Transmission drive belt snapped while driving. Took it to Honda dealer to diagnose, they found it to be the drive belt that snapped in the cvt transmission. There was a recall involving the same year make and model (2015 honda civic) however my car wasn't part of the recall even though this is a known problem with cars excluded from this recall. Cars included in the recall recieved software updates to decrease the tension to the belt, which can cause it to snap under stress. My car wasn't included in this software update and I believe that is a mistake. Honda denied us coverage because we weren't "loyal enough" despite driving mostly only Honda vehicles for my entire life. As for safety concern I was nearly stopped when it snapped so I was able to pull over, so it wasn't a safety concern in my instance atleast. Dealer took pictures of the transmission fluid pan and found metal debris from the metal drive belt that snapped. I just wonder if my car was included in this recall for the software update if it would still be driving today. There were no lights or signs of warning it just snapped unexpectedly. I have always changed the cvt fluid with Honda genuine fluid and don't believe maintenence to be a problem. More the fact that this should have been included in a recall this was a very bad year for Honda and the cvt transmission from what I am now realizing from research
2015 Honda Civic: CVT failure
34 of the 381 complaints about the 2015 Honda Civic describe CVT failure.
- owner complaints
- 34
- of this car's complaints
- 9%
- typical repair cost reported
- $7,200
- typical mileage
- 96,000
- recalls
- 1
CVT failure by model year
What owners say
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Answer: The transmission is slipping or malfunctioning when driving the car, specifically when accelerating. Yes, it is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Answer: When the transmission slips or malfunctions, the acceleration of the car doesn't act as it should. For example, when waiting to join a flow of vehicle traffic, or when waiting to cross a busy intersection, the delay in acceleration or the slipping of the transmission is increasing the risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or causing my vehicle to block other vehicles. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Answer: Yes. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Answer: No. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Answer: No. Additional information: I spoke with Honda in 2023 to see if there was a recall related to my CVT transmission. They took my information, but advised there was no recall. I had a similar conversation with them in 2024 because it seemed to be getting worse, but there still was no recall. Now in 2025, it still feels like it's getting worse and making it feel unsafe to drive the car.
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle suddenly came to a stop. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 35 MPH, and the contact pulled over. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a transmission center, and it was determined that the failure was linked to the CVT and pulley system. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Transmission failed while driving. car slipped out of gear and propulsion power was lost. Vehicle could not be moved out of road way. Doing a quick easy internet search yield hundreds of complaints about CVT Rubber Plug problems. Honda CVT's have a transmission plug that routinely "pops out" allowing transmission fluid to spray out and sediment to fall into the transmission reservoir. This undoubtedly led to my daughter's car transmission failing in a very dangerous situation.
Yet another one. A Failed CVT Transmission. Failed completely on the busy freeway. Failure happened despite diligent maintenance and fluid changes as suggested. Failure suddenly leaving me and my family in a very dangerous situation on the road with fast moving traffic, fearing for our safety. This is a very common problem that simply got "patched" with software, not addressing any key hardware issues with the faulty design of the CVT transmission itself. Computer patch is not perfect and still leaves issues with the inevitable failure of these transmissions, sooner or later. Authorized dealership tries to quote a repair at $12,000 as documented. Seemingly a scam or money trap. Honda refuses to cover from what I hear from all other complains researched. There were no indications of imminent failure, as the issue happened suddenly without warning. I ask that this case be re-reviewed and understand the amount of people who are victims to such an obviously ineffective "recall" that didn't fix anything.
[XXX] vin has the same issue for transmission failure as for the recall notice issued for all the honda Honda has issued recalls for certain Honda Civic models with Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT) due to software issues that may affect the transmission's performance and durability. For example, in 2015, Honda recalled the 2014–2015 Honda Civic and 2015 Fit due to an issue with the CVT control software. In some CVT operation modes, the software was programmed to use high hydraulic pressure, which could put a lot of stress on the drive pulley shaft. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CVT Transmission began to slip at 128,000 miles. Vehicle would not accelerate past 20 mph while driving on a busy road. Upon inspection fluid was black and burnt. No prior indication of any problem. Symptoms began 1 day before failure.
Cvt transmission just stopped going into drive and or reverse
CVT Fill Plug Pops Out or Leaks. My car is 2015 Honda Civic. There is already a recall for Honda Civic 2016-18. I saw this issue yesterday April 6, 2024 and reported to Honda Dealership (Norm Reeves Honda, Fort Worth, Texas). Honda dealer mentioned this is a known problem. There were no warning lamps or symptoms.
Cvt transmission failure which Honda is known for. I have a small child and this poses a risk to both as we were driving when it first happened. Honda needs to recall the cvt transmission and do right by its faithful customers and not charge $8000 to fix the problem.
With only 96,597 miles on the CVT transmission it failed while I was driving on [XXX] In Michigan on [XXX] causing the vehicle to immediately lose power on the Interstate and I was barely able to get the car to the shoulder where the car stalled and couldn’t be restarted. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
After turning on to a 4 lane highway, my car lost power and would not run over 40 miles per hour. This put me into a very dangerous situation as you can imagine. I will be finding someone to look at it tomorrow, however, this exact issue is described in the recall CVT transmission recall but ironically, this car does not appear to be included in the recall. There were absolutely no warning lights when this happened.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Civic vehicles manufactured January 16, 2014, to November 6, 2014 and 2015 Fit vehicles manufactured March 12, 2014, to May 12, 2015. The software settings that control the transmission operation may result in damage to the transmission drive pulley shaft.
- Risk
- If the transmission drive pulley shaft is damaged, it may break, and the vehicle may lose acceleration or the front wheels may lock up while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the transmission, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin October 30, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JU2 (Civic) and JU3(Fit).
Recall number 15V574000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2015 Honda Civic cvt failure
Is CVT failure a common problem on the 2015 Honda Civic?
34 of 381 owner complaints about the 2015 Honda Civic (9%) mention CVT failure. The model year with the most reports is 2015.
How much does it cost to fix CVT failure on the 2015 Honda Civic?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $7,200 (median of 6 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2015 Honda Civic?
There is 1 recall and 18 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2015 Honda Civic
Transmission failure 56Jerking 22Stalling 22Airbag light 21No deployment 16Check engine light 13Loss of power 10Slipping 9Warning lights 9Grinding brakes 8Hesitation 8ABS 7Sudden acceleration 7Door locks 6Shudder 6Harsh shifting 5
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