RoadVitals

2003 Honda Civic Hybrid Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Jan 4, 2018
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
18%
of 51 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistanceEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Jan 4, 2018

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.

NHTSA ID
11058530
Incident
Oct 15, 2016
Mileage
38,600 mi
Engine
Filed Oct 22, 2014

MY AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR PUMP COMPLETELY WENT OUT DUE TO A FAULTY BEARING, KNOWN ON SO MANY OTHER HONDA CIVICS, MAKING THE AC COMPLETELY NONFUNCTIONAL DURING THE HOTTEST MONTHS OF THE YEAR. THIS IS AN KNOWN ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10649248
Incident
Mar 5, 2014
Mileage
143,000 mi
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Oct 7, 2014

STRONG JUDDER OR SHUDDER, ALONG WITH NOISE, FROM TRANSMISSION AT INTERSECTION. CVT TRANSMISSION. RECENTLY, HAS BECOME WORSE. CHANGE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID TOOK AWAY THE NOISE...TEMPORARILY. 3000 MILES LATER, IT HAS RETURNED, AND IS WORSE. BURNISHING DOES NOT HELP IT. IN HONDA CIVIC HYBRID (HCH) FORUMS, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF ENTRIES ON THIS PROBLEM. MANY HONDA DEALERS ARE EXTENDING WARRANTY, REPLACING FLUID FOR FREE, OR CHECKING ERG FOR FREE. A HONDA DEALER IN ANOTHER STATE SAYS THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ISSUE FROM HONDA THAT DEALS SPECIFICALLY WITH THIS ISSUE. ANOTHER OWNER POSTS THAT 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. STILL OTHERS HAVE RECEIVED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS ISSUE IN THE MAIL. MY DEALER REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING FREE OF COST. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS UNTRUE. PLEASE ASSIST. BURNISHING DOES NOT WORK, CHANGING FLUID DOES NOT WORK. MY DEALER(S) IN THE AREA ARE: PACIFIC HONDA, 4761 CONVOY ST, SAN DIEGO, CA 92111, (858) 694-1000, MISSION HONDA AND DCH 5812 MISSION GORGE RD, SAN DIEGO, CA 92120, (619) 521-6000. *TR

NHTSA ID
10641980
Incident
Jan 10, 2012
Mileage
144,000 mi
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Jan 1, 2014

TRANSMISSION SHUDDER AT STARTING SPEEDS WHILE ON INCLINES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10558108
Incident
Dec 26, 2013
Mileage
207,199 mi
Engine
Filed Jul 11, 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD VIOLENTLY AND STALLED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND AGAIN THE FAILURE RECURRED BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE FORWARD, ONLY IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE LATER BEGAN TO ACCELERATE FORWARD AND WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT A HARD RESET OF THE COMPUTER WOULD BE REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

NHTSA ID
10524340
Incident
Jul 1, 2013
Mileage
117,000 mi
EngineTransmission
Filed Apr 10, 2013

MY CAR HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE AUTO-STOP FEATURE CUTS IN SOMETIMES WHEN I SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL PREPARATORY TO DOWNSHIFTING TO ACCELERATE. IF THIS HAPPENS WHEN I AM TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN THROUGH A BREAK IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR PULL INTO A GAP IN TRAFFIC ON THE EXPRESSWAY, IT CAN BE QUITE FRIGHTENING. FORTUNATELY, I HAVEN'T BEEN HIT YET, BUT MY WIFE IS RELUCTANT TO RIDE IN MY CAR. THERE WAS A RECALL SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHICH THE HONDA SERVICEMAN TOLD ME WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT IT DIDN'T. *TR

NHTSA ID
10505822
Incident
Apr 15, 2008
Mileage
90,000 mi
Engine
Filed Oct 25, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING UP A HILL THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

NHTSA ID
10482231
Incident
Oct 11, 2012
Mileage
14,000 mi
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Jul 23, 2012

IN 2006 THE CAR WAS JOLTING WHEN YOU TOOK OFF OR WERE TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS. THE DEALERSHIP BURNISHED THE STARTER CLUTCH/ENGINE AND THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. NOW IN 2012 THE PROBLEM HAS BEGUN AGAIN AND READING THROUGH BLOGS AND POSTS IS SEEMS THERE MAY BE A DESIGN CHANGE IN THE TRANSMISSION FROM PLASTIC BELTS TO METAL...SO IF THIS FIXES THE PROBLEM, THEN MY OLDER MODEL SHOULD BE RETROFIT TO REPAIR THE FAULTY ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10467160
Incident
Jun 15, 2006
ElectricalEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed May 28, 2012

I DROVE MY CAR TO HONDA OF SAN ANGELO DEALERSHIP FOR A RECALL, A SOFTWARE UPDATE CAMPAIGN WAS DONE, I PICKED UP THE CAR AND UPON DRIVING OFF THE DEALERSHIP LOT, I NOTICED IMMEDIATELY THAT THE ELECTRIC PART OF THE HYBRID WAS NOT WORKING, AT ALL, IT WAS WORKING WHEN I DROPPED IT OFF AND GETTING 47 MPG. UPON RETURNING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME NOT TO BLAME THEM FOR HAVING A 9 YEAR OLD CAR WITH 100,000 MILES ON IT. I ARGUED THE POINT, THAT IT WAS WORKING WHEN I DROPPED IT OFF, AND IT ISN'T NOW, SIMPLE AS THAT AND AS I DROVE OFF, THE SERVICE MANAGER FLIPPED ME OFF. THE CAR IS UNUSABLE, I PARKED IT IN MY GARAGE, AND DROPPED THE INSURANCE ON IT. I PLAN TO TOW IT TO A SAN ANTONIO DEALERSHIP, WHICH IS A 4 HOUR DRIVE ONE WAY, WHEN I CAN AFFORD IT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10459822
Incident
Jan 5, 2012
Mileage
126,205 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .