Honda Civic Hybrid Transmission Problems

sara_in_ct · March 2010

I was wondering if anyone viewing this knows of a CT mechanic that will work on hch transmissions. Our regular Honda mechanic does not have hybrid or transmission experience. His transmission acquaintances do not want to work on a hybrid.

Thanks,
Sara

rikfre · March 2010

I have a very gifted mechanic who is making a nice living rebuilding all the defective transmissions that Honda knowingly has saddled us with. However, he refuses to touch the HCH (CVT) transmission. Since the CVT transmission of the HCH has more in common with motorcycle transmissions than automotive ...perhaps there is a place that repairs motorcycle transmission in your area. They might be able to help you.out. good luck. I am not a technician. :lemon:

andy_by · April 2010

I have found out a cause of defect.
There was a flywheel destruction - Quality of iron the disgusting!!!!
:mad: :mad: :mad: - Here real quality Honda:

rikfre · April 2010

don't hold your breath waiting for Honda to admit anything...! they should be roasted like Toyota for not admitting their defects. Meanwhile, we pay for their defective equipment and manufacturing.

andy_by · April 2010

Yes, it so!

:mad:

becannon · May 2010

After a long drive over the mountains today, I pulled into a parking spot. I couldn't pull out -- my reverse gear appears to be shot. After much pushing against the incline, I was able to back it up enough to confirm that my drive gear works. So I can go forward, but not backward? Among all the online discussion of transmission problems with this model, I haven't read about this particular issue. Any advice? It's a CVT car with just over 100,000 miles.

vette5073 · June 2010

driving down the road heard a loud clunk and then nothing. she will start but wont move been reading alot of blogs heard that they have had problems it has less than 70000 miles on it anyone have a fix. any help will be appreciated thank you for any help.

sara_in_ct · June 2010

Yeah that sounds like what happened to our 2003 HCH. We were driving, heard a clunk, and then couldn't switch gears after we parked it. We thought it may just be an axel but ended up being the transmission (and IMA battery). Not fun stuff.

vette5073 · June 2010

what is the recall # or what ever Honda calls it? My car started to rumble and then I herd a loud clunk then nothing.... I only have 69000 on it. thanks in advance for any help

vette5073 · June 2010

am having same problem with my 2005 hch do you remember what the the curtesy call warranty number was? any help would be great

vette5073 · June 2010

do you now what the recall # is.... my 2005 hch just stopped. engine runs good no forward or reverse. any help would be great

vette5073 · June 2010

could you send me the service bulletins please any having cvt problems with my 2005 hch. thanks for any help you can provide.

Kirstie_H · June 2010

Rather than relying on other members to send you this information, you're better off going here:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallsearch.cfm

to look up known issues related to your specific vehicle. Some of the recalls/service bulletins are specific to trim level, or even which manufacturing facility it came from, so one person's service bulletin may not apply to your vehicle. The link I provided is for recalls, but on the left-hand side of that page, there's a link to technical service bulletins and other info.

rikfre · June 2010

as far as I know ( and I have looked very well) the only recall for this defective transmission was in Japan. Here n the States you got an extension of the transmission warranty until 105,000 miles. my advice to you is to get rid of the car. Honda fitted the HCH with a CVT transmission that is not a good fit for it( and they know it too). as a result, transmission failures and dealership abuse.

scv1684 · June 2010

i have an 03 HCH:

1 - Go to take off at a light the drive light blinks, car creeps forward enought to pull into a parking lot and will not go in D or R. The teeth on the flywheel where it goes onto the shaft were ground almost totally smooth. $686 for the new flywheel and install. The car had 110k so no warranty to cover it. 4 months later the damn thing starts slipping again.

2. The slipping keeps up, then an awful grinding noise on take off. The tranny eventually dies. The honda dealership wanted $3900, of course the warranty has run out, i call honda of america after a week of fighting tooth and nail with them they will not budge or cover any of the cost. I tell the dealership to not even bother taking the transmission apart and to shove it. Took it to a former honda tech who has his own shop (he left because of the way the dealership was run ie - shady. And he said good luck getting anywhere with honda). At a way more reasonable $1000 i get another trans. installed, flushed it the whole nine yards. This was last september.

3. The grinding noise has not (knock on wood) come back. The slippage and "bucking bronco" action , especially braking or letting off the accelerator going down a hill, has returned in the last couple months. KNOCK ON WOOD AGAIN i now have 202K on this :lemon: (this car has been driven a lot for the last few years, and sadly i still owe $1900 on the loan) As far as i've read on here that is a small miracle. The CEL is on (im assuming o2 sensor or cat), the side airbag light comes on and off now and then, it jerks it bucks and right around 2k - 2200rpm when my foot is on the gas i hear a chattering, it almost sounds like a valve, but im going out a limb and going to guess it's the pos transmission.

. I refuse to put any more money into it save for tires, brakes, and the usual oil change. I may take it back to my mechanic to take a look at it and maybe to the burnishing or whatever fancy bs word honda calls it. Maybe have him check the flywheel also and see what condition it's in. My 94 accord ran fine save for the cruise control and took to the turbocharging i did to it just fine. My wife and i severely regret buying this vehicle. I am considering after a year now to call honda again and make some sort of formal complaint. Their customer service is downright revolting and rude, both at honda of america AND the dealership. I will drive it until it dies and part the rest out or something and try and make some money off of what i can, or try a motor/trans swap from a regular civic. KNOCK ON WOOD (again) that it lasts until the rest of the $1900 of the loan is paid off. DO NOT purchase any year or model civic hybrid, maybe just don't purchase a newer honda period, get an early to mid 90's accord, crx or civic, less headache cheap to fix if something breaks, and quite honestly damn near the same highway MPG as this headache has been. I will NEVER again buy any sort of hybrid vehicle period. As far as i'm concerned i will consider it a trap to suck more money out of consumers in the form of expensive repairs, until the technology is far more reliable and proven. If i ever buy another honda it will be an older accord or civic hatchback, as far as i'm concerned they've lost a customer for life. Shame on you honda :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:

hawks3 · June 2010

We all here ya.... I hope that Honda soon gets what they have given...

rikfre · June 2010

Honda is running on past glories. their vehicles have become garbage. they do not care about their customers. I do not care if Honda puts out a vehicle with 1000mpg, I will NEVER buy another Honda again. Yes, and I agree with with that reply. I sincerely hope that Honda will reap what they sow.

targettuning · June 2010

While I agree that Honda is basking in the sun of former glory and that their recent products are not what they used to be..I own a 2006 Civic that had premature failures of both rear shocks @ less than 4K miles and wear out of front seat cushion fabric @ less than 8K miles + other misadventures and TSB's required. But, while it has become evident that Honda does NOT build a "state of art in technology" or even a reliable hybrid vehicle please don't paint all hybrid cars with a Honda tainted brush. Toyota and Ford both build state of the art hybrids and in the case of Toyota I believe the Prius has been well proven over many years and many customer miles. I am not a a "Greenie" nor a rabid get "off oil entirely" person nor do I own any hybrid vehicle but I do believe the technology does work, given the right manufacturer. Too bad Honda ain't it!!!

hybridbuzz · June 2010

Does anyone else have experience with this. Car runs and drives fine; no warning or software lights...just a constant buzzing. None in Park or Neutral
Dealer doesn't know; just said "have to replace the transmission". slight change in mileage at Freeway Driving mileage was 45-46 now 42-44.
142,000 miles total. Always used for commuting . slight rough shift when 1st placed into drive.

luvhatehybrid · June 2010

I don't know the answer but before I had to have my transmission replaced it hummed, then sorta "whirred" as I accelerated. Almost a whining sort of noise. I just thought it was hilarious what you posted though. Dealer doesn't know; just said "have to replace the transmission". Ha! I think they put them through Honda training and say, ok, now the only thing you have to know how to say to graduate is "HAVE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION". Get away from a dealership and find someone who has a better reputation, they're all snakes, crooks and liars at the dealerships. Run away!

bsouza · July 2010

Yes. I just took my 05 in today with 124K on the OD for a whining noise when in drive (does not whine when in p,n or r) Service rep said it is an internal problem and needs a new tranny for $3K, He said the diagnoses came up clean aswell as the fluids and flywheel. They washed it for me and charged me 60 bucks, most expensive car wash i ever got. Wish i knew about these problems with the trany before hand, never would of bought one.....

rikfre · July 2010

Honda knows they put a defective transmission into the HCH. In Japan there was a recall, but not here in the States. They knowingly manufacture defective components into their vehicles which allow the Dealerships to leverage these defects into big bucks. Honda is an evil entity whose products I will never purchase. They should be completely investigated just like Toyota. :lemon:

nypeach · July 2010

I, too, am hearing a whining noise every time I put my 2004 HCH in drive. The mechanic at the dealership said I need a new converter(???) at a cost of $2599. What the heck is a converter and what does it do? I hate this car.

vette5073 · August 2010

I have had my CVT out of the car once and am taking it back out again as we speak. If thier talking about a Torque converter the cvt does not have one. My dealer said they don't work on the CVTs they just replace them. For 2599. they are replacing the whole transmission because that is the price they gave me when they wanted to change out mine.I found a guy in New York that rebilds them with up dated parts.

rikfre · August 2010

I would like to know how to contact this location that rebuilds CVT...phone number would be great.

rikfre · August 2010

thanks. I despise going to the dealerships.. all they do is leverage manufacturing defects into big bucks. As a result the dealerships and Honda have been abusing their customers. I sure hope that one day they get thoroughly investigated just like Toyota.

vette5073 · August 2010

RAMI TRANSMISSIONS,ENGINES&PARTS I had posted the phone number and it was removed, I am not aloud to post phone numbers. send me an email or something off this forum and I will give you the phone number.

filmo · August 2010

I have a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid with 124,000 miles on it (SoCal commute driving). I hear a noise, sounds like a bad bearing in the tranny. Dealer tells me they have to get a new tranny from Honda and the Honda will not sell to anyone but dealers. They say tranny can not be opened up or rebuilt and it's a $ 5000 job to replace. Are there any alternatives or is dealer telling the truth ? filmo

nypeach · August 2010

I was told the same thing by my dealership in Georgia. But the mechanic at Mr. Transmission said they can get me a used one and do the job for $2500. He said the tranny cannot be opened or rebuilt; whole thing has to be replaced.

filmo · August 2010

Thank you nypeach. Is Mr. Transmission a retail chain? I haven't heard of it in California.

nypeach · August 2010

yes it is. not sure if they have them in California, but they are big on the East Coast. In any case, I am hopping mad that I bought this lemon and Honda plans to dodge any responsibility. Like everyone else on this message board, I've had my fill of Honda. And I've made sure to tell everybody I know about this experience. Good luck.

rikfre · August 2010

the dealerships want to keep you there. I would call transmission shops around your area and ask if the repair CVT transmissions for your model year. I bet there are a few tranny shops making a nice living off of HONDAS flaws. I know of one such place in my area that repaired my Odyssey trans nicely at a very good price and they are starting to get into CVT's now. I have seen rebuilt CVT trans online in web sites that cater to mechanics. get on that phone...start calling.

kellya29 · August 2010

Hi, if anyone can help me I would appreicate it. My car is at 62,000 miles. It is covered under warranty extension 07-049 and 07-050. The start clutch was replaced and that did not fix anything. The dealer says it is the belt and that I need a new transmission at my own cost. Can someone tell me if they had their transmission replaced under the warranty extention 07-050? He said that a new replacement transmission does not apply to my car. Also, does anyone know where I can get the entire service bulletin?? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you!

rikfre · August 2010

my clutch was replaced under the warranty. sounds to me like this dealership is looking to make some $$$$$$..!

kellya29 · August 2010

They replaced the clutch assembly under warranty but he said it was "worse than before"..now states it is the belt. If anyone has information on the belt and this extended warranty it would be appreciated. Thank you.

blondie49 · August 2010

Where did you get a new transmission for $800? Mine is out of warranty and the IMA is going out also. I have a 2003 civic hybrid and I guess I have to count my blessings that this is the first major problem I've had but they're telling me that parts alone are close to $6,000 for the transmission and the IMA and in this economy all I can say is YIKES!

