Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Honda Civic submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 46 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.
The 25 most recent of 46, in the owner's own words
HONDA, CIVIC DX, 1998, TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. TRANSMISSION REFUSES TO SMOOTHLY OPERATE. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING FROM FIRST GEAR OVER TO SECOND TO THIRD, AND TO FOURTH, THE RPMS'S REVS UP/SPEED UP BETWEEN GEARS AND THEN SLAMS INTO GEAR. HAVE 120,000 MILES ON CAR. *TR
1) TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN A 1998 HONDA CIVIC LX FOR THE SECOND TIME AND WITH ONLY 115,000 MILES. 2) TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED PRIOR WHEN CAR HAD 59,000 MILES. 3) TRANSMISSION (THIRD ONE NOW) REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME. *TR
I HAVE A HONDA CIVIC DX 1998, WITH 60000 MILES NOW PRESENTING WITH A FAILED TRANSMISSION. SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THAT VERY SAME COMPLAINT RESULTED IN NO PROBLEMS DETECTED WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE PROBLEM BEGAN TWO DAYS AFTER THE MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY EXPIRED. *JB
98 HONDA CIVIC DX TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE MY CAR HAS BEEN HAVING THIS TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE PROBLEM INTERMITTENTLY FOR ABOUT 4 YEARS. IT RECENTLY STARTED DOING IT FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS STRAIGHT SO I TRIED TO GO ONLINE AND FIND OUT IF THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF SOLUTION. I FOUND OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS IN HONDA ACCORDS/CIVICS/ODYSSEY'S AND EVEN ACURAS. I CALLED HONDA CORP. AND THEIR ONLY RESPONSE WAS YOU'RE NOT ON THE RECALL LIST SO YOU'LL HAVE TO GO TO THE DEALER AND GET IT REPAIRED. I DID THAT AND THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED TO GET A REFURBISHED TRANS AT 5K A POP! THAT'S A RIP OFF. SO I RESEARCHED IT SOME MORE AND FOUND OUT ON ABOUT.COM THAT YOU CAN BASICALLY JUST DRAIN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND REPLACE IT WITH HONDA ATP FLUID AND REPLACE A PIECE CALLED THE SOLENOID ASSEMBLY AND A WASHER. IF THIS IS THE CASE WHY ISN'T HONDA DOING A GENERAL RECALL AND HAVE EVERYONE PAY A CERTAIN PRICE OR HAVE EVERYONE WITH CERTAIN VIN NUMBERS COME IN AND HAVE THEIR TRANS CHECKED OUT. THIS IS A RIP OFF THROUGH HONDA CORP. THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE MONEY AND SO ARE THE DEALERSHIPS! *NM
GOING OFF THE HONDA BRAND NAME, WE PURCHASED A 1998 HONDA ACCORD IN NOVEMBER OF 2004. AT THE TIME, THE VEHICLE HAD 101,000 MILES ON IT. LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, MY WIFE NOTICED THAT IT HESITATED AND THEN SHIFTED HARD INTO SECOND GEAR. SHE ASLO NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A SEVERE HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER SLOWING DOWN FOR A TURN OR WHEN TRYING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC. THIS CAUSES AN UNSAFE CONDITION OF A VEHICLE TRYING TO GET INTO THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC AND BEING UNABLE TO ACCELERATE; SHE'S ALMOST BEEN HIT SEVERAL TIMES. WE'VE BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH HONDA, AND BEEN TOLD THAT THEY WON'T PAY FOR ANYTHING. I DON'T HAVE AN ESTIMATE YET, BUT, AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO COST ANYWHERE FROM $2000-4000 TO FIX. IF HONDA CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO REPLACE WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECTIVE COMPONENT, I'VE RESOLVED TO DO TWO THINGS: CONTACT A LAWYER AND NEVER WASTE MY MONEY ON ONE OF THEIR VEHICLES AGAIN.
