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.
This freak occurrence should have been a tipoff that I was in for a rough time with this car. Took the damn thing in for an oil change, stopped off at my parents' house for lunch before returning to work, and as soon as I pulled out on the street, the accelerator stuck, sending me barreling toward the brick wall of a house about 500 feet ahead at around 70mph. Got the thing stopped in time, just short of an intersection, and the brick wall, and immediately called the dealer and had them tow the thing in to see what they did to it in the oil change. According to them, a piece of the air filter casing broke off and got stuck in the engine head. Because they had just worked on the car, they fixed it for me at no charge, but you can bet I'll be checking carefully after every oil change.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
This freak occurrence should have been a tipoff that I was in for a rough time with this car. Took the damn thing in for an oil change, stopped off at my parents' house for lunch before returning to work, and as soon as I pulled out on the street, the accelerator stuck, sending me barreling toward the brick wall of a house about 500 feet ahead at around 70mph. Got the thing stopped in time, just short of an intersection, and the brick wall, and immediately called the dealer and had them tow the thing in to see what they did to it in the oil change. According to them, a piece of the air filter casing broke off and got stuck in the engine head. Because they had just worked on the car, they fixed it for me at no charge, but you can bet I'll be checking carefully after every oil change.
- Jennifer C., Norman, OK, US