2003 Civic Hybrid CVT tr, slipping noise

I'm having the EXACT same slipping problem. I got my 2003 civic hybrid new in 2002. I had to get the catalytic converter replaced at 40,000. Around 50,000, the transmission started having the slipping noise Mike described. As he said, it got gradually worse, so eventually I took it in to the dealer. They said "oh, yeah, there's a special bulletin on that problem."

So they burnished my transmission fluid (or band?) and then *charged me for it* because the warranty doesn't cover fluid replacements. I argued with them because I feel like any unscheduled maintenance that involves a special bulletin ought to be covered under my warranty regardless of whether or not it involves replacing fluids. No luck.

The slipping went away for a couple thousand miles but then it came back again. Am I really supposed to get my tranmission fluid replaced and burnished every 3,000 miles?!! So, I waited to do anything about it until my 65,000 mile scheduled maintenance. I took it to the dealership but they wanted to charge me $400 for the scheduled maintenance! I called a local and reputable mechanic and he quoted me $115. So, I took it to the local mechanic. Everything was cool for a little bit, but then low and behold, it started coming back again!

I don't know what to do. Should I trade this thing in before it gets any worse? From other people's posts, it sounds like I could have regular problems with my catalytic converter and this CVT transmission will likely continue to give me trouble.

OH! And I forgot to mention I've had to take it into the dealership three times because the SRS light keeps coming on for no reason!!!

Don't get me wrong. I've loved the smooth ride and great gas mileage. But, I don't want to end up with an expensive clunker!!

"A shudder or Judder up to 15 mph requires honda to Drain and Burnish
the 2003-2005 honda hybrid CVT CLUTCH.Honda will check the EGR valve
during this service too. Honda tech article# ATS06070"

Okay, that's what it was. I *paid* Honda to do that (because fluids are not covered under the warranty). But, it only fixed the problem for about three thousand miles. I had it done again during my routine maintenance and again it only fixed the problem for a few thousand miles. If that is the only solution Honda has to offer, it isn't a solution at all.

I've been reading up on CVTs in general and I saw that CVTs that rely on rubber belts have a history of developing slipping/shudder problems as the belts wear and stretch. Supposedly, newer CVTs are using metal belts that don't stretch. Anybody know what the Civic Hybrid uses? If it is rubber, maybe the solution is just to get a fresh one put on. Any ideas?

I have a 2003 HCH I bought in early 2003 that has about 60K miles. I have the same problem. It started at about 45K, after not having the fluid changed at 30K miles (I'm good with routine maintenance, done by a local garage, but that one was unexpected, and I missed it) My honda dealer (which BTW, is not the same one I bought it at) replaced the fluid at no extra charge to me at 50K miles. The problem has returned. I brought it back in, and they said that since I came in, a couple others had come in with the same problem. They are going to replace my starter clutch, and Honda is paying for it. At this point the starter clutch is back-ordered, so I am waiting for it. I am very happy at this point with the way my honda dealer has treated me.

Please address all concerns of power loss and surging due to faulty CVT transmission parts and the EGR valve in the civic hybrid to the national highway safety agency at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/ . The following has been copied and pasted from the link.

By Phone

Call the DOT Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 and a NHTSA representative will record your complaint information.

General Information

Your complaint information will be entered into NHTSA's vehicle owner's complaint database and used with other complaints to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.

If a safety-related defect exists in a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment, the manufacturer must fix it at no cost to the owner. Your complaint is the first step in the process.

Government engineers analyze the problem. If warranted, the manufacturer is asked to conduct a recall. If the manufacturer does not initiate a recall, the government can order the manufacturer to initiate a recall.

We do not have to receive a specific number of complaints before we look into a problem. We gather all available information on a problem. Your complaint is important to us.

I just received the April 2007 Consumer Reports.

On page 83 they explain their reliabilty ratings:

[INDENT][/INDENT]"Because problem rates in some trouble spots are very low, we do not assign a (black circle) or (half black circle) unless the model's problem rate exceeds 3 percent. If a problem rate is below 2 percent, it will be assigned a (half red circle). If a problem rate is below 1 percent, it will be assigned a (red circle)."

The Civic Hybrid reliability information is listed on page 87. Under transmission, the '03 model has a (half black circle), the '04 - '05 models have (half red circle) and the '06 model has a (red circle). So, at least 3% of '03 HCH owners have had a problem with their transmission. Did Honda make a transmission change between '03 and '04?