TRANSMISSION REPLACED IN 2003 AND AGAIN 2005. O2 SINSOR & CATALYST CONVERTOR, ALSO REPLACED. I THINK THERE IS A DEFAULT WITH THIS TRANSMISSION. I HAVE A 1998 HONDA ACCORD LX COUPE V6
THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING. I DID AN INTERNET SEARCH AND THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE WIDESPREAD ON THIS MODEL AND YEAR.*AK
I HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH MY TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AND HIGH REVVING RPMS ON MY 1998 HONDA ACCORD COUPE V6 EX. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I FEEL THAT THIS IS MANUFACTURERS DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED. NOW I WILL HAVE TO SPEND CLOSE TO $6000 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION THAT IS OBVIOUSLY THE MANUFACTURERS PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *JB
WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED 6 TIMES. *AK *JB
HONDA, CIVIC LX, 1998, TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. TRANSMISSION REFUSES TO SMOOTHLY OPERATE SOMETIMES WHEN YOU ARE SHIFTING FROM FIRST GEAR OVER TO SECOND TO THIRD, AND TO FOURTH, THE RPMS'S SPEED UP BETWEEN GEARS. SOMETIMES IT WILL GO COMPLETELY OUT OF GEAR. IF I DRIVE VERY CAUTIOUSLY AND CAREFULLY THIS MOST OF THE TIME WILL NOT HAPPEN. IT STARTED HAPPENING A FEW DAYS AFTER BUYING THE CAR. I'M A SENIOR CITIZEN, THAT CHECKED CONSUMER REPORTS AND THOUGHT THIS WAS A RELIABLE CAR. I'M NOW RECEIVING ALL SORTS OF ESTIMATES SUCH AS COMPLETELY REPLACING AT $2500 . ANY GUIDANCE ON THIS MATTER WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THIS IS HAPPENING IN CITY DRIVING, ONLY ONCE ON FREEWAY. THANK YOU.*AK
I HAVE A 1998 HONDO CIVIC WITH 50, 000 MILES. IT HAS RECENTLY DEVELOPED A JERK WHEN SHIFTING FROM GEAR TO GEAR AND FROM GEAR TO GEAR AND ALSO WHEN DOWN SHIFTING. I HAVE CONDUCTED ALL MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDED SERVICES WHICH INCLUDE TRANSMISSION FLUSHES. HOWEVER, EVEN MY PREVENTIVELY MEASURES COULD NOT SAVE THIS OBVIOUS MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. THE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS NOT BEEN THROUGH ANY ABUSE. THERE ARE OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE INVOLVING THE SAME VEHICLE THROUGHOUT THE INTERNET. PLEASE CONSIDER A RECALL FOR THIS IS AN EXPANSIVE DEFECT THAT HAS COASTED THIS CONSUMER OVER $1000 TO FIX.*AK
WHILE DRIVING IT WAS HARD FOR CONSUMER TO SHIFT GEARS, AND THE TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY SLIPPED GEARS. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE PLACED IN PARK WHILE WAITING FOR THE SIGNAL TO CHANGE. *SC
1998 HONDA CIVIC EX W/ 55,000 MILES. VEHICLE BEGAN SHIFTING HARSHLY @ 53K. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP, REPORTED DTC P0730. DEALER RECOMMENDED REPLACING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FOR OVER $4000. FOUND TSB 00-012 WHICH RECOMMENDED FLUSHING TRANSMISSION & REPLACING LINEAR SOLENOID. FOLLOWED TSB RECOMMENDATION. HELPED FOR 2 DAYS BUT PROBLEM RETURNED. TSB 00-012 SUGGESTED HONDA MIGHT OFFER GOODWILL CONSIDERATION FOR CARS OUT OF WARRANTY. I ASKED DEALER TO SPLIT THE COST WITH ME WHICH I HAVE HEARD HAS WORKED FOR SOME OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. THEY REFERRED ME TO CENTRALIZED HONDA CUST SRV WHICH DENIED MY REQUEST. MEANWHILE I HAVE FOUND THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON SEVERAL TRANSMISSION REBUILDER SITES REGARDING MY TRANSMISSION MODEL (B4RA): "COMMON COMPLAINTS IN THE A4RA, B4RA, AND M4RA TRANSMISSIONS ARE HARSH UPSHIFTS, DOWNSHIFTS AND FORWARD ENGAGEMENTS, WHILE REVERSE ENGAGEMENT IS FINE. THESE PROBLEMS CAN BE CAUSED BY A BROKEN CPC (CLUTCH PRESSURE CONTROL) VALVE SPRING. THE SPRING IS LOCATED IN THE SECONDARY VALVE BODY, AND NOT AVAILABLE FROM HONDA. SONNAX HAS DEVELOPED A REPLACEMENT SPRING 88894 THAT HAS A WIRE DIAMETER LARGER THAN THE OEM DESIGN. THIS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES THE STRESS ON THE SPRING, PREVENTING FUTURE BREAKAGE." TO ME, THIS SUGGESTS THAT THIS MODEL OF HONDA TRANSMISSIONS CONTAINS A FAULTY PART, RESULTING IN MUCH HIGHER THAN NORMAL TRANSMISSION FAILURES. I BELIEVE THAT HONDA SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS & EXTEND THE WARRANTY FOR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM & NOT JUST PROVIDE RANDOM GOODWILL ASSISTANCE TO A SELECT FEW WHO COMPLAIN THE LOUDEST. HONDA'S DENIAL THAT THIS IS EVEN A PROBLEM (EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A TSB IDENTIFYING A HUGE GROUP OF POTENTIALLY AFFECTED CARS & TRANSMISSION REBUILDERS HAVE SEEN THE PROBLEM SO OFTEN THAT ANOTHER COMPANY HAS ACTUALLY SEEN FIT TO CREATE A BETTER REPLACEMENT PART) HAS TURNED ME FROM A VIRTUAL HONDA EVANGELIST TO A VERY DISSATISFIED CUSTOMER WHO WOULD BE HARD-PRESSED TO PURCHASE ANOTHER HONDA.*AK
