Page 6 of 10 · complaints 251–300 of 499

2003 Honda Civic complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2003 record →

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Feb 16, 201047,000 milesCA

I FEEL A BIG JERK WHEN DECELERATE MY CAR FROM 70MILES/HOUR WITH MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL. THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT BUT I FEEL THAT IF THE CAR BREAKS DOWN AS A RESULT OF THIS JERK OR IF THE JERK IS STRONG ENOUGH, THEN I MAY RUN INTO SOME ACCIDENT. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. I TOOK THE CARE TO HONDA DEALER, BUT THE PROBLEM DIDN'T HAPPEN DURING TEST DRIVE. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL. IT LOOKS LIKE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. CAR DETAIL: HONDA CIVIC HYBRID 2003. IT'S AN ONGOING PROBLEM. *TR

Visibility
Filed Feb 16, 201060,000 milesUT

WINDOW SWITCH MELTDOWN HAPPENS IN EARLIER HONDA CIVICS. I RECENTLY READ THAT HONDA WAS RECALLING CARS FOR A WINDOW MASTER SWITCH THAT MELTED WHEN IT GOT MOISTURE IN IT LIKE WHEN IT RAINS WITH THE WINDOW DOWN. THIS PROBLEM HAS PERSISTED FOR YEARS. MY 2003 CIVIC MELTED AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE THREE YEARS AGO AFTER A LITTLE MOISTURE. WHERE WAS THE RECALL BACK THEN IF WE WERE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM? *TR

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Feb 16, 201047,531 milesCA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. WHILE PARKING THE RPM'S BEGAN TO INCREASE RAPIDLY AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO SHIFT GEARS INTO PARK TO AVOID CRASHING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CONFIRMED THAT THE PEDAL WAS NOT STUCK WHEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO FAILURES. THE DEALER CONCLUDED THAT THE FLOOR MAT PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DOWN CAUSING THE RPM'S TO INCREASE; HOWEVER THEY TRIMMED THE FLOOR MATS AROUND THE PEDAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,531. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARALLEL PARK, THE VEHICLE LURCHED BACKWARDS ON A FLAT STEER AFTER HER FOOT WAS OFF THE ACCELERATOR. SHE QUICKLY BRAKED TO AVOID HITTING THE PARKED CAR THAT WAS BEHIND HER. THE VEHICLE DID STOP, BUT SIMULTANEOUSLY THE ENGINE ACCELERATED GREATLY TO AN RPM FAR GREATER THAN FLOORING THE ACCELERATOR. SHE QUICKLY OUT THE GEAR SHIFT IN PARK AND TURNED THE IGNITION OFF, WHICH STOPPED EVERYTHING. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION, OCCURRED THREE SEPARATE TIMES. ALL THREE INCIDENTS HAPPENED, AT VERY LOW SPEEDS. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE SOLD THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 12/02/14

Vehicle Speed ControlCrash
Filed Feb 16, 201086,000 milesIN

ON ~5/2/2009, SATURDAY MORNING, I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 HONDA CIVIC, CROSS 141TH STREET FROM NORTH COMMUNITY TO SOUTH COMMUNITY AFTER YARD SALE, AT ~15MPH SPEED. WHEN I CROSS THE STREET, I FOUND A SUV PASS FROM WEST TO EAST, THEN I TRY TO STOP MY CAR, HOWEVER I CAN NOT STOP IT. THEN I HAVE TO TURN LEFT (EAST), THEN MY CAR RIGHT FRONT CRASHED WITH THE SUV LEFT SIDE. I REMEMBERED I PUSH THE BRAKE GEAR, HOWEVER IT CAN NOT STOP, I ALSO USED MY RIGHT HAND TO MOVE THE GEAR TO THE N, AND PUSH MY THE BRAKE SO HARD, THEN MY CAR STOPPED ABOUT 300 FEET AWAY FROM WHERE THE CAR CRASHED. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY AT THAT TIME IT TAKES ME SO LONG TIME AND SO FAR AWAY DISTANCE TO STOP A CAR AT A SPEED ~15MPH (HAPPENED ONLY THIS TIME). ANOTHER THING ABOUT THIS CAR: WHEN I SET UP CRUISE CONTROL FOR THIS CAR, IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY ACCELERATE HIGHER THAN WHAT I SET UP. SUPPOSE I TRY TO SET UP 65MPH ON HIGHWAY, THE CAR WILL AUTOMATICALLY ACCELERATE TO MORE THAN 70MPH. NOW I CAN NOT USE THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM IN THIS CAR. *TR

Air Bags
Filed Feb 15, 201056,700 milesOH

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2003 HONDA CIVIC SI THAT HAS APPROXIMATELY 58,000 MILES. THE CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED BY HONDA DEALERS. I HAVE ALWAYS MET AND IN SOME CASES EXCEEDED THE RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE INTERVALS. IN NOVEMBER OF 2009, THE SRS LIGHT APPEARED ON MY DASH AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE ONE MORNING. THIS OCCURRED ABOUT 2 WEEKS AFTER A ROUTINE OIL/FILTER SERVICE VISIT AT MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND PAID APPROXIMATELY $85 FOR THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO EVALUATE WHY THIS SRS INDICATOR LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. I WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE HAD A "BAD INFLATER" THAT "WOULD NOT INFLATE THE AIR BAGS DURING A [COLLISION]" AND THAT I NEEDED TO ORDER/PURCHASE A NEW CABLE REEL ASSEMBLY. THE ESTIMATED PARTS AND LABOR CHARGES WOULD BE $540. THE SERVICE PERSONNEL TOLD ME THAT THEY WEREN'T SURE IF THE NEW CABLE REEL ASSEMBLY WOULD RESOLVE THE SRS ISSUE BUT THEY BELIEVED THAT IT WAS AT LEAST PARTLY TO BLAME FOR THE SRS LIGHT BEING ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. I AM PRESENTLY AWARE OF THE RECALL OF A NUMBER OF MANY 2003 HONDA CIVICS BUT MINE HAS NOT BEEN INCLUDED. THE ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE REPRESENTS AN UNEXPLAINED FAILURE OF A CRITICAL SAFETY SYSTEM THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE GIVEN THE AGE AND USAGE OF THIS VEHICLE. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE CURRENT RECALL ANNOUNCED ON FEBRUARY 9TH DOES NOT REACH FAR ENOUGH. *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Feb 13, 201056,000 milesRI

