10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
83,681 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #169

Jan 022010

Civic

  • 140,000 miles
I was driving to Chicago for a wedding. Went to pass another vehicle on I-55 and when I pushed on the gas pedal the engine revved but the transmission did not catch. Let off the gas and it eventually reengaged. Continued driving and it went downhill from there to the point where the engine was working fine but the transmission would not engage in any gear. Managed to get the car to my destination, but could very easily been stranded in 0 degree weather. Had the car towed and it looks like I need a new transmission. The current mileage of my car is 140K. Went online and discovered that there are hundreds if not thousands of folks who have had the same problem. Honda it seems is aware of the problem but no recall has been issued.

- Peoria, IL, USA

problem #168

Dec 102009

Civic

  • 100,000 miles
2001 Honda Civic transmission failure around 100,000 miles, sudden without warning, could have caused a crash or left me stranded. I have a 6 month old baby that travels in the car and the sudden failure of the transmission could have been fatal.

- Washington, NJ, USA

problem #167

Sep 112009

Civic

  • 98,000 miles
My wife was driving our 2001 Honda Civic (with only 98,000 miles on it) home on the interstate and noticed some slipping as the gears were trying to shift. She managed to get off the highway and coast to a safer location. I then had it towed to Honda where they quoted me a repair price which, even with their "goodwill" offering, was still $700 more expensive than the place I ended up with. I waited and waited for the repairs to be completed but found out that there were no transmissions available in the whole country, for about 8-10 weeks I waited for a transmission just to find out that if I had kept the car at the original Honda location they would have had a transmission available (very mysterious why they wouldn't release any to other places then). In any case, a transmission was finally released to the outside company and the repairs were made...just to find out that it would lock in 4th gear and would have to be ditched. Three months of waiting and aggravation and still no result. Honda does not seem to care whatsoever and in spite of hundreds of complaints by other Civic owners (very, very similar stories) at hondaproblems.com there have been no recalls for the Civic transmission, claiming this is not a safety issue. I believe my wife driving on the interstate with a bad transmission is a safety issue and Honda should most certainly issue a recall as they have done for some of their other lines, e.g. the Odyssey and the Accord. Please help!!

- Nottingham, MD, USA

problem #166

Dec 022009

Civic

  • 86,200 miles
2001 Honda Civic ex transmission failure without warning. I was on the triboro bridge in NY. Without any indication my car died. Nearly got rearended. A Honda transmission going at 86K miles. What a joke.

- Staten Island, NY, USA

problem #165

Nov 292009

Civic

  • 130,000 miles
A 'whirring' noise started coming from the engine compartment. Approximately 40 miles later the car would not travel over 20 mph, we made it safely into a parking lot and shut off the engine. Started the vehicle after it cooled down and would not engage into drive (but would engage in reverse). Transmission needs to be rebuilt. Old part is currently available.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #164

Nov 082009

Civic

  • 101,299 miles
I drive a 2001 Honda Civic ex 101K miles at time of failure. I just found out that this car is notorious for transmission failure with little to no notice. I was turning left in front of oncoming traffic and suddenly my car wouldn't go anywhere. I was lucky that the oncoming vehicles had enough time to stop before they hit me. This also almost caused a secondary accident because a car behind a car that almost hit me had to screech to a halt to keep from hitting the person in front of them. I have not repaired the car yet because I have read about other people having this same problem time and time again with rebuilt or new Honda transmissions on this particular vehicle. This has rendered my vehicle useless because I am not going to pay $3000 to fix a problem that is likely to happen again.

- Honolulu, HI, USA

problem #163

Oct 232009

Civic

  • 91,000 miles
I was driving to work during evening rush hour on a busy interstate. I went to accelerate and nothing happened. My 2001 Honda Civic ex simply revved high in the rpms and then the check engine light came on. I managed to make it to the shoulder before my car completely lost all momentum. The diagnoses from the dealer: Transmission failure. My problem with this is that my car has 91000 miles on it. The transmission shouldn't fail this early on a car, and there are many similar complaints about this particular make and model. There were no major warning signs that I detected; it just happened all of a sudden and put me in a very dangerous situation. If Honda is aware of this defect on this model, they should, if nothing else, be forced to notify owners of the possibility of this happening. Someone will end up getting hurt from this; I am just thankful it wasn't me.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #162

Sep 142009

Civic

  • 120,000 miles
The contact owns a 2001 Honda Civic. While driving 70 mph for a period of 12 miles, the vehicle began to down-shift to 20 mph. He could not accelerate to his intended speed. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 120000.

- Edge Water, FL, USA

problem #161

May 162009

Civic

  • 85,085 miles
While driving up a hill, the car's torque converter failed without warning causing the car to lose power to the wheels. I subsequently had to coast off the road to safety while being passed by traffic. The torque converter had to be replaced at a cost of about $2500.

- Centreville, VA, USA

problem #160

Oct 102009

Civic

  • 28,600 miles
The transmission of my 2001 Honda Civic ex gave out on me on Oct.10, 2009. The car revs but there is no motion. I had to have it towed to my house. I was referred to this website by someone on carcomplaints.com. There have 342 reports so far on the faulty transmission of this particular model. I feel it is a safety hazard because the transmission can go out anywhere (like a freeway) with no warning and cause an accident. I was almost in an accident when my car failed out of nowhere and had to push it to a gas station in traffic. My car shouldn't have this problem because it has 28,000 miles on it and it is 8 and a half years old. It is a design flaw by Honda, which they refuse to admit. Numerous people on carcomplaints.com have contacted american Honda of America and they acted as if they never heard of that complaint and refused to compensate them for the almost $3,000+ it costs to repair the transmission.

- Harbor City, CA, USA

problem #159

Oct 072009

Civic

  • Automatic transmission
  • 118,000 miles
The contact owns a 2001 Honda Civic. While driving 30 mph and making a right turn, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the transmission was in the process of being repaired at an expense of $3000. The manufacturer was notified, but because of high vehicle mileage no assistance was provided. The current and failure mileages were 118,000. Updated 11/23/09 updated 11/24/09.

- Brigeport , CT, USA

problem #158

Sep 302009

Civic

  • 88,737 miles
The transmission on my Honda 2001 Civic failed despite my regular service and maintenance schedule at Honda certified service centers. I am the only owner of the car and can vouch for its top maintenance and oil changes, etc. You expect this not to happen at 88700 miles for a new Honda Civic. Driving home from work and the car would not accelerate. Pulled over and called aaa.

- Santa Clara, CA, USA

problem #157

May 012008

Civic

  • 75,000 miles
Late April/early may of 2008, I noticed that my 2001 Civic was not shifting gears properly. When I tried to accelerate out of a parking lot into traffic, the car's engine was revving up, but I did not gain speed, therefore almost causing a major accident because I could not accelerate to the speed of traffic. The mileage on the car was around 75,000 at that time. Almost a year after paying for the replacement transmission, I have noticed that there are a lot of people with the same issue. I've tried talking to Honda about it, but they refused to accept that their transmissions are faulty. The more I try talking to them, the more excuses they bring up to not compensate for the replaced transmission.

- Owasso, OK, USA

problem #156

Sep 192009

Civic

  • 89,640 miles
No warning tranny failed at 89640 miles on my daughter's 2001 Honda Civic. She was stranded in the middle of the highway & almost got struck by another vehicle.

- Sound Beach, NY, USA

problem #155

May 192009

Civic

  • 110,000 miles
The contact owns a 2001 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph he noticed that the vehicle started to loose power and slow down. The vehicle would then accelerate and shift into gear on its own. He also noticed that the check engine light illuminated when the failure occurred. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop and inspected where it was determined that the transmission was failing. He was given an estimate of $1300 to $2700 to make the repairs. No repairs have been made. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that because the vehicle was not under warranty no compensation would be offered. The failure mileage was 110,000 and the current mileage was 117,000.

- Vista, CA, USA

problem #154

Sep 112009

Civic

  • 150,000 miles
One month ago, 8-14-09, I had my transmission flushed and the fluid replaced. On 9-11-09, the check engine light went on while driving on the freeway. Less than 15 minutes later the transmission failed. Mileage: 150,000 miles.

- Fountain Valley, CA, USA

problem #153

Apr 102007

Civic

  • 128,000 miles
The contact owns a 2001 Honda Civic purchased brand new in 2001. She stated that the SRS airbag light continued to illuminate on the warning panel. She received a recall letter pertaining to the failure. The dealer stated that the vehicle would be repaired in 5 days. She requested a rental vehicle at no cost; however, the manufacturer denied the request. The brakes had been replaced over four times in a period of 4 years which resulted in the struts being damaged. The transmission was replaced twice. The fuel pump, air conditioning system, alternator have also been repaired and the power locks were inoperable. The failure mileage was 30,000 and the current mileage was 128,000.

- Henderson, NV, USA

problem #152

Aug 142009

Civic

  • 54,715 miles
I just bought this 2001 Honda Civic 1 week ago. It has 54,715 miles on it. Like a new car. 1 week later I am stuck on the side of the road. I have it towed to Honda & they tell me transmission failure. This car is basically brand new. Come to find out I'm not alone in this complaint. Almost every review I have read for the 2001 Honda Civic is transmission failure. This needs to be the Honda top priority recall!! I am outraged!

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #151

Dec 222008

Civic

  • 56,020 miles
My husband and I took over the car from his aunt in 10/2005, at 56,020 miles. The car has been well taken care with periodic oil changes and some maintenance. On 12/22/2008, when it was of 82,409 miles, the check engine light was on. This time we did pay some amount for other services but due to financial hardship could not pay for the torque converter replacement, as advised at kolbe Honda at reseda. After the service performance, the check engine light was off. However, on 6/15/2009, we had no choice but to replace the car's transmission and torque converter for $690.69 (on the 70/30 split).

- Oxnard, CA, USA

problem #150

Jul 262006

Civic

  • 158,643 miles
I'm complaining against Honda american Honda motor co, because I have done some research and found out in 2006 there was a class action lawsuit against them for problems with transmissions on Honda and Acura but the 2001 Honda Civic wasn' T included in settlement and I had purchased 2001 Honda Civic brand new since I thought it was a reliable car and lasted a long time and a lot of miles could be put on it. My car's transmission broke down in 7/27/6 at 158,643 miles and I couldn' afford getting dealer to fix I had someone else rebuilt it. I have always taken care of maintenance on my vehicle and never had any sings of this it just left me in a heavy traffic. Since then I have replace my transmission 3 times I have been financially unstable due to my vehicle. I couldn't afford buying another vehicle so I had to borrow to fix transmission I have discovered this is a known issue and there's hundreds of people with same issue and nothing has been done or no recalls it's not fair for all the hardworking people that don't have money to fix something that was a know problem.

- Modesto, CA, USA

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