Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Honda Civic Hybrid Transmission Problems

doradodorado Member Posts: 7
Bought 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid in 2005. Clean record.

At 44,000 miles transmission went dead per my Honda dealer service department. Replacement $3,500 for refurbished one (told they do not make original ones which raises questions re quality). No advance indication of potential failure.

Why such a short life-span for transmission? Should I replace or sell? Such a costly car!
«13456710

Comments

  • kemtidkemtid Member Posts: 6
    I just traded my 2003 Hybrid in for a 2006 Hybrid yesterday(Friday). I Never had a problem with the tranny or anything else and it had over 50,220 miles on it. It is probably a fluke thing. If you can find and afford a 2006 the re-design is well worth the money.

    Kevin in CT
  • eaaeaa Member Posts: 32
    My 2003 with CVT tranny is still perfect. I get 60+ drivin smart. I have about 44K miles.
  • gregcookgregcook Member Posts: 5
    hi dorado
    my car appears to have just died in the driveway, I suspect the transmission
    current mileage approx. = 140,000
    greg
  • doradodorado Member Posts: 7
    Greg: Thank you for your comment. Did you have any advance indication that there might have been a transmission problem?
    Unfortunately there was no hint of a problem for me and, while the failure happen on the road, I was fortunately able to coast to a safe area.
    dorado
  • gregcookgregcook Member Posts: 5
    Dorado,
    Yes, it did the same thing to me a few months ago but I ignored it as an isolated event ... until yesterday
    Greg
  • xmasbabyinstlxmasbabyinstl Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2003 that the internal computer came up w/ a code 1890, "slippage between shifts." Dealership told me that I needed a new transmission at 80,xxx miles, but to call Honda Care 800 number. Honda Care called me back and told me that they would pay for the parts, but I would have to pay for labor cost to install it. $920 and 2 weeks later, I have a new transmission and another 3 year, 36,000 mile warranty on the transmission only. I thought it was odd that I was able to drive for a week and a half on a bad transmission. I bought this car to save money on gasoline, not to have to put another $1,000 into the car every 3 years. I was told by my regular mechanic to have the work done and then start sending emails to anybody at Honda that will listen explaining what has happened and that I work for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (newspaper) and see what happens.
  • doradodorado Member Posts: 7
    Thank you for your posting. I also went to Honda Care on west coast and best I could get from them was the cost of a transmission at "warranty" price - cost $2,600; and this was at only 44,000 miles. I also got the 3 year, 36,000 mile warranty but this is not transferable if I were to trade in the car.

    Were you under warranty and that is why you got a free new transmission? My "new" transmission is a factory rebuilt one.

    In my case it was a near fatal happening when the tansmission just died without any warning while I was on a heavy traffic road -no power all of a sudden!

    All said and done, I had to pay $3,085 (includes necessary towing) which, again, makes the Hond Civic Hybrid a very expenseive car. I also bought it for gas savings and my former loyalty to Honda given the fact that I had a '93 Honda for 255,000 miles and my wife has a '03 Honda Accord.

    A writing campaign might also be something I should do.

    Thank you again for your comments.
  • xmasbabyinstlxmasbabyinstl Member Posts: 2
    I was not under warranty. As I stated, the car has 80,xxx miles on it. The car came w/ the standard 3 year/36,000 mile warranty.

    I suspect that Honda Care was trying to avoid bad publicity or maybe they are already aware of a bigger problem with their 2003 Civic Hybrids and are trying to sweep it under the carpet. I've only just begun to complain about this.

    Even having to pay $920 installation fee + $100 computer diagnosis fee on a 3 year old car is ridiculous. I too used to be a loyal Honda customer; we have a 2000 Honda Accord too, but I think I'm going to looking at other Manufacturers when our Accord needs to be replaced.
  • gregcookgregcook Member Posts: 5
    ALL;

    Based on these postings, it appears that there is an early trend to indicate 2003 HONDA Hybrid transmission problem/concern.

    I agree that using all publicity to pressure Honda is appropriate.

