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Honda Civic Hybrid Transmission Problems

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Comments

  • geebotgeebot Member Posts: 7
    Just an update for everyone.

    Brought my car in for service because it was starting to "judder" again. Mainly when I have passengers in the car. Nothing constant but I remember that this is how the initial problem started when I first noticed the judder.

    I wasn't planning on bringing in the car until the judder got worse since they just worked on my car a few months back and the dealership had refinished my burnishings to eliminate the judder. It worked but it's starting to haunt me once again.

    The main reason I brought the car in was that my check engine light turned on with the IMA light as well. This happened before but I had a friend in a dealership reset the code so by the time I brought it into the dealership that was going to diagnose, the error code was no longer in the computer history. I was in a panick since the battery pack could cost as much as $8k if it was out of warranty. Luckily, it was still within the 150k mile limit.

    Judder is still there but I was told that the new judder was caused by the faulty battery that they replaced.... that it was going away with the new battery. STILL there but I would just have to wait until it gets a bit more pronounced so they can feel the difference too.
  • fatboymfatboym Member Posts: 3
    We bought our 03 Hybrid Civic new in 03; we currently have put 105, XXX miles on it. The transmission "judder" started at 22,XXX miles, had that trans replaced (w/a rebuilt one) at 25,XXX miles, then that was replaced at 35,XXX (w/a new one) & received a extended warranty for 75,XXX miles for that one. Now we have just got the car back with a remanufactured Trans at 105, XXX miles.
    Needles to say we are on our 4th trans: the 1st & 2nd were under mfg warranty, when the 2nd replaced (because my wife contacted Honda of America the "Case Carrier" at American Honda was very nice & understood this is not "normal" so he extended the warranty to 6yrs or 75,000 miles. Now at 105, XXX miles we are done with Honda!!! The current "Case Carrier" is a snide, rude, arrogant SOB. We have begun a personal campaign to get this resolved or tell as many people as we can that this product (Civic Hybrid) is a piece of junk.
    I know it is not all of them but, come on 4 TRANSMISSIONS! Someone there should step up & either replace the car or warranty this 4th one for another 75,000.
    My wife & I are pretty easy going but this is so irritating, we are not able to get any help from American Honda. The dealer is going to do his best but if anyone has a similar story or good contacts to help please let us know & to ALL who read this BEWARE the Honda "reputation for reliability" is GONE!!
    :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :mad:
  • alycat11alycat11 Member Posts: 1
    I had to take my 2004 Civic Hybrid in for Services work yesterday and I was told that the Battery was dead and needed to be replaced. I’m not talking about the little battery that every car has, I’m talking about the BIG battery in the back of the car. My car has a little over 92,000 mile on it and they are telling me I need to replace the battery at a cost of $3600. I could not believe that!!! I have had transmission problems in the past with this car (taken it in 3 times) the problem has never been fixed; now they tell me that I have to pay $3600 to have the battery replaced & if I don’t want to then the car is no good. Oh by the way my car is still under warranty but they are saying the Battery is not.

    Never again will I buy a Hybrid or a Honda for that matter!
  • flyboy9899flyboy9899 Member Posts: 2
    Just bought a used 2006 honda civic hybrid (32000 miles). Noticed a clicking sound and quess what, the transmission is being replaced. Thank god is was still under warranty.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    I sent you an email, but I'll post here too. One of our senior editors would like to speak with you about your battery replacement problem for a story. If you'd be willing to talk with him either let me know here or drop me an email at pf_flyer@edmunds.com and I'll put you in touch with him. Thanks!
  • geebotgeebot Member Posts: 7
    alycat11,

    I had the exact same problem with my IMA battery. Did your check enginge and IMA light go on when this happened? There was an error code and it's usually 1433 and it has to do with a "faulty battery." You might want to check another dealer since mine was replaced by the dealer with NO CHARGE. Apparently, Honda extended the warranties on these batteries for 10 years and up to 150k miles. I was actually lucky because I have a 2004 HCH with almost 150k when the problem occured. I hope this helps.

    Good Luck!!!
  • yomunchieyomunchie Member Posts: 2
    We had a 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid that we bought new. At about 77,000 miles the transmission died. I'm so glad I found this link, otherwise we would have kept it...the dealership replaced the transmission, no charge. (We're still covered under an extended warranty that we purchased with the car.) SO, we wanted to trade it in, for either an 08 HCH or a Prius. We were leaning towards the Prius, but thought maybe Honda might try to compensate for our trouble with a deal. Wrong!

    When I offered the '03 for the trade in, they told me that it was basically worthless. He showed me a list of things that are wrong with that model year. Not only transmission, but something about deceleration and steering! He said it could never be properly fixed, they won't sell used 03's on their lots, and it would just be sent to auction if I traded it in. They offered me a price of $5500, you know, just to be nice. (the car would be worth $9,000 if it weren't for the design flaws.) They wouldn't give me any real deal on a new one, either.