hsalazar · August 2010

5 speed will not shift in to reverse gears ok but shifter will not go into slot. every one tells me i need to replace the trans???????

hsalazar · September 2010

my experience? NO ESPECIALLY IF YOU OWN A CIVIC HYBRYD :cry

tedd50 · September 2010

Just got my car back today from dealer, new trans & flywheel, price $3492.02. In Jan 2010 I spent $1,164.75 to get the flywheel replaced for the 2nd time (flywheel/flexplate). This time I noticed fluid leaking when I was changing the motor oil. The car had started to make a whinning noise. Dealer said time for a new trans. I went to the Honda Referee last time. Honda paid 1/2. The dealer said they good faithed me around $1000 this time. I'm thinking I may go back to the ref again. Dealer replaced IMA at around 120,000 miles. Said the IMA was warranted for 150,000. My car has 140,000 miles on it now. Almost $2,700.00 for the tranny, and $575.19 for labor, $222.00 for tax.

sgssummer · September 2010

I WOULD DISAGREE. MY O3 IS AT 200,000 MILES AND I CAN TELL YOU EVERY 60,000 TO 70,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION GOES OUT AND HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED. HONDAS CVT TRANSMISSION IS GARBAGE.

hch_doctor · September 2010

Hello, I am a new poster on this site. I own a 2008 HCH with 75,000 miles. For the last 10,000 miles, the transmission has been making noise when in drive.and a little noise when in reverse. It doesn't make noise in neutral or park or when in Idle Stop mode. The noise started out as a buzzing noise that was barely noticeable. Month after month, it got louder and louder until I came back from a long road trip and noticed a clunking noise in addition to the buzzing. This prompted me to put the car on the lift and pull the transmission. I have never read about anyone who has taken their tranny apart to see what went wrong, so I did it. The bearing which supports the drive pulley on the input side of the tranny came apart. This bearing spins at the same speed as the engine when the tranny is in drive and has a lot of load on it from the belt. I don't think the bearing is heavy-duty enough to operate reliably with regular loads. It has no pressurized lubrication and ultra-thin transmission fluid just splashes on it."> Also, you can't buy this bearing by itself, it comes with the intermediate plate and that costs around $1900 (USD). I haven't been able to get to the bearing supply store yet, but when I do, I will find a better quality bearing and put it all back together. I have pictures of this bearing and the rest of the inside of the tranny but I don't know how to post them here. They are on my facebook page. I don't know how to invite people to my facebook, so I'll give you my yahoo address. Whitemike4u Look me up on facebook using that email address.

rikfre · September 2010

it sounds to me that you have found plenty of evidence to make Honda do a long overdue recall of ths very defective HCH transmission (like they did in Japan). If they don't they should be investigated by the government just like they did to Toyota :lemon: .

hch_doctor · September 2010

I wonder if the NHTSA (national highway traffic safety administration) would have any interest in hearing about this defect. Anything that causes a car to unexpectedly lose power can cause a loss of control. While I haven't heard of many problems with belt breakage or catastrophic failure, they have occurred. Toyota's latest recall was about a solder connection that can break, causing the engine to shut off in certain models. The govt made them recall that after only a few reports. My car still ran and drove great when I pulled the tranny and the gas mileage was still about 38-40 mpg city and 42-46 highway. I haven't had the 'shudder' problem. When I looked at the belt, it appeared to be in perfect condition. No discoloration, pitting or wear whatsoever. There wasn't even a mark or wear sign between the pulleys where the belt rides. That metal must be incredibly hard. I delivered pizzas in this car... and I wasn't nice to it at all. In total, I put 33,000 miles on it delivering pizzas (I keep a log for tax purposes).