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

Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash
Filed Feb 6, 201051,000 milesTN

I WISH TO MAKE NOTICE TO NHTSA THAT THE ISSUE IN BRAKING FOR PRIUS VEHICLES WOULD SEEM TO ME TO BE RELATED, IN GENERAL, TO HYBRIDS, BUILT IN JAPAN, AND NOT JUST TOYOTA. I HAVE AN '03 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID, AND IT HAS ISSUES. IT HAS BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BACK IN '05 AND WHAT WAS THE ISSUE? BRAKING! THE CAR WENT OUT OF CONTROL UNDER HEAVY BRAKING (THOUGH ALL THESE VEHICLES HAVE 4 WHL ABS) IN AN "ANIMAL-AVOIDANCE" ATTEMPT. I ENDED UP CAREENING SIDE-WISE SLIDING UNTIL COLLIDING WITH A UTILITY POLE, AT THE PASSGR SIDE "A" PILLAR. RACCOON DIDN'T SURVIVE. I HAD NOTICED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THAT THE ABS, UPON ENCOUNTERING BUMPS OR JOLTS OF ANY SIGNIFICANT DEGREE, WILL "CUT-OUT" MOMENTARILY, AND FURTHER, THE "ENGINE-BRAKING' ASSOCIATED WITH THE HYBRID MOTOR-GENERATOR ALSO CUTS OUT AND DOES NOT RETURN (UNTIL AFTER THE STOP HAS BEEN CONCLUDED USING ONLY THE AVAILABLE BRAKING METHODS LEFT)(NO ABS "CHATTER" IS TO BE OBSERVED IN THESE SCENARIOS). THE PHENOMENON IS DEFINITELY REPRODUCIBLE; I HAVE OFTEN FOUND THAT SUCH BUMPS ARE VIRTUALLY UNAVOIDABLE ON CERTAIN PLACES I COMMONLY DRIVE NEAR MY HOME. IT IS SUCH AN ISSUE THAT I HAVE LEARNED TO TRY TO COMPENSATE FOR THAT WHEN DRIVING OVER THESE BUMPY PLACES, BUT ONE CAN'T COMPENSATE WHEN ENCOUNTERING SAME IN A NEW, UNFAMILIAR AREA/SITUATION. PLEASE DO LOOK INTO THE CONCEPT THAT IT COULD BE MORE OF A JAPANESE MADE ABS SYSTEM-FAULT , (POSSIBLY INCLUDING ENGINE-REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM) RATHER THAN A TOYOTA-ONLY THING. I WOULD REQUEST THAT MY NOTE BE

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Feb 4, 201080,000 milesFL

HONDA CIVIC HYBRIDS WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSION DEVELOP WHAT HONDA REFERS TO AS A JUDDER. WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING IS THE "START CLUTCH" IN THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS DURING TAKE OFF FROM A STOP AND CAUSES THE CAR TO JUDDER OR SHAKE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS IN ANY CONDITION OTHER THAN PERFECTLY DRY ROADS YOU CAN TEMPORARILY LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS FRONT WHEEL DRIVE AND THE FRONT WHEELS CAN LOSE TRACTION AND SPIN. I HAVE EVEN HAD THIS HAPPEN WHEN THE FRONT TIRES ARE SITTING ON THE PAINTED WHITE LINE FOUND AT MOST INTERSECTIONS. HONDA IS VERY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS DOCUMENTED ONLINE, YET HONDA HAS BEEN VERY RELUCTANT TO PROPERLY ADDRESS THE SITUATION. HONDA CLAIMS THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT I HAVE TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL OF MY CAR ON WET ROADS SEVERAL TIMES. I CAN'T IMAGINE TRYING TO DRIVE ONE IN THE SNOW. HERE ARE A COUPLE OF LINKS THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO DISCUSSION GROUPS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/ VIEW/.F0B3259/262 HTTP://WWW.CNGCHAT.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP? 266-2001-2005-CVT-TRANSMISSION-WARRANTY-EXTENSION-FOR-SLIP-JUDDER HONDA HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY PERIOD FOR THIS PROBLEM. IN MY SPECIFIC CASE THEY KEPT IGNORING MY REQUEST TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION UNTIL I WAS BEYOND THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. IN MY CASE I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH HONDA AMERICAN AND NEGOTIATED TO SPLIT THE COST WITH THEM. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN SO LUCKY AND HAVE HAD TO PAY IN FULL FOR THE

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Feb 4, 2010130,000 milesCA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT THE CONTACT APPLYING PRESSURE TO IT, THEN THE RPMS INCREASED. HE THEN FIRMLY PRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 7 TO 8 TIMES. HONDA WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE SINCE THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE CRUISE CONTROL. THEY ALSO ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 207,496. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK WELL ON A ROUGH ROAD WHEN GOING DOWN A HILL. UPDATED 05/13/10.*JB

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Feb 3, 20101,000 milesTN

2003 HONDA CIVIC EX WITH 5 SPEED STANDARD TRANSMISSION AND WITH CRUISE CONTROL. WHEN USING CRUISE CONTROL, IF I SHIFT GEARS, AFTER I DISENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION AND BEFORE I RE-ENGAGE THE DESIRED GEAR (I.E., SWITCHING GEARS FROM 4TH TO 5TH OR 4TH TO THIRD OR A SIMILAR OPERATION) , CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT DISENGAGE, ENGINE REVS UP TO REDLINE, AND I MUST MANUALLY KILL CRUISE CONTROL BY TAPPING BRAKES, OR I CAN LEAVE CRUISE CONTROL ON, AND SHIFT INTO DESIRED GEAR. THE POINT IS, THE CAR IS EITHER SUPPOSE TO KILL THE CRUISE CONTROL OPERATION AUTOMATICALLY, OR AT THE LEAST, NOT REV THE ENGINE UP IN AN UNCONTROLLED METHOD. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR BRAND NEW (WITH 0 MILES ON IT, RIGHT OFF THE DELIVERY TRUCK). I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT UNTIL I READ THAT THE TOYOTA COMPUTER SYSTEM MAY BE THE SOURCE OF UNINTENTIONAL ACCELERATION. *TR

Power Train › Automatic TransmissionCrash
Filed Jan 23, 201076,000 milesNY

TRANSMISSION ON 2003 HONDA CIVIC STOPPED WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT (ABOUT 11:30PM ON A FRIDAY NIGHT). THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, BECAUSE WHAT IF I WAS REAR-ENDED BY SOMEONE ON THE HIGHWAY & I AND A FRIEND (GIRLS) WERE ALONE IN THE CAR AT NIGHT & IF I HAD BEEN UNABLE TO GET HOME, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN SUSCEPTIBLE TO ATTACK BY LATE-NIGHT MISCREANTS - WE WERE ON OUR WAY HOME FROM A CHURCH YOUTH MEETING - SINCE WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE ON THE HIGHWAY IN QUEENS, NY. I WAS ABLE TO FEEL SOMETHING WAS WRONG & MANEUVER THE CAR OVER WHERE WE COLLIDED WITH THE CURB AND MANAGED TO GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD, BUT IT DIED WITH THE CORNER OF THE REAR, DRIVER'S SIDE BUMPER STICKING OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY WHERE IT COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY BEEN HIT BY ANOTHER CAR. *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jan 8, 2010155,000 milesTX

WE PURCHASED A 2003 HONDA CHC IN 2006 WITH APPROXIMATELY 34,000 MILES. AS OF JANUARY 2010, THE CAR HAS 155,010 MILES. FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE, THERE HAS BEEN A SHUDDER WHEN DECELERATING FROM 40+ MPH. WE HAVE ONLY TAKEN THE CAR TO OUR LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE AND HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND THAT SHUDDER IS FROM AN "OVERLOAD". TAKING THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THEIR WORD, WE HAVE NEVER HAD ANY REPAIR WORK DONE TO REMOVE THE SHUDDER OR TAKEN THE CAR TO ANOTHER DEALER. OVER TIME THE SHUDDER HAS GOTTEN WORSE. WE HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED A HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING AND THEN THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY LURCH FORWARD WHEN IT HITS GEAR. AGAIN, WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND THAT WE SHOULD EXPECT HESITATION WHEN THE CAR IS SWITCHING FROM BATTERY POWER TO ENGINE POWER. ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. WE WERE GIVEN TWO OPTIONS-IMMEDIATE REPAIR OR DRIVE UNTIL THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER COMPLETELY FAILS. RECENTLY THE IMA LIGHT CAME ON AND WE TOOK THE CAR FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE RESPONSE WAS THAT THE BATTERY PACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS BEGINNING TO FAIL. TO REPLACE THE CVT TRANSMISSION, BATTERY PACK AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER WILL COST APPROXIMATELY $7,500. AS I HAVE READ THE OTHER COMPLAINTS NOT ONLY FROM THIS SITE, BUT ALSO OTHER SITES ON THE INTERNET, I NOW SUSPEC

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Dec 7, 2009109,000 milesOH

VEHICLE HAS HAD A CONSTANT "JUDDERING" (VIBRATION) ISSUE WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO BE SERVICED SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO DEFECTS FOUND BY THE DEALER. THE "JUDDERING" HAS FINALLY RESULTED IN A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITH A REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. I HAVE READ OF SEVERAL PROBLEMS OF THE SAME NATURE WITH THIS PARTICULAR YEAR, MAKE , AND MODEL. *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Nov 13, 200960,000 milesMA

HONDA CIVIC HYBRID 2003 TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE AT 60,000 AND 90,000 MILES. DEALER CHANGES FLUID AND 'BURNISHES THE STARTER CLUTCH', BUT IT DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF A FAULTY TRANSMISSION. NOW THEY SAY THAT IT IS A FAULTY EGR TO DEFLECT THE HEAT FROM THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION. THERE ARE MANY POSTS THAT REFER TO OTHER OWNERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. HONDA NEEDS TO FACE THE PROBLEM AND DEAL FAIRLY WITH IT. *TR

Electrical System
Filed Oct 18, 2009195,000 milesCA

MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID 2003. THE ACCELERATOR SOMETIME INCREASES BY ITSELF. YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE AND FEEL THE PEDAL LEAVE YOUR RIGHT FOOT BY ITSELF. MY CAR WENT AS HIGH AS 90MI. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO STEP ON THE BRAKE AND SHIFT TO LOW GEAR. SO THE CAR WILL SLOW DOWN. *TR

Air Bags
Filed Sep 3, 2009120,000 milesAZ

AIRBAG LIGHT (SRS) TURNS ON, CAN BE RESET, AIRBAG LIGHT WILL TURN BACK ON AFTER ONE WEEK PASSES. *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Sep 3, 200975,000 milesCA

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY HONDA CIVIC HYBRID 2003 SLIPS WHEN THE CAR IS GOING SLOW OR ON AN INCLINE. *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Sep 2, 2009116,000 milesNC

TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. LOSE OF POWER ON ACCELERATION, ESPECIALLY QUICK ACCELERATION LIKE MAKING A TURN. THIS IS SECOND OCCURRENCE. IN 2007 DEALER "BURNISHED" TRANSMISSION. NOW, SAYS CAN BURNISH FOR $200 (WHICH MAY RESOLVE IT TEMPORARILY) OR CAN TAKE CARE OF PROBLEM, FOR $1200, TO REPLACE STARTER CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System
Filed Aug 27, 2009143,000 milesVA

AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSER IS TOO LOW TO THE GROUND AND FULLY EXPOSED TO STONES, SAND AND ROAD DEBRIS THAT KICKS UP FROM THE HIGHWAY. MY CONDENSER ORIGINALLY HAD BLACK PAINT ON IT BUT IT NOW IS DENTED, LEAKS AND LOOKS SANDBLASTED AND IS BLOCKED FULL OF ROAD SALT CAUSING THE DEFROST FUNCTION AND THE AIR CONDITIONING TO FAIL AND FREON 134A TO BE EXHAUSTED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE CAUSING ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE BECAUSE OF THIS POOR UNPROTECTED DESIGN. RECOMMEND THE MANUFACTURER BE COMPELLED TO MAKE AVAILABLE SOME FORM OF PROTECTIVE MEASURE TO PREVENT THIS PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE WINDSHIELD DEFROST FUNCTION AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. *TR

Air Bags
Filed Aug 24, 200964,000 milesIL

I HAVE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH MY 2003 HONDA CIVIC EX. THE SRS WARNING LIGHT COMES ON WHEN I PLUG IN MY GPS, OR USE A CELL PHONE, OR PUT A PACKAGE ON MY PASSENGER SEAT. THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND HONDA REFUSES TO GIVE ME AN ANSWER CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. WHETHER THE SENSORS ARE TOO SENSITIVE OR DEFECTIVE IS NOT FOR ME TO JUDGE, BUT IT DEFINITELY ANNOYING AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS, SINCE NO ONE CAN ANSWER IF MY AIRBAG WILL FAIL. *TR

Tires
Filed Aug 6, 2009128,000 milesMD

TIRE VALVE STEMS CRACKED,THIS CAUSED A SLOW AIR PRESSURE LEAK TO THE TIRE WHILE DRIVING ONLY. THIS HAS HAPPEN TO ME TWICE IN ONE WEEK, CAUSING DAMAGES TO TWO TIRES AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS NOT ONLY A COSTLY EXPENSE,BUT VERY UNSAFE DRIVING. *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Aug 6, 2009135,000 milesVA

THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH HONDA CIVIC HYBRID CVT TRANSMISSION: "A SHUDDER OR JUDDER UP TO 15 MPH REQUIRES HONDA TO DRAIN AND BURNISH THE 2003-2005 HONDA HYBRID CVT CLUTCH.HONDA WILL CHECK THE EGR VALVE DURING THIS SERVICE TOO. HONDA TECH ARTICLE# ATS06070" MY 2003 CIVIC IS HAVING THIS PROBLEM, WHICH IS UNSAFE BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION STUTTERS TO ENGAGE WHEN STARTING OUT FROM A STOP, WHICH CAN BE DANGEROUS IF YOU NEED TO GET GOING QUICKLY TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. *TR

Air BagsCrash1 injured
Filed Jul 8, 2009130,000 milesPA

I WAS GOING THREW A INTERSECTION (ALONE) IN MY 2003 COUPE HONDA CIVIC AND A RED FULL SIZED FORD TRUCK HIT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF MY CAR AT ABOUT 30 MPH. THE TRUCK FLIPPED AND SLID AND MY AIRBAGS NEVER WENT OFF CAUSING, MEMORY LOSS, STAGE 3 CONCUSSION AND OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS. NOTHING WAS DONE TO FIX IT THEY SAID MY CAR WAS TOTALED PER THE INSURANCE COMPANY. AND I TOOK MANY PICTURES OF IT AND THE DAMAGED PARTS BEFORE THE TOOK IT. *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jun 26, 200991,000 milesNJ

HESITATION OF CVT TRANSMISSION IN HONDA CIVIC HYBRID 2003 MODEL . THE TRANSMISSION HESITATES AS YOU APPLY GAS ON THE PEDAL. THIS HESITATION IS DANGEROUS WHEN YOU NEED TO MOVE QUICKLY IN CERTAIN TRAFFIC SITUATIONS. *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jun 18, 200920,000 milesMO

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

Air Bags
Filed May 18, 200915,000 milesMA

ELECTRONIC SENSOR IN SEATBELT HAS BEEN SPORADICALLY FAULTY SINCE PURCHASE OF CAR. FINALLY, AFTER WARRANTY WAS UP, DEALERSHIP REPAIR SHOP SAID IT HAD TO BE REPLACED TO TUNE OF $380. SEATBELT SENSOR CAUSED AIRBAG INDICATOR TO GO ON, WHICH ALSO PREVENTS AIRBAG FROM OPENING. HAD THEIR BEEN AN ACCIDENT, AIRBAG WOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. *TR

Structure › Body
Filed May 13, 2009120,000 milesCA

MY BLUE 2003 HONDA CIVIC LX'S CLEAR COAT IS FADING. THERE IS WHITE BLOTCHES ON 50 PERCENT OF MY ROOF, 20 PERCENT OF MY TRUNK AND IS SPREADING TO MY HOOD. AN INDEPENDENT PAINT SHOP SAID TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A FACTORY PAINT JOB IT WOULD COST AROUND $3,000. I THEN TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE SERVICE MANAGER SET UP A MEETING WITH A "REPRESENTATIVE" FOR ME. THE REP LOOKED AT MY CAR AND TOLD ME THAT HER "RULE IS TO LOOK FOR FACTORY DEFECTS ONLY." SHE SAID THAT THE COAT IS FADING BECAUSE OF WEATHER AND HAS FADED FASTER BECAUSE THE DARK BLUE ABSORBS HEAT. I INFORMED HER THAT I HAVE SEEN ATLEAST FIVE OTHER BLUE CIVICS OF THE SAME YEAR WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITH THE PAINT. THIS MAKES ME THINK THAT THERE IS A DEFECT EITHER WITH THE CLEAR COAT OR THE APPLICATION. IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT A 5 OR 6 YEAR OLD CAR'S PAINT SHOULD BE FADING EVEN AFTER REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND CARE TO THE EXTERIOR. *TR

