CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2001 Civic has transmission problems, transmission problems & more transmission problems. Did we mention transmission problems? And a dangerous defect with the front airbag that didn't get recalled for 10 years.

Although eventually the defective 2001 Civic airbag inflators were fixed under recalls in 2011 & 2013, that meant for 10 to 12 years airbags were activating with excessive force where metal fragments went shooting into passengers when the airbag deployed.

As for the 2001 Civic's transmission woes? Honda conducted a major transmission recall in 2004 & settled a class action lawsuit for defective transmissions in 2006. But, neither the recall or the lawsuit included the 2001 Civic.

Last thing to consider - the 2001 Civic is the most-recalled car ever, closely followed by the 2002 Civic & the 2001 Accord. The 2001 Civic is the 4th most-recalled vehicle overall, only a Ford truck & two Ford vans have more.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
83,681 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2001 Honda Civic transmission problems

transmission problem

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2001 Honda Civic Owner Comments (Page 3 of 15)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #249

Oct 092010

Civic

  • 79,850 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Leading up to the failure, I didn't have a big issue. After stopping at a red light or stop sign, the car would initially hesitate a little when beginning to accelerate, but besides that, there were no other symptoms. The failure effects the 3rd and 4th gears. When accelerating, the engine will rev and there is no increase in speed whatsoever. My car is currently in the shop having the transmission rebuilt. It was the only option besides completely replacing the transmission. I had the eld unit replaced because one mechanic thought it may help, however it did nothing. My "check engine" light had only been on for one week prior to getting a diagnostic test done on my car to figure out the problem. It would have been sooner, had I not been away from home. My safety concern comes when attempting to merge into traffic. Without 3rd or 4th gear, it is nearly impossible to get the car up to safe speed to merge in with cars going 60-70 mph on the highway. I was nearly rearended last weekend while merging onto a highway, but managed to pull to the side of the road before a crash occurred. This is a huge safety concern! my car is a 2001 and only has 80,000 miles and has had all of the regular scheduled maintenance performed in a timely manner!

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

problem #248

Oct 092010

Civic

  • 130,000 miles
2001 Honda Civic with reasonable miles has a bad transmission and I am really shocked at Honda reputation. These cars should gp and go. Need a good lawsuit against them because I am not the only one. Please help.

- Ware Shoals, SC, USA

problem #247

Oct 112010

Civic

  • 117,000 miles
The contact owns a 2001 Honda Civic. After accelerating from a stop she approached a speed of approximately 20 mph and the vehicle jerked while changing gears. The failure recurred whenever she reached 20 mph after accelerating from a stop. She also experienced trouble accelerating. The vehicle was not taken to be examined for the cause of failure and it was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 117,000.

- West Seneca, NY, USA

problem #246

Oct 052010

Civic 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 75,913 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2001 Honda Civic. The contact stated that she was driving 40 mph when she noticed that the vehicle suddenly decelerated to approximately 20 mph. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where she was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact called the manufacturer who stated that they would send a representative to inspect the vehicle. The current and failure mileages were approximately 75,913. Updated 12/30/10 there was internal transmission failure. Updated 01/10/11

- Carmel, IN, USA

problem #245

Oct 042010

Civic

  • 95,000 miles
I bought a 2001 Honda Civic le with 86,000 miles. At 95,000 miles, the transmission starting slipping out of clutch while driving. It caused inability to keep the car at speed and had to let off on gas until the transmission would "catch". required replacement of the transmission at approx $3,000 cost.

- Lake Charles, LA, USA

problem #244

Sep 262010

Civic

  • 113,000 miles
The contact owns a 2001 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the transmission failed. The transmission would lose power sporadically and when the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, the vehicle would hesitate before accelerating. The dealer advised the vehicle was not under recall and the repairs would be at the contacts expense. The failure and current mileage was 113,000.

- Lakeside, CA, USA

problem #243

Sep 102010

Civic

  • 68,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On 9/10/10 traveling at approximately 50 mph, without warning at rush hour on a very busy highway the transmission failed. I called 911 as I was in fear for my life. The engine raced but the vehicle barely moved then completely stopped. Fortunately a man pushed me onto a lot. I was towed home. The transmission was replaced. Evidently the "cooler" was clogged and the fluids were only passing thru @ 50%.(very similar to the problems seen in the 1999-2001 Odyssey ) consequently the cooler was also replaced.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #242

Sep 092010

Civic

  • 107,407 miles
On the way home from work the car started jerking. When the gas pedal was pressed the rpms would go way up into the red zone with no difference in the speed of the car. Coasted into a neighborhood. It starts fine but will not move. We had aaa tow us to our local auto shop that we have used for years, they ran multiple tests on it to find out that it needed a whole new transmission. We had no problems leading up to this. We have owned it since 2005 with regular maintenance completed. I called american Honda this morning to ask for a "goodwill repair". they told me that since we purchased it as a certified used vehicle and it was over 7 years old our warranty was no longer in effect. We can fax them our paid receipts and proof of transmission fluid maintenance and they will review it and have someone call us in 2-3 days. They told me that there are no recalls that have been made on the Civic only on the Accord and Odyssey even though through my research I have found there have been many complaints regarding the 2001 Honda Civic transmission. I have always owned Honda because they truly are low maintenance as long as you take care of them and they will last forever. My last Civic was a 1988 that I had for 9 years and it was 17 years old with over $160,000 miles - never had to replace the transmission. Honda needs to take responsibility and do something about the 2001 Honda Civic transmission.

- Omaha, NE, USA

problem #241

Sep 082010

Civic

  • 66,500 miles
2001 Honda Civic LX transmission failed, daughter was at intersection and car would rev but barely move, car has had been maintained and lightly driven//waiting on Honda's resolution to xmission failing causing dangerous situation for all, many other incidents of this with these transmission.

- Brunswick Hills, OH, USA

problem #240

Sep 082010

Civic

  • 103,000 miles
Driving on major freeway in atlanta rush hour going 60mph. Acceleration is lost. No warning lights. No sound or issue noted with car. Proceed to coast over to shoulder just in time to when car loses momentum. Could have been easily rear-ended at 60 mph sitting still would have resulted in bodily injury or death. Had car in for oil change and service and Honda dealership 3 days prior and no issues were noted. Had transmission review and basic checks for car done prior to oil change service no issues found. Original owner. Only dealership service maintained.

- Alpharetta, GA, USA

problem #239

Jun 152010

Civic

  • 110,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I own a 2001 Honda Civic LX. Was driving the car in a busy city, stopped at a light and when it turned green I went to go forward. All the car did was rev and not go forward. I was left pushing the car through busy traffic to get it off the street. The car has always been regularly serviced by Honda and has 110,000 miles on it. I don't have the money to fix it so it is sitting in my sisters driveway until I can figure out what to do with it.

- Willits, CA, USA

problem #238

Aug 292010

Civic 4-cyl

  • 94,000 miles
I had problems with my car seemed like it was missing. I took it into Honda 6 months back had the transmission service and they told me everything was fine nothing wrong. I have always done the proper care and maintenance for the car owned it brand new off the lot. I was driving down the highway yesterday when all of a sudden the car revved up and started slowing way down. I press the gas and nothing. I had to try and get over threw traffic and I almost nearly died. Had it towed to the dealership where they told me the transmission failure and 3600 to fix. Nice with only 94,000 miles. I bought this car for the good rep Honda had for running along time but this is a major problem that could have killed me and possible could kill someone else if not recalled and taken care of.

- Battle Creek, MI, USA

problem #237

Aug 202010

Civic

  • 93,500 miles
As I tried to accelerate after stopping for a red light, I discovered my 2001 Honda Civic would only run 5-10 mph. I had no warning; my check engine light only came on then. I had no clue what was going on and I was only relieved that I had already dropped off my 2-yr. Old son. I panicked since I thought I was doing more damage by driving the car. I drove to the nearest gas station 2 blocks away and I was told that it was the transmission. They told me that they would have to rebuild the transmission for $2600 or I could get a used one for a couple hundred less. I was told the old one was from a car with over 60,000 miles. (my car has 93,500+). I chose to rebuild it, not wanting a fairly old transmission. I think I was overcharged for this service, but I couldn't do anything differently at the time, since I worried about not having a running car and I needed it repaired. I am extremely surprised to find out that this transmission problem is common for 2001 Honda Civics, but there is no recall on it. I read that this problem is not considered hazardous on the road, but I wonder by whose standards. I could have been driving on a highway when my transmission gave out and cost injury to those in my car and around me. I had no advance warning that it would occur, so I was only lucky that it happened at a red light. So, it may not be immediate danger to drive a car that has transmission problems since it will not explode or cause a fire, but there are still those risks involved such as in my situation of having no prior knowledge. I still feel strongly that a recall be made so that drivers of 2001 & 2003 Honda Civics & Accord, etc. Will have awareness that such a condition does exist & what they do with the information falls on them. I think it is by luck that nothing serious has occurred with the defect on these transmissions. It would be a tragedy for just one person to get seriously injured or killed to send out that information and public awareness!

- Bayside, NY, USA

problem #236

Aug 242010

Civic

  • 160,000 miles
Power loss on a freeway. Car: Honda gx 2001 160K miles cvt transmission in this car was replaced at 56K miles after gentle use and flushing trans.fluid every 10K transmission has to be replaced again!

- San Rafael, CA, USA

problem #235

Aug 172010

Civic

  • 120,000 miles
Daughter driving can when suddenly the engine revved and the car coasted to a stop. Ends up the transmission failed completely and the diagnosis is replacement.. the car has approx 120,000 miles and is in good condition except for the transmission.

- Va, VA, USA

problem #234

Aug 202010

Civic

  • 131,010 miles
My 2001 Honda Civic transmission failed in traffic almost causing several rear end crashes. I took my life in my hands pushing the car out of the lanes of rush hour traffic. Have since found out how common this tranny problem is for the 2001 Honda. Took the car to a Honda dealer and was told I would need a 3000 dollar rebuilt tranny. This is an outrage!

- Turlock, CA, USA

problem #233

Sep 102007

Civic

  • 35,000 miles
2001 Honda Civic lemon transmissions my check engine light came up at 35000 miles. It showed up 2 codes related to transmission and torque converter. The same problem has been reported widely by customers of 2001 Honda Civic but Honda is refusing a recall. www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Civic/2001/transmission/transmission_failure.shtml the cost to owners are from $2400-$3500 when the transmission shouldn't be failing in the first place.

- Sunnyvale, CA, USA

problem #232

May 132010

Civic

  • 121,000 miles
I was driving home with my daughter from her school soccer practice in rush hour when suddenly my car began to decelerate. I was in rush hour traffic and driving in the lane when this occurred. I had to immediately turn my hazard lights on and work my way over two lanes of traffic because my transmission disengaged. I tried pushing on the gas pedal and the car did not respond. The speed limit on the road wad 50mph and I was lucky that the car to my right allowed me to merge to the right. It was a very bad time for my transmission to fail. I had no warning signs and could have been in a serious accident in the traffic I was in. Reading other complaints on-line make me realize that the 2001 Honda Civic was the worst year for Honda automatic transmissions and I am shocked that no recall has been issued. Honda has always had a very stellar reputation and I believe they should do the right thing in taking care of it's customers. My vehicle has 121,000 miles and has also had several problems with it's A/C which is also a major problem. Many consumers have reported the A/C problem also.

- Lehigh Acres , FL, USA

problem #231

Jul 162010

Civic

  • 78,851 miles
On Friday, July 16, 2010, I was driving from oakland to san francisco on the bay bridge when I started having car problems. I was pressing the gas pedal, the engine was revving up, but the car's speed was slowly decreasing (average speed for traffic on the bridge was 50-60 mph). Concerned about my safety, I pulled over to the right hand lane. I immediately changed my route and decided to take my car directly to a Honda service center. Along the way, the car's engine continued to rev, and it had a hard time maintaining its speed. I was going 20 mph. By the time I arrived at the service center my hazard lights were lights were on and I was barely going 10 mph. My check engine light went on 8 blocks before reaching my destination. Before this incident, my car ran smoothly. Technicians hook the car up to a machine for a diagnostic test which produced a dtc code P0730. The corrective action per Honda based on this code was to replace the entire transmission. I contacted american Honda requesting a 'good will repair' since my vehicle had regular maintenance checks and only had 78,851 miles on it. Honda stated that the vehicle was old, and since I couldn't produce paperwork confirming that the transmission fluid had been drained and replaced, they couldn't help me. The final cost was $3,412.30.

- San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #230

Aug 102010

Civic

  • 103,000 miles
I bought a 2001 Honda Civic with 103,000 miles. Went to take it home and got on the freeway and the check engine light came on. Took it in and the code was P0740. The transmission man says I need the transmission overhauled to the tune of $2000 to $2500. Since then I have been on the computer and am finding out about 50% of this code is on Honda. I think Honda has a problem they aren't addressing and leaving the consumer out in the cold. Help, can't afford a new transmission. The code comes on and they reset it and a few days later it comes back on when I get to higher speeds. Am going to try a transmission flush first, but have read it really doesn't do any good. I am going to contact Honda and see if they will help in anyway. I do think this is something you should be checking in to for the consumer and make Honda do what's right. They are selling and continuing to sell a car with a problem that they aren't addressing.

- Spokane, WA, USA

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