When driving the car at highway speeds, if I let off the accelerator and coast, the manual transmission pops out of 5th into neutral.
2003 Honda Civic transmission problems
101 complaints (20% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 74,259. 7 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 101
- of this car's complaints
- 20%
- typical mileage
- 74,259
- crashes
- 7
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Automatic transmission72
- Manual transmission9
- Clutch assembly4
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Honda Civic transmission problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Honda Civic transmission
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
CVT failure 24Shudder 23Slipping 20Jerking 18Transmission failure 18Hesitation 12
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2003 Honda Civic owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 honda civic. The contact took the vehicle to huntington honda (1055 jericho turnpike, huntington, ny 11743, phone number: (631) 423-6000) to be repaired for an unknown air bag recall. While driving from the dealer, the contact noticed that the air bag was sticking out of the steering wheel and the horn failed to function. While driving 25 MPH, the gear shifter failed to shift out of park, the radio failed, and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle stalled without warning. While making a left turn, the contact crashed into a high curb, which pushed the engine back. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained a broken foot that required medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to nardy honda smithtown (559 middle country rd, st james, ny 11780, phone number: (855) 738-2920). The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 131,000.
Vehicle steering wheel violently jerks back and forth when shifting automatically resulting in no control of vehicle.vehicle does not lock doors.dealership failed to complete or inform me of any kinds of hazards as I overlooked these major problems when purchased used car. I paid over 3400 dollars for junk.
Transmission wouldn't respond lost control hit tree
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda civic. While attempting to accelerate, the vehicle jerked and failed to accelerate. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the CVT transmission needed to be drained and burnished. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 300,000.
My honda civic suddenly went dead with no indication of failure. The transmission went dead and the repair shop said that it was a incorrect gearbox ratio. It is a known problem with transmission failure and I feel that I shouldn't have to pay for something that is a known problem.
Went to leave walmart around 7 pm. Car wouldn't move...CVT trans, hybrid..
Transmission failed and car died while driving on highway at 55 MPH with no warning. Was in slow lane and able to get onto shoulder without getting hit. Transmission had to be replaced.
Transmission slip for 20 min when I first start the car then it shift hard after that . Seat belt light always on.
I had taken for a recall on my honda 2003 civic ex at mcdavid honda of irving. I recently had a oil changed at mcdavid honda of irving. After the oil change, there was a difference in my car's performance. Its takes a lot to throttle the car from start to run, if its on incline road. The gas mileage has gone down from 30mpg to 27 mpg. When asked to have a look at it, the service adviser said "$ 99 for diagnose." when I took the delivery after the recall was done, I noticed my air bag light has come-on. I asked the service adviser about the light, he said the light was on when I delivered the car to them. There has been no accident, and the light just came on by itself. They told me, I have to pay $99 to have honda to diagnose the problem. I talked to american honda, they said "as your warranty has finished, american honda is not responsible for any repair and services performed by any authorized honda dealership".
Questions about the 2003 Honda Civic transmission
Does the 2003 Honda Civic have transmission problems?
Owners have filed 101 complaints about the transmission of the 2003 Honda Civic, 20% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2003 Honda Civic transmission problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 74,259 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Honda Civic transmission?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Honda Civic have bad transmission?
The Honda Civic model years with the most transmission complaints are 2001 (403 complaints), 2002 (185 complaints) and 2015 (177 complaints).
Is there a class action lawsuit over the Honda Civic?
Yes. Class action says Honda and Acura keyless entry makes cars easy to steal and asks for theft protection (November 12, 2026).
Other 2003 Honda Civic problems
Airbags 140Electrical 51Engine 45Acceleration 34Brakes 34Body 26Lights 23Fuel system 22Seat belts 20Tires 17Steering 15Seats 13Suspension 12Visibility 12Locks 7Driver assistance 6Wheels 1
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2003 Honda Civic?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history