Air BagsCrash1 injured
Filed Apr 28, 200989,000 milesTN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR-ENDED. HIS VEHICLE THEN STRUCK THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. HE SUFFERED BRUISES ON HIS HIP AND CHEST FROM THE SEAT BELT. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RETAIN FOOD DUE TO THE CHEST PAIN. HE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT HE SUFFERED BROKEN RIBS, A COLLAPSED RIGHT LUNG, STOMACH TRAUMA, A BROKEN FOOT, AND SPINAL CORD DAMAGE. THE DOCTOR SUGGESTED THAT HE HAVE SURGERY, BUT THE CONTACT IS AVOIDING THE PROCEDURE. HE FEELS THAT IF THE AIR BAGS WOULD HAVE DEPLOYED, HE WOULD NOT HAVE TO SUFFER SO MUCH PAIN IN HIS BACK, NECK, AND STOMACH. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT RETURNED ANY OF HIS PHONE CALLS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 89,000.

Structure › Body › Hood › Hinge and Attachments1 injured
Filed Apr 28, 200999,000 milesNJ

WHILE DRIVING, THE HOOD TO MY 2003 HONDA CIVIC EX CAME UNLATCHED AND HIT THE WINDSHIELD, SHATTERING THE WINDSHIELD AND OTHERWISE DAMAGING THE VEHICLE. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE HOOD LATCH MECHANISM WAS DEFECTIVE. IT HAD NOTHING BUT TWO BOLTS CONNECTING IT TO THE TIEROD AND THE METAL THAT ATTACHED THE LATCH TO THE HOOD WAS NOT SOLDERED TO THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE CAR REQUIRES $2700 WORTH OF REPAIRS COVERED BY INSURANCE WITH THE DEDUCTIBLE OF $1000 THAT I HAVE TO PAY PLUS BETWEEN $500 TO $1000 TO REPLACE THE HOOD AND THE LATCH. I HAVE PICTURES AND THE PARTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE. THE CAR HAS YET TO BE PREPARED. THE DRIVER SUFFERS FROM HEIGHTENED ANXIETY AS A RESULT OF THE INCIDENT. THANK YOU. *TR

Power Train › Automatic TransmissionCrash1 injured
Filed Feb 26, 200952,000 milesCA

2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. ORIGINAL OWNER CAR HAS 52 K. RECENTLY I EXPERIENCED A NEAR DEATH ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE ENGINE RAPIDLY ACCELERATED BY ITSELF AS I EXITED A SLIGHT UPHILL DRIVEWAY. AS I APPROACHED THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY I STOPPED BEFORE TURNING ONTO THE ROAD, I HEARD A THUD OR CLUNK AND THEN THE CAR LURCHED AND SPED RAPIDLY INTO THE ROAD WHICH WAS WET FROM RAIN. THE CAR SKIDDED AND FISHTAILED L TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES BUT THEY WERE UNRESPONSIVE. I TRIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WHICH DID NOT RESPOND EITHER. THE CAR DID A 360 TURN AND HAD GONE ALMOST 200 YARDS FROM WHERE IT EXITED THE DRIVEWAY. THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BLOW UP. I COULD SMELL SMOKE. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED IN UNDER 30 SECONDS. BY SOME MERCIFUL FORCE, THE CAR HIT THE MUD EMBANKMENT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THANKFULLY NO OTHER CARS WERE ON THE ROAD. I JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR BECAUSE THE ENGINE WAS STILL RACING AND I COULD NOT TURN IT OFF, I RAN ACROSS THE ROAD BECAUSE I WASN'T SURE IF THE CAR WOULD BLOW UP OR KEEP GOING. AFTER A FEW SECONDS I RAN OVER AGAIN AND COULD TURN IT OFF BUT THE EMERGENCY LIGHTS DID NOT WORK . THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE OAKLAND, CA HONDA DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT. THEY PERFORMED A BASIC DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND TOLD ME THE CAR IS OK TO DRIVE AND NOTHING IS VISIBLY WRONG WITH IT EXCEPT FOR THE DENT ON THE FRONT BUMPER. THEY HAVE CLOSED THE CASE. IN THE PAST THIS CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED SEVERAL TIMES FOR A RECALL DUE TO A PROBLEM WITH THE CVT (CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION) BE

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Feb 24, 200974,000 milesCA

ONGOING PROBLEM WITH MY 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID CVT TRANSMISSION. AFTER PUTTING IN A ONGOING CHRONIC COMPLAINT TO THE MANUFACTURE HONDA ASSIGNED ME A CASE MANAGER WHO DECIDED TO REPLACE THE PROBLEM TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTER WITH A REMANUFACTURED ONE. IT WAS THEN FINE FOR 7500 MILES AND NOW HAS STARTED OVER THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM OF SHUDDER AND SLIPPAGE AS BEFORE. THE DEALER IS TRYING TO SAY IT IS AN EGR VALVE AND PUTTING ME THROUGH THE PROCESS OF RUNNING OUT OF THE WARRANTY AGAIN AS THEY EXTENDED THE TRANSMISSION WARRANTY TO 100,000 MILES AND I NOW HAVE 97,250. AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE THIS TRANSMISSION SHUDDER AND SLIPPAGE IS A SAFETY ISSUE (CHECK YOUR PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS) AND I AM A PUBLIC SAFETY ADVOCATE AND PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONAL. *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Feb 2, 200970,000 milesTX

