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Honda Civic Hybrid Catalytic Converter Failures

2

Comments

  • SheltieManSheltieMan Member Posts: 5
    After taking to a few local shops, we're grudgingly giving up and going back to accept HondaCare's "deal" to get it fixed. The local shops told me that Honda's price for the catalytic converter is so high that they can't beat Honda's service price minus the HondaCare offer (to kick in $500 towards the cost). That leaves us paying Honda about $810 plus tax. :sick: Happy :cry: Holidays.

    I am NOT amused with Honda and I will be contacting their Regional Manager when this is over. :mad: I can't say that I think much of their "Honda Certified Used Cars." I feel that I paid a hefty premium over other used Hondas for essentially nothing but some pretty documents.

    Maybe my next hybrid will be a Toyota.
  • babyjsmamababyjsmama Member Posts: 4
    I have a 2005 Civic Hybrid and my engine light came on the other day with the P2000 code which is apparently that the CC is clogged or not working properly, I am taking it in to the dealer tomorrow but I would like to know what to expect or what i need to do. I only have 57,000 mile on the car and I bought it used so I really have no idea if any of the recalls were done. Can anyone help me with this? :(
  • SheltieManSheltieMan Member Posts: 5
    From what I've seen, it's an all too common problem with the Civic Hybrid. See if HondaCare will help you out. The dealer told me that it would cost $1500 to fix. After I complained, HondaCare kicked in a $500 "credit" to bring it down to about $810 plus tax.

    There are no aftermarket parts for this problem and the Honda converter costs about $900, so a non-Honda repair shop really can't bring the price down to match what HondaCare offered me. Mine was also a Honda-certified used car. Interestingly, the dealer told me that Honda's warranty, even on a new car, does not cover the catalytic converter.

    The dealer should be able to tell you if the recall work was done on your car, though.
  • babyjsmamababyjsmama Member Posts: 4
    Thank you very much for your feedback. I took it to the dealer and they told me that the CC is warrantied for 8 years or 80,000 miles so that is fantastic news for me and $1000.00 that i don't need to pay. :) I was sure they were going to tell me that it wasn't still under warranty. so relieved! Thank you again.
  • toolazytoshoptoolazytoshop Member Posts: 4
    Hi,
    I have a 2003 civic hybrid. This is the 3rd time my CC has failed in < 3 years. I am in Tysons, VA and heard some people on this thread say the dealer has fixed it or HondaCare has helped out. I talked to HondaCare without any luck so far. Can you please give pointers as to how to get this resolved with them? Also do they take care of the 100$ diagnostic fee that dealer charges?
    Appreciate your help.

    Thanks,
    R
  • toolazytoshoptoolazytoshop Member Posts: 4
    Hi,
    I have a 2003 civic hybrid. This is the 3rd time my CC has failed in < 3 years. I am in Tysons, VA and heard some people on this thread say the dealer has fixed it or HondaCare has helped out. I talked to HondaCare without any luck so far. Can you please give pointers as to how to get this resolved with them? Appreciate your help. Thanks, R
  • hondafamily2hondafamily2 Member Posts: 5
    Take the phone numbers on the Honda website and talk to Honda company - corporate office.

    They will open a case and resolve in the 2-3 days.
  • elcholopizonelcholopizon Member Posts: 1
    SO I have 84,500 miles on my Civic Hybrid and I am out of warranty when the lovely P2000 code showed up last week. I refuse to pay $900+ labor for an OEM converter from honda so I found a great alternative:

    I purchased a new OEM Style replacement direct fit bolt-on DAVICO brand, made in USA Catalytic Converter for 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid 1.3L Engine on ebay and it swapped it out myself.

    It's a direct bolt on replacement and it took me 30 minutes to change, its 1/2 the weight of the OEM catalytic converter, and it flows twice as much compared to the factory one! It fits perfect and no more P2000 code!!! with shipping it was $202.00!!!, it really is a great product and it comes with a 2 year/ 24,000 warranty from Davico, here is the link for a DAVICO dealer near you and the link for MAC auto parts where it came from,

    http://www.macautoparts.net/

    http://www.davicomfg.com/ I hope you all find this useful! God Bless Carlos
  • tomjwhitetomjwhite Member Posts: 2
    Hi all,

    Just found this consumer group on the Internet and I'm impressed with the wealth of information exchanged. Thanks everyone.

    Now to the point. Our 2003 Civic Hybrid has a 98,600 miles and the Check Engine light came on. Drove for three days as recommended in the manual, but the light did not go off. Took car to the Honda dealer and was awarded an estimate of $1110.42 to replace the catalytica converter. Sticker shock to say the least.