    Like you, I purchased the vehicle through my loyalty to Honda and a desire to save on gas mileage ... but the expenses are mounting!

    Greg
  • raven02raven02 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 Honda Civic Hybrid with less than 9000 miles on it. The 3 year warranty will expire in October 2006. I am thinking that I have not driven it enough to really know if it is a lemon or not and perhaps I should just trade it in for a 2006 non-hybrid Civic since I just don't drive enough to get any value out of it. Has anyone heard of the transmission problem with the 2004 model year hybrid. Thanks
  • floglerflogler Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2003 Hybrid w/cvt trans. and had the same problem at 30000 miles. Fortunately all that was needed was a trans fluid change but it is enough for me to sell the car as they wanted 4000 dollars for a rebuilt if not under warranty. I also have the same year and model but with a five speed and it has been a great car and has gotten up to 75 mpg on highway.
  • doradodorado Member Posts: 7
    Glad to hear that all it took was a trans fluid change. It was my Honda dealership which determined I needed a new transmission which in my case cost $2,600 for a refurbished one - new 3/36000 warranty; but it does not carry over to a new owner if I were to trade in the car! I am sure I will take a beating if I were to trade in now so guess I will have to do with what I have.

    Thanks to all for responses to my initial posting of a 44,000 mile transmission failure.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    You might want to buy a HondaCare extended warranty for 100,000 miles, while you can (before the 3/36 expires).
  • mwowmmwowm Member Posts: 4
    My wifes 05 HCH -w- CVT did it at 35k miles all dealer maintance. D doesn't light up. car started jumping even if you try to put in park. Dealer replaced tranny; 2 weeks in the shop.
    Previously the MAINTANCE would come on and the car would not go. Put it in gear and it would sit there. Shut it off, curse, restart, it would go. Sometime the light would be on sometimes not. The dealer said they didn't know/believe us their computer said nothing was wrong.

    15k after the replacement tranny it has done it again.

    We just want to get rid of this POS before it is too late.
    I think a major part of the problem are the boneheads in the garage. :lemon:
  • tt_ertt_er Member Posts: 1
    My car has 116,xxx miles on it and the auto trans is already slipping on my 03 Honda Civic Hybrid. Due to the mileage I am not sure if Honda would work with me or not. Even with 116,xxx miles my trans should not be slipping.

    Any suggestions? By the way I am from the St. Louis area.

    Thank You,

    Brice
  • doradodorado Member Posts: 7
    Since I posted my original message re the failure of the transmission on my 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid I have been getting messages re transmission failures which leads me to believe that there is something basically wrong with the Honda Hybrid. The analysis of my transmission failure was done at a Honda dealership and should have been an accurate diagnosis.

    The best they would offer me was the price of the trans at warranty price.

    Good luck.
  • thaohienthaohien Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid. And about a year ago, it started to shudder and jerk while coasting (i.e. at parking garage speeds) with little gas. It would also jerk going in reverse in the morning when the engine was not fully warmed up. After reading some posts on another site, I asked my dealership to replace the EGR valve. They tried several other things before finally resigning to admitting that it might be the valve. 3-4 weeks later, I FINALLY get the part and the replacement. Cost me over $400!!! The jerking seems gone now.

    But now over the past several months I have noticed a slipping feeling when going from a stopped position and accelerating on the the gas. It feels like my tires are rolling on gravel! I can hear the transmission struggle and rumble with the acceleration. Once accelerated, all other functions are normal and smooth. Also if I accelarate from coasting then no problems.

    I have now been told, after a cursary drive that it is definitely the transmission. Honda will pay 1/2 of the costs (2600) for a new transmission. After reading these posts looks like it actually might be a refurbished one with a new 3yr/36000 mi warranty. Perhaps another transmission fluid replacement would work (per this forum)?

    I am deeply unsatisfied with Honda and Honda service. We bought the Civic because of Honda's rep. for dependability and customer satisfaction, but I think now we will need to rethink this. I am very happy with the Hybrid mileage (45mpg), but the other maintenance problems continue to plaque us!

    We are likely going to do what we can to be rid of this lemon and go back to Toyotas which have a proven track record with us!
  • xafo1xafo1 Member Posts: 4
    Honda Hybrid 2003 automatic Transmission, a couple of days ago
    the car was riding smothly and suddenly it felt as if it went to neutral. the shift knob is in D the motor runs ok but it won´t move like if it was in neutral. The computer reading was error P0700 Transmision Control Malfunction. Now my problem is that since Honda doesn´t sell this model in my country they will not service it. My Mecanic will not touch it until he gets a hint of what the problem might be.

    Another thing does anybody know where i can get a service manual for this car.

    Thanks for your help

    [email protected]
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Welcome to the forum. What country are you in? The CVT in the early Civic Hybrids have had problems. It could need a fluid change. Hopefully it is still under warranty. I think it is very expensive if it is not.
  • xafo1xafo1 Member Posts: 4
    I am in Honduras Central America, Honda Dealers haven´t introduced hybrid here. what is CVT? no waranty here.... its a 2003. Any info on service manual to download or buy??

    Thanks for you response
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I think it stands for continuous variable transmission. I believe some of the poster's that had problems did a transmission oil change and that seemed to clear up the slipping. You might want to post in the thread below. It is for all kinds of problems with the Civic hybrids. You will find others that are having the same problem you are having. I do not know where to get manuals. I would think if Honda has a dealer in Honduras they could get the manual. Did you drive or ship the car down there?

    mwowm, "Honda Civic Hybrid Owners: Problems & Solutions" #577, 27 May 2006 8:57 pm
  • xafo1xafo1 Member Posts: 4
  • xafo1xafo1 Member Posts: 4
    It was shipped, Honda Dealer doesn`t take care of any problems with cars bought out of honduras. they dont have the manuals and have no interes is helping.
  • kathyc1kathyc1 Member Posts: 138
    OK, I've been reading the messages on this site and now I think I know why there are so many hybrids on used car lots. I was wondering about that. I wonder if Toyota is having the same transmission problem because I see a lot of them advertised too.
  • asdf6324644asdf6324644 Member Posts: 1
    I brought my Honda Civic in April 2004 and have had no problems with the vehicle until July 2005.

    July 2005 - November 2005, I have had three transmission issues. Two out of the three issues resulted in having a new transmission ordered.

    The first transmission issue - July 11, 2005 - only 27,392 miles - I noticed that when I was at a stop light and attempted to get moving again, the transmission would slip and was sometimes hesitant.

    I took the vehicle to the dealership that afternoon and they stated that the transmission was going out. They order a new transmission.

    The new transmission was bad off the bat - July 19, 2005 - 28,182 miles. I got my car back and within a week, I returned the vehicle. The vehicle was leaking transmission fluid. They replace the part that was defective - which was the transmission filter - they stated it had a bad weld.

    On 11/17/05 - 39,248 miles - I heard a grinding noise. I took it back to the dealership. They ended up the replacing the transmission again.

    After the third incident, I sent a letter to the dealership, Honda, Better Business Bureau and Attorney General. Honda didn't contact me about the issue at all. They contacted the Better Business Bureau and then sent me a survey about how the Honda Rep handled my claim. In this letter to everyone, I proposed a trade in value to buy a new vehicle, which I never heard back on. Granted, the trade-in value was for about $4,000 - $5,000 more than the car was worth and the sales manager wouldn't budge about the trade-in value. I told him I just bought the car a year and a half ago and didn't expect to have 3 transmission issues within 6 months. I thought it extensive issues and thought that if I lost a little, Honda pitched in a little and then the dealership pitched in a little, I would buy a new (brand new) car and just get rid of it. I thought that the sales manager would call and see if Honda would agree, but they didn't do anything besides tell me no.

    I will probably NEVER buy another Honda vehicle due to the way I was treated and through that dealership. After buying two brand new vehicles from the dealership, they (sales) didn't seem to help me with the issue, with the exception of replacing the transmission, which was more service. Luckily, Honda picked up the tabs.

    Earlier this year (March 2006 - roughly 45,000 miles), I have been hearing a loud noise from my engine. It did it for roughly 15 minutes on my way to work. I left work early (again) and took the vehicle back to the dealership. The vehicle ran fine. I sat with a technician and had him drive it all over the place. They told me that it was probably since it was colder out that morning and the transmission wasn't warmed up. Or, I had a chunk of ice under the vehicle.

    Luckily for me, over the last two, almost three months, I haven't had any issues, but I am waiting for it to go out again, but this time I figured Honda won't cover it since I have about 55,000 miles on the vehicle. I am dreading that bill!
  • thaohienthaohien Member Posts: 2
    I have posted earlier about my transmission problems with my Honda Hybrid 2003. We'll I took my car to another dealership in town and they were much more proactive and helpful.

    However they told me that a transmission replacement was necessary, but Honda agreed to pay half the costs of parts and labor.

    Then, a few days later, I receive more information that Honda's engineering department was suggesting a replacement of the transmission pack before they recommended a full transmission replacement.

    I left my car yesterday morning and heard back this morning that the repair was complete. The service tech and the technicians and service manager supposedly has driven my car and have cleared it as good. I will be picking it up soon and hopefully the slippage will be gone for good.

    So, before replacing your transmission I'd like to make two possible suggestions (though I am an engineer, but not a mechanical one):

    Shuddering at low speeds try replacing the EGR valve.

    If it is slipping when going from zero to acceleration, investigate replacement of the transmission pack?? I'll write back with an update when I know more.
  • bbb99bbb99 Member Posts: 58
    I have an 03 HCH and the shuddering at low speeds starting happening around 37K. I've heard this is an EGR valve issue. More recently, the car has failed to start and the lights on the dash are going on and off. Namely, the IMA and SRS light. I, like all of us, bought this car because I thought it would last 200k and get great gas mileage. We have been duped. What will it take to get a recall on the car? How many cars have to have this problem? :mad:
  • eric99eric99 Member Posts: 1
    hello, I'm glad I found this site. Seems like there are many knowlable people here. I have an 03 civic hybrid CVT with 70,000 miles. When did honda come out with the new CVT fluid? When I changed my trans fluid at 35,000 (two years ago) I used the ATF-Z fluid, which at the time was the correct fluid for the CVT unit. The owners manual also says to use ATF-Z. I can imagine Honda re-formulated the CVT fluid to help prevent slippage problems and shutter. I have experienced CVT slippage, but it's a very rare event. Perhaps one time every 3 to 4 months when I am accelerating from a stop I will notice the RPMs raising too quickly and not enough acceleration. So, now with 70,000 I am going to change the fluid for the new CVT fluid. I see if I simply drain and re-fill, I don't get all the old ATF-Z out, so do I need to do the flush? Does a flush consist of multiple drain, fill, and drive cycles? If so, how many drain, fill, and drive cycles should I do, and how many quarts of CVT fluid should a purchase? I also read something about a service to the wet drive clutch in the CVT unit, burnishing I think? exactly what is this and is it something I can do myself? Thanks for the help!

    -Eric
  • 2mnycats2mnycats Member Posts: 11
    I'm considering buying a 2006 HCH, but this thread is really starting to worry me. I just cannot drive that oddball Prius -- I've tried!! Has anyone had a tranny problem with the 2006 version?
  • dwadlingtondwadlington Member Posts: 8
    Well, as a matter of fact, yes. I have had my '06 for about six weeks and have put on about 3,800 miles. My wife has been driving it mainly, although I put on 900 of that this weekend. I was returning to Atlanta coming up I-85, a stretch that people typically exceed the 70mph limit (I had the cruise set to 70 so my mileage wouldn't get killed) when I pulled out to pass a slower car. I floored it, and the engine speed kicked way up. The car began to shudder while slowing down (a rather exciting moment as I was pulling into the fast lane of traffic). I managed to get over to the breakdown lane. As it slowed down the transmission engaged, at least until I tried to accelerate back up to speed. I limped home the final 30 miles, occassionally running into problems trying to maintain speed on uphill grades. Needless to say my first call in the morning is to the Honda dealer. Glad to know about the problems in older models; hopefully this is an easy (and pleasant) maintenance experience.
  • granny5granny5 Member Posts: 6
    I have had very similar problems and am awaiting a call from the "case-manager" at Honda. My service record is impeccable and the car has a clean record. 73,00 miles. I now realize that the problems have been there for a long time with the shuddering at 65+ miles, when going around a curve and then just recently at low speed -- surging. I have been to the dealer several times and had the transmission flushed 2x and also the valve replace etc. Lots of $ spent.

    This is my first Honda -- I never had this problem with any of the other cars (mostly Chrysler products)I driven over the last 40+ years and I have always kept my cars until at least 150,000 miles.
    The dealer quotes me a price of $2,500 to replace the transmission. I wanted the Hybrid because of the low emissions and I was driving about 500 miles a week when I purchased it. Any suggestions folks? I am sick at heart and really upset about this.
  • bbb99bbb99 Member Posts: 58
    This sickens me too. We try to do a good thing and get a environmentally friendly car and then this crap happens. Honda transmissions usually last 200k. Why is it different for the hybrid? The surging at low speeds is your EGR valve. I just had to replace mine to the tune of $280. BTW, I'm 5 months out of warranty. This pisses me off just as much as you, and I have a feeling my car is on the road to transmission problems. The shuddering above 65, I don't know. Please let us know how things turn out and good luck.
  • sirreenesirreene Member Posts: 1
    My Honda 2003 has 45,000 miles on it. It is going in for a new transmission tomorrow 6/18/06. This is the 4th that the Honda dealer is doing on an 03. If the other owners did not have an extended warranty like myself they have replaced them for free.
  • nov10nov10 Member Posts: 2
    my 2003 civic hybrid started a low speed transmission chatter at about 180,000 km.

    at under 1000 rpm and accelerating slowly from dead start it feels' like drive belt slippage, or 'jumping'.
    I can also create chatter at the same speed zone of about 5km/hr when de-accelerating and just prior to engine shutdown.

    I have been reading posts regarding EGG valve replacement to resolve this, fluid change, and something called an Transmission pack'. I have not yet tried any of thes fixes. I now have 220,000 km on it and it's due for a fluid change anyways.

    My dealer indicates I will need to buy outright a new transmission at a cost of close to $6000 CND installed !!

    I have also been reviewing the manual and there are many presure and low-speed by-pass valves. I'm not a mechanic, but I'm willing to spend a little money on it.
    I'm convinced the Honda mechanics don't understand there own technology, and the factory is brushing off all the problems as 'replace the tranny'.

    ANY feedback would be helpful
  • gregcookgregcook Member Posts: 5
    I just had my transmission replaced for approx. $6k CAN at 225,000km
  • mpbrownimpbrowni Member Posts: 1
    I've got an 06 Civic Coupe approximately 3000 miles. Driving on Hwy 78, it suddenly slipped into neutral and I lost 4th and 5th gear. I drove all the way back to Athens in 3rd gear with the tachometer at 4000 RPM.

    Took it into the local dealer and they claim they can't duplicate the problem. They claim they hooked to computer and no codes came back. It is hard to imagine something this major not being very obvious.

    What happened with your car? and how did the fix it?

    Thanks,

    Mike
  • granny5granny5 Member Posts: 6
    My car is a 2003 and it is presently still at the dealer. So far I have gotten good support from calling the Honda America 1-800 number. Sometimes --even most recently the car would not exhibit the same problems when I took it in or if the technician rode with me and experienced the problem, he could not duplicate it -- no computer code etc. Finally today something showed up and the service manager says that it seems to be the ERG valve not the transmission. I pray that this solves the problem. I will let you know what happens when I return to the dealer to pick up "my baby."
  • buckeroobuckeroo Member Posts: 9
    I have a 2003 HCH with 81K miles. Recently it started to buck when going slowly uphill or starting out from a stop, and in the past few days it got so bad I didn't want to drive the car at all. For example, merging into slow-moving traffic from a stop resulted in such violent bucking I could see pedestrians staring as the car lurched along.

    When this first started I hastily took the car to the dealer, who very kindly kept it overnight so that a tech could drive it home and back the next morning. I was surprised and dismayed to hear them say, "We didn't notice anything". They changed the trans fluid for me anyway, but that didn't help. The car bucked (at least for me leaving the dealership.

    So, when it kept getting worse I decided not to take it back to the dealer (why hear the same thing again?). I searched the internet and found this wonderful forum.

    Several posts mention the EGR valve in conjunction with bucking. I located it under the hood (it's on the left side of the engine, toward the front - a cylindrical object that has wires coming out the top of it). On a whim I disconnected the wires (they clip into a socket, so it's easy to remove and re-attach them) and, VIOLA! No bucking at tall. Just to be sure I re-attached the wires (bucking returned) and detached them again (bucking stopped). Note that with the wires detached, the engine warning light stays on.

    So, tonight I'm removing the EGR valve and am going to attempt to clean it. There are instructions on the internet for cleaning these things rather than replacing them. If that doesn't work I'll purchase a new one (about $130 online) and a new gasket (about $6). The EGR valave is easily accessible, no lift necessary, and is held on by only two standard-looking hexagonal bolts.

    I should mention that at 60K miles we got the "growling shudder" effect when starting from a stop, and after two our 3 trips to the dealer trying various things, Honda replaced the CVT (for free even though the warranty had expired), which fixed it. I'm very grateful to Honda for that, but I think I'm going to trade this baby in for something else (maybe Prius) rather than go with another HCH.
  • dwadlingtondwadlington Member Posts: 8
    I took it to the dealer the next morning. The car drove fine on the way there; I could not get it to repeat the problem. The dealer topped up the transmission fluid but said if they couldn't duplicate the problem there was nothing they could do. They suggested that if it happened again I bring it right in so they can experience the problem. It has not happened since despite my attempts to recreate the effect. I hope this was an anomaly owing to a LONG drive in very hot weather (100 degrees for about five hours) coupled with high-speed driving (70-80mph) while using cruise control. If the problem reappears I'll badger them until they fix it and then trade for a Prius. I will say the dealer was very nice and attentive, and even acknowledged that the '03 CVT had an issue (and had a service bulletin), but mine was the first '06 they had seen with any problem whatsoever.
    Still driving, although with my fingers crossed. I do like the car a lot.
    Peace,
    Derek
  • buckeroobuckeroo Member Posts: 9
    Follow-up to my earlier post (#39):

    I removed the EGR valve, which was very easy. Following instructions I found elsewhere on the internet, I cleaned it out using frist carb cleaner and then WD40. I also cleaned the chambers in the manifold which the EGR valve was attached to. All parts had black soot on them, much of which came off in the cleaning process.

    After re-attaching the EGR valve, the car no longer bucks. The "Check Engine" light went off by itself after driving the car for a while.

    This is great - the car went from practically undriveable to completely normal again with only about $10 spent on cleaning supplies and perhaps 2 hours at most of work. No special tools required, only a socket wrench.

    I'm still going to trade in my 2003 HCH, however, because of the reports of failing transmissions and batteries I read on this forum. It's a nice car but I don't want to spend thousands just to keep it on the road should one or both of these critical systems give out. I got lucky with the EGR valve, but I doubt very much I could fix a transmission start clutch myself, or remove and install a new battery pack!
  • bbb99bbb99 Member Posts: 58
    Wow, makes me feel ripped off now. Honda charged me $260 to replace my EGR valve. It sounds like it didn't need to be replaced, but just cleaned. Congrats to you on saving the money, let us know if the bucking comes back, but I bet it doesn't. I'm thinking about getting rid of my hch for the same reasons as you.
  • granny5granny5 Member Posts: 6
    Dear All 2003 Civic Hybrids with bucking problems.
    I had much the same problems. I also experienced the worst problems when I was driving in very hot muggy weather and went from high speed 70mph to stop and go traffic around road construction. Again trips to the dealer. After two service trips where they couldn't find any problems, they were hoping it was not the transmission, they agreed to keep it over night and see if the tech could replicate it. But the car like some of yours, did not act the same when the tech drove it. I warned him he had better not think it was one of those "women" things. I have had my car for almost 74,000 miles. When the bucking was the worst, it was scary in close traffic. I called Honda America -- see the # in your warranty manuel. After a week in the garage and many, many call back and forth to my "case worker at Honda America" they changed the EGR valve. Hopefully that will do it. Honda America paid for everything including the rental car. "My baby " is back home and I pray that the problem is repaired. I am recently retired and planned to keep this car forever. I have always taken it in for service -- most of the time early-- to the dealer etc. So they had no issues with that. My husband drives a Prius but I am not interested in changing. Hopefully Honda will find the issues and takes care of thm.
    The dealer mentioned that a check engine light came on when they had the car and that Honda doesn't know what the problem is -- so that is documented for my car and I expect that they will follow through. So, my advice is use the 800 number. Granny5
  • bbb99bbb99 Member Posts: 58
    What is the 800 number? Did you have an extended warranty?
    Did you purchase the new at that dealership?
  • granny5granny5 Member Posts: 6
    Honda America's support number -- to be found in your warranty book is 1-800-999-1009. They supported my request because my service record was impeccable as they called it. I went to the dealer for all service needs and therefore used the proper oil etc. Also I was always early for maintenance checks and I had documented the issues with the dealer. They covered the cost of the new EGR or ERG whatever, I am sorry that I don't have the papers in front of me, and the service expenses. I think it would have been a far different matter if I had not been taking the car into the the dealer for all service calls. Good luck.
  • nov10nov10 Member Posts: 2
    Follow up to post #35

    I took my civic to a different dealer and requested a fluid change to resolve Transmission chatter. They ran a full flush with about 12 liter of fluid (not cheap). But this resolved all vibrations and chatter $ 500 vs $6000 seems to be a better deal.
    This dealership recommends a full flush every 60,000 km.
  • garberngarbern Member Posts: 1
    I had my dealer do the flush too. Unfortunately, the chatter started to come back after about 10,000 miles. I probably will continue to do an accelerated service interval on the trans fluid unless Honda agrees to cover the cost of a replacement CVT.
  • bbb99bbb99 Member Posts: 58
    Do you think it will help to do CVT fluid change every 1 year instead of 2 years?
  • gatohausgatohaus Member Posts: 1
    Please tell me if the following is what has been meant by "bucking" in this thread...

    2003, cvt, 54k mi, 44mpg lifetime avg.

    At an absolute minimal amount of throttle, not quite off the pedal, the powertrain seems to flicker, indecisively between two levels causing a mild, but unavoidably noticeable bucking.

    Give it some throttle, the bucking stops instantly. Hit the brake, the bucking stops quickly, not instantly.

    It typically happens when decelerating from moderate to high speeds, or when cruising at very low speeds.

    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.

    So is this the 'bucking' everyone is talking about, with EGR valves and transmission failures?

    The only problem I've had to date is with the gas hatch release. The cable has failed and been replaced 3 times so far.
    On the whole I've been very pleased with the car, though all the mention of cvt trouble worries me.
    Anyone with such a problem check into switching to the manual tranny?

    PS: This problem appeared about 20k mi ago. I don't think it's the regen fluutering on.
  • granny5granny5 Member Posts: 6
    The issue is the EGR valve. When the dealer replaced it the bucking stopped and I am praying that was the source of all my car issues. I also love my hybrid.
  • buckeroobuckeroo Member Posts: 9
    Yes, it does sound just like the "bucking" I had with my '03 HCH with 80K miles. I was able to clean out the EGR valve rather than replace it (described in an earlier post), and the bucking stopped.
Sign In or Register to comment.