Honda Civic transmission problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE UNTIL IT REACHED AT LEAST 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 730 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 600. UPDATED 05/19/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE SHAKE FEELS AS THOUGH THE CLUTCH IS BEING RELEASED TOO FAST, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE HAS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. UPDATED

WE OWN A 2001 HONDA CIVIC, WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. ON APRIL 17, 2008, THE TRANSMISSION DISENGAGED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED AWAY. THE TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST SAID IT WOULD COST OVER $2000 TO REPAIR. (IT IS STILL IN THE SHOP.) NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN LOGGED FOR THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM BUT HONDA DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO ADDRESS IT. THE CAR HAS 117,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

MY 2001 HONDA CIVIC LX 1.7L HAD A CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE IN TRANSIT. I WAS NEARLY INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND FORCED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY MANEUVER TO EXIT TRAFFIC. AFTER THOROUGH RESEARCH, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS OCCURRENCE IS NOT A RARITY AND IS A MARKET-WIDE ISSUE FOR 2001 HONDA OWNERS. THUS FAR, HONDA HAS TAKEN NO UBIQUITOUS ACTION TO REMEDY THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT AS IT DOES NOT QUALIFY AS A SAFETY ISSUE. HOWEVER, IT IS INDEED AN ISSUE OF SAFETY WHEN A FLAWED TRANSMISSION DESIGN CAUSES AN AUTOMOBILE TO DISENGAGE GEARS WHILE IN MOTION, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE OR EASILY MANEUVER THE VEHICLE IN TRAFFIC. CURRENTLY MY CAR IS BEING SERVICED BY A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST AND I HAVE BEEN REFUSED COMPENSATORY ASSISTANCE BY HONDA NORTH AMERICA. *TR

THE DRIVE-BY-WIRE THROTTLE SYSTEM EQUIPPED ON THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN VERY TARDY IN ITS RESPONSE TIME TO THROTTLE-PEDAL INPUT. THIS WAS ALREADY A "RECALL" FOR THIS VEHICLE, AND HAS SINCE GOTTEN WORSE AFTER THE NEW SOFTWARE WAS INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE. FOR INSTANCE, IF DOWNSHIFTING INTO FIRST GEAR, QUITE OFTEN WILL THE ENGINE ACCELERATE ITSELF AND PUSH THE VEHICLE FOR EXTENDED AMOUNTS OF TIME (10-15 SECONDS) WITH NO PEDAL INPUT. THIS HAS OCCURRED NOT ONLY IN FIRST GEAR, BUT ALSO FOURTH GEAR AND SIXTH GEAR, NOT WHILE DOWNSHIFTING BUT DURING NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF INCIDENCES OF THIS IS APPROXIMATELY 10. LUCKILY I DO HAVE A CLUTCH AND WHEN DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH, THE ENGINE WILL RAISE ITS REVS FROM ~2000 TO OVER 3000 AND THEN DROP OFF TO IDLE. AS WELL, WHILE SHIFTING GEARS, THROTTLE RESPONSE TIME FROM PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS SLOW, AND WHEN RELEASING THE THROTTLE PEDAL THERE IS A 1.5-2 SECOND DELAY. NOT SO SAFE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. *TR

ABOUT A MONTH AGO I HEARD A STRANGE NOISE. SO I WENT TO A SMALL MECHANIC SHOP NEAR MY HOME. THE MECHANIC CHECKED IT OUT AND SAID TO ME "IT IS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. YOU HAVE TO FIX IT.' HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE 2001 HONDA CIVIC WAS NOTORIOUS FOR HAVING A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. HE SHOWED ME ANOTHER HONDA CIVIC EXACTLY LIKE MY MODEL AND TURNED ON THE ENGINE. WHEN HE DID, THE SOUND THAT I HEARD WAS IDENTICAL TO THAT OF MINE. WITH ALL THE RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH I SINCERELY BELIEVE THAT HONDA NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM. IT IS NOT JUST A MECHANICAL PROBLEM, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY A PROBLEM WITH SAFETY. THEREFORE, I CALLED AMERICAN HONDA AS I HAD SEEN ADVISED ON THE BOARD AND THEY TOLD ME THAT ALL THE CASES WERE HANDLED INDIVIDUALLY AND THAT IT HAD TO BE CHECKED AT THE HONDA DEALER. THEY GAVE ME A CASE NUMBER, AND SO I TOOK MY CAR TO THE GOODSON HONDA DEALERSHIP IN HOUSTON. THE SERVICE MANGER RAN DIAGNOSTICS FOR ABOUT TWO DAYS, AND SAID, "EVERYTHING IS OK. THE NOISE THAT YOU HEAR COMING FROM THE CAR IS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR.' SO I TOOK HIS WORD FOR IT. THEN THREE DAYS LATER WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, MY TRANSMISSION FAILED. IT ALMOST KILLED ME AND MY MOTHER. THE SITUATION COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN FATAL. I TOWED MY CAR TO MY HOUSE AND CALLED HONDA AMERICA AGAIN AND REPORTED MY TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I TOWED MY CAR TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP UNDER THE RECOMMENDATION OF HONDA AMERICA AND HAD THEM CHECK THE CAR. THEY SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS OUT. SO I SAID "I CAME HERE THREE DAYS AGO AND YOU TOLD ME THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR. NOW THREE DAYS LATER MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. DON'T YOU HAVE A FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX MY CAR OR AT LEAST MEET ME HALF WAY AND PAY 50% OF THE COST OR AT LEAST FOR COST OF PARTS. AT THE LEAST RECALL THE 2001 HONDA CIVIC MODELS FOR A FAULTY TRANSMISSION.' *TR

PURCHASED CAR NEW, COMPLAINED ABOUT TRANSMISSION GRINDING IN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR AT APPX 2K MILES, AT 5K THEY TORE IT DOWN, PROBLEM CONTINUED, TORE DOWN AGAIN AT10K, THEN CONTINUED. 3RD REPAIR AT 12K I WAS CHARGED 1700. TO FIX, THEY CLAIMED MISUSE, 4TH REPAIR AT 15K COSTS ME 2200, AGAIN MISUSE, AND PROBLEM SEEMS FIXED, BUT ONLY AT 16K. HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN 08-020 RELEASED 4/12/2008 ADDRESSES THIS EXACT PROBLEM AND STATES IS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I AM PERUSING LEMON LAW PROCEDURES CURRENTLY, BUT AM CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY ISSUE OF TRANSMISSIONS BLOWING AND CREATING A ROAD HAZARD, OIL ON ROAD, ETC. THERE IS STILL A HUGE OIL SLICK ON THE STREET WHEN IT LAST BROKE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HONDA CIVIC. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED IN THE MORNINGS, THE ENGINE BECOMES SLUGGISH DURING THE FIRST TWO MILES OF DRIVING. THE ENGINE DOES NOT STALL, BUT HAS LITTLE ACCELERATION POWER WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH. AFTER THE ENGINE HAS WARMED, THE VEHICLE OPERATES NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER 3 TIMES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 8,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,113. UPDATED 5/5/08 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE TO KEEP UP WITH THE TRAFFIC. UPDATED 05/05/08. *JB