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.

9.3

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$2,320
Average Mileage:
104,800 miles
Total Complaints:
682 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. replaced transmission (261 reports)
  2. rebuilt whole transmission (154 reports)
  3. not sure (142 reports)
  4. get Honda to cover the cost (54 reports)
  5. buy a different car...can't afford the repair (24 reports)
  6. break down the transmission and fix (15 reports)
2001 Honda Civic transmission problems

transmission problem

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2001 Honda Civic Owner Comments (Page 9 of 35)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #522

Nov 102010

Civic Ex/sedan 4.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 134,000 miles

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

I want a transmission..As many Honda civic/2001 transmission have went out..Honda needs to do something about it..Will Honda not stand behind their cars..

- phillipsm63, Maryville, TN, US

problem #521

Sep 252009

Civic EX 1.7L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 160,000 miles

Just another one to add to the already long list,however car did have 160,000 miles on it when it went out

- bvshearz, Independence, KY, US

problem #520

Dec 152010

Civic Coupe

  • Automatic transmission
  • 116,000 miles

man o man.... i had a Honda civic 1977 when civics weren't kewl...was my 1st car...loved it and always wanted another. Bought my daughter the 2001 and she drove it for 16k and bam.... freaking tranny... wished i would of seen this website b4 i bought it. she depended on me to buy her a good car and look what i did.... shame Honda won't stand up... i just bought a 2007 civic manual tranny this year b4 this happened and it makes me wanna sell now... I thought i would always be a Honda fan but now am seriously thinking about switching... Open your eyes Honda... your losing customers. It is and will always be about the glory dollar.. well, checking into the Jasper replacement someone on here said they actually redesigned for a fix... No sense in replacing a faulty product with the same faulty product cuz it will happen again. If i cant get a Jasper repl then i will tell her to sell it for whatever she can get out of it and buy American.....

But even then, American really means assembled in Mexico or some other freaken country....again...always the glory dollar...

Good luck people!

- Greg M., Colleyville, TX, US

problem #519

Feb 152008

Civic LX 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 95,000 miles

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

Well I have finally had it with this car, I was hoping to keep it for my daughter and pass it on but it looks like we will not be doing that, We bought the car used with 65,000 miles and no problems, we figured it was a great car, about 3 years ago after a transmission service the check engine light came on. We took it to our mechanic who is a certified honda mechanic. He ran a diagnostic for us and it came back as a Torque converter control failure, he said that the only way to fix the problem was a new transmission at $1800-2300! We have barley drove the car in 2 years just trying to keep it going until we have the money for the repair. I have spoken directly with Honda USA and it is like talking to a brick wall. I have never in my entire life seen such a case of "we don't know about that". I have contacted every news outlet in my city including the newspaper. I have submitted a formal complaint with the BBB and i am looking for any other places i can go. My next attempts will be at the state AG and if need be i will submit complaints with the IIHS. I do believe this is a safety issue and a design defect no matter what Honda says, If you have serviced your vehicle regularly and drove it normally, only time and high mileage should be creating these issues, And by high mileage i mean 200K and above, All this garbage about 75k being high mileage is a mechanics and car saleman's scam to grab more money. Everyone should start submitting complaints to the BBB and there State AG office until Honda finally cracks, there has to be tens of thousands of these cars out there!!

- Brian K., Clackamas, OR, US

problem #518

Oct 152010

Civic EX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 137,000 miles

Car slipped out of gear once the day before, thought it was a user error due to the weather. Next day I was at work, bringing a mentally handicapped person to the doctor when the car seemed to suddenly go into neutral, would rev and show the gears but wouldn't move. Had to push it to the side of the road, wait for a tow, wait for my boss to pick up client, real hassle. I wasn't able to pay for the repair, searching for a new car.

- whodoyoulove6208, Torrington, CT, US

problem #517

Aug 202010

Civic EX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 120,000 miles

My Transmission failed out of no where on a drive to New York from my home in Virginia. It happened TWO hours away from my home and I had no choice but to have it towed to the nearest Transmission shop. As soon as I googled "honda transmission problems" I found hundreds and hundreds of complaints for the 2001 Civic. I wish I had known this BEFORE the incident and perhaps it could have been avoided. I have read that the problems stems from a faulty torque converter. WHY HAS HONDA NOT RECALLED THIS EQUIPMENT?! UNBELIEVABLE. I certainly will never buy another Honda without googling the problems for that model/year EVER AGAIN.

P.S.

Honda you owe me $2,500.00. Thanks. :P

- alstiver, Sterling, VA, US

problem #516

Dec 172010

Civic LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,000 miles

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

Transmission blew just 2 weeks after buying my Honda Civic 2001. Unfortunately, I did not read the numerous complaints about the Honda Civic. The mileage was typical burn out point-just over 100,000 mi. I am stuck on weather to fix, junk or sell. Seems like it will cost me over 2 thousand. I am so upset but thank God I did not get HURT! What a dangerous car. I will never buy a Honda again!