    The Toyota place gave us a much better trade-in price, and I THINK they know these are problem cars. But they gave us a much more fair shake than Honda in spite of it. And we have a new Prius! So far, so good.

    I would advise anyone not to buy a used '03 HCH.

    Oh, and my friend's husband has an '04 HCH. I asked him how it was doing. Guess what? He just had to have his transmission replaced! This is UNbelievable! :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
  • bbb99bbb99 Member Posts: 58
    Well, I have an 03 with 80,000 miles on it. I've only had to replace the egr valve to the tune of $200. But the other miles have been fine with a lifetime mpg around 45 mpg. It's strange to me how different peoples experiences have been with the 03 hch. BTW, my wife has a prius with 80,000 miles that hasn't had any problems. Would you mind sharing your vin on your hch? I ask because I want to see how close it was to the production line as mine. You just have to give me the last 6 numbers. I hope my car keeps being good for me. I just wanted to give others a positive outlook on the 03hch.
  • yomunchieyomunchie Member Posts: 2
    The last 6 numbers of our vin are 004263. We had no complaints about our HCH either until a couple of weeks ago. The transmission went without any warning. Hope you have better luck!
  • fashunz4lessfashunz4less Member Posts: 1
    Last February I bought a used 03 HCH mainly to continue higher education 60 miles from hometown. I received 2 letters from Honda auto division..1 for a check engine update to keep the check engine light off something about a malfunction in cpu or whatevr...also a warranty extension for transmission judder or slippage.. it states the CVT has been extended for 7yrs or 100,000 miles. If vehicle is experiencing hesitation or slipping during acceleration to bring it in..They suppose to have both of these things done for free. I called and set up an appointment..I was told it was a recall or something similar. I hope that is the last of my problems. I just need this car to finish college than upgrade to something better.

    I mean there are no perfect vehicles they all have flaws...so Im being patient especially since this is the 1st incident.
  • 01civichx01civichx Member Posts: 1
    I own a 2001 Honda Civic HX. At about 50,000 miles I had the shutter too and I had the start clutch replaced. You don't have to rebuild the entire transmission. I have actually had my start clutch replaced twice. First time was in warranty, second time it wasn't in warranty and ran $700.
  • perrorojoperrorojo Member Posts: 1
    I have been doing some research regarding Honda's lately. Why? Because I brought my 2005 Civic Hybrid to the dealership for a service, I noticed the transmission was making a noise, but the engine ran great. I was told that the transmission needed to be removed, and replaced....I had no idea there was anything wrong and all the service guy said was he could not tell me why it happened. Well that got me reading and it seems like the 2003-2005 Hondas have problems with their transmissions. Is Honda doing anything about this? Oh yeah and the kicker, they want $3100.00 to fix it and it is not covered under the warranty. Avoid Honda until they address this problem :mad:
  • ron1njddsron1njdds Member Posts: 6
    There is an extended transmission warranty, you should have gotten a notice directly from Honda. I am on my 3rd transmission and I currently have only 77K mi on it. Don't pay until you look into this further including going to another dealership and if necessary calling Honda directly. :lemon:
  • fordfan_17fordfan_17 Member Posts: 175
    actually honda issued a TSB last week concerning 2003-2005 civic hybrids with cvt transaxles tsb #07-049 you might wanna research this its a warranty extension on the start clutch in the transmission
  • ron1njddsron1njdds Member Posts: 6
    What model is an HX? I don't think it is a hybrid since the first year the hybrid was made was in 2003. The posts on this board all relate to the honda civic hybrid. The hybrid has a different transmission than other models so these problems don't apply to your vehicle. :confuse:
  • fatboymfatboym Member Posts: 3
    fordfan 17 what is "TSB" & the "TSB#07-049", I have an 03 hybrid (posted a couple months ago here) 4th transmission 100000 miles. They have all been r/r at Honda's expense, but I have no faith in this car! (4 trans. in 4 yrs 100,000 miles) THAT IS ABSURD! I am curious about the "TSB" developement?
  • fatboymfatboym Member Posts: 3
    We have since had to take it back in for the engine light ,IMA light on & occasional "JUDDER". The dealer ship (DCH in Temecula) said "it was a faulty sensor we will order it & you can drive until it comes in, it's covered under warranty"? (remeber I have 108,xxx miles on it now) Warranty, ok whatever? That was "fixed" last week & they did not feel a "judder" but it was probably related to the "failed sensor". Now the lights are on again & we are taking it back tonight! We also have called Honda of Amer. to open a new "trouble ticket". I am way beyond very concerned. Does anyone have litigation or direction for us to go & get this resolved? We are at a total loss. :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :mad:
  • kchybridkchybrid Member Posts: 18
    You may want to check out the following link to another forum to read about similiar problems and remedies related to Honda Transmission problems:
    http://forums.automobilemag.com/70/6556907/technical-discussion/2003-honda-odyss- ey-transmission-problems/index.html
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    You cannot post personal info for others in the forums and you cannot use the CarSpace forum to organize or solicit for class action lawsuits.

