1997 Honda Civic

SRS INDICATOR LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF. DEALER (HONDA OF NEW ROCHELLE) HAS SEEN CAR ON ISSUE THREE TIMES. FIRST TIME SIMPLY RESET IT. ISSUE RECURRED WITHIN 10 MONTHS. SECOND TIME DEALER REPLACED THE SRS CONTROL UNIT AND CHARGED ME APPROXIMATELY $550. ONE WEEK LATER THE ISSUE RECURRED. DEALER NOW SAYS THE BATTERY HAS A LOW CHARGE AND THAT IS THE CAUSE. THEY WANT TO REPLACE THE BATTERY FOR OVER $150. *LA

I HAVE A 1997 HONDA CIVIC EX COUPE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WITH 95,900 MILES WHEN THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM STARTED. ONE DAY I NOTICED MY CAR WAS HESITATING WHEN I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR BUT DID NOT PUT A LOT OF ATTENTION TO IT. THEN SOON AFTER I NOTICED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURN ON. SO I DECIDED TO TAKE MY CAR TO MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER (ROCK HONDA). THEY RESET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, THEN TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE TRANSMISSION AND IF IT TURNS ON AGAIN THAT I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THE LIGHT TURNED ON WENT BACK TO ROCK HONDA , THEY RECOMMENDED ME REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND MENTIONED TO ME THERE IS NO RECALL ON THE A/T OR WARRANTY , THE ESTIMATE WAS $2900 FOR THE REPAIR. SO I DECIDED TO GET A SECOND OPINION, AND THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING THE A/T NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED! I ENDED UP REPAIRING IT COSTING ME $2608.11 OUCH. I BELIEVE HONDA SHOULD HAVE TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY AND NOTIFY THE MILLIONS OF CUSTOMERS THAT OWN HONDA CIVICS AND TELL THEM ABOUT THIS MAJOR REPAIR BY ISSUING A RECALL. I FEEL HONDA SHOULD REIMBURSE ALL THEIR CUSTOMERS WHO UNKNOWINGLY HAVE HAD TO FIX THEIR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION JUST LIKE I HAVE. NOW I'M WONDERING IF I SHOULD EVER BUY A HONDA AGAIN! PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU. *LA

I FOUGHT FOR 2 YEARS ABOUT A BAD CTV TRANSMISSION IN A 1997 HONDA CIVIC HX WHICH I PURCHASED NEW. I WAS IN AND OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP AT MY EXPENSE ON A CONTINUAL BASIS. THEY FINALLY AGREED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AFTER MANY VISITS AND MUCH MONEY OUT OF MY POCKET FOR RENTAL CARS AND UNNECESSARY SERVICES THAT NEVER CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. HONDA DID AGREE TO GIVE ME AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OF 7 YEARS OR 75,000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH A REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION IN JULY 2001. I DID NOT WANT A REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION OR A CTV TRANSMISSION. I BELIEVE THE DESIGN OF THE TRANSMISSION IS DEFECTIVE, BUT I WAS GIVEN NO CHOICE. IN MAY 2002 I STARTED REPORTING PROBLEMS WITH THIS REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION -- LESS THEN A YEAR AFTER IT WAS INSTALLED. LIKE THE FIRST TRANSMISSION, THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, THE DEALERS COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. I JUST HAD TO DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL IT GOT SO BAD THERE WAS NO WAY THEY COULD MISS THE PROBLEM -- JUST LIKE WITH THE FIRST TRANSMISSION. WELL, FINALLY AS OF AUGUST 1, 2003, THEY CONFIRMED THE TRANSMISSION WAS THE PROBLEM AND THAT SEVERAL PARTS HAVE TO BE REPLACED. IN THE MEANTIME, WHILE WAITING FOR THE PARTS, I'M STUCK DRIVING A CAR OVER 100 MILES A DAY TO COMMUTE TO WORK. ULTIMATELY THE PROBLEM I HAVE IS THE TRANSMISSION IS BAD. PERIOD! IT'S A BAD DESIGN OR I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TWO OF THE SAME TRANSMISSION TYPE FAILING IN THE SAME CAR. WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THIS CAR TO PURCHASE THE SALESMAN TOLD ME THIS CTV TRANSMISSION WAS SO GREAT THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE IN ALL OF THE HONDA ACCORDS STARTING THE NEXT MODEL YEAR. THAT NEVER HAPPENED, I WONDER WHY! I FEEL VERY STRONGLY AFTER READING MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FILED WITH THE NHTSA THIS MODEL YEAR TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE UNDER DEFECT INVESTIGATION. IT WON'T TAKE MUCH TO SHOW THAT THE DESIGN ITSELF IS DEFECTIVE AND HONDA HAS HUNG OWNERS OUT TO DRY AND REFUSES TO ADMIT THEIR ERROR.

I PURCHASED AN AUTOMOBILE FROM EQUITABLE CAR SALES APPROX 2 YEARS AGO "AS IS". RECENTLY, I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN TO A LOCAL SHOP FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT ALL 4 OF MY WHEELS ON THE CAR WERE CRACKING DUE TO SOMEONE INSTALLING THEM TOO TIGHTLY. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT SINCE IT WAS SOLD "AS IS". NOW, I AM UNABLE TO EVEN DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT TAKING THE CHANCE OF ONE OR ALL 4 OF THE WHEELS COMPLETELY COMING OFF.

NOT EVEN THIRTY DAYS AGO I PURCHASED A NEW/USED VEHICLE FROM A USED CAR DEALERSHIP IN BRATTLEBORO, VT. MY 30 DAY/1,000 MILE WARRANTY JUST ENDED A FEW DAYS AGO, AND I AM NOW HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH MY AUTOMATIC HONDA CIVIC EX. I HAVE READ SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS SAME ITEM IN THE 97 CIVICS. MY WHOLE FAMILY OWNS HONDAS AND THEY ARE USUALLY RELIABLE CARS. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD NOT BE OCCURRING WITH ONLY 62,000 MILES ON THIS CAR. THIS IS REDICULOUS AND I AM VERY UPSET. I HAVE JUST STARTED TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM, BUT ASSUME I WILL END UP PAYING FOR IT MYSELF. HONDA REALLY NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE WITH THIS TYPE OF CAR. SINCE IT HOLDS IT'S VALUE I PAID A GOOD AMOUNT FOR THIS CAR AND IT'S TRADE IN IS PRETTY HIGH, TOO. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED! *AK

I OWN A 97 HONDA CIVIC LX 4DR AND HAVE BEEN IN 3 ACCIDENTS W/O AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. IN 9/98 I WAS REAR-ENDED AT 40 MPH WHICH BENT THE FRAME OF MY CAR AND COST SEVERAL THOUSAND TO REPAIR. HONDA SERVICE SAID THAT THE AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY UNLESS THERE WAS A SUDDEN DECEL AND/OR FRONTAL IMPACT. A FEW MOS LATER IN 01/99, I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE POLICE RPT STATES THAT I BROADSIDED A 81 CADILLAC ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE AT APPROX 35 MPH. THE FRONT END OF THE CADILLAC WAS DETROYED. I INJURED MY NECK, BACK, AND SHOULDER AS THE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK WHEN I FLEW FORWARD. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, I WENT TO HONDA CARS OF MESA FOR BODY REPAIR. IT COST SEVERAL THOUSAND $, W/ SIGNIFICANT FRONT END DAMAGE AND A BENT FRAME. MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN THIS ACCIDENT. I REQUESTED AN AIR BAG FCHECK AND MY FRIEND AND I WERE TOLD BY THE MGR OF SERVICE THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE OK AND THE SRS KNOWS WHEN TO DEPLOY THE AIRBAGS. HE SAID THAT THE COLLISION WAS NOT ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY; HOWEVER, I HAD DIRECT FRONTAL IMPACT AT 35 MPH. MY CAR WAS ALSO BACKED OVER BY A GARBAGE TRUCK IN5/99 W/O AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. IN 04/03, I BEGAN TO HAVE PROBS WITH THE SRS LIGHT COMING ON AND STAYING ON. THE LIGHT WAS STAYING ON UNTIL THE CAR WAS RESTARTED. WITHIN 2 WKS, MY SRS LIGHT STAYED ON. I TOOK MY CAR TO A HONDA CERTIFIED MECHANIC. HE SAID THE SRS UNIT WAS BAD AND THE CODE GIVEN WAS 7-2, 7-3 WHICH INDICATES A BAD UNIT AND REQUIRES REPLACEMENT. THE PART COST WAS $370. AND THE LABOR WAS $75. THE DAY AFTER THE REPAIR, THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. WITHIN 2 MOS THE PART WENT BAD AND THE UNIT GAVE THE CODE 7-2, WHICH INDICATES REPLACEMENT W/O DIAGNOSTICS. HE FELT THE INITIAL PART MAY HAVE BEEN BAD AND REPLACED IT W/ HONDA'S PARTS WARRANTY, BUT IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN, THERE WAS ANOTHER CAUSE FOR THE MALFUNCTION.THE PROB HAPPENED THE DAY AFTER I LEFT THE SHOP AND THE LIGHT IS ON AGAIN DURING MOST TRIPS. MY MECHANIC STATED THAT THE DEALER WILL NEED TO CONTACT THEIR TAC.