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

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jan 15, 2009116,000 milesNJ

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

Tires
Filed Dec 29, 200894,000 milesMA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. THE VEHICLE HAS FOUR DUNLOP SP20FE TIRES. ONE OF THE TIRES WENT FLAT AND WAS TAKEN TO THE TIRE REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE VALVE STEM ON THE TIRE WAS CRACKED AND SHREDDED. THE FAILURE WAS REPAIRED AND A WEEK LATER, ANOTHER TIRE FLATTENED. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE OTHER TIRES HAD CRACKED AND SHREDDED VALVE STEMS. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE REPAIRED. THE TIRE SIZE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

Air Bags › FrontalCrash2 injured
Filed Dec 5, 200853,000 milesNC

THERE WAS A CAR ACCIDENT ON PATCH BARRACKS IN STUTTGART GERMANY INVOLVING MY HONDA CIVIC EX 2003. THIS ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE AT NIGHT. THE PONDS SECURITY GUARDS LIFTED THE STEEL BARRIER AS I WAS COMING ACROSS IT. AT IMPACT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYED, HOWEVER THE DRIVER'S SIDE DID NOT. I ENDED UP HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL AND POSSIBLY THE DASH BOARD, BREAKING MY NOSE. THE CAR'S UNDERCARRIAGE WAS DESTROYED. THE CAR WAS FOUND TO BE TOTALED. I STILL AM CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE DID NOT COME OUT AT ALL. *TR

Structure › Body › Door3 injured
Filed Dec 4, 200860,000 milesCA

SEVERAL INTERIOR CONTROLS, SUCH AS DOOR HANDLES AND THE PARKING BRAKE, ARE METALIZED PLASTICS. AS THE CAR AGES, THE METAL PLATING STARTS TO PEAL OFF. AS IT COMES OFF IN PIECES, IT PRESENTS A SHARP EDGE THAT CAN CUT THE USER. WE HAVE HAD THREE DIFFERENT INSTANCES OF HAND CUTS THAT COULD HAVE LED TO ACCIDENTS AS THE DRIVER ATTEMPTS TO KEEP BLOOD FROM THE CUT FROM GETTING ON CLOTHING, CAR INTERIOR, ETC. THE DEALER REPLACED A DOOR HANDLE, AT MY COST, ON THE FIRST INSTANCE. SUBSEQUENTLY WE HAVE TRIED TO REMOVE THE REST OF THE PLATING FROM THE EFFECTED PARTS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE REMAINING FRAGMENTS STILL ADHERE WELL TO THE PARTS FOR NOW AND DEGRADE SLOWLY. I FULLY EXPECT TO SUSTAIN SIMILAR INJURIES IN THE FUTURE AS THE DETERIORATION CONTINUES. *TR

Air Bags
Filed Dec 1, 2008TX

THE VEHICLE'S SRS LIGHT STARTED TO COME ON. IT WOULD COME ON AND OFF UNTIL IT FINALLY STAYED ON. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER SAID IT WAS THE AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE. IT WOULD COST $700 TO REPAIR. BASED ON A DIFFERENT DEFECT, HONDA HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THEIR SRS IF THE ERROR CODE COMES UP AS 15-1, 15-2, 15-3 (OPDS SENSOR OR CONTROL UNIT). THIS WARRANTY DID NOT COVER THE DEFECT I HAVE ON THE AIRBAG. MY ERROR CODE WAS 7-2, THE "CONTROL MODULE. WITH THE SRS LIGHT ON, THE AIRBAG (ACCORDING TO THE DEALER) IS NOT ACTIVE. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY $700 TO FIX THIS. THIS IS A SAFETY EQUIPMENT ISSUE RESULTING FROM A DEFECT. AIRBAG SHOULDN'T "WEAR OUT". I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS FROM OTHER OWNERS. AT $700, I'M SURE THERE ARE MANY DRIVERS DRIVING AROUND WITHOUT AIRBAGS. HONDA CIVIC HYBRID, 2003 45,000 MILES. *TR

Structure › Body
Filed Nov 19, 2008FL

ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO I NOTICED THE PAINT DETERIORATING FROM THE EXTERIOR ROOF OF MY VEHICLE. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THEY SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT ABOUT 6 WEEKS LATER FOR ME TO COME TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE THE MANUFACTURER REPRESENTATIVE VIEW THE VEHICLE PAINT ISSUE. THE PAINT IS CURRENTLY ONLY DETERIORATING FROM THE ROOF. THE DEALERSHIP DECLINED TO CORRECT THE ISSUE STATING THE VEHICLE WAS 1) OUT OF WARRANTY 2) ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE PAINT PROBLEM 3) CARE OF THE CAR WHILE AT THE DEALERSHIP, THERE WAS ANOTHER CUSTOMER WHO HAD AN ACCORD WITH THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE ALSO SEEN OTHER CIVICS AND ACCORDS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. THE SERVICE MANAGER NOR MANUFACTURER REPRESENTATIVE DID NOT PROVIDE INFORMATION AS TO WHY THE PAINT LOCATED AT THE AREA OF DETERIORATION WAS HAPPENING. THE SERVICE MANAGER DIRECTED ME ONLY TO WARRANTY EXPIRATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS POINTING TO THE RUBBER STRIPS AT THE EXTERIOR SIDE WINDOWS WHERE WATER SPOTS WERE LOCATED. *TR

Tires › Valve
Filed Oct 2, 2008VA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE LOST COMPLETE TIRE PRESSURE. SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE LOST PRESSURE BECAUSE THE VALVE STEM CRACKED. HE IDENTIFIED THE LOCATION OF THE FAILURE AS BEING BETWEEN THE RUBBER AND THE STEEL RIM. THE CONTACT CALLED NATIONAL TIRE AND BATTERY (WHERE THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY UNLESS THEY RECEIVED AUTHORIZATION FROM THE CORPORATE OFFICE. THE CONTACT NEVER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF A RECALL THAT WOULD ENABLE HIM TO TAKE PREVENTIVE MEASURES IN AVOIDING POTENTIAL FAILURES. HE HAD TO ASSUME FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TIRES. THE SERIAL NUMBER AND PART NUMBER OF THE VALVE STEMS WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 79,107. UPDATED 11/10/08 *BF UPDATED 11/13/08. *JB