    Please refrain from making those kind of posts. Thanks!
  • kchybridkchybrid Member Posts: 18
    fatboym, yes they deleted the original, just like I see they have deleted yours.
    I reposted within the guidelines (no names / numbers). Maybe you could re-post here or on the other forum so we all can get the info you were trying to share. The other forum will permit all the info to be posted.
  • fordfan_17fordfan_17 Member Posts: 175
    itconcerns the warranty period on the start clutch in the transmission being extended you should be able to contact your honda dealer and get the tsb by number from them so you can read it ..its 6 pages long
  • sno4allsno4all Member Posts: 1
    My 03 Hybrid is now at the dealer having transmission slippage and delayed engagement concerns. They did a computer update and say all is ok...they also say the delayed engagement when cold is normal, sometimes it takes 8-10 seconds before going into forward or reverse, especially in cold weather, but seems to be fine when warmed up. Anyone else experiencing this, I don't believe it is normal.
  • irisheyes785irisheyes785 Member Posts: 19
    My 2003 Civic Hybrid is getting a rebuild transmission from Honda right now. It has only 80,000 miles on it! I bought the car in 2006 and since then have had trouble with the transmission.

    Over the last 2 years I have been to the dealer many times. I was mostly told that the noise is "normal for hybrids" or that they all "have less pick up" or that the tech "couldn't reproduce the problem/sound." I am no mechanic, but I am also no fool. That's why I haven't stopped bothering them about it. I KNOW that a transmission (especially HONDA!?) should NOT be slipping at 80,000 miles (or at 60,000, which is what is about what it had when I bought it and started noticing the tranny was crappy).

    I have the Honda Care Gold warranty 3/36k and so far I'm pleased to say that I've paid nothing for the problems, except for my time and stress. They've flushed the trans a bunch and "Barnished" the clutch or valves, barnished something. Sometimes after "Fixing" my car I would drive off the lot and hear the same "JUDDER" and feel slippage ON MY WAY HOME... even AFTER the tech who JUST DROVE IT "couldn't hear any sound"

    I did finally tell the tech to get in my car and drive with me and then tell me that he couldn't hear a noise. I knew they were lying to my face and I started to get really angry and suspicious that there was a way bigger problem they were trying not to deal with. After a 5 minute drive around the block he admitted to me that there was a Judder that was probably a transmission problem. That's when I finally got them to do the "barnishing" thing, which I don't know what it is, but it doesn't work!

    This time they tried telling me that they had "Barnished" it and flushed it out and that I could come pick it up. I told them NO WAY was I picking it up again if that's all they did. That they are the ONLY ones who I've had service the vehicle and that they should look up what they've done and stop doing the same things that don't work and give me a new transmission or transmission pack or SOMETHING to FIX it, not just PATCH IT UP until my warranty expires (next summer). I also told them that I had a year left of the warranty and that I was going to take it in every week and call them every day if I had to until they corrected THEIR BAD TRANSMISSION. I know that it's not necessarily the dealer's fault that the car's transmission sucks, but HONDA KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HAS POSTED A BULLETIN ABOUT IT, so there's NO REASON that ANY dealership shouldn't know about it and try to fix it. I believe that they do try to AVOID FIXING it at all costs. Including lying to people they think wont know.

    Honda should be ashamed of the 2003 Civic Hybrid (and from what I've read, the other years too), BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THE WAY THEY ARE HANDLING IT'S PROBLEMS!!!!!

    I am at a loss.

    I really do love my car. But I feel that it's not worth this stress and hassle. I wish I had done more research and made a more informed decision. I wish that the dealer had told me about the bulletin and that the car may have problems. I guess their job is to sell it, who cares about what happens after that, right? I really understand why it was on the used lot already after only being 3 years old... that's when the warranty ran up for the original owner, and they got out when they could. I feel like I have to keep the car, since I can't sell it for what I still owe. But I am also in FEAR of what may be to come. a $5,000 battery in a couple years? a brand NEW TRANSMISSION AGAIN in another 10,000 or 20,000 miles when I have no warranty?? It's really terrible to have purchased a nice car, my first "real" car, hoping that it would last me through grad school and that I could be green and save some money at the same time... only to realize that I am dealing with a :lemon:

    EVERYONE NEEDS TO CONTACT HONDA IF THEY HAVE THIS PROBLEM we need to unite with our bad transmissions and tell Honda to shove them up their butts!
  • lrt217lrt217 Member Posts: 2
    We are having exactly the same problem with the gearshift locking up and then letting go after it cools down a bit. Usually preceded by engine revving up very high for no apparent reason when decelerating.
    Dealer replaced Brake pedal switch as per Recall, said it would fix the lock-up problem, but it didn't. Engine is continuing to rev high; smelling something hot; battery is not being charged when brakes are applied (even when battery is at 2 or 3 bars); gas mileage is lower than ever before; and often getting stuck in park. Despite all this, not a single warning light has come on, and the dealer says everything is working to factory specs, according to the diagnostic computers.

    What was the outcome of your experience in Sept 2007 -- was the dealer able to resolve the problem?
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    but I don't think I saw anyone answer it. Are all the transmission problems for the most part confined to the '03 - '04 HCH? I don't see any reported problems with the '06+ HCH. Is it simply too early for problems to show up on the '06+, or did they redesign the transmission?
  • timctaylor69timctaylor69 Member Posts: 1
    Everyone, thanks for all of the great posts on this topic. I have an 03 HCH that belongs to my wife. I feel like perhaps based on all of these posts that I got the lone HCH that hasn't bucked at all and minimal shuddering. Our first experience was four months ago with our first juddering from a dead stop and only up to once you get rolling. I have never experienced any of the high revs issues either and we travel a lot. Our car has 78,722 miles on it. Had the burnishing done four months ago when we went in for an oil change and I mentioned it to our advisor. He knew exactly what was wrong and "fixed" the problem. I too have the same issue that 3,000 miles or so later it came back in the same fashion.

    I took it in last week and they knew why I was back. They ended up replacing the CVT transmission lower valve body and recalibrated the start clutch and reprogrammed the ECM per a bulletin from Honda. He said this should have been done months ago when I had it in last time but Honda was trying different things. Tranny seems to be running fine and they also ensured they put in the new CVT fluid as well. Hope this helps someone that there is an HCH with minimal issues. Hopefully Honda will clear it up eventually.
  • bbb99bbb99 Member Posts: 58
    Well, I'm at 82k on my 03 HCH and have only had to replace the EGR valve. Battery is still working fine too. I hope this keeps up.
  • lrt217lrt217 Member Posts: 2
    Following up with the remedy to our problems with shift lever lock-up, high revving, and loss of battery charging during regenerative braking:

    Since no warning lights appeared, and diagnostic computers detected no problems, our dealer was not able to pinpoint the cause directly. As each of those systems ran through the main computer, they tried replacing the computer to see what would happen. Problems solved.
  • sjeffesjeffe Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2008 Honda Civic Hybird with 17,000 miles on it. When I had just 3000 I noticed upon acceleration a jerking sensation on acceleration as if the car could not decide if it wanted to use the electric or gas engine. I reported to the dealership who of course could not duplicate. I have since reported the same issue to the dealership two times since as I notice the same problem at highway speeds now while the cruise control is on (65MPH +/-). Yesterday my Son and I got in the car and started to accelerate and it actually started bucking / surging as if the tranny was slipping. I was only going 5/10 MPH. Is anyone else having a simulare issue? This could become a serious issue when accelerating in traffic, or attempting to pass in rush hour type traffic.
  • jawilsonjawilson Member Posts: 20
    Welcome to the club. As you will note if you read back through 185 messages, the "jerking sensation" is from the clutch plates in the CVT (transmission). If it started at 3000 miles, Honda must be having a real engineering problem, since most of us with 2003-2006 cars didn't notice it until 25,000 to 50,000 miles or higher. The only correction is to have new clutch plates installed--which should be covered under warranty--as ours was, but you better read your warranty carefully, and return to the dealer--monthly--or even weekly. Some owners have had the clutch replaced four or five times! This is a $600-800 job. I hope they have a more reliable CVT in production soon. I've already disposed of my vehicle.
  • jack4367jack4367 Member Posts: 1
    I have just started having a problem shifting my automatic from Park to reverse and Drive. I also am having trouble putting the car in Park and removing the ignition key after turning off the engine. The car has been at the dealer since 8/14 waiting for a transmission cable, which is on back order. I am beginning to smell a con. Am I right?
    Jack4367
  • sjeffesjeffe Member Posts: 2
    :) I want to clarify exactly what I meant by "bucking"

    My 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid only had 3,000 mile on it when it started to jerk me and the family around. Today it has about 18,000 miles and I've had two maintenance services as recommended.

    I will add on to the message left by one blogger noting their observations in quotation marks and adding my text immediately after with a car icin before text :shades: :

    "At an absolute minimal amount of throttle, not quite off the pedal, the power train seems to flicker, indecisively between two levels causing a mild, but unavoidably noticeable bucking". :) Yes, I have had the same issue, but also at highway speeds (65/70 MPH) with the cruise control engaged.

    "Give it some throttle, the bucking stops instantly. Hit the brake, the bucking stops quickly, not instantly". :mad: Yes, but the last time this occurred my Civic was bucking and jerking so violently (my 20 year old Son was with me) the only way to stop it was to shift into "Sport Mode" and hit the brakes. I'm talking about our heads down to our waists lines were jerking back and forth. I have scheduled it for a check up tomorrow August 28, and I'll let you know what they find. I have been told by one Honda dealership they have never heard anything like this, and by another that it's somewhat common, but the cause is not known!

    "Neither air temperature nor engine temperature seem to matter. There is no noise associated with the bucking. The only unusual noise I've ever noticed is a clattering sound, which on any other car I'd say the valves are out of adjustment (this is the only car I've owned that was less than say 15 years old). The sound continues to worsen, the mechanics say it's normal, they're wrong, but I'm digressing." :cry: Yes, you were digressing (emotional issue), but Yes I agree temp's don't seem to matter (I line in MI and purchased in November 07, and it's nice and toasty here during the summer (mid 70's to high 80's) and it still jerks and bucks.

    "So is this the 'bucking' everyone is talking about, with EGR valves and transmission failures?” I have not gotten that far yet, but I hope it's a simple fix because I really like my car and plan to keep it.

    "Anyone with such a problem check into switching to the manual tyranny?" I was not aware the 2008 Civic Hybrid has a manual option?

    I would hope Honda corporate has someone monitoring this blog (generally they do) so they can work on damage control, or rather determine a fix. We all know it's hard for a company to admit there's a problem for fear of the infamous "RECALL", or damaging the products image in the market place. :)
  • cruthik3615cruthik3615 Member Posts: 5
    Hey,

    I have an 03' Honda Civic Hybrid and all the sudden the IMA battery went down and we brought it to the dealer cause they told us the warranty was 10 year 150,000 miles and then when we got it to them they said it was only 150,000 in California. I was just gonna try to get rid of it cause they told me there is nothing i could do and it would cost me around 10k to fix!!!
    I now read this and it makes me think I can have honda do something about this since i basically bought a dud. do you have any advice for me???
    thanks!
  • bbb99bbb99 Member Posts: 58
    Dude, that sucks. I'd look for a used IMA battery in a wrecked hybrid around your city at a junk lot. I have seen IMA batteries on ebay too. Lastly, I'd call Honda Motor Corp and see if they can help you out. That battery is going to cost you more than that car is worth. How many miles do you have on your civic? Please keep us posted, I have an 03 HCH with 85k on it and the IMA battery is still working fine. Does your car not operate without the IMA battery? Did you notice anything funny happening before it died?
  • irisheyes785irisheyes785 Member Posts: 19
    if you are paying ANYTHING AT ALL, then yes.

    them having your car that long- they should be providing a free rental car. in addition you should not have to pay for any labor, parts, shipping, or storage costs.

    i'm kind of a [non-permissible content removed], but the squeaky (and bitchy) wheels get oiled first. i just told them it was unacceptable and how humiliated honda should be for even releasing the car. that it's bad enough that i'm stuck with it, the least they can do is replace things that were designed poorly by THEM. it's nothing we did wrong, as customers we should not have to pay for faulty manufacturing/engineering. if i went back to get my car and it still wasn't better i told them "i'm leaving it here until you fix it. your company made it. i refuse to buy that "everything is fine" and i really don't appreciate their technicians insulting my intelligence."
    just refuse to pay anything.
    also, depending on what car it is, there were some class action law-suits regarding the hch. unfortunately mine was not included. but i've gotten some notices about recalled parts or whatever. they try to keep it quiet and charge some of their more naive customers, but they have documentation from honda corporate mandating them to pay for any repairs due to the known defects.

    good luck!!! i have just gotten used to driving with less than full battery power. :( sad, but there's no point in selling it and getting a different car. and i still get VERY good gas mileage. my "maint required" light is on the first 30 seconds the car is running. i'll hopefully get in to check that out soon. though i'm not rushing in anymore- at this point i feel i can diagnose things better by feel and sound myself than those techs can, and they always keep the car forever and dirty it up w/their greasy hands and oily boots.

    :lemon:
  • bbb99bbb99 Member Posts: 58
    To get this maint req light to turn off, do this...

