Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 51 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 51 · page 1 of 3
AFTER THE RECALL APPOINTMENT ON 5/3/2019,THE SIGN "ABS" STILL COMES ON ALL THE TIME IN THE PANEL.BESIDES,THE AUTO AUDIO SYSTEM FAILS WHEN THE IGNITION IS ON. WHEN THE CAR IS NOT ON THE AUDIO SYSTEM COMES ON AGAIN. THIS MAY BE CHECKED BESIDES THE ABS SIGN.
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON ANTIOCH RD. CRESTVIEW, FL AND HAD STOPPED AT THE STOP SIGN TO JUMP ONTO P.J. ADAMS RD. WHEN TRAFFIC PERMITTED I TIRED TO PULL OUT THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD A FEW FEET PUTTING THE HOOD AREA COMPLETELY IN THE ROAD WHEN THE D LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AND THE CAR STOPPED MOVING . THE MOTOR REVES UP BUT THE CAR WONT MOVE. I WAS ALMOST HIT BYE A SEMI TRUCK . AFTER REPLACING ATT SENSORS THE D LIGHT IS STILL FLASHING AND THE CAR WONT MOVE . I HAVE EXQHAUSTED ALL REPAIRS THAT I CAN DO AND WAS FORCED TO SCRAPE THE CAR BECAUSE IT WAS MY ONLY WAY OF GOING AND AFTER SPENDING ALMOST 1000BUCKS WAS STILL UNABLE TO FIX THIS CAR. ITS VERY DANGEROUS IN THE FACT THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN HIT AND KILLED DUE TO THIS UNEXPECTED AND SUDDEN SHUT DOWN WITH NO WARNING
WHEN STARTING FROM AT STOP THE CAR HESITATES AND SHUDDERS WHEN YOU PRESS THE GAS PEDAL UNLESS YOU LET THE CAR IDLE AND ROLL FORWARD FIRST. IT ALSO HAS PROBLEMS WHEN YOU HAVE THE CRUISE CONTROL ON FOR MORE THAN 10 MIN. AFTER APPROX 10MIN IT ACTS LIKE I HAVE TURNED OFF AND BACK ON THE CRUISE CONTROL SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE IT DOES TURN OFF AND THEN YOU CAN TURN THE MAIN CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH OFF AND BACK ON AND THEN RESET THE CRUISE BUT IT ONLY STAYS WORKING FOR 1-2 MIN BEFORE SHUTTING ITSELF BACK OFF.
THERE IS A SHUTTERING IN THE TRANSMISSION THAT OCCURS WHEN THE CAR IS ATTEMPTING TO GET OUT OF FIRST GEAR. THE SHUTTERING IS BECOMING MORE VIOLENT. THE CAR HAS ALSO SLIPPED OUT OF DRIVE (WHILE ON THE ROAD) AND WOULDN'T ACCELERATE. I'VE READ THAT THE SHUTTERING ISN'T FAIRLY COMMON IN THIS MODEL AND/OR TYPE OF TRANSMISSION.
I DROVE THIS 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID TOOK MY BABY HONESTLY FROM THE SHOPPING MARKET. IT WAS JUST AT THE RIGHT TURNING CORNER, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER TO MOVE, I IMMEDIATELY PRESS THE EMERGENCY BUTTON, GOT OUT OFF THE VEHICLE LET OTHER AUTOS PASSED ME AHEAD BY THE SIDE WAY. LATER SOME KINDLY GUYS HELP ME PUSHED THE CAR TO A PARKING LOT NEAR BY. THE TRANSMISSION WAS OUT OF WORK. AFTER MY FRIEND HELP ME TOOK BABY HOME, THE VEHICLEL WAS TOWED BACK. GLAD IS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY. IT ONLY JUST PASSED 100K MILES. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS GOOD, OUTPUT SPEED SENSOR IS OK. I THINK NOT ONLY ME HAVE THIS QUALITY PROBLEM. IT IS TOO DANGEROUS FOR US WITHOUT A SIGN.
WHEN DRIVING AT 50MPH ON A NATIONAL HIGHWAY 95S HEADING TO PHILADELPHIA AROUND 11AM,THE SPEED OF THE CAR SUDDENLY REDUCE TO 20MPH AND THEN STALLED AND STOPPED MOVING. I HAD TO PULL ASIDE TO CHECK THE ENGINE. AFTER SOME THIRTY MINUTES OF REST,I HAD TO RETURN HOME WITH AN IDEA OF GETTING THE CAR CHECKED BY THE DEALER.THE DEALER REORTED OF HAVING NO PROBLEM IN THE ENGINE AND I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR BACK AND RUNNING AS CAREFULLY AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT USING FOR A LONG TRIP. I HAD SOME DENTS DUE TO OTHER DRIVER WITH RASH DRIVING AND HITTING THE CAR.I NEED TO GET THE DENTS FIXED AS SOON AS THE PRESENT WINTER SEASON TURNS FEASIBLE FOR EASY RUNNING.