Tires
Filed Oct 2, 200865,000 milesMD

I PURCHASED NEW TIRES IN JANUARY 2007, THEY HAD APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES ON THEM. THERE HAD NEVER BEEN ANY INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES, OR VALVE STEMS. THEY WERE BALANCED AND ROTATED ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND MAINTAINED AS THEY SHOULD BE. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED IN AUGUST 2008 WHILE DRIVING HOME. SHORTLY AFTER GETTING ON THE ROAD AND WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 70MPH, I RECEIVED A FLAT TIRE ON THE LEFT REAR TIRE; THE FLAT TIRE OCCURRED VERY SUDDENLY AND LEFT THE TIRE DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. AFTER TAKING THE TIRE TO THE REPAIR SHOP I WAS FORCED TO PURCHASE A NEW REPLACEMENT TIRE. ABOUT 3 WEEKS LATER, UNDER ALMOST THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE SUDDENLY LOST PRESSURE AND WENT FLAT. UPON TAKING IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP, I WAS TOLD I WAS SOLD TIRES WITH FAULTY VALVES STEMS BUT WAS NEVER MADE AWARE OF ANY RECALL. I THEN HAD TO PURCHASE A TWO MORE NEW TIRES AS A RESULT OF THEM NOT HAVING THE CORRECT REPLACEMENT IN STOCK, AND HAD THE VALVE STEM REPLACED THE IN THE ONLY ORIGINAL REMAINING TIRE. THE DAMAGED TIRES WERE DISPOSED OF BY NTB, WHERE THEY WERE ORIGINALLY PURCHASED AND WHERE I BOUGHT NEW REPLACEMENT TIRES. *TR

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Sep 29, 200860,000 milesCA

2003 CIVIC HYBRID THROW P1491 CODE FOR CLOGGED EGR. HONDA HAS ISSUED A WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR THE SAME CODE FOR THE ODYSSEY, BUT WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE HYBRID. I CAN'T FIND THE DEALER SERVICE BULLETIN DETAILS FOR THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE ODYSSEY. *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Sep 10, 2008120,000 milesAZ

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA HYBRID WITH 146K ON IT...THE CAR STARTED MAKING SLIPPING AND GRINDING NOISES WHEN COMING OUT OF A FULL STOP. I NOTICED THAT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME EXACT ISSUE AT VARIOUS INTERVALS AND ARE GETTING THE RUN AROUND FROM HONDA DEALERSHIPS-REPLACING TRANSMISSION FLUIDS, BRANDISHING, ETC. ONLY FOR THE PROBLEM TO RETURN. AT THIS POINT I HAVE A VEHICLE THAT COSTS ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO FIX-$1300 CATALYTIC CONVERTER, $4000 IMA BATTERY PACK RESET/PURCHASE, $750 TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGE. THIS IS REALLY A BIG PROBLEM. IT SEEMS LIKE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY FOOLED INTO BUYING THE CAR WITH NO SUPPORT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND MANY HYBRID OWNERS HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE AN EXPENSIVE AND FRUSTRATING REPAIR-NOT TO MENTION THE OTHER COSTS. PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY'RE DRIVING LEMONS AROUND. MY REPAIRS THAT I RECENTLY FOUND OUT ABOUT BECAUSE THE CAR DID NOT PASS EMISSIONS WILL COST ME MORE THAN WHAT THE CAR IS WORTH. THE ISSUE OF THE SLIPPING AND GRINDING WHEN COMING FROM A FULL STOP NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER AND RECALLED TO BE REPAIRED AT NO COST TO THE OWNERS. THIS PARTICULAR SLIPPING STARTED APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS AGO. I HAD A TRANSMISSION FLUID REPLACEMENT AT THAT TIME AND IT SEEMED TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM ONLY TO HAVE IT RETURN ABOUT 10K LATER. THIS IS AN ONGOING CYCLE. I FEEL LIKE I'M BEING GAUGED BY THE DEALERSHIPS AND THE MANUFACTURER WHO IS REFUSING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE-AMONG MANY OTHER ONES.

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Aug 26, 2008104,000 milesWI

CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND O2 SENSORS CONTINUALLY NEED REPLACEMENT. *TR

Tires
Filed Aug 12, 2008RI

I HAD ALL FOUR TIRE STEMS THAT WENT ON MY CAR BLOW OUT ON 95 A MAJOR HWY. I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL UPDATED 9/10/08 *NJ UPDATED 09/11/08*JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE VALVE STEM ON THE TIRES CAUSED THE BLOW OUT . UPDATED 09/22/08. *JB

Tires
Filed Aug 11, 2008CA

I, JANADAN JAY NAIDU, WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 405, SOUTH TOWARDS LOS ANGELES AFTER A TRIP TO SOLVANG AT ABOUT 6PM, ON 10 AUGUST 2008. WHILE COMING BACK, I WAS ABOUT TO REACH LOS ANGELES COUNTY, I COULD FEEL MY CAR WAS NOT GOING STRAIGHT, HAS IT SHOULD WHILE DRIVING. I KNEW I HAD BOUGHT NEW TIRES FROM SCOTT RIBINSON, HONDA IN TORRANCE CALIFORNIA. SO I THOUGHT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY TIRES, SO I CONTINUED TO DRIVE HOME. AS SOON AS I REACHED HOME WITH MY WIFE. I SAW MY REAR BACK LEFT TIRE HAS A FLAT. I INSPECTED THE TIRES COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I CHANGED WITH THE EMERGENCY TIRE, AND WENT TO THE 76, GAS STATION TO REFILL THE TIRE WITH AIR, AGAIN CANT FIND THE LEAKS ON THE TIRE SURFACE, SUDDENLY I NOTICED A LEAK COMING FROM THE TIRE, DILL VALVE. OMG I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I SAW THIS, BECAUSE I JUST GOT REPLACED MY TIRES ABOUT A YEAR AGO. THE TIRE WHICH I HAVE IS FIRESTONE. I WILL BE TAKING A PICTURE OF THE DEFECT. THANKS TO MY LUCKY DAY, WHEN SOMETHING BAD MAY ENDANGER MY LIFE AND MY WIFE'S. THANKS TO GOD TO SAFELY BRING US HOME. I'M COMPLETELY SHOCKED, WHY DO MANY DEFECTS ARE COMING INTO NEW PRODUCT JUST AND ITS ENDANGERING AMERICAN CITIZENS, PLEASE ADVICE. THANKS SO MUCH. IAM GOING TO CHANGE ALL MY TIRE TO SOME OTHER BRAND ASAP. SINCERELY JANADAN *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Aug 5, 200828,000 milesCT