    1: with the car off and key out of ignition push and hold MPG change putton
    2: insert key and turn key to "on" position (do not start the car, just turn ignition on so the dash lights come on), while still holding the MPG button down
    3: after about 10 or so seconds the "maint req" light will flash and go out
    4: once it's out you can turn car off and you are done. message is now reset.

    Nothing wrong with your car, just reminding you to go to the dealer and waste your money.
  • cruthik3615cruthik3615 Member Posts: 5
    Ive tried calling Honda Motor Corp and they just tell me there is nothing they can do and its in our hands. not very helpful at all. they are very sneaky about how they do things cause when i bought it, they told me there is a 150000 mile warranty and then when i wanted to use that...then added the part that i had to be in california to use it.
    i had 125,000 miles on it. the first sign of problems was my battery wasnt charging up after turning it off and i would come in and it took multiple tries to get it goin. and it was all down hill from there. and no, it wont operate without the IMA
  • irisheyes785irisheyes785 Member Posts: 19
    I REALLY APPRECIATE THE INFO: how to turn off that damn light!! ;)

    they would've charged me @ least $120 to "see what's wrong" jesus! honda's reputation is going to the dogs. i bought a honda for the alleged 'reliability'- i'm doing more research on other manufacturers and models next time i buy a car. my trust in honda has been COMPLETELY lost.

    :lemon:
  • hurley1229hurley1229 Member Posts: 3
    Who can I call to verify that the warranty has been extended on the battery? i know the dealer here is no help.
  • luvhatehybridluvhatehybrid Member Posts: 5
    Queen of the Judder club here! I've had the judder since the moment I test drove the car 2 1/2 years ago. Bought a used "Honda certified" 03 hybrid. Just like others on this forum I was told by the "used car salesman" that the judder was the car's engine changing from battery to fuel. Like an idiot, I thought that was kinda cool. Over the course of these last 2 1/2 years I've been in and out of the dealerships about 30 times, with just about every situation listed on this forum. After they fixed the start clutch about 2 months ago, I've been noticing a steady increase in the transmission "slipping" as you all call it, so that was what I brought the car in about this weekend. They told me the transmission was starting to fail. They're going to call Monday to see if it's covered by my warranty. I don't think it is, I think I'm just over the mileage. I'm gonna be so damn mad if it isn't! This is the first post I've seen that shows that the judder is related to the CVT transmission. So basically, every time I've left my car with them for the judder, and they fixed the computer or the catalatic converter, or whatever else excuse they gave to get out of having to install a new transmission, were all times that I was within my warranty time and it could have been fixed then. Not to mention the time and aggrivation, courtesy vans, you know the drill. Anyway, I finally brought the car back to the dealership where I bought it and they've been quite nice and haven't charged for anything so far. But this one is big. I'm over my warranty miles now. Only by 2,000 miles but it's still over. If they tell me I have to pay $4,000 for a new transmission I don't know what I'm gonna do. I have been in touch with a lady who is part of a class action suit with regard to the honda odyssey's. Apparently, they have bigger problems than ours. She said that Honda should absolutely pay for this as you have a record of complaining about the same problem with the car every time you went in, only to complain about the same problem again 2 months later, again and again. So she said she will talk to the New York attorney about having the civics added to the class action suit that's started now, he may have already done it, I'm not sure. So, as for me, I find out tomorrow if they'll pay for a new transmission. But then I read these forums and I see people having their transmissions replaced 5 or 6 times it makes me want to scream. I won't sell it though, my HOV stickers give me an hour of my life back every day time wise, and the gas mileage is sweet, Just wish I didn't "live" at the service section of the honda dealership. One thing I've noticed though is that there is a HUGE difference between dealerships, the people I had before ( I don't think I can name names) were the ones who sent me through the ringer but the guys I have now seem to be very understanding and sincerely trying to fix things. Can I say their names because I sure would like to warn people if I could. Also, I can get the name of the attorney for the class action suit to anyone wanting to join. I just don't see how we could put all this money and time out for these lemons and not be justly compensated for it.
  • irisheyes785irisheyes785 Member Posts: 19
    hey, if you took it in for the judder, they KNEW it was the transmission. there are documents put out by honda corp. that are called service bulletins. they don't give you these unless they absolutely HAVE to. there's is one for the judder. specifically stating that it is a problem with the cvt. this problem is known by honda and i'm hoping that anyone who reads this site & has a problem w/their first gen HCH makes honda pay for everything! they know about the problem, it is their fault, and they need to fix it.

