Power Train Problems of Honda Civic - part 1

While driving, my 2012 Honda Civic hybrid suddenly loses power and steering ability. The vehicle stalls and the steering wheel locks up, making it impossible to safely maneuver. This has happened multiple times, including in traffic, creating a serious risk of collision. When the failure occurs, warning lights illuminate on the dashboard, including the ima light, anti-lock brake light, and others. In some cases, all dash lights flash before the car stalls. When scanned with an obd tool, the vehicle shows power inverter-related fault codes. The symptoms are consistent with the ima motor power inverter defect described in Honda recall h98 (2012–2015 Civic hybrid inverter recall). However, my VIN does not currently show as part of that recall. Despite this, the vehicle is clearly experiencing the same safety defect. This defect causes sudden loss of propulsion and steering assist, placing myself, passengers, and other drivers at serious risk. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

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Cvt transmission unknown if can be inspected. Safety reason is I went to do a lane change on the interstate and pressed the throttle I hear the transmission make a loud noise and would not speed up even with me pressing more on the accelerator. Then 5 seconds later car finally started to speed up no I have brought car in prior to be looked at for the car jumping on slow acceleration they can’t get it to do it when I bring it in. Vehicle has been inspected was advised to change transmission fluid I did issue is still present. No there was no warning lights.

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The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while attempting to park and the vehicle was shut off, and the vehicle unexpectedly began to roll away. The vehicle was stopped by the tow truck, and the parking brake was engaged to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the front axle had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact also stated that while at a stop light, the vehicle vibrated and the contact heard a weird noise coming from the vehicle, the contact also stated that the accelerator was depressed, and then the vehicle unexpectedly lunged forward with no warning light illuminated. An independent was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 156,000.

I am reporting a serious safety concern with my 2012 Honda Civic hybrid. What component or system failed and is it available for inspection? the hybrid drive system and regenerative braking system are malfunctioning. The hybrid battery recharging system including the mpi have failed, causing the vehicle to operate solely on the gasoline engine. This results in degraded braking performance due to the loss of regenerative braking. How was safety put at risk? when the hybrid system fails, braking performance is noticeably reduced, increasing stopping distances. This creates a high risk of collision, especially in sudden-stop situations or heavy traffic. Additionally, the sudden loss of hybrid power assistance can cause unsafe changes in vehicle acceleration and handling. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes. The issue has been confirmed by pearson Honda in midlothian, virginia. They state the mpi needs to be replaced and state my VIN is outside their "factory warranty extension". Multiple calls to Honda America state that I am responsible for all repairs and that this is not their problem and will not clarify how they decide what VIN's are included in the extension. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by others? the vehicle has been inspected by pearson Honda in midlothian, va and documentation is available. It has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives at this time. Warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to failure? yes. Warning lights for the hybrid system and/or ima (integrated motor assist) illuminate promptly as you start the vehicle. These first appeared last week (8/4-8/8/2025) and have occurred multiple times since.

The clutch system in my 2024 Honda Civic sport touring (VIN: [xxx]) failed completely at 8,126 miles, consisting of flywheel (#22100-5cd-018), friction disk (#22200-5cc-003), pressure plate (#22300-5cc-003), and release bearing (#22810-57a-006) - the exact parts Honda identified as defective in TSB 22-017 due to supplier production issues causing premature friction disc wear. The failure created immediate safety hazards including complete loss of power transmission in traffic, inability to accelerate or maintain speed, unpredictable gear engagement, and risk of being rear-ended when the vehicle suddenly lost power on busy san diego roads, forcing an emergency roadside stop and towing. Mossy Honda lemon grove confirmed the failure (ro# [xxx]), documenting excessive heat causing excessive wear with hot spots all around pressure plate and clutch disc measuring only 5. 24mm. Honda denied warranty coverage claiming user error without evidence, and Honda customer relations (case #[xxx]) has provided no substantive response despite these being known defective components. Warning signs first appeared at approximately 4,000 miles with clutch slippage during uphill parking, progressively worsening to include burning smell, difficulty engaging gears, and slippage under normal acceleration before complete failure at 8,126 miles, though no warning lights appeared as manual transmissions lack clutch monitoring systems. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I am the owner of a 2023 Honda Civic sport equipped with a cvt transmission (Honda m-cvt). While the transmission has not yet failed outright, I am reporting a serious safety and consumer risk created by the design and business model surrounding these units. Honda cvts are sealed, non-serviceable by design. Dealerships and third parties are unable to replace individual internal components or inspect wear inside the cvt without replacing the entire unit. The fact that Honda refuses to sell parts for these cvts essentially makes them disposable powertrains. This creates a dangerous precedent ans owners cannot plan for long-term ownership or safety. Cvts in these cars often fail outside of warranty with no prior warning, and consumers are left without options other than full replacement, which many cannot afford. I am reporting this as a safety issue because when these cvts degrade, they: hesitate when accelerating from a stop (which has happened to me) cause unpredictable power delivery create unsafe situations during merging or turning Honda’s refusal to allow proactive service or repair (such as belt inspection or internal cleaning) forces owners to operate on faith, which is not acceptable for a mission-critical safety component like a transmission. This is compounded by the fact that these cvts are installed across Honda’s most affordable trims, affecting working-class people disproportionately. Dealerships confirm no individual repair options exist. The issue is “normal” until failure. Transmission fluid changes are the only service allowed. Occasional hesitation and inconsistent acceleration. No dashboard warning lights have been triggered. This is a case of planned obsolescence leading to unavoidable safety risk. This design forces cars to enter the used market with a major mechanical failure already ticking down. This is a case of planned obsolescence leading to unavoidable safety risk.

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While driving on interstate vehicle lost power had to weave through traffic to get to pull off lane. Honda dealership states replace the flywheel, pressure plate, friction disc (clutch), and release bearing. Car has 40k miles.

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Upon a quick right turn into traffic, the right front drive axle shaft snapped in two, leaving the vehicle without propulsion.

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I took my vehicle to the dealer after receiving the first recall notice. They inspected it and informed me that my car was not part of the recall, so they returned it to me. However, I continued to receive recall letters and communications from attorneys regarding the issue. According to the dealer, my car was in good condition. Despite this, I recently noticed unusual movement in the steering wheel, which ultimately caused me to crash into a concrete pole.

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Researched and found this has been a common issue with this make and model. Clutch slippage at random times when accelerating, reported to Honda dealership multiple times, stated there wasn’t any issue with vehicle and denied this was a common issue even though it has been reported by multiple owners of this year/make/model. 3-4 days ago, clutch started disengaging while driving and constantly had the burning friction smell. Fortunately I was able to get my vehicle to the dealership without having to be towed but it was a slow with lots of praying to the car gods. Now the dealership is charging me an outrageous amount to repair, even though I reported this months ago (prior to it getting this bad) and was told there wasn’t nothing wrong with it. My estimate for repairs came to just under $5k for something that should’ve been fixed when it was first reported (which probably would’ve been way less in cost to fix at that time). And…I had to tell them what the issue was in detail because they treated me like I was stupid. This should’ve been a recall a long time ago with all the reports and complaints from so many people instead of Honda treating people like they’re stupid.

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The contact owned a 2024 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 mph, an abnormal loud explosion sound was coming from the vehicle. The contact managed to pull over to the shoulder of the road, and upon inspection, the dashboard began to emit black smoke. The contact stated that as he and a nearby pedestrian had backed away from the vehicle from opening the vehicle door, it had caught on fire. The local fire department arrived on the scene to extinguish the fire and filed a report. In addition, the fire department stated that the fire may have occurred in the transmission. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot where it remained. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The contact was seen by ems and sought medical attention for migraines/headache's, loss of hearing in his right ear for several days, panic attacks, anxiety, and loss of sleep. The local dealer was contacted however, no assistance was obtained. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.

Had to have transmission replaced at 114,000 miles in 2023 in June of 2024 warning on screen flashing multiple warnings hillside assist,power steering and abs turned car off and wouldn't restart. Took to mechanic and they said it was faulty start button was replacef and in June of 2025 transmission plug was popped out and all lights started throwing warning signal again and car died won't restart.

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Clutch failed at 45000 miles due to early wear. Clutch failed on interstate and resulted in full power loss of vehicle requiring a tow. Honda had previously identified a manufacturing defect with the friction plate as noted in sb-22017 issued in sept 2022 covering my 2020 and 2021 vehicles. My vehicle was built in late 2021 and was equipped with the same part as identited as failing in sb-22017. Per Honda dealer, repair of my vehicle is not currently covered by sb and therefore all costs are responsibility of owner. As the sb was issued months after my vehicle and transmission were built, the failed part is likely in my 2022 vehicles as well.

In a Honda cvt when the filter becomes clogged, pressure will build and the fill cap will come off the transmission on its own to relieve the pressure. There is no warning indication system to tell you when it happens but it seems to be a persistent issue in their cvts. After the cap blows off fluid will start leaking on the casing and dirt and other contaminates will make their way into the transmission. This poses a massive safety issue as it can cause the transmission to lock up. When going to use professional service websites such as pro-demand and all data Honda gives no information about this issue or even how to fix it.

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Failed tramission.

The contact owns a 2015 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. Upon attempting to shift the vehicle into park, the contact observed that the gear shift lever was loosened and was moving freely back and forth. The “service transmission” warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 15v574000 (power train), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 100,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 65 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to respond. The check emission system and check transmission system warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 65 mph, the vehicle was losing motive power, jerking, and was slow to respond. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who removed and replaced the speed sensor. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic who sprayed the wires and thought it would repair the vehicle; however, the warning light illuminated again. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,156.

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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.

Transmission failure. Known problem on these vehicles. Why did they only recall a certain number from this year? and now my transmission has failed just like many others.

My car has 105,000 miles on it, and I experienced a transmission failure. There were no warning signs beforehand. No sensor lights going off, no alarming sounds or feelings from driving the car. It just happened randomly. The mechanics who looked at my car said they have never seen this before. I am told my car is not affected by the recall, but that is hard to believe since the 2015 Honda Civic has a history of faulty automatic transmissions.

While changing gears on the road my axel shaft broke due to rust from PA roads leaving me stuck in the middle of the road.

I recently purchased the car . I see on several forums , the transmission in this car for this year is prone to leaks and failures and Honda is aware . I’m having that issue .

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The contact owns a 2019 Honda Civic si. The contact stated that there was a burning chemical odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The odor went away but had since returned. The contact stated that while depressing the clutch, the vehicle was vibrating, and the engine revved up, but the clutch felt as if it was slipping. The failure was most persistent between 1st and 2nd gear. The contact found a technical service bulletin related to NHTSA id number: 10219641 (power train); however, the vehicle was not covered under the TSB. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who determined that the clutch failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact had not spoken with the persons advised to speak with for assistance yet. The failure mileage was 26,900.

See attached document for complaint.

Car was hesitating on acceleration from a standstill, less than a mile down the road the transmission disengaged while in drive and coasted to pull over to the side of the road where we had it towed to an auto shop.

Transmission is not shifting properly and making noises. Car not accelerating correctly. Transmission needs replaced and repaired.

2020 Honda Civic ex-l bought in 2021, December 2024 car has 102k miles and transmission went out. No warning at all, in the middle of highway. It's now febuary 2025 a used transmission provided under the power train warranty got installed. That transmission is also failing on the vehicle. Dealership service manager doesn't know what the problem is nor why it is showing failure. I have no update on repair as of now. My only options were to trade in or buy a brand new $10k transmission out of pocket. Highly disappointed and stressed out. - regular maintenance/service on vehicle performed at shop. - all documentation was provided to dealership and warranty, all documents were accepted. - vehicle never gave me a warning of any failure. - no car, no rental, no replacement. ***dealership and warranty have not provided any information in writing or documentation as requested.

While I was driving on the highway I heard a rattling noise in the engine bay and every single light and system showed a malfunction on my dash. Then I was not able to accelerate and had to roll to a stop. This was extremely dangerous both for me and for the other vehicles on the highway because the speed limit was 55 mph and between not knowing why all of my system warning lights turned on I didn't even notice that I was not accelerating anymore for a few moments. The worst part was that the area in which I was driving had no shoulder and it was by a body of water. When I was relatively safe out of the way I called a tow truck to take me to a repair shop a block away from my residence in the event it was something minor. The first repair shop looked at it and stated it was an engine issue and I should take it to the dealer/repair shop we normally take it to. I then needed to get it towed again to the other shop and the problem was confirmed to be a catastrophic engine failure by the Honda dealer/repair shop which we always take our vehicle to for maintenance (literally got an oil change and filters replaced less than a month prior) and had to pay to get our engine replaced. The original engine is not available for inspection as we had to get it replaced. The vehicle was not inspected by the manufacturer because they stated there was no open recall on our vehicle even if there were other vehicles with the same year make and model with an open recall on an issue that could cause something like this.

Transmission failure, similar to NHTSA recall no. :15v-574, resulting in inoperable vehicle. Transmission serviced following maintenance schedule, with no signs of issues before incident.

The transmission does not shift good at city speeds. It is jerky/grabby and it is prematurely wearing fluid down (burnt with only 19k since last change) it is miserable to drive due to the constant grabbing and releasing when you coast then apply gas. I fear it will lock up or fail which could lead to an accident.

This was such a strange occurance. After pulling off from a stop sign attempting a right turn, my vehicle stalled, readjusted, then stalled again. I was driving on a cobblestone road while it was raining, but did not find any issues with vision or traction. However, during this process, my passenger airbag deployed out of nowhere causing me to immediately stop the car to see if I had hit something. There was nothing under or beside my car indicating any significant impact that would have caused this to happen. There were no other cars, or any pedestrians involved, nor any debris or blockade in the road so I did not file a police report or contact my insurace. My sister was in the passenger seat, and my 3 children in the back. No one sustained any injuries, but the entire incident was extremely startling, shocking, and confusing. There is no damage on my car that suggests I hit something, but I have no idea what could have caused an airbag to deploy, and why only that one? being that I was pulling off on a turn, I was not going fast enough for me to think that the cobblestone could have set off a "pothole like" effect to the sensors. After research revealed there have been recalls on previous models concerning the takata airbags, I reached out to a local Honda dealer for help. The associate immediately disregarded my account of the incident stating that "there hasn't been any recalls on the 2018 Honda Civic" and that I should "take it to a body shop and see if the insurance will take care of it". I assumed he had no intention of helping me at all because I had reached the service department with a Honda service issue, so why would he not at least offer to have me bring it in to be fix there, even if I had to pay out of pocket? this lead me to do further research in which I found that there is in fact a current recall on the fuel pump, which is known to cause issues with stalling. I feel misled by Honda, and would like an explanation, as well as accountability.

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My 2014 Honda Civic lx was leaking fluid. Took it as soon as possible to a shop to get it inspected. On the drive there the car was revving but not accelerating, the shop told me transmission filler cap had popped off and was laying next to the hole and to take it to a transmission shop. Towed it to a transmission shop where they reproduced the accelerating issue and also found excessive metal in the transmission fluid to the point a magnet could stick on the aluminum transmission pan. They believe it was due to high pressure in the cvt that pushed the cap out and then caused the sensor to leak as well. They recommended to completely replace the whole transmission because of so much internal damage to the transmission and to not drive it. They said the rest of the car was in perfect condition, nothing wrong with the engine, oil, etc. Only the transmission.

Clutch has begun slipping very badly at 40,000 miles, sometimes to the point of not being able to accelerate. It is worse at highway speeds. There is a known service bulletin 22-017 outlining this issue. According to the VIN, this vehicle was assembled in the alliston, ontario, canada plant and further online research has found multiple others having the same issue on vehicles from the same plant.

There is a loud grinding/ squealing noise whenever I press the break pedal. I went to have it check at big o tires and the guy checked my breaks and tires and said they were at 100 percent however the sound is coming from a defeat somewhere with the break pedal and the stopping mechanism. He added grease to it to see if it would help but it has not. Also the steering wheel recall that they just did has not fixed the steering wheel from sticking while driving and I am wondering if it is all connected to the issues I am having. I honestly feel like I have a been sold a defective vehicle as my door actuator stopped working as well as the blower motor for my ac works intermittently and we just don’t feel safe driving this car anymore when we purchased it brand new not even 2 years ago but they have told me it is no longer under warranty.

While driving down a busy freeway, the cvt transmission failed. I was able to coast a little ways, but was unable to find a safe place to clear the road and traffic. I immediately called 911 for state trooper assistance to keep me from being rear-ended. I had no warning or caution light on the dash until after the transmission failed. After the failure, I got the check transmission advisory on the dashboard. The Honda dealership confirmed it was a transmission failure.