Interestingly, the regular '03 Honda Civic sedan rates higher in some areas than the Hybrid. I thought they were virtually identical.

Of course, compared to other manufacturers, you won't find very many "black marks" in the Honda line up. On page 25 they list the predicted liability by make. Toyota and Honda are tied at the top, followed by Scion, Acura and Lexus (all brand mates!).

I hope that when Consumer Reports subscribers complete their upcoming reliability questionnaire that the transmission trouble spot does not slide to a (black circle).

I have an '03 HCH and have had the fluid change/burnishing procedure done as a "courtesy warrantee". My brother also has an '03 HCH and has had the same procedure, too. So far, so good. I'm glad I got an 80K Honda extended warrantee.

I really think Honda owes all of us 1st generation owners a free repair when they find a permanent solution to this problem.

"The easier solution is to replace the Transmission fluid more frequently than called by the service schedule."

It would be nice if Honda could issue a "paper" schedule for the recent models that rely entirely on the maintenance reminder, with a disclaimer or whatever it takes. MSantos, do you have any links or info on this.

I wish I knew of any "refund" examples to comfort you. Instead, the examples I know of are likely to do just the opposite - in part because many folks decided to not take the high road and burnt a few bridges along the way.

Have you spoken to a consumer advocate or lawyer yet?
If not, and until you do, I suggest that you collect as much information (as you probably have already) in terms of receipts, complaint dates, etc, as possible.
Also, try to remain cordial to the service personnel, for a hard as that may be, and write a few letters to you local or regional Honda office. Be VERY assertive, accurate in the description of your problems, and most of all... avoid demonstrations of anger - document everything they say.
In the meantime look up a consumer advocate or a specialized lawyer and just to find out what your odds are.

I do know of instances where the manufacturer offered a credit towards the purchase of a newer model. This (and others) may be an adequate negotiating route especially if you have willingness & energy to exploit these types of opportunities.

Please PM me if you wish additional details or clarifications.

Good luck;

MSantos

Thank you so much for this post.

When my HCH was in warranty I experienced the same problem and like everyone else, I had the CVT fluid changed. Again, like everyone else, it solved the issue for a few thousand miles; twice. Now at just over 50K miles and feeling the slipping again, I am also experiencing a dangerous jerking when starting off from a stop light while the AC is on. I have to turn off the AC, take off from the stop light and then turn it back on. Even then, there seems to be a strain to get up to speed, the battery is at half life and the mileage is way down. I also read the post about the batterying dying overnight. I think this has also started to occur.

This post may allow me to get to the root of the problem much more efficiently and the replies may give me recourse Honda does not resolve the issues to my satisfaction.

Good luck with your issue.

Jeanne

I received an official warranty extension notice about this from Honda in the mail today. I've been noticing the "judder" in my '03 HCH for a few months now. I kept hoping it would just go away. :o But, since Honda says they will fix it for free, I guess I'll be taking my car in for service soon as I can! And, yes, the judder is just killer-bad on hills. Fortunately, living in the San Fernando Valley here in LA, I can easily avoid hills. Leastwise until this issue is fixed. :eek:

Out of stupid curiosity, does this problem affect MPG achieved?

On another note, sometimes (if I'm lucky!) I don't get the judder at all. But, most times it's there, all right. Not sure if how strongly one accelerates from a stop makes any difference.

Oh, and if you had paid to get this issue fixed, they're also apparently offering a refund. Instructions came with the notice detailing how to go about getting reimbursed. So, check your mail, folks! :)

Thanks for the info, Jeanne!

So far I haven't noticed any grinding sound, just a shaky vibe when I start to move from a full stop. No hesitation/lurching/jerking (thank heavens!). I'll try to keep a more sensitive ear out for any grinding noise.

I'm going to take it into my Honda dealership soon as I can. I depend on my car (and it's my only car) for a lot, as do most people, I imagine, so being a full day without it is tough. I can only hope my dealership provides loaners. Otherwise I may have to take a day off work.

My car has only 25,000 miles on it, so I assume this is a problem of age and not miles driven?

Yum, cigarette reek! :(

Sounds like my problem is not near as severe as I've been reading from your post and others. Fro example, I drove it around a good amount of time yesterday, and only noticed the judder (maybe I don't know what "judder" really is?) and vibrations about half the time, or so. But I'll still have it looked at soon. Maybe they can "nip it in the bud" before it gets any worse in my case.

Hey Pete,

I went to Commonwealth Honda in Lawrence, MA. It's just off 495. There was snow on the ground (Fri), and how they were able to differentiate between judder/slippage and tire spin I don't know, but they did say my CVT had the problem.

I've got an '05 w/ 55k.

Good luck.

I bought my 04 Hybrid new in May '04, it currently has around 48k on the clock. I've been very happy with it, often getting mileage as high as 60mpg for an entire tank in the late spring / early summer and not dropping below 40 even in miserably cold conditions.

Within the last ten thousand miles I started to notice a lag between accelerating and getting power and frequently a thud when it did finally kicked in. Similarly, taking my foot off the accelerator would have a delay before the charge cycle started and often quite a deceleration tug. The problem decreased some after the 40k service, but never totally went away. Then I noticed a creaking noise when accelerating at low speed.

A couple weeks ago I received a notice from Honda telling me they needed to check the CVT for problems with the starter clutch. Last week I took it in and they confirmed it had a judder while starting, which was enough for them to order the parts. I mentioned the other issues I was having and when I got it back after they'd looked at it, the power lag and charging problems had gone, replaced instead with a whirring noise when above 30 with a periodicity that increases with speed until around 50, when it either gets covered by the normal road noises or has gone. I also started to notice the judder issue, which may just be because I now know to look for it.

Anyway, today I dropped my car in for the CVT repair, I hope this fixes things, but pessimism is now a constant.

Josh;

I would only consider the car if you have access to its maintenance history. This means that it must have been maintained at a Honda dealership and therefore it has a pretty good chance of being a well maintained vehicle. Good maintenance in these cars means much more than just changing the oil and the tires and it includes all the hardware and software recalls that have been released since 2004.

I would also get a CarFax report to make sure it is neither a salvage nor flood car. There are too many of these being auctioned to and sold by unethical dealers. :(

If it is a manual transmission car I would check to see if the traction battery has been changed/replaced. If it has not, please add almost $5000 to the $10,000 and see if that is too high for you. If you decide it is OK, please commit to keep the car for a long time as this may be the only way to justify the up-front $15,000 price tag.

If it is a CVT car, then the battery is less of a problem but then I would seek to have the CVT looked at just to be sure.

Finally, even if the car is out of warranty you can still have it serviced at any Honda dealership (actually, you should as Honda hybrid techs are the only ones truly qualified to work on these cars).

Cheers;

MSantos

Since it is a CVT equipped vehicle then the odds are favorable for you. This means that the battery pack may still have much life left in it. Add a clean CarFax and a maintenance book with maintenance details and that makes it a much more palatable deal.

Under those conditions I would budget enough after purchase money for an inspection and compliance visit with the best Honda dealership you can find in your area. Have them report on the car and perform any applicable updates, recalls or needed maintenance - starting with a review of the cat converter, O2 sensors, EGR valve and CVT fluid replacement. Under these terms they should also offer a warranty for any work they do which should help ease any of your fears for the long run.

In any case, let us know if you decide to go for it.

Cheers;

MSantos

Once again, great service from you! Thanks!

How much are new battery packs? Also, we checked on the warranty information and it is like two or three grand for only a few years. Would it be beneficial to do that? The warranty apparently does not even cover the battery packs! How do we know how much life it left in them?

So other than the battery packs (which I assume are completely different than the 12V battery near the engine -- they are mounted under the rear seat, correct?) this CHC requires the same care and maintenance as any other vehicle? Is that correct to assume?

Thanks;
Josh

Hey MSantos - once again, thanks for all your help.

I was reading another post on this website, and it said that the CA govt ensures that the hybrid battery will last till 150k miles, and if not, they are forced to replace it. Is this true/where can I find out more about this?

Thanks;
Josh

Unfortunately, I have a Hibryd too. I had problems since the very beginning: transmission,battery..
I will vener again buy another Honda .The so called extended warranty is so limited and not practical, at all. You must have your car on the shop for at least one day and it has to be verfied by
American Honda. My Toyota was so simple. You took it in you got a rental if you did not want to wait for the whole day. No questions asked. It was a given that your Penske,extended warraty,would cover anything. The only reason why I got this piece if junk was the trunk. The Prius does not have one.

The whole idea of a Hybrid was so overrated. The maintenance is expensive and as we all know the mileage is not what they promised. You can almost get the very same mileage from a small
regular car and save money with lower maintenace.
sorry to sound so pesimistic but it is my reality.

Well this is a really helpful topic for cvt owners

i have a honda city 2k3 with cvt, there is kind of grinding noise from the transmission when the car is in reverse gear, the noise only comes when the brake pedal is pushed while in reverse gear and vanished as soon as i release the brake pedal. The noise seems like to be a result of some vibration.

Any help would be appreciated.

Regrads.

I have an '05 HCH, and my CVT hesitates between "gears" sometimes. If I floor it (which is probably a bad idea) sometimes the CVT doesn't engage after "1st" and the RPM will shoot up and I have to take my foot off the gas. Sometimes it will hesitate cold too, and jerk into gear.

After reading through this (the first posts at least) I think that it could be a combo of the belt, CVT clutch, and needs a fluid change (it's due).

My second problem is that sometimes when I reverse, and then go forward, I heard metallic clicks that come from the front. It's worse when it's cold. It almost disappears when it's warm (I only noticed it once since it got warmer). Sometimes it also happens when I turn. My friend said that it sounded like CV joints, but she's not familiar with HCH's. Anyone have this happen?

please email me if you know, I might not find my way back here;
falkedernacht37@aol.com

My 2003 Civic Hybrid has the same problem mentioned by everyone else. Has had 3-4 fluid flushes and the burnishing. They burnished it a second time when I just brought it in and called to say it was fine, I told them "NO, it is definitely NOT fine to have this much trouble with a Honda transmission at 80,000!! I'm not picking my car up until you guys really fix it. I don't want another patch up job so that it can break again as soon as the warranty is over. I want a new transmission."
They are currently installing a rebuilt transmission. A compromise I guess. But if I have a single problem with it I'm going right back and tell them to take the piece of shit out of my car and maybe they should stop selling bogus parts to people and making their cars unreliable. Honda's reputation for quality and reliability is why people purchase these vehicles. But the newest crop of Hondas, other models too, not just Hybrids, have SERIOUS problems with them. I hope word gets out and Honda is pressured into better customer service, into making better parts, and into making right what they have done wrong.

~~One VERY IMPORTANT thing:

****DO NOT LET HONDA CHARGE YOU FOR ANY REPAIRS TO FIX YOUR TRANSMISSION SLIPPING/JUDDER!!!!!!!!!!!! ***********

There is a service bulletin out for these hybrid vehicles, especially the 2003 one. Our service bulletin clearly says that Honda is responsible for the defects and that since SO many people have complained, they are fixing them FOR FREE UNTIL 100,000 miles!

*****IF YOUR DEALER CHARGED YOU ANYTHING FOR TRANS FLUID OR FLUSH OR BURNISH YOU SHOULD CONTACT HONDA FOR A REFUND. ******

THE DEALER RIPPED YOU OFF B/C HE FIGURES YOU WONT KNOW ABOUT THE BULLETIN, since they obviously don't publicize them, and lie about them through omission to their loyal customers. If a dealer charged you even a "deductible' (or made you pay half, anything) you deserve a refund. ALL WORK ON THIS PROBLEM IS DONE FOR FREE AND A LOANER VEHICLE IS TO BE PROVIDED FOR ALL TIME THEY HAVE YOUR CAR!!!! (they put me in a Toyota RAV4- I think it's ironic that they'd give me a TOYOTA to drive when my HONDA IS BROKEN- way to go showing off how your competition is more reliable!!! STUPID. and they totally stuck-it-to-me by giving me an SUV- kinda funny though, to make someone w/a hybrid drive an SUV loaner car- I've already put as much gas in it as I would use in 2 weeks in my car- I hope it's done very soon!) If you give your dealer money, expecting that he is being honest, think again, do research and PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST LYING DEALERSHIPS!! They will charge you double or triple what the actual cost is for them, or for that matter, what you would pay if you went to an honest mechanic not a dealership. THEY KEEP ALL YOUR MONEY-- they can put it right in their pocket and buy their wife some nice jewelry that evening... because they've already submitted your claim to HONDA, it is NOT YOUR EXTENDED WARRANTY, even if you have NO WARRANTY- HONDA IS REQUIRED TO FIX YOUR VEHICLE IF IT IS UNDER 100,000 miles.

I have been on many sites where people reported paying thousands of dollars to repair this problem... It makes me angry that they are being ripped off by honda. It makes me think really low of Honda that they'd ALL KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM (from the bulletin- your dealer DOES KNOW) but try to lie to their customers that they don't know and then CHARGE THEM for the manufacturer's faulty design!! I am SO SO SO lucky that my dealer was SORTA honest. It took me 2 years and many trips there, but they did the fluid changes for free and the burnishing. I'm sure they would have NEVER told me about the bulletin, that it wasn't just me, or that Honda could repair the entire trans for free, but my persistence paid off! I finally confronted a tech in their service department. I told him that I was tired of being lied to and that I knew that there was a big problem with my transmission. That I had known about it since I bought the car, just because of the feel and the noise. I had faith in them for a while and listened to their bullshit, but I told him I was done and they need to be straight with me. THAT'S when they told me about the bulletin... which made me think- HOLY CRAP I GOT A LEMON! They also told me "not enough people have complained, so we don't have to do a recall, but if people complain we can fix it for free. Great way to sweep it under the carpet so that the American public doesn't find out about it!! This information, coupled with their attitude of "oh well, not ENOUGH of our cars suck to recall the ones that do" made me start digging into the problem- that's when I realized what a BIG problem it really is. I've gotten more and more angry the more I look into this- and other Honda defect horror stories! WHAT THE HELL~!?! I am just TOTALLY DISGUSTED WITH HONDA.

I have had many Hondas, my mother and I both have only owned Hondas for a while. Even her motorcycle and my brother's dirt bike are honda!!!!! I've gotten WELL OVER 100,000 with no problems, and only had to replace minor wear and tear things well into the upper 100,000s.

However, I can ASSURE you, I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER HONDA VEHICLE, PART OR ANY OTHER PRODUCT MADE BY HONDA!!

I am also telling everyone I know how crappy they are and that they should never get a honda hybrid especially. I even tell random customers that chat with me at work. I want the WHOLE WORLD TO KNOW THAT HONDA IS NO LONGER AN HONEST, RELIABLE, QUALITY COMPANY!!!!!!

** Stand up for yourselves. Talk to some mechanics or friends- someone who can give you a free and honest opinion, or at least do more research. Do not let the dealerships push you around until your car has no warranty and you're left with a $20 something thousand piece of crap car. If you notice even a TINY problem with your trans, take it in right away, tell them upfront that you know about the bulletin and that you would like them to replace your transmission. They will probably tell you about the burnishing. That they have to do that first. You can tell them that if they did THEIR research they'd know that it doesn't fix the problem AT ALL. If they insist on doing that first, which they probably will, I would kindly tell them that you will see them in a month or two when your transmission starts going bad again and that the next time you see them you expect a replacement transmission. When you go in the next time, after the burnishing doesn't work, then when you call to make the appointment, tell them to order your parts, they probably wont, but they will know that you know what the heck is going on and that they aren't getting away with another phoney burnishing trick!!!!! You have to DEMAND things, and BOTHER THEM. Squeaky wheel gets oiled first. I didn't realize till this how being a bitch really does pay off. Nice guys do finish last...

In conclusion- I like my little car, but
1.) The repairs make saving gas money pointless- since down the road repairs will cost more than you will EVER save on gas.
2.) The repairs make saving the clean air pointless- since all the thrown away and recycled parts are bad for the environment and will cost more fuel to process and create more pollution than if you just had a regular RELIABLE vehicle.

If you just buy enough bottles for 3 changes you'll have virtually flushed the system, ie: there will be very little of the original fluid remaining. Personally I'm opting to do *single* changes, myself, more frequently, say yearly. Doing this means you've *nearly* replaced all your fluid bi-annually, and there's a steady supply of fresh fluid.

unfortunately, i never came across this site.(argh!!). i just bought a used 03 civic hybrid car and already have a transmission problem. i took for maintanance and the diagnosis came out as error code:70-02 A/T system malfunction. what do i do?

well, it seems i got ahold of a2005 hx civic w/cvt. Im glad im not the only one having problems. bought the car used w/ 49k.im at 99k now.had 2 trans flushes and the burnish nonsense. bought useless warranty just in case. they denied claim because although i had receipts for the fluid i indicated 60k for my service.i guess honda and the warranty company wanted specifics like 60204mls. anyway, problem back, but i think ill go annoy one of these crazy dealers and see if i can get that trans replaced.like the car fine.i usually get between 33 and 38 mpg and everything else works. I am also getting some hesistation pulling off from a stop and some groining/grinding coming to a stop. any pointers dealing with this would be greatly appreciated.

I have 2005 Civic Hybrid. I bought it new with hybrid tax credit then and I have 110K now. It is still original brakes since I don't brake too hard and mostly highway driving. I do my own car maintenance which doesn't require too much work other than 5K synthetic oil and filter change; 15K air filter change; 20K CVT transmission fluid change (although factory recommended 30K change); 100K spark plug replacement; 45K cabin filter replacement; 50K PVC value replacement; 7K tire rotation. Everything is still original (include both 12V and hybrid battery) except I replace my OEM tires around 60K. I live in Boston; and I am still getting 47 MPG. I am expecting to get at least 200K and more out of this car. I don't want to be slave for the Arabs and I used resources as what I need.

Wow!! More folks than expected have had tranny problems with the '03 HCH. About 1 year ago the rpms were too high at very low speed. Honda dealer did a burnishing for free. Now I know why. Well, on Friday while in Central Cal. on vacation, the SAME exact problem happened. Luckily we were near a Honda dealership who determined that there DEFINITELY is a problem with the tranny. First they will try to install a kit. It that doesn't solve the problem, then they will replace the tranny. My car only has 68K. Thought that a car so reliable as Honda would never have a tranny problem at this mileage. Warranty will cover all repairs, luckily. We'll see how it goes. But it looks like I should expect to replace this car prior to 100K, per above posts.
TSK TSK on HONDA!!!!!

I have a 2003 HCH with 180K miles. I've been experiencing the "judder" for about 10K miles. It started happening only when I had a few passengers or was facing uphill, but lately it's been happening with every start from a stop. Since the car was well out of warranty, they didn't offer me a courtesy extension, but the "burnishing" job was only $230. While they were under the hood they noticed that my front engine mount was blown to bits, they said this is common side effect of the juddering, so I had them replace that for $390. I hope the burnishing fix lasts more than 3000 miles because the dealership quoted me $1700 to get the start clutch replaced :(

My SRS light is also on, which they said was due to my driver's side seat belt not retracting fast enough. That's covered under a lifetime warranty.

PS I'm on my original battery pack, and after 7 and 180K miles it still holds a charge up to 90% capacity, the dealership guys were floored by that. Guess I got a good one from the factory :)

So I got the burnishing job about 6 weeks ago. It worked great. In the past week the car has juddered 2 times, so I'm happy... for now. Ultimately the start clutch will need to be replaced at some point... just hoping it lasts for a little while longer.

I'm confident that any of us who are willing to change the transmission fluid could do the burnishing procedure ourselves. It pretty much involves changing the fluid a few times and mashing on the brake and the gas at the same time for 3 seconds, twice in D and once in R. Definitely do not do this unless you are willing to change the trans fluid both BEFORE and AFTER. Be sure to use Honda CVT fluid, I don't think it's regular ATF... it might be available on the internet someplace.

BTW the dealership replaced my seatbelt for FREE! Apparently seat belts are covered under a lifetime warranty. That turned off my SRS light on the dash, which had come on because the original seat belt wasn't retracting fast enough.

Back again with more 2003 HCH drama. Last week I got in my car after work (it had been over 100 degrees F that day), and when I turned on the car the red battery light was on. I looked in the book and it said that if that light stays on, the 144V side is not charging the 12V side (i.e. IMA controller or the DC/DC converter). I drove it to a friend's house and we poked around, checked all the fuses and relays, etc. After scratching our heads for a few hours I charged the 12V battery at Autozone and drove the car to the dealer. 4 days and $300 later they finally had a diagnosis, the DC/DC converter was toast. I had given someone a jump start a few days before it broke, and then there was the heat wave, so I know in the future I will be parking in shady spots and never jump starting anyone again (someone told me the converter is only good to 42 amps on the 12V side).

The dealership just called me back, the converter is $1200 and they want $600 to install it (luckily the $300 diagnostic goes toward the repair costs). I found a cheaper one online for $800 and I could probably install it myself, but I don't have the tools or the time so I had to bite the bullet. The car will be ready in two days, so I'll let you all know how it goes. In the mean time, the CVT had been behaving as far as juddering goes (a few thousand miles since the burnishing procedure), but I did notice that when I floor it on on-ramps etc. it slips quite a bit, so I have to "ease on" to the accelerator.

Has anyone else had any electrical problems with the IMA controller or DC/DC converter? I'd love to hear your stories!

-Matt

06 Honda Civic Hybrid-CVT
We only got 92k miles out of our CVT transmission. Came to a stop sign and it was dead. All three services done; the last a week before at 90k. Now they want $5700 to replace CVT and flywheel. American Honda is going to help some but not the 50/50 i think they should. I expect to get 250k out of my honda's and when they quit at 92k, honda should fix them. I expect better craftmanship from honda's and can honestly say this might be my last. Check out my youtube, honda addict. This CVT is not up to honda standards and they know it.

I had this problem with my 2004 Honda civic hybrid that I had purchased used. I took my car into the Honda dealership at Lynnwood WA (not where I purchased the car) at 99,600 miles and they first changed fluids and burnished the transmission, as they are REQUIRED by Honda to try first. To me this fixed the problem, but they said it was not to their satisfaction and scheduled me for the replacement clutch the following week. Since then the shifting is smooth as glass. I cannot say enough good things about my experience and how they took care of me, and yes, it was all covered under the warranty. If your dealership is screwing with you, report them to Honda. As for me I will never buy a different brand car after having this one because it is a great car!!

For anyone with this problem: You probably need to replace the starter clutch which seems to frequently fail in this particular model. Disclaimer: I'm not a car expert, it's just what my research has shown. Here's my experience:

I recently purchased a used 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid with only 32k that developed this problem immediately. There is an extended warranty on the starter clutch (to 8 years, 80,000 miles I believe). However, even though my car was manufactured more than 8 years ago, Honda is still paying for the repair.

Ask your dealer to work with Honda, especially if your car is out of the extended warranty period and if they won't, find another one that will. You shouldn't have to pay for the repair. If you're in the DC area, I'm happy to share my dealer and the contact who has been working with me.

Of course, whether this actually solves the problem remains to be seen. At least Honda is making a good faith effort in my case.

Good luck!

The radio code should be written inside the owners manual. It's a 5 digit numeric code usually found on the first page.

I just bought a 2003 Honda civic hybrid with 91,000 miles. Has a judder and it jerks when I let off the gas. Tranny needs a starter clutch and flywheel ring according to Lynnwood Honda and they want $1,900. They said no warranty and they charged me $100 to diagnose it plus a $55 oil change. Apparently the warranty is not on all hybrids. Seller had tranny serviced 1,000 miles before she sold it. I did not test drive it far enough, as it acts up more after it is warm. Very disappointed with this Honda. I think I will fix it and sell it as they seem to have recurring problems and go back to Toyota.

Do these problems also stand for the honda gx?

Haven't had any problems for 3 years with 05 HCH. Slight juddering started to bother me after a few months so I called Honda. They said they's replace the Start clutch paid for by Honda, If I let them look at it first. So Last week they looked at it and said they will first be required to burnish the transmission (Hold the car still with the brakes, while gunning the throttle for a whiole (30 sec to 2 min, from what Ive read). I paid them $165 to do this, and it smoothed the acceleration quite a bit. BUT 2 DAYS LATER, MY AC COMPRESSOR BEARING FAILS. Of course I called them back, and they determined that the compressor just failed on its own through no fault of theirs. I felt the need to contact American Honda directly, and share this info with them. Just a little beware for ya. It's odd that the AC bearings failed just 2 days after burnishing. Did the mechanic forget to turn off the AC before running burnishing procedure? If anyone has any knowledge on burnishing and stress on AC bearings, please contact me. I'd appreciate your help.

I'm so disappointed in honda, fourth car bought from them.

I have just been told that Honda will not pay for the Burnishing of the transmission because I had this done before, but it's still under warranty. I only have 95,000 miles on the car and the warranty is good until 100,000 miles. The dealer told me they were told by Honda that they will only do this burnishing one time. What good is the warranty if the temp. fix can only be done once?
I bought this Civic Hybrid new in 05, and I will not go back for another car from Honda. Why are they not working on a permanent fix for the problem?

Thanks for your honesty and integrity.