MY 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID HAS A SHUDDERS ON START-UP FROM A STOP. WAS TOLD THAT CHANGING THE CVT FLUID TWICE FIXES THE PROBLEM AND THAT HONDA HAS POSTED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ABOUT THIS ISSUE. OTHER HCH OWNERS HAVE STATED THAT CHANGING THE CVT FLUID IS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX AND THAT IT IS REALLY A FAULTY CLUTCH PROBLEM. WHY ISN'T HONDA BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM? *TR

Electrical System
Filed Aug 1, 200865,040 milesCA

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA HYBRID WITH 65,000 MILES. THE IMA WARNING LIGHT WENT ON A FEW DAYS AGO AND THEY HAVE DETERMINED THE HYBRID BATTERY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE HONDA BATTERIES ARE NOT LIVING UP TO EXPECTATIONS AND COULD LEAD TO FAILURE IN OTHER AREAS (FAULTY STEERING DURING TURNS, ETC.) WHICH COULD POSE A SAFETY HAZARD. WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, I WAS UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE BATTERY LIFE WOULD OUTLIVE THE VEHICLE LIFE, AND FINDING IT TO BE UNTRUE. I AM HAVING THE BATTERY REPLACED TODAY ON WARRANTY, BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TELL ME IF IT IS A BETTER BATTERY OR HIGHER DEVELOPED BATTERY THAN WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY INSTALLED. SINCE I AM MOST CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY, I WANTED TO REPORT THIS TO YOU. SINCERELY, ROGER SOUCY *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jul 31, 200845,000 milesCA

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.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jul 22, 200874,259 milesCA

2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID WITH NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH CAR SHUDDERING WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND THEN TAKING OFF AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING REGULARLY SINCE JULY 2, 2007 AT 74,000 MILES. IT HAS BEEN IN THE DEALER 6 TIMES FOR THIS CVT SLIPPAGE. THE VERY FIRST DOCUMENTED PROBLEM HOWEVER WAS APRIL 20, 2003 AT 9783 MILES WITH THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING WHEN PLACED INTO REVERSE AND THEN SUDDENLY CATCHING. THE SLIPPAGE IS WORST IN HOT WEATHER. BEEN BROUGHT IN AND MISDIAGNOSED OR DELAYING TACTICS TO CIRCUMVENT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY BY THE HONDA DEALER EACH TIME. THIS IS DESPITE A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM IN JAPAN, INDIA, AND INDONESIA, HONDA NOTIFIED NHSTA IN A LETTER TO ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR MR. KENNETH WEINSTEIN OF THE OFFICE OF SAFETY ASSURANCE OF THIS RECALL IN THOSE COUNTRIES.. SINCE THAN AMERICAN HONDA EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE CVT TO 100,000 MILES BUT ACCORDING TO ALL THE COMPLAINT SITES I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MONITOR HONDA INSTEAD USES DELAYING TACTICS UNTIL THE EXTENDED WARRANTY RUNS OUT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AS CAN BE SEEN BY THE NUMEROUS NEAR MISS TESTIMONIALS ON YOUR NHTSA FILED COMPLAINT NARRATIVES. I AM A EMS BATTALION CAPTAIN FOR A MAJOR METROPOLITAN FIRE/RESCUE DEPARTMENT AND RESPOND TO DEATHS AND SERIOUS INJURIES ON A DAILY BASIS. I AM ALSO A RESPECTED PUBLIC SAFETY ADVOCATE AND THE INITIATOR OF SENATE BILL 486. I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE WARRANTS SERIOUS INVESTIGATION. I BELIEVE DEATHS AND SERIOUS INJURIES HAVE PROBABLY ALREADY OCCURRED FROM THIS SAFETY HA

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jul 3, 200870,000 milesOR

AFTER NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH OUR 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID, THE CVT TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING SO BADLY THE CAR CAN BARELY TAKE OFF FROM A STOP AND PETERS OUT WHEN GOING UP A HILL. THIS LATEST PROBLEM OCCURRED SOON AFTER THE TRANSMISSION JUDDER PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED UNDER WARRANTY. NOW AMERICAN HONDA IS HAVING THE DEALERSHIP REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION ON WARRANTY. ALTHOUGH THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE 2003 CVT TRANSMISSION, AMERICAN HONDA CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO ISSUE A FULL RECALL, CLAIMING IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. WE HAVE A RECORDING ON OUR ANSWERING MACHINE FROM THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER AT OUR HONDA DEALERSHIP SAYING THAT THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. THERE ARE MANY MORE 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRIDS ON THE ROAD WITH THIS SERIOUS ISSUE. FORTUNATELY, WE HAVE NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN A CRASH WITH THIS UNSAFE VEHICLE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT MANDATED A RECALL FOR THIS GENERATION OF HONDA CVT TRANSMISSIONS IN JAPAN AND PARTS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA. HOPEFULLY, THE NHTSA WILL SEE TO IT THAT THIS FAULTY VEHICLE?S PROBLEMS ARE ADDRESSED IN OUR GREAT COUNTRY AS WELL. *TR

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

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