    being a [non-permissible content removed] comes in real handy for stuff like this. so if you're not a [non-permissible content removed], i suggest you practice BEFORE you go in to the dealership. i myself am proud to be a demanding [non-permissible content removed], and i have gotten my problems fixed for about 2 1/2 years now without every giving honda a single red cent.
    now, of course the car is a dud in the first place. even all the fixing you can do wont change the fact that the cars were built like crap- so the same problems will keep happening as the new parts get worn and broken by the poor design. but as long as they know you're not taking any of their [non-permissible content removed], they are usually pretty quick to hook you up with some new parts. and a rental (FREE OF COURSE!) while they are doing all repairs.
    one time they tried to get me to pick up the car saying that everything was normal. i told them not to insult my intelligence. that i knew damn well it was the cvt and that millions of other HCH owners had the same problems. i told them the car was theirs until it ran properly. and then i demanded a loaner car since it had already been a few days and obviously they weren't making it a priority. i left with the loaner and picked up my car a week later- no noises to speak of. though it's been some months since then and it's starting to feel a little "slippy" or "bucky" on acceloration and breaking. so i will have to go [non-permissible content removed] again. but like i said, better to keep getting it fixed than to wait for a HUGE breakdown that could kill you or others on the road!!

    ANYONE READING THIS THAT DOESN'T OWN AN HCH- DO NOT BUY ONE!!!
    (i love my car, but NEVER EVER would have bought it if i knew then what i know now)

    :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
  • luvhatehybridluvhatehybrid Member Posts: 5
    Just got off the phone with them, they are kindly offering to pay for the parts for the transmission, but not the labor. To the tune of $891.00!! I talked to him before seeing your post so I didn't really know why the judder and the slipping are related. The car is not under warranty now, just about 2,000 miles over. They had replaced the start clutch about 2 months ago, and it was right after this that I started getting the slipping. It was under some kind of extended warranty at that time, so the start clutch was covered. I told him that I was told the start clutch is part of the transmission, and he said no, it is outside of the transmission, a separate problem, and my transmission wouldn't have been covered at that time either. I thought that replacing the start clutch would fix the problems, but it only caused new problems. MUCH bigger problems. He said that it was probably just a coincidence that the transmission started failing right after the start clutch was put in. I have a call into them now to get the service bullettins you talked about. Once I get those particular bulletins in my hands, what do I do if they still refuse to fix it? Will keep you posted, and thanks so much for all the info.

    :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
  • irisheyes785irisheyes785 Member Posts: 19
    THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME I'M AFRAID!!! start clutch replaced... the battery wont charge up fully now and they told me that was a huge coincidence too. actually, i am VERY worried that i am at the end of the free help!! i feel like they are riding out the extended warranty, which is almost over. i may have already said that stuff earlier in the thread... i don't know. i am just too fed up with it. it really makes me sick to think about it. my maint light was on- someone on here told me how to turn it off on my own to avoid going in for another scam job. but i'm scared i feel some slipping or bucking. i don't know. i am glad that there are at least others who feel my pain. i don't know what if anything can really be done to put things right. but i'll be glad to hear any suggestions or updates!!

    :(
    good luck! i'm thinking happy thoughts for both (all) of us!!!!!!!
    :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
  • rikfrerikfre Member Posts: 57
    I have all the problems that I read in this forum. I wrote to the CEO of Honda who gave my case to some Honda Customer Service drone in Torrance CA. Basically the drone said that they have no control over dealerships. the dealership that "burnished" my clutch did only half a job. They did not "reset" my vehicle after the job and PCM update. As a result, my HCH did not run so good. After I found out of the hard reset ( and did it myself) it ran better. But now I am afflicted with the slippage and bucking. I would be most interested in talking to the attorney involved in the class action lawsuit. Honda knows they served up a lemon. I heard that in Japan the government forced Honda to do good for those afflicted by this awful vehicle. They should be sued and made to compensate. I am a sales rep who spends a lot of time on the road. I sold in the auto industry. I know what Honda and the dealerships are up to. I (we) should not be ignored. Make noise, let them know. :lemon:
  • kchybridkchybrid Member Posts: 18
    See post #172 and follow the link. You will eventually find what your looking for.
    If not, post your email address and it will be sent to you.
  • jdubbs4jdubbs4 Member Posts: 3
    Did you get the belt replaced. I have an 05 HCH with the CVT and am having the same problems. I went through the whole thing. Change fluid, burnish procedure, add ECM updates, add cvt lower valve body. Of course the problems never happen when the dealership has the car. The manager told pretty much told me that there is no problem what so ever with the transmission. I talked to a lady from Honda Care and she told me there is no such warranty on the transmission. I saw part of the service bulletins that the Honda techs get that says you can replace the belt under warranty (and transmission if all other options are exhausted). I guess it's going to come down to Honda having a very upset customer when I have to have my car towed in because the transmission dies in the middle of my daily commute?
  • rikfrerikfre Member Posts: 57
    Hi there. as it turned out... I checked the tranny fluid level and found it quite short. bought some of the honda tranny fluid ( very expensive) and put in 1/4 of a pint. since then the tranny has been fine. so much for the factory trained techies at the dealerships. by the way...the fluid in my tranny was clear..the honda tranny fluid was red...hmmm...my mechanic says that they used power steering fluid in the tranny..which he says is ok since it is a hydraulic fluid....and its less expensive...can you believe that...!!! factory trained indeed..!! thank you for your attention.
  • bobguynnbobguynn Member Posts: 11
    No my CVT belt was not replaced. At about 98,000 miles they did the "burnish" treatment...under warrantee except for the cost of the fluid (yes very expensive..."liquid gold"). That '03 HCH now has about 122,000 miles on it, with no further incidents to date.