    After reading everyone's posts in this forum, I'm left rather confused and here's my take. The problem could be either:

    * The ECM computer has lit up the Check Engine idiot light, but the light is due to a misreading or some other kind of error, and the catalytic converter is just fine.

    * The catalytic converter is toast and needs to be replaced.

    So, what do I do? The Honda dealer price of $1110 is exhorbitant and I don't have that kind money. Some say the after-market catalytic converters are good, other say they're junk. Others suggest the problem can be traced to faulty ECM diagnosis and the problem will therefore recur, regardless of whether the catalytica converter is replaced.

    Seems I took the car into the dealer several months back to get the ECM programming problem fixed ("re-flashed"). So, I'm not sure whether a faulty ECM is the problem.

    At this point, should I (a) do nothing; (b) bit the bullet, borrow the mondy, and let the Honda dealer fix the problem; (c) replace the catalytic converter myself with an after-market part; (c) call Honda regional service and whine, hoping they'll have mercy and give me an alternative, workable solution?

    Thanks, your advices would be much appreciated.

    ...Tom
  • rileyyhrileyyh Member Posts: 49
    I have a 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid with close to 140k miles. I got the update and I still get the Check Engine light after a a few weeks of having the light turned off.

    I've probably driven at least 80k miles with the "Check Engine" light coming on and my car has had no problems at all. 80k miles ago, the dealership said I needed to replace my 2 catalytic converters. I already had them replaced while my car was under warranty.

    The manual says you should treat Check Engine light seriously because it can damage your engine. Currently, my bluebook value is about $4000, so I'm willing to bet that I won't have a serious engine issue that would light up the Check Engine and save $1000.

    Even with the Check Eng light and Transmission Shuddering quirks, I love my car and I will drive it to the ground. I'm fine with these issues because I am not going to be putting any more money into this car. I will replace inexpensive parts and just keep driving. I've yet to replace my hybrid battery and I have no plans to replace that either.

    FYI - I've had my transmission replaced once under warranty and it's better, but not fixed. But it's driveable so it's ok. :)
  • tomjwhitetomjwhite Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for your note. My CheckEngine light did go out, after more than a week. It has not relit. So, I'm with you, I'm going to drive the car until circumstances say otherwise.

    Given that the light went out, I wonder whether the Honda dealer really understood the implications of the diagnostics, much less the ridiculousness of handing me an $1100 estimate for a repair that doesn't seem necessary.

    If my CheckEngine light were still on, I'd be looking for a second opinion from a more reliable shop.

    ...Tom
  • dieseldawgdieseldawg Member Posts: 8
    HondaCare refuses to consider any further support after warranty, after fist converter failure at 60k and second at 80k. O2 sensors also replaced at 80k. Failure agan now at 100k miles. Obvious design defect on Honda;s part, but I'm stuck with it. Only choice is to ignore and run with 'inefficient' catalyst.

    Any other suggestions?
  • eirromeirrom Member Posts: 1
    We've just been told that our 2nd Catalytic Converter in our 2003 Honda Hybrid is bad. The first one was replaced at 92K by Honda for free after we raised hell about since it had failed in 2007, within 4 years of the so called 8-year warranty, although our mileage had been to 92K. We've had nothing but periodic "check engine" warning light since then...the last time, about 4 weeks ago, our dealer advised us to replace all the spark plugs for a mere $257...then just two weeks after that we again get the "check engine" light....drove the few hundred miles to see if it would self-correct...but it stayed on. Now the dealer says the 2nd CC has failed, at 40K miles since it was installed 2 years ago, and it will now cost us $1,334 to replace. Wow, that's a lot of dough for a CC that likely won't last beyond 30K miles or so and will probably go the way of the previous two CC's.

    I can't but suspect that there's some flaw in the function, design or engineering of the 2003 Civic Hybrid, and that we are all being taken for one long ride by American Honda in its refusal to own up to this matter.

    We are holding off replacing the CC for a 3rd one in the hope that either there's an alternative and more affordable CC out there we could get for our hybrid and most importantly that our hybrid won't self-destruct or worse yet, catch on fire and explode as the Service Manager who's pushing us to replace it on our own dime seems to be trying to scare us into doing.

    Is there anyone out there with advice, knowledge and who could point us to any more affordable and equally effective alternatives?

