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 6 of 15)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #189

Apr 142010

Civic

  • 120,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2001 Honda Civic. While attempting to accelerate, the engine revved but the vehicle would not move forward. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop where the contact was informed that the transmission failed. The vehicle was being repaired at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 120,000.

- Marlborough, MA, USA

problem #188

Apr 272010

Civic

  • 162,690 miles
Parked the vehicle driveway, exited the vehicle with keys in hand. Walked behind the vehicle to speak to neighbor, the neighbor noticed car rolling, we both jump out of way. Vehicle rolls down hill across street onto neighbor property and flips on the neighbor's retaining wall. Ignition key was removed from the ignition switch with the vehicle in the drive position.

- Pinson, AL, USA

problem #187

Apr 102010

Civic

  • 118,473 miles
Was driving on the freeway when my 2001 Honda Civic jumped gears and shifted to a lower gear the check engine light came on and drastically reduced my speed had to maneuver off the freeway exit out as soon as possible and managed to drive it to a mechanic nearby which said I would have to take it to a dealer to fix it. When I took it to the dealer they told me I would have to wait until the light came back on so driving on the freeway it happened again this time took it to the dealer and received the code PO740. Doing research online I found out this was common in Civics and some Accord and that 2001 was the worst. Honda has been using faulty transmission and solenoid parts and has caused problems for many owner that seems to cause problems and not allowing to shift into third gear and allows it to redline. Indeed no problem occurs when not driving to shift into third gear at about 3500 RPM but this causes a problem when the need to accelerate quickly or driving uphill is required, luckily I was able and traffic on the freeway wasn't heavy when this occurred that allowed me to exit quickly but if this had caused me to shift down it would've been dangerous and caused a hazard to me and other drivers. Please look into this as no recall has yet to be made even though the multitude of people with this problem.

- Torrance, CA, USA

problem #186

Apr 212010

Civic

  • 61,000 miles

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

I own a 2001 Honda Civic with approximately 61,000 miles on it. The check engine light has been going on and off in my car for the past couple of days. Yesterday while driving, my engine started revving but my car would not reach more than 20 mph. Finally, my car stopped moving all together even with my foot on the gas pedal. I had to safely try and maneuver my car to the side of the road so I would not be hit and I could get out of the immediate way of traffic. My car had to be towed to my local mechanic. He said that I am in need of a new transmission. After reading some information online, it appears that this is a rather common issue for 2001 Honda Civics. I contacted Honda of America in ca this morning to see if there have ever been any safety recalls for my car. I was told that there have not been any recalls and that I am responsible for the repair since my car is no longer under warranty. I now have to pay $3,000 to fix the transmission on my vehicle. Luckily, I was not hurt. However, I do believe this is a safety concern since my car randomly stopped working by no fault of my own in the middle of the road. If this is a common issue for 2001 Honda Civics, why has there not been a recall?

- Westborough, MA, USA

problem #185

Apr 182010

Civic

  • 107,600 miles
Hi, I own a 01 Honda Civic ex and my transmission just died today just like the hundreds of other Honda Civic owners of this year. My problem began about 6 months ago when I started noticing a strange sound while starting my car, then there would be acceleration slips that happened more and more often, the engine would rev but there would be no acceleration. It was very bad because the slips happened a lot while I was turning out of a drive way and it would stop me in the middle of oncoming traffic. It is definitely a safety issue! during that time, I did some research and found that there are more than 400 other 01 Honda owners that have the same transmission failure and that the typical cost for repair would be a couple of thousands. I was hoping that my problem is something different because I took good care of my car, with regular oil change every 3000 miles, changed water pump and timing belt not too long ago too. I wanted to seek other options so I went and got my transmission fluid, spark plugs and even the catalytic converter changed but now I know its probably the transmission failure all along. I really think Honda should take responsibly for their faulty transmissions. I 'm not sure if this complaint will help but I just really hope Honda will release a recall or something to help all the customers out there with this same problem.

- Warren, MI, USA

problem #184

Apr 092010

Civic

  • 114,000 miles
While driving my 2001 Honda Civic on a major highway the car started to lose speed almost resulting in an accident. I was able to reach a parking lot from which I had to have the car towed back home. This resulted in a $335 towing bill because I was nearly 70 miles away from home. The car will not shift into any forward gear and grinds when in reverse. The car has 114,000 miles and was bought new in 2001.

- Bridgeport, CT, USA

problem #183

Apr 032010

Civic

  • 131,000 miles

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

My 2001 Honda Civic stopped in the middle of the road. I had to turn in off several times and turn it on back in order for it to move. I was then told by my mechanics that it was due to a transmission failure. I purchased the vehicle ne win July 2001 and have always followed through with all the services and maintenance issues. Within that 9 years, I had a prior transmission failure that required replacement. It is obvious to me, that there is a problem with the transmission of that model.

- Weehawken, NJ, USA

problem #182

Apr 022010

Civic

  • 9,000 miles
I was driving along interstate 95 in my 2001 Honda Civic LX at normal speed. When I exited the ramp the transmission failed and the car would not go past 20 mph. I almost was almost hit from behind by a semi truck on the off ramp. I called my auto repair shop and they told me to have tow towed in. I was told the car needs a new transmission and for a car with 90K miles that is abnormal considering this car had no prior problems and all scheduled maintenance has been done. I called Honda of America about this and was told no extended warranty for this repair bring the car into Honda and we can look at. Another way for Honda to make money on back end of sale. I am the original owner.

- Boca Raton, FL, USA

problem #181

Aug 162009

Civic

  • 58,000 miles
The transmission on my Honda Civic 2001 LX with 58,000 miles failed despite regular maintenance at the Honda dealer. Unfortunately the rebuilt Honda transmission is plagued by the same issues and I suspect that the future is not bright. At this writing, Honda has not agreed to reimburse me for the repairs.

- Springfield, MA, USA

problem #180

Mar 082010

Civic

  • 141,000 miles
I currently own a 2001 Honda Civic ex. Last week I was headed home from work and my car started riving up and wouldn't go. I had to pull over and have my husband meet me to help get it home. After several auto shop and wrecker bills later, I have a bad transmission. This has really pissed me off. I understand that my car is old and it has 141,000 miles on it but I have taken immaculate care of this car. I am the original owner. I have changed the oil every 3,000 miles and stayed up to date on all the other services that Honda has recommended. Newer cars are definitely not made like they used to be. I was hoping to get at least 200- 300,00 miles out of my car. I called the dealership that I purchased it from hoping I would get some assistance. That was not the case. They wanted me to have them hook it up to their machine to see if it was the transmission before they could tell me if Honda would help with any costs for repairing it. They only way I could get it to them would be on a wrecker. By the time I got it down there, paid the wrecker and their service charge, I would have over $300 just to confirm something I have already been told 3 times! I don't think so. The dealership said that with the miles my car has on it and with it being a 2001, he highly doubted me getting any help. Wtf" a new transmission from Honda would cost me approximately $3,000. So then I called this "800 goodwill repair number". and they basically said the same thing. This has really angered me. Honda's service has really sucked. You would think that after all the problems other 2001 Civic owners have had, they would issue a recall. It is supposedly "not a safety issue". how is going down the road and suddenly your car won't accelerate not a safety issue" whatever. I will never own another Honda. I will tell everyone I know about my bad experience with them as well.

- Dahlonega, GA, USA

problem #179

Feb 222010

Civic

  • 124,000 miles

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

Always did maintenance checks on my Honda Civic 2001. Transmission failed at 124,000 miles and transmission has to be replaced.

- Tulsa, OK, USA

problem #178

Jan 082010

Civic

  • 107,522 miles
I have a 2001 Honda Civic with an automatic transmission. I was on the highway driving behind a slow semi-trailer so I pulled out to pass. When I stepped on the gas pedal the engine revved but the transmission did not engage. I had to pull back into the right lane behind the semi as the car would not accelerate to pass the semi. Ever since that time there has been a considerable lag time between stepping on the gas pedal and having the transmission engage when traveling faster than 25 mph.

- Kamloops, 00, USA

problem #177

Nov 292009

Civic

  • 49,000 miles
The contact owns a 2001 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at 20mph the vehicle started to slow down by itself. She pulled over to the side of the road and she turned the vehicle off and back on and the vehicle then operated normally. She drove the vehicle to her residence and parked it. The next morning the vehicle would not move forward or backward the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where they diagnose it stating that it was the transmission. The transmission was rebuilt and replaced at the owners expense. The dealer was contacted and she was informed the vehicle's warranty was expired. The failure mileage was 49000 and current mileage was 50000.

- New York, NY, USA

problem #176

Jan 102010

Civic

  • 152,000 miles
I took my car in for the 30,000 mile service to a Honda dealer, after about a week I started to notice problems with my cars acceleration so I took it back to them and told me my transmission was going out to my surprise. I told them I had no problems before I brought in, that all the problems started after the service. Well about 2 weeks after the service my transmission went out and they did not take no responsibility for it. My concern is if my car is getting its regular services at a Honda dealership and my transmission is still going out for no apparent reason then their is something wrong with these cars transmission. Even when I called to get an estimate for the cost they transmission places were telling me that there is alot of problems with these cars transmissions that they had just fixed about 3 other cars that week. And not only that but this is the 2nd time they replace the transmission the first it was un warranty and my car had 14,00 miles. Honda should defiantly due something about this or be some sort of reimbursement of some sort.

- Turlock , CA, USA

problem #175

Feb 042010

Civic

  • miles
I purchased a 2001 Honda Civic for my daughter. She had a catastrophic failure in the transmission which almost caused an accident. This is an automatic four speed. In process of of having it repaired. I believe, after talking with expert mechanics, this transmission is dangerous and defective.

- Aberdeen, NC, USA

problem #174

Jan 022010

Civic

  • 106,000 miles
Honda Civic 2001 LX, 106,000 miles. Transmission failure without warning on a major highway, car just stopped. Contacted Honda customer service, they wanted the car taken to a Honda dealer after I had spent a lot of money towing it from Virginia back to Delaware to my son's shop, who is a mechanic. Honda customer service said all scheduled maintenance on the car had to be done by a Honda dealer ln order for them to even consider helping with this situation. I have had my son do all the work on my car, so I am left without a car and getting the money up to put the same type of bad transmission back in my car so I can sell it. The website autobeef.com has numerous reports of this transmission failure on the Honda Civic 2001.

- Delaware City , DE, USA

problem #173

Jan 272010

Civic

  • 78,000 miles
The contact owns a 2001 Honda Civic. While driving 15 mph, the vehicle suddenly stopped moving forward. The driver was forced to drive home in reverse. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and the contact was informed that the automatic transmission needed to be replaced. There were no prior warning signs that would have indicated a potential problem. The vehicle has not been repaired to-date. She called the manufacturer and was told that there were no recalls. They were investigating whether or not they would assist in the repair costs. The current and failure mileages were approximately 78,000.

- Saint Louis, MO, USA

problem #172

Jan 022010

Civic

  • 14,000 miles
Have a 2001 Honda Civic ex 140,000 miles with a sudden transmission malfunction, that made the car unable to run. Dealer failed to honor any discount. A new transmission had to be placed.

- Seffner, FL, USA

problem #171

Jan 102010

Civic

  • 108,000 miles
I own a 2001 Honda Civic. At 108,000 miles the transmission has failed. Engine light on. Code PO740. Dealership says it needed a transmission. I had no choice but to have a rebuilt one installed a price of $2700. Just another Honda Civic victim. What a shame that so many people have had to go through this nightmare. Why can't anything be done to make Honda responsible to at least a partial reimbursement for something that is clearly a defect that Honda created?

- Fairmont, NC, USA

problem #170

May 012004

Civic

  • 50,000 miles
I am not surprised by the other transmission problem reports. When my '01 Civic had about 50,000 miles on it, I noticed that the transmission began to be sluggish - there was a big lag between hitting the throttle and engagement. Around this time, the check engine light started to come on, but then it would spontaneously shut off, only to reappear at a later time. As time passed, the light would come on much more often. By the time I took the car in to a Honda service location, the power train warranty had expired. The service manager told me that, 90% of the time in this situation, the transmission fails, therefore I should get the repair done asap. However, I was suspicious, so I decided to wait. II now have over 150,000 miles on the car, and the transmission still lags, the check engine light still comes on and off, but it has never failed. I guess this is more of a performance reduction than failure, but it should have been recalled years ago (before my warranty expired). By the way, I have always had the vehicle serviced for preventable maintenance on time, usually at the Honda service location.

- Hamilton, 00, USA

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