ovationgirl · October 2010

The transmission issue has been listed by Honda as a "known defect" for at least three years. I have been able to pull out my ignition key in drive from the get go, and have had my 2003 Honda civic hybrid into the dealership for transmission gear switching issues since I hit 50,000 miles. The car now has albout 135,000 mils and the trnsmission which had continued to give me issues, despite me maintaining it with all oil changes etc, totally died last November and we have been figuring out what to do. I think we hybrid ownbers with automatic transmissions are owed he same recall other civic owners are. Anybody for a class actiopn suit on them???
Sara

ovationgirl · October 2010

I am wondering about all of this. I was in and out of my dealership beginnning in 2003 as my car would not go back into gear if I had to suddenly slow down, as when you get behind a schoolbus on a freeway on ramp. It would just not get up to speed and created a dangerous situation. Meanwhile other issues included never having the warning signal go off when you opened the door and the key was in the ginition, leading to a lot of lockouts, being able to remove my key in drive(sam as the currently recalled civics, all except our hybrids), and having my entire under drive overing opull off, including eventually the bumper, as it sat way too low for normal parking lots etc.
Now my transmission has totally died, I drove it with all the errors, as it was never recalled, instead all problems were listed by honda bulletins as "known defects" which meant I had to pay, yet many times my dealer never let me know of these issues which could have lead to less problems later on. Now my transmission has totally died with 130000 plus miles on it, and I have made all service work on it. But I do feel we are being wronged to be excluded from this August 2010 recall. I honestly want Honda to either pay for a new transmission for my curretn 2003 hybrid or pay a good chunk twoards a new honda for me. I saw thre was a class action towards warranty extenson on our transmissions. Did any of you get any notification of this. I surely did not. I don't know where to start but would appreciate any links to point me in the right direction.
Thank you all--
Sara

rikfre · October 2010

Honda recalled the HCH "03 CVT transmission in Japan, but not here. they knew it was defective from get go. My '02 Odyssey has the same problem, and they knew it had a defective transmission...it's in the owners manual..!!! they slapped a bad-aid repair that did not work (the tranny by-pass lines) I had to shell out 3000usd to get it repaired properly by a transmission shop that is making a very nice living fixing Honda transmissions. the dealerships and Honda corporate have a nice thing going.,,they manufacture defective vehicles (and deny the defect or allow a partial repair) and the dealership takes you to the cleaners by way of complicating a repair. Honda doesn't care about their customers. they are living in the past. I will never buy anything made by Honda again. At least Toyota stands by their products and customers..!

200sxvshonda · October 2010

look last night my trans died at a redlight i didnt even know till the light turned green and the car didnt move all itdid waas rev up. need help wat do yall think it is. shop said they had a similar car do the same thing said the torque converter was stripped . the car didnt even give me a warning or nothin it was runnin fine. please comment with ur advice. oh my car has 127,000 miles chck engine light came on and the drive light was blinking

rikfre · October 2010

what can I say. If the transmission was properly maintained..this should not happen. The transmission is defective..they know it..and now they will try to sell you another. If I were you (not knowing where you live) I would hit the phone book and see if you can find a nearby transmission shop that can fix CVT transmissions. Good Luck

200sxvshonda · October 2010

see im a nissan man thats what i race and build my girl bought this cause she dont know no better i was in prison lol and when it comes to cars she thought she was gettin a good car see i dont mess with hondas anyway but im glad this forum is here cause it really help i took it to the shop yesterday they called this morning and told me they gonna replace the clutch and flex plate he already knew bout the shaft strippin so i was surprised cause i aint gonna keep buyin trans especially knowin what i know now besides that though i love the car rides good this the first time its givin me any problems i mean i gotta a lot of work im gonna do to it i already cause a bangin [non-permissible content removed] system in it im tryin to hook the first hybrid up here where im from Milledgeville, Ga but i should have it back tomorow if not monday the tab $897 lol hey do u know if a system will affect the hybrid part in the long run let me know something preciate it

tedd50 · October 2010

That same thing has happened twice to me. The first time, I back up about six feet, put the car in drive, nothing happened. The 2nd time, I had gotten on the freeway, and was accelerating into the fast lane and it let go. Both times it was the flex plate that goes between the engine and trans. The flex plate is bolted to the motor, and drives the tranny through splines that go over the input shaft on the tranny. Both times the splines in the center of the flex plate disintergrated. Around 138000 I had to put in a new trans. It started making a noise, the dealer said it needed a new trans, that cost $3,480.00. I heard years ago that honda ran forever. Now I know better.

Honda Civic Hybrid Transmission Problems

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