    Thanks
  • babyjsmamababyjsmama Member Posts: 4
    As you can tell from December 08 my catalytic converter was replaced, now after just 8 months that wonderful check engine light came back on again with the code we all know so well. Luckily I am still under 80k and it is still covered under warranty. Not amused at this being an issue and possibly happening again later when I am not covered under warranty. :mad:
  • stan29stan29 Member Posts: 13
    When your warranty is up you tell your dealer you will be happy to help by calling the Honda Regional office and have them send you the part(catalytic converter) for free, which they have been doing since they have not fixed the problem on your car. The fix is usually a software correction as the engine is running too lean because of the computer. There was a maint alert (or whatever they call it) on this problem and you should have been notified to bring your car in for the software fix.
    This will save you the $1100 cost for the part, but you still will pay 1-2 hours labor in an out of warranty situation.
  • gm88gm88 Member Posts: 2
    A few months ago the MIL (check engine light) on my 2003 HCH came on at 95000 miles with a P0134 code. I followed the instructions in the factory service manual, which indicated that it was just an intermittent failure and that the system was OK. I reset the code and 2 weeks later passed a state emissions test. About a month later, the MIL came on again with a P0420 code. Since then, the MIL has turned on and off by itself a couple times. Today it was on again, so I checked it and found another P0420 code. I am eligible for another state emissions test in May 2011. So I'm wondering, what should I do at this point? Back in 2007, I had the ECM update recall service done "to prevent code P0420". I haven't yet taken it in to the dealer for these recent MIL issues, but from what I'm reading here, it sounds like I can get a replacement of the catalytic converter just for the cost of labor, but that it could fail again within the 12-month/12k warranty. In that case, should I wait until May 2010 to take it to the dealer and get the converter replaced, so that it's still under warranty in May 2011 when I can get another state emissions test?
  • 03civichybrd03civichybrd Member Posts: 2
    I have an '03 civic hybrid. Reading this column I am amazed at how many of these problems I have had as well. Right down to the rattle in the passenger side dashboard which I too have gotten used to after having them try to fix it repeatedly. My 02 sensor went last year (around 105,000 miles). Now my check engine light and IMA light are on (115,000 miles). The dealership is saying it is my Catalytic Converter and my IMA battery and that they are no longer covered under warranty. I am going to get a second opinion and see if there is anything I can do.
  • fergs13fergs13 Member Posts: 2
    Sounds like I'm having the same issue many of you have experienced with your catalytic converters. I have about 110,000 miles on my car right now and a couple weeks ago the engine light came on. The code detected a bad 02 sensor which I had replaced (dang those little things are expensive!). It wasn't 2 days before the light was back on. I took it back to the mechanic (not a honda dealership) that replaced the sensor and he tells me now that the code is for a failed catalytic converter and that the part from Honda is $900!!! I did get the ECM update that was to resolve the lean burn that "could" cause the cat to fail. Well, the car was running on the wrong setting for almost 3 years before the ECM update was done so the damage to the catalytic converter could have already been done when I bought it in 2006.

    I've read on here that some of you were able to get Honda to pay for the part and you covered the labor. What are my chances of getting this done. I'm a pretty loyal customer and follow my maintenance to a "T" I own two civics (the other is a 06 civic) and I'd like to stay positive about Honda but this seems like my catalytic converter has failed due to faulty settings put out by Honda. Shouldn't a catalytic last the life of the car?

    Any thoughts on going with an aftermarket Cat.? I'd rather not have to cough up $1100 on this part! Thoughts???
  • skylennardskylennard Member Posts: 4
    Same here -- I have 106,800 on my 2004 HCH, and I have been dealing with the intermittent MIL since around 85k miles.

    It started out very periodic and has gotten more and more persistent, so I finally took it in to get read (for free at AutoZone) and got the P0240 and P0136 (I think those are the right codes) that indicated that my cat. conv. was bad and that I needed a new O2 sensor.

    I am arguing now with Honda corporate and the service manager for my local dealership that the issue was caused by the ECM issues as indicated earlier in this forum, which was "fixed" once for me by the dealership in 2007. I moved from living out of town with a 90-mile round trip commute 5 days a week to living in town with a 3-day telecommute schedule shortly after the ECM reflash I got at around 75k miles, so it's been about 2 years since then but I've only put on 30k miles (including a couple of road trips).

    I find it real hard to believe that this couldn't be a direct cause/effect relationship, and especially seeing how Honda's covered the part cost with multiple people in my exact situation across the country if they cause enough of a ruckus, and I plan on raising hell until they cover it for me. This is my first Honda, and will be my last if they don't cover this situation for me, regardless of what warranty I may or may not be covered by.

    This is a matter of responsibility and good versus bad business practice. When they know that this is an issue (hence the recall "reprogram ECM" notice I got in 2007), they should cover the damage that was caused. Either the ECM update caused the cat. conv. to go out, or the cat. conv. was damaged by the time I hit 75k miles and the last 25-30k I've put on it has just presented the symptoms. I'll let the forum know of my final outcome. Thanks!