JERKING AND NOISES GOT WORSE OVER A ONE WEEK PERIOD. DEALERSHIP, WHERE ALL SERVICE HAS OCCURRED FOR THIS CAR, SAYS IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION ($4800) AND IS NOT WORTH REPAIRING. THE MILEAGE IS QUITE LOW FOR THIS PROBLEM, 133,000. WE'VE HEARD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THESE HYBRIDS 2002-2005.
"TAKATA RECALL" 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID WITH IMA AND ENGINE LIGHTS WENT OFF. NO CHARGE TO BATTERY CAUSE THE CAR TO MALFUNCTIONS. SUCH AS ELECTRICAL STEERING WHEEL STOP WORKING. ENGINE LOST POWER AND STOP WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREET AT STOP SIDE. I CHANGED NEW DIEHARD 12V BATTERY AND ALSO CHECKED AND VERIFIED THE IMA BATTERY IS GOOD (EACH CELL ABOVE 7 VOLTS). I THINK THE CAR NEED TO UPDATE SOFTWARE FROM HONDA. PLEASE HELP US FOR THE RECALL TO UPDATE SOFTWARE. MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND THEY POST THEIR STORY ON YOUTUBE
THIS CAR WAS TOTALED IN 2009! BUT I KEEP GETTING RECALL NOTICES. I CHECK THE "DESTROYED" BOX, BUT THE RECALL NOTICES KEEP COMING. HOW CAN I CONVINCE YOUR DATABASE THAT THIS CAR NO LONGER EXISTS?
VEHICLE BRAKES WON'T WORK WHEN BRAKING ON A BUMPY ROAD OR HIGHWAY. VEHICLE WONT STOP ON TOP ON A BUMP THAT IS ON THE ROAD. WHEN IN MOTION, WHEN TRYING TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP ON A BUMP THAT IT IS ON THE ROAD, VEHICLE BRAKES WILL SLIDE AND NOT STOP. EITHER ON CITY OR HIGHWAY ROADS. I AM CONCERNED THAT WHEN I AM SPEEDING AND I HAVE TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER CAR IN FRONT OF ME I WILL END UP CRASHING INTO THEM IF THERE IS A BUMP AHEAD OF ME, MY BRAKES WONT WORK AND BRAKES WILL SLIDE AND NOT WORK. IT HAS HAPPEN MANY TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICCE IN 2003 BUT MY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN IGNORED BY THE HONDA DEALERSHIP.
CAR CAME OUT OF PARKING AND WHEN IT REACHED ON CITY STREET TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING ON STREET NEXT (CITY STREET) TO CINEMA HALL AND THEN CAR COMPLETELY HALTED. FOR A MOMENT IT FELT LIKE TIRE'S WERE PUNCTURED AS IT WAS LOOSING DIRECTION.
MY TRANSMISSION FAILING AT MILE 90.000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT DROVE WITH THE HIGH BEAMS ILLUMINATED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 215,000.
WHILE DRIVING THE LOW BEAM SPUTTER AND THEN WHEN OUT MY HUSBAND REPLACED THE BULB AND AFTER A DAY IT JUST WENT OUT. HE REPLACED AGAIN FOR IT WAS TO BE INSPECTED THE FOLLOWING WEEK. HONDA PREFORMED OUR STATE INSPECTION AND TO OUR DISMAY THEY LET US KNOW THAT WE NEEDED A NEW BULB. 3 BULBS IN UNDER TWO WEEKS. I NOTICED THERE WAS A RECALL, NOW MY VEHICLE IS LISTED BUT MY NUMBER IS NOT AND IT IS SHOWING SYMPTOMS?
2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID TRANSMISSION ISSUES AT ONLY 115,907 MILES HAVE BEEN A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THIS COMPANY. I JUST HAD TO BE EXCUSED FROM MY SHIFT OF WHERE I PERFORM LAW ENFORCEMENT DUTIES SO I COULD PICK UP MY WIFE AND TWO TEENAGERS FROM THE CAR THAT HAS BEEN THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE AND THE BANE OF OTHERS' AS WELL FROM WHAT I HAVE READ IN THE UMPTEEN DIFFERENT FORUMS AND SITES ACROSS THE WORLD. ASIA DID IT RIGHT BY TREATING THEIR PEOPLE AND HONDA OWNERS RIGHT BY RECALLING THEIR TRANSMISSIONS ACROSS THE BOARD DUE TO THE LACK OF PERFORMANCE AND DURABILITY IN THE CVT POWERTRAIN. THIS VEHICLE LEFT MY FAMILY STRANDED ALONG A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY AFTER HAVING TO COAST TO A STOP FROM THE FAR RIGHT LANE BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION STOPPED ACCELERATING WHILE OPERATING PERFECTLY FINE AT 70 MPH. THEN WE HAD TO WAIT ALONG THE HIGHWAY FOR AN HOUR BEFORE A TOW TRUCK COULD COME AND PICK UP THE CAR AND TOW IT TO THE NEAREST HONDA DEALERSHIP WHICH I'M IT WILL COST AN ARM AND A LEG TO GET THIS FIXED! IN TOWN IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S ALWAYS MAD AS IT SHUTTERS ON TAKE OFF AND SLOW ROLLING ACCELERATIONS MAKING IT A BIT HARRY TO GET INTO TRAFFIC OR GET THROUGH AN INTERSECTION OF ANY KIND. THE CAR ALSO JUMPS OR SURGES FORWARD WHILE STOPPED AT INTERSECTIONS AS WELL. NOT COOL WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR TEENAGER OPERATING THIS. I'M JUST GLAD SHE IS SMART ENOUGH TO STAY ON THE BRAKES! NOT TO MENTION THAT THE AC SUCKS DURING DAYS IT GETS TO 90 AND 100 DEGREES HERE IN KANSAS. WHO PUTS A RUBBER BELT IN A TRANSMISSION ANY WAY. GET THIS FIXED!!!! IF YOU WILL NOT GET IT FIXED, YOU WILL LOSE YET ANOTHER CUSTOMER!
"JUDDERING" HAPPENS WITH MY CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION (CVT) WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOP AND WHEN ACCELERATING TO ENTER AN EXPRESSWAY. "JUDDERING" MEANS THAT THE TRANS IS SLIPPING AND MAKING NOISE (LOSES POWER WHEN YOU NEED IT THE MOST- VERY DANGEROUS). RIVER TOWN HONDA GRANDVILLE, MI STATED THAT IT WOULD COST ME $2,100.00 TO REPLACE IT WITH A NEW ONE. HONDA JAPAN HAS RECALLED THESE TRANSMISSIONS IN THEIR HCH MODEL YEARS 2003 THROUGH 2005. WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET HONDA AMERICA TO TREAT US TO THE SAME RECALL THAT JAPAN HAS? THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, DEFECT WITH THE CVT. HONDA MAKES QUALITY VEHICLES WITH VERY GOOD RELIABILITY, MY OTHER CAR IS ALSO A HCH 2005 WITH A MANUAL TRANS AND ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS. PLEASE CHECK INTO THE PROBLEM (I AM NOT ALONE WITH THIS) AND GET HONDA AMERICA TO STAND BEHIND THEIR REPUTATION AND RECALL THE CVTS OR REIMBURSE THE $2,100.00 COST TO GET THEM REPLACED. THIS IS AN ONGOING, EVERYDAY OCCURANCE NOT LIMITED TO JUST ONE TIME. PLEASE HELP!
HAD TO REPLACE THE HYBRID BATTERY ON MY CIVIC AT 82000 MILES. NOW THE VERY EXPENSIVE ($3-4000) HYBRID BATTERY HAS GONE OUT AGAIN AT 149220 MILES. THE BATTERIES HONDA IS USING FOR THESE VEHICLES ARE LEMONS. THAT'S TWO BATTERIES I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE IN LESS THAN 150000 MILES! THE HYBRID BATTERIES ON THE TOYOTA PRIUS HAVE AVERAGE LIFE SPANS OF 200,000 MILES+. HONDA'S DON'T LAST EVEN HALF OF THAT. CALLED HONDA AND THEY REFUSED ANY HELP. THIS HAS ALSO HAPPENED TO MANY OTHER HONDA CIVIC HYBRID OWNERS. CAN'T DRIVE CAR ANYMORE WITHOUT PAYING THOUSANDS FOR ANOTHER HYBRID BATTERY.
FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER THE TRANSMISSION IS NO LONGER WORKING AND APPARENTLY THERE IS "SHRAPNEL" EVERYWHERE- ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC. A TOTAL LOSS IN THAT IT COSTS TWICE AS MUCH AS THE CAR IS WORTH TO FIND A NEW TRANSMISSION. WE ARE OUT $800.00 FOR THE MECHANIC TO TELL US THIS NEWS- FOR HE HAD TO TAKE THE TRANSMISSION DOWN TO INSPECT IT. A NEW ONE WOULD BE $4880.00. COULD'VE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT OR DEATH, HAD THIS OCCURRED ON THE FREEWAY 5 MINUTES EARLIER! NOT FUNNY HONDA! AFTER LOOKING UP SIMILAR INCIDENTS ONLINE- I'M GRATEFUL WE'RE ALIVE.
2003 HONDA CIVIC. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO NO PARTS AVAILABLE TO COMPLETE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG INFLATOR RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER FINALLY CALLED, AND ADVISED HE TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN. HOWEVER, THEY ONLY REPLACED THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG AND TOLD HER, THAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE AND THEY WOULD CALL AGAIN TO HAVE THE PASSENGER SIDE REPLACED. *JB
KEY CAN BE EASILY REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND TRANSMISSION IS IN DRIVE. HONDA HAS SAFETY RECALLS FOR THIS CONDITION BUT WILL NOT REPLACE MY VEHICLE AT THEIR COST, AS IT IS NOT SPECIFICALLY PART OF THE RECALL.D
LOSS AND SURGING DUE TO FAULTY CVT TRANSMISSION PARTS AND THE EGR VALVE IN THE CIVIC HYBRID
I BOUGHT THIS CAR OFF OF A PRIVATE SELLER FEW MONTHS AGO WHEN THE CAR WAS AROUND 99000 MILES, USED IT TO COMMUTE FROM AND TO WORK (6 MILES DRIVE), AND COUPLE OF ROAD TRIPS FROM BOSTON TO RHODE ISLAND. THE CAR WAS WORKING PERFECTLY FINE, I WAS REALLY HAPPY WITH IT, UNTIL LAST WEEK WHEN THE CAR STARTED TO STARTLE WHEN I COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND HIT THE GAS AGAIN. I JUST FIGURED ITS TIME FOR AN OIL CHANGE SO I TOOK IT IN TO MEINEKE BUT THE JITTER WOULD NOT GO AWAY, THE GUY FROM MEINEKE TOLD ME IT COULD BE A MOTOR PROBLEM. SO I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC AND THEY SAID ITS THE STARTER CLUTCH. I DID SOME DIGGING AROUND ON THE DIFFERENT FORUMS AND FIGURED OUT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR FIRST GEN HCH. I WAS ACTUALLY SURPRISED BY THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS I WAS ABLE TO FIND ON EDMUNDS, KBB, AUTRADERS, AND CARS.COM KNOWING HOW RELIABLE HONDAS USUALLY ARE (I PERSONALLY DROVE TWO HONDAS BEFORE, AND NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS). SEEING THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS, WHY ISN'T THERE A RECALL BEING ISSUED FOR THIS DILEMMA. HONDA SHOULD REALLY TRY TO FIX THIS ISSUE, OR LOYAL CUSTOMERS SUCH AS MYSELF WOULD START TO WALK.
ELECTRONICS (CELL PHONES, DVD, LAPTOPS, ETC) CAN CAUSE A FAILURE OF THE OPDS SENSOR AND PAD ASSEMBLY CAUSING AN AIR BAG WARNING.
MY TEEN AGED CHILD WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE 5 FREEWAY GOING 65 MPH AND TRAFFIC CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP AND HE IMMEDIATLY STEPPED ON HIS BRAKE PEDAL TO TRY TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF HIM BUT THE CAR IN FRONT OF HIM HIT THE CAR AHEAD AND THEN MY CHILD HIT THE SECOND CAR IN A CHAIN REACTION. WHEN THE POLICE ARRIVE HE NOTED THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DESPITE THE IMPACT. THE OFFICER SIAD THAT IT SHOULD HAVE. THIS WEEK I RECIEVED A NOTICE FROM HONDA SAYING THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS A RECALL FOR THE AIR BAG ISSUE. THIS IS WHY THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY? MY CHILD WENT TO SANTA CLARITA HOSPITAL EMERGENCY SERVICE BUT HAS SINCE CHECKED OUT. THERE IS A POLICE REPORT AND OF COURSE THE CAR WAS INSURED BUT THERE IS FRONT DAMAGE TO THE CAR. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THE DAMAGES TO THE CAR CAN BE FIXED DUE TO THE RECALL. THANKS *TR
I WAS INVOLVED IN A NEARLY HEAD ON CRASH IN WHICH THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. BOTH OF MY HANDS WERE ON THE STEERING WHEEL AT THE TIME. AS THE AIRBAGS INFLATED, I WAS BURNED ON MY RIGHT FOREARM. I WAS WEARING A FLEECE JACKET AND A SWEATSHIRT. THEY WERE BURNED THROUGH AND I SUSTAINED A SIGNIFICANT BURN ON MY ARM WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .