2001 Honda Civic: engine failure

Filed Sep 5, 2013 · Transmission · 96,800 miles · TN

Complaint: spent $4000 to completely rebuild my transmission at 96,800 miles last spring and am now experiencing the same early signs of transmission failure a year later. There was no engine/warning light to warn me that there was a problem until my car started having trouble switching gears, struggling to accelerate and was running rougher than normal. I?m luckier than a lot of the people who have complained since I was able to catch this issue before my transmission fell out of my car or stopped working as I was driving. I think if 600+ people complain about a very obvious engine failure, there needs to be an investigation. This is unacceptable. I am currently showing early signs of the same problem. My car is getting stuck while switching gears and having issues accelerating in between the gears. And is just generally running rougher than it should be. I should not have to rebuild my transmission in a honda at 96,800 miles let alone again at 124,000 after just over a year. My car was not worth that much last spring when I fixed it but choose to do it thinking I?d be set for the rest of the car?s life. Now I?m looking at having to sell it for scraps and get a new car because I can not shell out another $4,000 to fix a manufacturing problem.

Filed Jul 13, 2010 · Transmission · 197,000 miles · NY

I was leaving work and driving home. It takes me about an hour to get home. I was going down a major highway when I saw break lights so I started to brake until I came to a complete stop. When the car in front of me started to move I hit the gas but it would rev up but would only go a few inches. I tried to get onto the side of the road away from oncoming traffic and my car refused to move. It revved up but would move at all. I called 911 and was told my the dispatcher that someone would be there to help me. My fiance showed up and pushed my car to the side of the road so I wasn't blocking traffic. I had to have it towed to my mechanic and spent $200 just to have it towed. The next day I called and was informed that I needed a transmission which would cost $2560 to fix. I do not have that kind of money since I am about to get married and I still owe about $1675 for the car. The car is now sitting in my parking lot since I had to have it towed back to my house in order to avoid any charges for leaving it there. If it wasn't for the traffic and the car seized up when I was driving 65 on the highway I could have died.

Filed Aug 20, 2009 · Engine · 58,000 miles · HI

While driving through an intersection my wife's 2001 honda civic's engine died. After several attempts she was able to get it started again, drove it through the intersection and it died again and would not restart. She called aaa to have it towed to the only honda dealer on our island. We asked the dealership to check and report the cause of the problem. The next day the dealer reported it had a code of "p1362" and need a new cylinder head at a cost of $5300.00 for parts and labor. Prior to this incident the car always ran fine and was regularly serviced by a dealer. My question is: "how can a car with 58k miles, running fine suddenly need a new cylinder head? I had the dealer reinstall the cam cover (they charged us $100.00) and drove it out (yes it was running). I'm worried that this will happen again and cause property damage and/or even loss of lives. If it needs a new cylinder head how can it now be running? I wouldn't imagine a cylinder head problem to be an intermittent issue. When living on a small island (kauai) you're at the mercy of the only dealer in town.

Filed Oct 19, 2007 · Transmission · NJ

Car engine shudders and feels like it wants to stall. Sometimes feels like it stays locked in a gear. Diagnostic check shows "torque converter clutch" problem. According to multiple websites many, many people have this problem. Some have engine failure while driving. Is honda doing anything to help us with this dangerous problem? This is not a rare problem. It seems quite common for 2001 civics. This definitely discourages me from buying another honda. Everyone says honda's are built to last, well not anymore. Please help.

Filed Aug 2, 2005 · Engine · 75,000 miles · HI

Car engine will stop running without notice. While traveling on the road vehicle will loose acceleration even while pressing on the gas pedal. Notified by honda service that engine needs to be replaced. Parts needed include: cylinder head assembly, head gasket, tdc sensor, valve cover gasket, timing belt cover, cover, intake manifold gasket, rear water passage gasket, water pipe "b" o-ring, catalytic converter. Service tech stated that it was a manufacturing defect. They are only offering to pay for the catalytic converter. They should replace all items if it is a manufacturing defect. Car is not even 4 years old.

Filed Nov 7, 2003 · Engine · 15,000 miles · PA

When I bought the car it had 9,000 miles on it. The dealer bought it from an auction. I was hearing some tapping noise coming from hood. When I took my car for oil changed I asked the dealer about the tapping noise. They said it wasn't important and not dangerous. I took my car back to the dealer a week later and they said that they need to take the oil pan out to determine the problem. Later on they called me and said that "I drove the car in a puddle or I had a flood -which never happened-because they diagnosed" water damaged which caused cylinder # 3 connecting rod is bent and it is very dangerous to drive it. The engine needs to be replaced" I have a factory and extended warranty but honda denies to cover it. My insurance company inspected the car and didn't see any "water damage". The insurance company also denied the cover the expense. I am very unhappy about the situation. Please feel free to advise me what to do. Thank you.