    :mad:
  • skylennardskylennard Member Posts: 4
    ...by the way, has anyone had enough experience to comment on the long term implications of installing one of these DAVICO converters? I'd like to know if they tend to last 10k miles or if they're good for 60k-100k+? Has anyone here installed one?

    http://honda-car-parts.macautoparts.net/Catalytic-Converters-5784/4346483-03-04-- 05-Honda-Civic/ProductInfo.aspx

    Thanks!
  • fergs13fergs13 Member Posts: 2
    I'm with you on this. I have an 03 with just about 110,000 miles. I've got the glowing engine light and a p0420 code and was told by a Grismer Mechanic (who just replaced a bad 02 sensor) that my cat is shot and needs replaced. He said its been fried. I also took my honda in for the ECM update in 2007 to have the computer flashed and updated so that "the engine doesn't burn lean anymore which could cause premature failure of the cat. converter". I haven't brought it in to the dealership yet because I'm trying to get enough ammunition to cause a ruckus and get Honda to cover the part. I think the bad setting caused the failure of my cat. converter even before the update. It just happend to start throwing the symptoms at around 103,000.

    How are you going to go about pursuading the dealership and Honda Corp. that they should take care of it? I feel like they will just say, "there is too many miles and your Warranty is gone". This is indeed a faulty part. I just need to know how to come at them

    I've also seen the aftermarket Davico converters and thought about paying $150 for one and have Grismer Automotive put it on. Not sure how long it will last. How do we go about contacting Honda Corporate (do you have the #)?
  • skylennardskylennard Member Posts: 4
    I called the number I found on the Honda Automotive website...

    http://automobiles.honda.com/information/customer-relations.aspx

    (800) 999-1009

    The person I ended up talking with at that number forwarded my request to the service manager for the dealership that I took my car to yesterday. The guy I was dealing with before (a rep, not the manager) said that Honday declined to assist me with the repair. The lady on the phone was really kind of pushing me to say tha the dealership had specifically told me that the cause for the issue was due to the ECM settings before, however I don't think they ever committed to that specifically. I just paid them $60 to "diagnose" the problem in the hopes that Honda would do the right thing and cover this repair under the recall the same as it seems other people had been covered earlier in this thread, but apparently not (yet).

    My basic approach at this point is to cite this and other message boards I have found about this problem to document the cat. conv. damage correlation with the ECM flash, and if they flat refuse to cover it, I'll file a complaint with the corporate office and see what that gets me. I really don't expect that they will continue to put up a fight considering that I have documentation of other drivers with the exact same car and mileage issues getting Honda to cover the part, but if they put up enough of a fight and I decide to give up, then i'll probably (eventually) try out that Davico converter. There's NO way i'm putting up over $1000 to get another OEM one put in.

    Let me know if you end up with any luck and I'll let you know the same.
  • 03civichybrd03civichybrd Member Posts: 2
    The dealer said that I needed a new IMA battery but that the cat conv. was probably ok. Honda agreed to pay 75% of the battery even though it was out of warranty. One month later the CEL came back on and they tell me I have to replace the Cat Conv. as well. That is one O2 sensor, one IMA battery, and one Cat conv. all around 100-120,000 miles. I have called Honda corporate again to see if they will help with the Converter as well. We'll see what happens.
  • rileyyhrileyyh Member Posts: 49
    Hi, I'd suggest you consider the following questions before going along with what the dealer says you need to do:

    1) What will happen if I don't replace the Cat Conv? Will my car stop running?
    2) Why do I need to replace the battery? Will my car stop working?

    I understand why a lot of people post about the troubles that everyone is facing with these parts, but it's not a dire issue.

    My 2003 Civic Hybrid has 145,000 miles on it over 7.5 years of ownership. In that period, I've gotten my transmission replaced once for free while it was under warranty. My check engine light has come on and stayed on, my battery discharges much faster than it used to, and I've been told my Catalytic Converters need to be replaced.

    I've been driving my car with a weaker battery, a check engine light, and (supposedly) broken catalytic converters for about 2-3 years now (approximately 40-60k miles). I've had no problems, no new issues.

    This is not a safety issue (e.g. airbag, suspension, brakes) and because it's a flaw in the design, even if you spend money to replace these parts, you're going to have the same issue in 40,000 miles at the latest. So why spend the money? Does the benefits outweigh the cost?

    I don't think we need to spend money to continually try to fix an unfixable design issue. I think the best we can do is notify consumer reports and BBB and honda corporation that they messed up in the design so that other people who consider buying a used civic hybrid knows.

    Also, if you haven't received it yet, there is a lawsuit against Honda regarding Civic Hybrids that will take place on 1/11/10. If the judge favors the plaintiff, then all Civic Hybrid owners will be allowed between $250-1000 rebate if you purchase a new 2009-2010 Honda (excluding fit, civic hybrid, and insight).

    As for me, I've decided that I can live with the problems and plan on keeping this car another 5 years. =)
  • dkellyb717dkellyb717 Member Posts: 3
    Sounds like a good plan, except for the fact that I'm due for an emissions inspection by the end of the month...

    Yes, same problem here. Check engine light came on at 120,000 miles. Went the the dealer and they told me catalytic converter needed to be replaced, and quoted me $2400.

    I did get the ECM update done in 2007. I called back and spoke to the service manager today, telling them about this obviously widespread problem, but his answer was that since the check engine light hadn't come on when I got the ECM update, my catalytic converter must have been fine at that point. Had the light come on they would have extended my warranty on the cc to 180000. I told him exactly what I thought of that policy and said I would start following other avenues.

    I've seen people have had luck contacting Honda corporate. Does anyone have any further advice.?
  • hchybridhchybrid Member Posts: 12
    Failing that - see back in this thread - details about OEM cat' that is way cheaper ($500?) than Honda one.
  • rngrfreundrngrfreund Member Posts: 1
    I've got the same problems:

    Cat Converter went out on my '03 HCH in October of 2006 at 77,000 miles. I took it to Streater-Smith Honda in Conroe, TX and they replaced the CC and only charged me labor due to the 80,000 mile warranty.

    The Check Engine Light came on again in January of 2010 at 114,000 miles (after I noticed a drop of about 8mpg efficiency). Took it to Santa Barbara Honda, and they tell me it the CC is bad.

    I called Honda Care and did my best to [non-permissible content removed] up a storm. The representative filed my complaints and said Honda would not be acting on my request for parts because the warranty is up. So everyone else out there, please keep complaining to Honda. Maybe if the racket continues, we'll get our third Catalytic Converters covered.

    That is only three years and 40,000 miles on a Honda parts and installed Cat. Something is definitely wrong with the settings on our cars! If any lawyers are out there looking to pick up a class action lawsuit, get on it! :)

    Now, I've agreed to the service because I'm pretty sure you can't run on a broken CC. It causes overheating in the exhaust system, which I think leads to a backing up of exhaust and damage to the rest of the engine. I've learned that the CC isn't essential, if you can get a non-Honda mechanic to put in a third party CC, do it. If you can get someone to skip the CC process and have a straight pipe of exhaust, that works too (unless you have emissions tests to pass).

    I live in Cali, so I can't get most Cat Converters as they have to be California Legal by state standards. Most cheap ones aren't.
  • dkellyb717dkellyb717 Member Posts: 3
    It's also been brought to my attention that this could be a rear converter O2 sensor issue. It's probably cheaper to replace this as a first step. I'm having problems figuring out exactly which O2 sensor to order. I see an "upstream", a "pre catalytic converter" and a "post converter" sensor listed on a few sites. I'm looking for the one that is on the rear converter. Which one am I looking for?
  • hchybridhchybrid Member Posts: 12
    Maybe. The O2 sensors are equally part of the problem. The rear 2 cost $500 to replace - so beware!

    Alternatively there's this carbon de-coking treatment now available - I just had this done for $150. Figuring if this works - worth a try first.

    Symptoms are a significant drop in mile per gallon figures - mine went from 45mpg to 39mpg. Takes couple of hours - 2 weeks ago now.

    Snag is - no idea if this worked - because the snow storms here on East Coast keeping car in garage!
  • dkellyb717dkellyb717 Member Posts: 3
    Let me know how this turns out. The dealer wants to charge me $2400 to replace the cc, which I assume would include the O2 sensors. I figure no matter what I try it will cost less than what the dealer is asking.
  • hchybridhchybrid Member Posts: 12
    OK - the cleaning I had done is TerraClean - looks like its an OEM service - not just for Honda - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VCuki_-vXQ

    Probably worth having this done - and then have them reset the engine codes - run for a week or two and see.

    If you still need to replacement Cat - then for non-CA folks - best way to go is OEM - see other threads here from people who had OEM cat installed - one guy even did it himself from kit.
  • skylennardskylennard Member Posts: 4
    As a followup to my previous post, I have given up trying to get **anything** out of Honda; they straight refused to offer me any kind of discount, coverage, etc - I talked with the regional and corporate numbers, I never got anywhere useful.

    I'm waiting on my DAVICO converter to be delivered in the mail this week; I'm counting on that to clear out the P0240 code so I can get my emissions passed and renew my registration, that's currently about 7 months past due because of this whole battle!

    Good luck to any and all who get anywhere with the "man" on this one; Honda isn't going to be getting any business from me in the future. There's too many competitors on the market, and Honda doesn't seem to want to back up their products and keep customers happy. :(

    I'll let the board know what happens with my DAVICO converter. I paid Honda $60 to "diagnose" the P0240 and was told that I needed to replace the manifold/cat conv (there's 2 but the 2nd isn't monitored by o2 sensors, etc) and the "primary" o2 sensor, which is the one that bolts into the manifold/cat conv and is called the "upstream" or "pre-cat conv" o2 sensor. I got my replacement locally at Autozone, cost me $150 this week. That got rid of the P2000 code and the P0138 code; the P0240 remains, and I'm hoping the replacement manifold/cat conv fixes that code.

    My gamble and fight with Honda has forced me to do this repair at my expense; I finally got a ticket for expired registration, and if I can get it updated before my court date the first week of April, they'll drop the ticket (lucky me!) ;)
  • hchybridhchybrid Member Posts: 12
    Just an update on the TerraClean - codes went away - but my mileage was still under normal. Then I had 110,000 service done and replaced spark plugs and tune up. That's seems to have done the trick - plus warmer spring weather - mileage back up to what I usual expect - 42 to 45mpg.
  • pkikelpkikel Member Posts: 3
    I've been told I need to replace the catalytic converter for my 2003 Civic Hybrid for the THIRD time at a cost of $1,800. I had it replaced the first time in November, 2006 at 67,178 miles. The cost for this replacement was covered by the original vehicle warranty. In January, 2009 at 109,580 miles it needed to be replace again. A little over two years and only 42,402 miles had passed since the last time it was replaced. I've been told this catalytic converter has an 8 year, 80,000 mile warranty and yet it had to be replaced TWICE in the span of only 6 years and 109,580 miles. Now I'm faced with replacement of this catalytic converter yet again after only 17 months and 28,102 miles have passed since the last repair. You'll notice the frequency of this repair is INCREASING. As noted above I've been informed this latest repair will cost $1,800 and that I am responsible for this cost. This repair would also replace the O2 sensor. At the request of the dealer service manager I have made my case to America Honda, but my frustration and concern is falling on deaf ears. There is obviously something seriously wrong here and Honda isn't owning up to it!
  • hchybridhchybrid Member Posts: 12
    This is mind boggling. If you were in California - Honda would have to replace it.

    I assume they only are giving you 1 year warranty on that second catalytic converter?

    If their warranty is that worthless - go with the OEM kit - assuming you are not in California! If you look back in the threads here - you will see $500 kit mentioned.

    Good luck. :(
  • pkikelpkikel Member Posts: 3
    I bought the car in California in 2003, but have resided in Illinois since 2005. You are correct on the 1 year warranty, which of course, I am now beyond as I've had the new CC for 17 months.

    Thanks for the advise...
  • hchybridhchybrid Member Posts: 12
    You may want to check back with the dealership in CA. I believe CA has a mandatory 8 year warranty on cat' converter on any car sold in State, Good luck.
  • housewrenshousewrens Member Posts: 2
    I and I suspect quite a few others are waiting to hear about the Davico cat converter you purchased? How much to install? How has it worked? After you installed it did the code disappear?

    I am due for emissions inspection in a few weeks. So frustrating.
  • mr_op_liesmr_op_lies Member Posts: 1
    It's a sad, sad day in Hondaville. I have never been so disgusted with an automobile maker in my life and we've had a few doozies along the way. Here's our 2003 Honda Hybrid converter saga in a nushell:
    85,079 (Nov 07)-first rear converter replaced at non-Honda $685
    114,622 (Jan 09)-second rear converter replacement at Honda Dealer $1230
    128,455 (July 09)-third rear converter replacement and first front converter replacement at Honda Dealer (they covered rear) we paid for front $1410
    153,042 (July 10)- fourth replacement of rear converter. Honda Dealer covering 50%, but that is the DEALER as AMERICAN HONDA offered no help at all.

    Oh, and BTW, we replaced the hybrid battery last month for $2840!!! Totally regretting that choice, but at the time we had so much invested in converters that we felt we had to keep the car going and we are in a state where it will not pass inspection if Check Engine light is on.

    We don't have anything positive to bring to this forum, but I wanted to add our case to all the others here.