    I have had repeated similar experiences with the various Honda Service folks here in CT...regarding the CVT transmission slipping issue denial. Not one service manager I've spoken with will admit any knowledge to a problem or extended warrantee of any kind.

    With the Honda minivan transmission failures, my wife purchased a new Toyota Sienna instead with good result save the run flat tire fiasco (Toyota's in denial about that issue as well)...With a new teenage driver in the queue, I'll be looking for a new Hybrid sedan very soon...Honda may not make the cut, given their response to their responses to the two major transmission debacles over the last 7 years.

    Regards,
    Bob
  • rikfrerikfre Member Posts: 57
    Hi, did u have a chance to check the level of tranny fluid on your HCH? It just might need a little bit. the dealerships just follow the specs on filling the tranny fluid..sometimes..it just needs a little bit more (be careful, I bit at a time.. do not overfill). I would wait on getting a hybrid. in a year or so there will be lots to chose from besides Honda an toyota. personally, I would not get another honda. they do not value their customers anymore. It seems that they went from making simple reliable vehicles to making complex machines where the simplest things become complex. I had a civic hatch (1985) I put 240,000 miles on it sold it and its still running. they will never make those again because the dealerships lose money.
    rich
  • naomidabombnaomidabomb Member Posts: 1
    I had the same problem with my first gen HCH that I got in 2002. It was only about 30G's into it and I knew the tranny was bad - it had all the classic symptoms. I kept telling them to check it out - they conveniently kept telling me all was well over and over again until after my warranty was over - so I signed up for the extended warranty and said - look - I have the extended warranty so you aren't getting out of fixing it. It took about 7-8 trips there before they finally admitted it was the tranny - this is all documented there at Honda that we "had no work done". Here was a recent post I made about all the other problems i have had with it. And I SOLELY agree to the comment posted by luvhatehybird - DO NOT GET ONE IF YOU DON"T HAVE ONE!!!!!!

    Honda should be buying me a new car by now since I have had so many problems with the engine and other parts in the car. Screw good as mileage - I have WELL paid for anything I have saved by having to pay for repairs. I am still only in the lower 90G's in mileage. They apparently only extend the warranty on the expensive stuff to an 8year/80,000 miles and then lie and say you have a 10year-100,000 mile warranty. 100K warranty was what we signed up for!!!!!! We were shocked and extremely angry when everything stopped working at 80,000 miles!!!!!!

    Here is the post: "I have a Honda Civic Hybrid. I have the first year - 2003 and bought it in 2002. I was told how to drive it to receive the best gas mileage. (Don't take off too fast, let it coast more often, etc --things you want to already do in ANY vehicle). I received better than the sticker for the first couple years (in the lower 50's average), after the third and fourth year, it dropped to lower 40's and now from the 5th year until now is in the lower 30's. I have had MAJOR issues with the car though. I have had at least 4-5 DOZEN trips to the honda dealer for them to replace something that costs thousands of dollars to replace down to a few hundred dollars to replace. The transmission went out in the 30G's, the catalytic converter (1100 to replace) is bad now and the IMA system which is the 180 volt battery that recharges, giving it the "hybrid" name (around 3000 to replace) had to be replaced and was already bad for some time. I also had to replace the actual 12-volt battery twice. Several other things were recalled softwarewise that were done free but would have been charged labor if I didn't have the extended warranty. Also, the SRS light (seatbelt retention system) has been on for 50,000 miles and Honda has tried fixing the problem at least a dozen times itself - it still is not fixed even now. This concerns me because it means either the seatbelts won't lock when they need to or the airbags won't deploy at all (maybe even when your life depends on it). Other things have had to be replaced as well - I had to get American Honda Care involved because of so many problems. I am wondering how many others out there have had any of the problems I mentioned. And yes - Honda DOES sell the car based on the MPG here in KC, MO. They use it ONLY as the selling point since people here drive alot - most don't care about emissions - they just want good gas mileage - which is why they told us how to drive the vehicle to get the best mileage possible. Many things drop the gas mileage down on the hybrid and at a higher rate than any other type of car."
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