Honda Civic transmission problems

MY 2009 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID ON ONE OCCASION WHEN STARTING OUT IN THE MORNING ACCELERATED FASTER THAN I WANTED TO GO, TO ABOUT 25-30 INSTEAD OF 15 MPH IN OUR CONDO AREA. IT WAS VERY BRIEF, AND HAS NEVER BEEN REPEATED. AFTER THE TOYOTA PROBLEMS RECENTLY, I WENT TO MY HONDA SERVICE CENTER, AND THEY ASSURED ME THAT THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS WITH HONDA ACCELERATION. THANK YOU. *TR

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 REPAIRS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HONDA CIVIC. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED MOVING FORWARD. THE DRIVER WAS FORCED TO DRIVE HOME IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNING SIGNS THAT WOULD HAVE INDICATED A POTENTIAL PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED TO-DATE. SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS. THEY WERE INVESTIGATING WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD ASSIST IN THE REPAIR COSTS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 78,000.

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

I OWN A 2001 HONDA CIVIC. AT 108,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED. ENGINE LIGHT ON. CODE PO740. DEALERSHIP SAYS IT NEEDED A TRANSMISSION. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO HAVE A REBUILT ONE INSTALLED A PRICE OF $2700. JUST ANOTHER HONDA CIVIC VICTIM. WHAT A SHAME THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO GO THROUGH THIS NIGHTMARE. WHY CAN'T ANYTHING BE DONE TO MAKE HONDA RESPONSIBLE TO AT LEAST A PARTIAL REIMBURSEMENT FOR SOMETHING THAT IS CLEARLY A DEFECT THAT HONDA CREATED? *TR

I AM NOT SURPRISED BY THE OTHER TRANSMISSION PROBLEM REPORTS. WHEN MY '01 CIVIC HAD ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON IT, I NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO BE SLUGGISH - THERE WAS A BIG LAG BETWEEN HITTING THE THROTTLE AND ENGAGEMENT. AROUND THIS TIME, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED TO COME ON, BUT THEN IT WOULD SPONTANEOUSLY SHUT OFF, ONLY TO REAPPEAR AT A LATER TIME. AS TIME PASSED, THE LIGHT WOULD COME ON MUCH MORE OFTEN. BY THE TIME I TOOK THE CAR IN TO A HONDA SERVICE LOCATION, THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT, 90% OF THE TIME IN THIS SITUATION, THE TRANSMISSION FAILS, THEREFORE I SHOULD GET THE REPAIR DONE ASAP. HOWEVER, I WAS SUSPICIOUS, SO I DECIDED TO WAIT. II NOW HAVE OVER 150,000 MILES ON THE CAR, AND THE TRANSMISSION STILL LAGS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL COMES ON AND OFF, BUT IT HAS NEVER FAILED. I GUESS THIS IS MORE OF A PERFORMANCE REDUCTION THAN FAILURE, BUT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED YEARS AGO (BEFORE MY WARRANTY EXPIRED). BY THE WAY, I HAVE ALWAYS HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED FOR PREVENTABLE MAINTENANCE ON TIME, USUALLY AT THE HONDA SERVICE LOCATION. *TR

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 SUSPECT THAT WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ALL ALONG. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL OTHER HONDA VEHICLES. WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE RELIABILITY WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT FROM HONDA. $7,500 OR MORE IN REPAIRS IS UNREASONABLE FOR ANY CAR UNDER 8 YEARS OLD, ESPECIALLY A HONDA. *TR

I WAS DRIVING TO CHICAGO FOR A WEDDING. WENT TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE ON I-55 AND WHEN I PUSHED ON THE GAS PEDAL THE ENGINE REVVED BUT THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT CATCH. LET OFF THE GAS AND IT EVENTUALLY REENGAGED. CONTINUED DRIVING AND IT WENT DOWNHILL FROM THERE TO THE POINT WHERE THE ENGINE WAS WORKING FINE BUT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN ANY GEAR. MANAGED TO GET THE CAR TO MY DESTINATION, BUT COULD VERY EASILY BEEN STRANDED IN 0 DEGREE WEATHER. HAD THE CAR TOWED AND IT LOOKS LIKE I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE CURRENT MILEAGE OF MY CAR IS 140K. WENT ONLINE AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF FOLKS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. HONDA IT SEEMS IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. *TR