    We hope someone will form a class action suit. HONDA knows this is a problem and we're convinced that's why they won't help since that would be a form of taking responsibility and admitting there is a problem. We've suspected the ECM recall all along as that happened just prior to our saga beginning.

    :mad: :cry: :sick:
  • hchybridhchybrid Member Posts: 12
    Add to that oxygen sensors. I have 120k miles now, and these things just keep failing. I've replaced all of them, and last month, had to replace one of the new ones again - another $600 up in smoke. I'm keeping the ones now that they replace - looked nothing wrong with it to me, hardly worn. Plain old regular engine @ 30mpg and no issues suddenly starting to look good compared to 40+mpg and these bills to pay.
  • babyjsmamababyjsmama Member Posts: 4
    I have had my car since 11/07 and have about 97000 miles, since then I have replaced the CAT 2x the light came on again about a month ago with the same code. I took to the dealer and they want to charge me 1000 to replace. There is no point on replacing the thing since there is obviously another underlying problem that will continue to make the CAT fail. I asked what would happen if they just reset the light and they said that I will see a decrease in power (which I already do) and worse gas mileage which I can handle. I have until June before I need to go in for emissions testing hopefully I can figure something out by then.
    I am not even going to try to contact Honda because it seems that they could care less about this ongoing problem.
  • eb240beb240b Member Posts: 1
    My wife has the same car 03 Hybrid 147,000 miles with same issues. Pennsylvania, according to which County you live, does not have stringent emmission laws. My question to all of you is why spend $1000's of dollars on a converter when all it's doing is causing a check engine light to come on? If the converter is not physically leaking exhaust and causing a loud noise who cares?? Yes sure you might lose some MPG's but to me I'm not spending that kind of money on something thats not making the car undriveable. I would rather junk her car and spend 1000's of dollars on a new car prefferably not a civic hybrid. But thats just me.
  • a36captaina36captain Member Posts: 1
    Another one of these, at only 65000 miles. I received the car from my dad when he passed away in June. It hadn't been driven at all this year, but the 8yr part of the warranty expired and American Honda (of course) won't honor the <80,000 part even though the car was parked for most of the last 10 months.

    What garbage. This is definitely enough to keep me away from any Honda in the future. Kind of like why I won't get on United AIrlines anymore after being a 1K for many years.

    Oh, I also inherited my dad's Prius. What a vastly superior car than the Honda, and it gets over 50 mpg compared to maybe 42 with this 2003 HCH. The Prius rides better, is quiet inside, doesn't rattle, and is loaded like a Lexus. Before I had one of each, I considered the Honda approach to hybridization better, but now comparing them side by side, it's See-Ya-Later Honda.

    I'm keeping this pile o crap until the end of the year when the carpool stickers expire, and then off to the resale market it goes.

    Needless to say, I'm not spending a dime on fixing the 1420 problem...
  • bengalzonabengalzona Member Posts: 2
    edited February 2011
    I have a question for anyone who has had the OEM kits installed (or installed them themselves). Does this make the check engine light to go off?

    Both of my CCs have gone bad on my 2004 Civic Hybrid (122,000 miles). I got the estimate from the auto shop today (non-dealer) and my eyes just about popped out of my head: 2800 bucks! The car itself is hardly worth that much. But, after reading some of the posts here, I'm seeing that this is common. I plan on calling Honda on Monday, but doubt if I get any satisfaction from them.
  • rileyyhrileyyh Member Posts: 49
    Hi, I don't have an OEM kit, but I haven't changed my CC either. You are definitely right, the car isn't worth the CC cost and the question you should ask is why you want to change the CC. If you want to replace the CC so your car's exhaust is cleaner, you can change it, but from other experiences, it seems that both OEM and aftermarket CC's will have issues again after a short while.

    I have a 2003 HCH with almost 170,000 miles. Both CCs have been bad, my check engine light has been on, and my IMA light has been on, and both the bushings on my front control arms have been broken for several years now. But I decided that I would keep driving the vehicle, fixing only what is hazardous or necessary to keep the car going, until it dies. And you know what? It keeps on going. The only thing I need to do is make sure to change the transmission fluid every 30k miles or earlier and the car keeps running smoothly. And that's one question I ask a lot of people on the forum, it's a design issue and if Honda isn't going to do anything for us and if we are not selling/trading in the car for another, I don't see much incentive to continue fixing the vehicle. Those problems will continue to come back, perhaps within 2 years of normal driving I'd estimate. See what Honda will do for you, but I wouldn't worry too much about the check engine light. I had the check engine light go on around 40k miles, and I'm the original owner of my car. I've had the transmission replaced once while under warranty and the same slipping/shuddering problem came back after another 45k miles. Good luck!
  • bengalzonabengalzona Member Posts: 2
    edited February 2011
    Thanks for that information, rileyyh. I want to try and get another two years out of the car and I'm a little concerned that the performance will degrade so much that it makes the car useless within that time. It is tough times for me economically and I can't really afford another car. Yet, I have to have a car for my business (real estate appraisal). I've been ignoring the engine light for about 8 months, but just recently I've seen a noticeable loss of compression and pickup. It's not too bad at this point. My other concern is when I have to get the emmisions tested later this year. Have you had a problem with emmissions testing?

    I would prefer to just ignore it as, obviously, that is the least expensive option. I'm glad to hear about your experience and see that that may be an option.
  • rileyyhrileyyh Member Posts: 49
    There will definitely be some decrease in power, I've noticed that. My car never went above 3k rpm but for the last year, it probably hovers around 3.3k rpm during my normal driving. The mpg displayed is usually about 39mpg, but then again I drive a bit above speed limit a lot.

    I think a lot of the fear is that the car will break down and cost money, and I've been doing the same calculations. Here's how I decided. When I went to CarMax, about 2 years ago, they said they would give me $2000 for my vehicle. The BlueBook value for fair condition was about $3000 at the time. But any vehicle that I purchase would: 1) cost me money since my car is paid off; 2) would depreciate more than $2000 in 1 year, especially if it's anything newer than a very old car; and 3) even if my car breaks down and is worth $0 in trade-in value, I could still make out on top if I can get 1 year out of it. Plus, whenever it does break down, I can sell it to a junk yard for parts or donate it and get a tax break. Also, vehicle insurance cost will probably increase if you get a vehicle with a higher value, so financially speaking, the ideal is to squeeze as many miles out of the vehicle without putting in any money other than oil change/transmission fluid change.

    My friend also has a HCH and was worried about emissions, but I've never had any emissions issues in the past 7 of 9 years having the check engine light on. But there are 2 types of emissions/safety inspection places. Some do those for the opportunity to upsell some service that you supposedly need. Some do it just to make a little money. I've been going to a Shell gas station near me and they've never tried to have me do some sort of service or change a part or anything. I tell them I want an emission or safety inspection and they do it and that's it. No upsell, no pressure. So I don't think you should have any problems with emissions. If the mechanic says something, it is possible that he may be trying to make a buck since the check engine light is on. Generally, I've had good experiences with Korean mechanic shops. They tend to lean towards discouraging any small maintenance except what is necessary for safety. My Honda dealership has been trying to have me flush the break fluid, flush the transmission fluid, replace the control arm bushings, etc. But when I took it to my mechanic and he looked at all those things, he said we don't need to do those things, just replace the transmission fluid with new to treat the shudder.

    Just remember, they are out to make money and if you replace any part, that's good for them, regardless whether you need it to be done right now. Good luck!
  • norafebnorafeb Member Posts: 1
    Purchased my civic Hybrid in 2004 Brand new. Within months I was have a "Judder" within the transmission. Took the car in on several occasions - They drained transmission fluid and then replaced it - drained it again (Charged double for that ) and car was fine for a while- Off and on over the next months continued with same problems - Notices from Honda forth coming in mail stated such things as may cause problems with converter. In Oct 2008 both the Transmission and both converters were replaced _ fought hard with Honda Corp-IT PAYS TO KEEP EVERY REPAIR ORDER AND DOCUMENTATION ON WHO WHERE WHEN and WHAT TIME you spoke to anyone. Honda replaced the 2 converters and the Transmission. I had to pay for labor on transmission replacement only at $1200.00 but grateful none the less. Now fast foward to 2011 and guess what I need another converter replaced!!. What was Jeff's take at Honda Customer Service 1-800-999-1009. "Miss, you have 19900. miles on your car that is 2 car life times-- Honda can't help you" Who will NOT buy another Honda??? ME!!!!!
  • ethstanleyethstanley Member Posts: 1
    good thinking with the phone number, same problem as everyone else so a few jack and cokes and a call to the honda guy cant hurt right?
  • queenericaqueenerica Member Posts: 1
    August of 2008, got the software update done.
    September of 2008 suddenly my check engine light and IMA light goes on.
    Dealership replaced my front CC and it was under warranty at the time. That was at 75,000 miles.
    Now I"m at 119,000 miles and my check engine light is on again. This time they tell me its a p1420 code and my dealership quoted me $2300 to fix it. I'm sure that number includes the "clueless looking female" surcharge.
    Please....if there is ever a class action lawsuit for this car, count me in. I will never buy honda again!
    :lemon:
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