My wife came to a stop at our security gate, used the remote for the gate but it wouldn't open. she backed up about 15 feet to turn around. when she put the car in drive, it lurched forward back towards the gate and wouldn't stop when she applied the brakes. it didn't speed up and it wouldn't stop. the car was making a grinding noise as it moved along. she was jamming on the brakes and it still went right through the closed gate, pushing it open as it went. it kept going for another 40-50 feet until she thought to pull on the emergency brake. the car stopped. she turned the car off and got out, badly shaken but not injured. after calming down, she got back in the car to see if it would start. it did. she drove it two more blocks to our house. she hasn't driven it since. she's terrified it will happen again. *tr

2012 honda civic. consumer writes in regards to transmission noise. *tgw the consumer also stated the wiper blades were replaced three times. *jb

I have a honda civic si 2012, 6 gears manual transmission, i was at a stop sign when i started moving forward, shifted to first gear fine then second gear, but when i tried shifting to third gear it lock me out from shifting into it and my friend and i started to smell burn clutch i tried to shift back to second gear and it wouldn't let me. i had to pull over until the vehicle let me shift into first gear. this type of incidents keep on happening so i called honda customer service for them to fix it and i also gave them the nhtsa campaign number: 12v256000, honda said they couldn't find a recall for my vehicle and i need to take it up with my local dealership. now my vehicle has 29,000 and it does not move due to the power train just does not engage. can i get help so i may drive my vehicle please help i am just getting harass by honda. i do not have a phone can i be contacted by email. *tr

While driving on the highway at 50mph at 2500rpm all of a sudden my rpm went to 4000 without me accelerating more i got scared and tried to slowly slow down the vehicle but rpm remained at 4000. and it remained like that till i stopped the vehicle and restarted it. *tr

I bought a fully loaded 2012 honda civic si sedan, with navigation. car was wonderful first few weeks, then the issues started. when i engaged the clutch into 1st gear, also reverse, when i would level the clutch with the gas pedal, i would hear a high pitch noise. kind of like a squeal. in all types of conditions. it is worse in the snow, rain, up a hill, and what not. i took it to my local honda dealership, the tech testdrove it with me. he heard the noise, he said that he heard it. he thinks it was something hitting the clutch-plate. he said oh honda is not gong to fix this due to your style of driving i said excuse me? he said well there is no need to have an intake, and an exhaust. by the magnuson-moss warranty act of 1975 it states: if a vehicle is bought new, and you put aftermarket parts on it, just because there are aftermarket parts, it does not void the warranty. if the dealership realizes the issue, and just verbally says they can't fix it due to the parts, without even lifting the car up, that is illegal. they have to find the issue, and say why the aftermarket parts are affecting the clutch. i then called the dealership owners son, he said email me the issues, and the vin. i did, he forwarded it to the customer service manager. when he received the email, there was a corporate honda representative there. he read my email, and said that they need to look at it. the manager called me, said he received the email that i sent the owner, he said they have to re-make the sound again, even tho they heard it, and put me threw the ringer again. there are also alot of parts inside that need to be replaced. so i have an appointment next tuesday, hopefully for them to see the issues. there are many people on forums for the 12 si, 9th gen, that are complaining also. the honda rep said that it was normal in many clutches to hear a high pitched noise? *tr

Car suddenly stops dead while accelerating to make left hand turn. it will resume acceleration only after a four second pause. turning into on coming traffic with a dead vehicle is going to cause an accident involving injuries or death. this is the third time that this incident has occurred to my vehicle. the honda dealer can not find the cause. the accelerator safety device switch on brake pedal is suspected. neither i or other driver ever knowingly touched the brake pedal.

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 honda civic. the contact stated that when attempting to accelerate or complete a turn, the vehicle would hesitate without warning. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where they advised him that they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 15. the current mileage was approximately 7,000.

While going up a hill on my driveway the vsa (vehicle stability assistant) was activated on my 2012 honda civic due to slippage in snow. the vsa modulator got stuck and the vsa, abs and power steering warning lights instantly turned on. upon turning the car off the vsa modulator remained on producing a low frequency hum/vibration. i had to disconnect the battery terminal last night to turn the modulator off so that it does not drain the battery. this type of failure on critical safety components should not be occurring on a 5 month old car. luckily the failure occurred at low speed (5 mph). had this failure occurred on the highway at 65 mph it could have resulted in a major accident. *tr

Engine stalls at low speed going around corner, then starts abruptly at a higher speed, causing dangerous lack of control. this has happened a dozen times. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 honda civic exl. while driving approximately 5 mph, the accelerator pedal was engaged and there was a two second delayed response. the failure recurred sporadically. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to duplicate the problem. the manufacturer was made aware of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 150. the consumer stated on an intermittent basis, the vehicle failed to accelerate from a stopped or idling condition, such as pulling out of a parking lot into on oncoming traffic or turning to the on ramp of an interstate highway. updated 11/30/11

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 honda civic. the contact stated that while reversing into a residential garage, the vehicle accelerated forward as the brake was disengaged. on a different occasion, while driving uphill and releasing the brakes, the vehicle surged backward. in order to stop the vehicle from rolling backward, the contact had to continuously depress the accelerator pedal. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who stated that the failure was normal. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 600 and the current mileage was 1,200. updated 09/21/11*lj the consumer stated she parked the vehicle on a downhill slope. as she started the vehicle, shifted into reverse, released the foot brake, and before she pressed the accelerator pedal to back out of the driveway, the vehicle rolled forward almost hitting a door. update 09/30/11

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 honda civic. the contact stated that the vehicle had become extremely resistant to acceleration attempts. in addition, there was an abnormal shifting when the vehicle shifted gears. the vehicle had been taken to the dealer several times for the failure and an engineer also further inspected the vehicle but was unable to duplicate the failure. the failure mileage was 50 and the current mileage was 4,900.

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