- Marcy R., New Britain, CT, US

problem #515

Dec 052010

Civic 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 135,678 miles

This is a copy of a letter I wrote to KTLA CH. 5 News in Southern California on 12-6-10. If you feel the same as I do then let's work together. Write a letter to your local news channel and let spread the word!!! Let's send Honda running with their tails between their legs!!!!!

I am writing this brief letter to get the word out regarding 2001 Honda Civic Transmission failures. I found a couple of websites for example if you go onto "Autobeef.com" and "Aboutautomobile.com you will find hundreds of former loyal customers of Honda that are in disbelief in Honda's lack of responsibility for an obviously faulty transmission/torque converter. I myself am one of the possible thousands of disappointed customers. Honda does not recognize the safety issue of being stranded in the middle of a potential dangerous situation or even being stuck somewhere because the transmission goes out all of a sudden without any warning. I personally had this happen on the 15 freeway this past weekend and thank goodness we were in the slow lane when this happened and we were able to move over safely to the shoulder. You will see on this website that all customers including myself have completed the regular maintenance and oil changes by all aspects of the vehicle by Honda's standards and recommendations.

I searched today to find a transmission mechanic and 2 that I spoke with stated that they have been getting a lot of 2001 Honda's with the same exact problem. You will also find that the websites I mentioned earlier most of the people on it are getting the same feed back from the mechanics in their area.

My only hope is that Honda stands up and recognizes the potential hazard as well as the financial burden they are putting on their loyal customers. Maybe with your help we can achieve just that!

- Jennifer V., Upland, CA, US

problem #514

Dec 032010

Civic LX 1.7L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 107,000 miles

My 2001 Honda "Sh** box" Civic shed the transmission. 107xxx miles and I had to replace the trans in this lawnmower. I even did the trans flush in the dealer around 60k miles. That goes to show that preventive maintenance doesn't work on shoddy-made cars. I am completely abandoning foreign cars, I already dont buy anything from Europe. By Europe I mean German-made. I'm bringing the power back to America. I hear those new Fords are awesome and have gotten much great recognition for quality and safety. I know many Cavaliers (Chevy) that have gone over 200k miles without the need for a trans. A Cavalier or Ford Focus sound about right right now.

- Jose O., Chicago, IL, US

problem #513

Feb 292008

Civic EX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 85,000 miles

I was shocked that the transmission of our 01 Civic EX gave out at 85000 miles. Now at 136,000 miles it's getting similar symptoms again. Glad to see the frequency chart that shows the 01 appears to be the worst year for this problem, but it sure has sullied my impression of Honda as being a totally reliable automobile manufacturer. Before this I'd buy another one without hesitation. Now I am seriously considering other makes/models. Too bad it came to this.

- Tim C., South Portland, ME, US

problem #512

Oct 292010

Civic

  • Automatic transmission
  • 123,000 miles

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

This was the first time I have purchased a Honda because everyone says it will last forever. Purchased for my daughter in 2001,I have taken care of the vehicle maintaintenance. That didn't do me any good. The vehicle stopped moving when I had my son borrow for a weekend. Light never came on until it was too late. Now, I have a 3,500 transmission problem. Called Honda but they would not do anything my 3 year/36,000 warranty was up. I am sure all customers buy a vehicle for 17,000 dollars and think it will only last 3 years. Honda customer service headquarters could be nicer when you call and give you some percentage off atleast if not a good will cost. A recall would be nice. 123,00 miles

- Mary S., Grand Blanc, MI, US

problem #511

Nov 172010

Civic LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 133,000 miles

Same problem as everyone else. Driving to work and transmission just stopped working. Towed it to my auto guy and found out that all 2001 Civics are having this problem. My quote is $2200 to put in a rebuilt transmission. I'm really disappointed in Honda. If this is a problem across the board, they need to step up and assist their devoted customers!

I will never buy another Honda. I'm happy with my other car, which is a Toyota. I'll stick with them from now on!

- carolineca, San Diego, CA, US

problem #510

Oct 112010

Civic LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 121,000 miles

I have had my Honda for 7 years. I was driving home one morning and I had stopped at a red light. When I went to go the car would not accelerate above 5 miles and hour. I was able to get it into a gas station parking lot and it completely stopped moving. I was on a busy highway and easily could have been hit. The car has always had it's scheduled maintenance and never had any problems. I had it towed to a transmission place that told me it would cost me $4500 to re-build my transmission!! That is about how much my car is worth. So I spent two weeks trying to find a used transmission. I finally did and had in put in the car. It cost me over $1300.

I've been reading about how this is a huge problem in this year of Honda and that I should probably sell the car now. I have grown up with Honda's. My mom always had one when I was little and still only drives Honda. This car should have lasted me longer than 7 years!! Something needs to be done about this problem.