ONE WEEK AFTER HAVING CAR INTO DEALER FOR THE 52,500 CHECK UP IT STARTED JERKING VIOLENTLY BETWEEN GEARS AS I ACCELERATED AND DECELERATED. TOOK CAR BACK TO DEALER TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT AND WAS TOLD THAT IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION.*AK
TRANSMISSION DOESN'T SHIFT PROPERLY VEHICLE SLIPS WHILE DRIVING CAUSING THE RPMS TO GO UP. DEALER SAID NOTHING WRONG WOULD NOT PUT ON COMPUTER WENT TO THEM 3 TIMES SAME COMPLAINT SAME REPLY WENT TO AAMCO TRANSMISSION THEY PUT ON COMPUTER SAID THERE WAS A PROBLEM, WENT TO AUTO REPAIR SHOP THEY FOUND A CODE BAD SOLENOID TOOK TO DEALER 4TH VISIT THEY REPLACED A SOLENOID PROBLEM STILL THERE. CANT SELL CAR DRIVER TOO BAD SO IM STUCK. ALL THIS OCCURRED BEFORE WARRANTY RAN OUT NOW WARRANTY IS OUT. TRANSMISSION DOES THIS EVERY TIME IT GETS DRIVEN. *JB
I HAVE A CLUTH PROBLEM WITH MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS UNUSUAL AT 70,000 MILES. I HAVE SEEN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON A FEW MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR AND I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. I NOW WONDER IF THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN ERROR.*AK
MY 1998 HONDA CIVIC EX (80,000 MILES) IS HAVING TRANMISSION TROUBLES. IT WILL REV UP BUT THE CAR WILL NOT SPEED UP VERY WELL, WHEN IT SHIFTS INTO 2ND GEAR THE CAR SHAKES AND ABRUPTLY SHIFTS INTO 2ND GEAR. I HAD THE FLUID CHANGED AT THE END OF DECEMBER AND IT SEEMED TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT A WEEK LATER IT WAS BACK AND GETTING WORST FAST. THE DEALER TOLD ME I NEEDED A WHOLE NEW TRANSMISSION AND IT WOULD COST $3600 PLUS LABOR. I TOOK THE CAR BACK WITHOUT THE SERVICE DOWN AND SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND HAVE COME ACROSS HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE POSTING COMPLAINTS OF THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS, SOME OF THEM HAVE 2002 WITH 10,000 MILES AND HAVE THESE PROBLEMS. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS NOT A FACTORY DEFECT.
THE OWNER IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH HESITATION WITH POSSIBLE CAUSE BEING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE OWNER DID KEEP THE CAR SERVICED/MAINTENANCE WITH THE LAST ITEM BEING A TUNE-UP. LIBERTY HONDA HAS BEEN PERFORMING ANY AND ALL MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS NOT BEING DRIVEN DUE TO THE TRANSMISSIONS' PERFORMANCE. MR CONSUMER FELT DEALERSHIP USED DIRTY TRANSMISSION FLUID WHICH MAY HAVE RUINED THE TRANSMISSION AND CAUSED HESITATION AND WANTED TO CHARGE CONSUMER $4000 TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION. HOWEVER, DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THAT THE 2 ACCIDENTS VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN CAUSED THE HESITATION. VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AT ANOTHER DEALERSHIP AT A LOWER COST TO CONSUMER. *TT
TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED ON 2000 + FAILED AGAIN (INTERNAL FAILURE) ON 2002. MR
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY. TOOK TO DEALER AND DEALER STATED THERE IS A DEFECT IN TRANSMISSION. *MR
TRANSMISSION WILL GRIND WHEN PUTTING IT INTO REVERSE AND AT TIMES WILL SLIP. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
GEARS WERE NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. DEALER REFUSEDTO LOOK AT VEHICLE. PLEASE ADD VIN. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING, CONSUMER APPLIED THE GEAR AND THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T MOVE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FIRST DRUM HAD TO BE REPLACED ON THE TRANSMISSION. NLM *TT
CLUTCH SLIPPED, CAUSING 2ND GEAR TO GRIND. *AK
TWO SCREWS LOOSENED, ALLOWING THE HANDLE USED TO SHIFT BETWEEN PARK, REVERSE, N, DRIVE, ETC. TO COME OFF WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 490. I DROVE TO A GAS STATION, APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE, AND REATTACHED THE HANDLE MYSELF. HOWEVER, IF THIS HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO GET INTO "DRIVE" AND TRAFFIC WOULD BE BLOCKED OR AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. IF VEHICLE WAS IN "DRIVE" IN AN URBAN AREA WHERE ONLY PARALLEL PARKING (NO LOTS) EXISTS, SHIFTING INTO REVERSE (TO PROPERLY BACK INTO SPACE) WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE AND VEHICLE MIGHT HAVE TO STOP IN A TRAFFIC LANE FOR TO BE REPAIRED IN THE STREET OR TO BE TOWED.*AK
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
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