- Margaret B., Spokane, WA, US

problem #509

Sep 152010

Civic EX 1.7L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 85,000 miles

I can't tell you how pissed I was to have to shell out almost 3 grand for a transmission rebuild on honda civic ex with only 85000 miles. Everybody says how reliable hondas are, but i guess not 01 civics. The transmission guy said that he is getting 2 or 3 hondas in a month for the same issue: a bearing goes out in the transmission, then rips everything else apart. Now I don't know what car maker to trust. If you have an 01 civic and the transmission starts acting up, shifting funny, making a whining noise, sell it to some sucker, or go have it looked at asap to minimize the inevitable damage.

- Ben C., Missoula, MT, US

problem #508

Aug 162010

Civic LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 98,472 miles

Far too soon (mileage wise) for a transmission failure. Was hoping Honda would offer some relief, but they only offered to replace the transmission for $3500.00.

- gorillajohn, Tallahassee, FL, US

problem #507

Oct 282010

Civic EX VTEC

  • Automatic transmission
  • 105,000 miles

The car started bucking when changing gears. I checked the fluids & they were fine. The next morning it got very bad fast. I was entering the freeway in Houston when it there was no connection to the engine. It was like it was in Neutral. I stopped & rolled backward off of the freeway. Fortunately it was 6:40 AM so there was little traffic.

I really like the car. I just bought it 3 months ago & I do not have the money right now to fix it.

Update from Nov 17, 2010: I replaced the transmission for more than I paid for my previous car.

- Kirk J., Houston, TX, US

problem #506

Oct 132010

Civic 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 119,000 miles

My $5K 2001 Honda Civic has turned into a nightmare --- why hasn't Honda done a recall on this year's transmission? Very upset...Thought Honda would stand behind their vehicles and that the fact we were buying a Honda actually meant quality. Boy were we wrong!!!!

- John S., Birmingham, AL, US

problem #505

Nov 062010

Civic EX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 57,802 miles

I'm adding my complaint to the list. This past Saturday I was driving down a busy 3 lane road when my 2001 Civic started to rev but not go faster. I chalked it up to being an unseasonably cold morning in NY and left it at that. I brought the car in on Monday to have a routine oil change and mentioned it to my mechanic. He thought it might just be the fluid. Tuesday I get a phone call from the mechanic telling me that I need a new transmission...at less than 58,000 miles...on a Honda. I asked him if he was sure and he said he tried replacing a couple of parts to eliminate them first and the only thing left was a full transmission replacement. I seem to be getting a deal because I was quoted $1600. I had had a 1986 Accord before this and replaced the transmission at 199,000 miles and drove it till I cracked the axle at 216,000 miles and my mechanic refused to fix it. I never thought that I would be replacing a transmission at 57,800 miles. It's insane. I'm a full time grad student and I work part time because I was out of work for 14 months and part time was all I could find. I can't afford $1600! I'm actually taking another student loan to pay for this. I can't believe that Honda won't recall the transmission. I've been reading these complaints and they are frightening, but apparently Honda won't look into it until someone dies. Shame on them. I figured this car would be 13 when I graduate and then I could get a new car, but I doubt very much that it's going to be a Honda now.

- sny3, Selden, NY, US

problem #504

Oct 092010

Civic EX 1.7L 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 119,250 miles

we all having the same problem shall get toguether and call the media and they will cry.

- lhernanadez, Naples, FL, US

problem #503

Nov 112010

Civic EX 1.7

  • Automatic transmission
  • 113,700 miles

I own two 2001 civics and Acura MDX and never had a problem until this. The transmission just started slipping and was having problems shifting gears. I took the car in for 110K service and the dealer just told me to monitor the transmission. A week later on my way from work, I was at a red light and tired to move forward and the car started rolling back instead of forward. I almost hit the person behind me. I called AAA was waiting in the car when 2 nice gentlemen came to help me get my car out of moving traffic. With their help I was able to move the car to nearest Business Park. I towed the car to the Honda and they wanted $3500 to replace the transmission. I took the car to Aamco and they was $2800. While I was trying to decide to what to do about my car, I saw this website and realized how many people have had this problem and Honda has not done anything about it. I called the Honda for "Good Will Repair" and waited for them for 3 days to look at my case. They told me they could not do anything because my car is over the 3 year 36,000 mile warranty. When I bought the car I purchased the extended warranty 7 years 100,000 miles from the dealer and Honda tells me that the warranty was not though Honda. Honda and the Dealer are crooks. They just want to take peoples money and no one is willing to help. I have been a very loyal Honda customer for many years and was thinking about purchasing another Honda but this has changed my mind.

I hope someone starts a class action law suit against Honda.

- jas d, Costa Mesa, CA, US

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