1,808 of the
20,273 complaints filed about the Honda Civic
are about the transmission —
9% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2001.
1,808
Complaints
9%
Share of all complaints
68
Crashes
10
Fires
Transmission & Drivetrain complaints by model year
On my 2007 Honda Civic SI sedan, the clutch pedal assembly bracket that mounts it to the firewall broke. This effectively disables the vehicle Wherever You Are. You are unable to shift into any gear to safely get off the road or anything of the sort. The clutch pedal assembly bracket cracked on the left side and made the clutch pedal useless. I had to turn off the car when I stopped in the middle of the road in order to put it into first gear without the clutch and then start the car with first gear engaged in order for it to start and have the ability to drive it off the road. Thank God traffic was light to nonexistent. When I searched forums online I found out that this is a pretty common issue with any 8th gen Civic with the manual transmission.
NHTSA complaint #11753102 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Reported this to the dealer in June 2025 a month after I bought the car. Dealer checked the car & couldn't find a problem causing this. Problem continues & is getting worse. I believe problem with CVT - vehicle jerks, hesitates and shudders in low speeds upon deceleration and acceleration. Not a smooth ride at all. I had an older Civic with CVT and husband has a 2022 Civic with CVT and never had or have this issue. Will take to the dealer again.
NHTSA complaint #11748364 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I bought a 2026 honda civic. About two days after receiving the car while driving the car I felt a shaking while driving mostly around 30-40 MPH. ALSO when I put my foot on the gas sometimes there is a hesitation before I start to move and when I do start moving it’s like getting launched on a rocket. Many times while driving I get a shutter, the whole car would lerch forward even while driving it felt like the car was lerching forward. I brought the car to the dealer and had them look at the car, I explained everything I was feeling. They had the car for HOURS and when I got the car back they said they had two different mechanics look at the car and they said they test drove it and couldn’t replicate the problem. But when I got in the car just after the test drove it, I ABSOLUTELY STILL HAD THE PROBLEM. I brought the car back to the dealer a couple of weeks later and talked to the assistant service manager and he said that could be that the transmission is learning how I drive. I feel honda is covering up a problem with the cvt transmission. There is so much information online about problems with the CVT transmission and honda just tells me it’s normal for the car to act that way. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR. I was hoping that your department could please investigate this situation.
NHTSA complaint #11744591 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am the second owner of this year and model of Civic. I initially bought it back in 2021 with 14,000 miles on it. The clutch slipped and blew at around 29K miles in 2023. I brought it into a honda dealership and they were at least able to replace the clutch with the SAME CLUTCH under warranty but now it's 2026 and the clutch is going out again. Clutches should not be going out this frequently. I've driven several manuals and if you were to look up this specific year and model, it is a known issue across several forums online and youtube videos for having a "weak clutch". Despite it being a known issue, Honda refuses to announce a recall or make right by their customers who bought this specific year and model. I along with other owners of this specific year and model had our "Good Will" declined after the warranty period ended; how convenient for Honda. It would've essentially cost at least $10K in repairs for an average owner over 5 years on a relatively brand new car. That's more than 30% of the car's worth and value at MSRP.. They keep saying that all of these issues and feedbacks are being reported to the NHTSA but I honestly believe they're waiting for it to be long enough for warranties to expire and hop they can sweep it under the rug. I've driven Hondas all of my life and have loved their cars but their refusal to do right by this well known issue is leaving a sour taste in my mouth.
NHTSA complaint #11743792 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2025 Honda Civic Hatchback experiencing dangerous mechanical binding, sticking, and notching in the steering column. The defect is strictly thermal, escalating significantly in extreme Arizona heat and/ or after driving for a prolonged duration. This requires excessive driver effort to break the steering wheel free from center, risking over-correction and loss of vehicle control. Additionally, vehicle experiences intermittent powertrain jerking and hesitation during low-speed acceleration. Under active factory warranty, the vehicle was towed to a local Honda dealership. The Service Director initially pushed back significantly, attempting to dismiss the safety keywords and label a major steering defect as a vague 'multi-system failure' on the printed Repair Order. After consumer refusal to accept the vehicle, the Service Director capitulated, personally authorizing a Repair Order explicitly documenting in handwriting: 'Also Steering Sticky while CAR in motion. Also vehicle jerky at low Speeds.' The Service Director physically signed next to these terms. The Service Director explicitly acknowledged that the symptoms sound like the NHTSA recall 24V-744, but stated they must put up to 300 miles on the vehicle to 'replicate' the issue before replacing the steering rack due to fear of corporate financial chargebacks, actively attempting to force a consumer to keep an unsafe vehicle unless able to replicate.
NHTSA complaint #11742750 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2016 Honda Civic EX-T 1.5L turbo. Coolant is disappearing with no visible external leak. Diagnosed by mechanic as likely head gasket failure. This is a known defect affecting 2016-2022 Civics with the 1.5T engine. There is an active class action lawsuit (Alcantara et al. v. American Honda Motor Co.) regarding this exact issue. Vehicle has approximately 190,000 miles.”
NHTSA complaint #11736313 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The headgasket failed prematurely at 76,000 miles causing coolant to begin leaking out of the vehicle. The safety of myself and others is put at risk because a head gasket blowing caused the car to lose power on the way home from work which has caused me to have to slow down and not be able to start again. This causes other vehicles to have to break or go around me on the highway. The car is a 2023 Honda Civic. This premature head gasket failure is a known issue. The warnings appeared at 5PM when I was leaving work as soon as I started the car. Every light in the car went off. The vehicle was brought to the Honda Dealership in Lawrence, KS. They showed that the head gasket blew. The Vehicle is available for inspection upon request at the Honda Dealership in Lawrence, Kansas.
NHTSA complaint #11734647 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle: 2026 Honda Civic Sport Hatchback VIN: [XXX] Mileage at time of complaint: 1,500 miles Description of Problem: The vehicle jerks/shudders when turning at low RPM. This occurs consistently during low-speed maneuvers such as parking lot turns and slow cornering. The issue is repeatable and has been present since purchase. Multiple passengers have independently noticed and remarked on the issue. The vehicle has not yet been seen by a dealer. When it occurs: Low-speed turns, low RPM Frequency: Consistent/repeatable Injuries or accidents: None to date I am reporting this issue as it may represent a safety concern and to ensure it is documented for investigation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11729115 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Clutch began to slip at 20,000 miles. This caused unrepairable damage to the flywheel. This put my safety at risk as clutches wearing out could cause the car to slip out of gear and/or damage the maneuverability of the vehicle. This problem was fixed by the dealer, but they blamed me for the damage and claimed clutch is a wear component. I was charged $3,000 for the clutch and an additional $2,000 for the flywheel. I have seen many reports online of people with the same car (2023 Civic Sport Touring Manual) with the same issues. All people have been ignored by Honda corporate, citing user error. This has not been inspected by the manufacturerer as I am aware No messages of the problem, other than the cruise control stopping under load.
NHTSA complaint #11728288 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I recently bought a 2001 honda civic, 5speed. It was driving fine, until it suddenly started making grinding or weird noises. I couldn't shift and now the gears are locked up. It happened suddenly after no problems.
NHTSA complaint #11726092 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and parked the vehicle. Upon shifting to drive(D) or to reverse(R), the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V574000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 131,603.
NHTSA complaint #11725339 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The mechanics at the Honda dealership reported the following on a vehicle that has approximately 27,000 miles on it: 1. The clutch assembly failed and requires a complete clutch kit replacement. 2. The crankshaft oil seal is leaking, which causes oil to be splattered around the engine bay as the crankshaft spins. 3. Timing chain tensioner cover is seeping oil. Honda provided a video showing the exterior of the vehicle only. The video did not show video evidence the clutch was faulty, or that any leaks were present. The safety of the driver and surrounding traffic was put at risk because the vehicle became unreliable (degraded powertrain performance) due to premature failure of the clutch assembly. Leaky crankshaft oil seal and timing chain tensioner cover are leaking lubricants onto hot engine surfaces, causing noxious fumes. These fumes entered the cabin of the vehicle, putting the health of the driver at risk. The problems listed above were confirmed by a service technician at the Honda dealership. The vehicle/components listed above have not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others at this time. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The problem first appeared when the driver was driving home from New Jersey to Virginia on 3/15/2026. She experienced shuddering when the vehicle shifted from first to second gear, then second to third gear. A noxious odor was detected inside the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealership on 3/16/2026.
NHTSA complaint #11724932 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Clutch started slipping all of a sudden. Check to see if it was under warranty said the warranty had expired because the car was over 36,000 MI did not know about the extended clutch warranty at the time that Honda was extending it due to defective parts so we replaced it ourselves. Upon tear down it was discovered that the clutch disc was only about 30% worn down there were no hot spots in the flywheel or the clutch cover so the problem was related to the holding force of the clutch cover have we continued to drive the car the way it was it would have burnt it up because it would barely move. I've been in Autotech for 50 years never seen a clutch slipping with this much material left on it and the parts in this condition it is obviously a defect with the part and I submitted a claim to Honda and they denied it had I had known Honda would have taken care of it I would have brought it to them.
NHTSA complaint #11719737 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This model Civic Si was build by Honda with a defective clutch. Mine began to fail at less than 60K miles. It started in the higher RPM 5K to 6K in the taller overdrive gears. This clutch design was unable to support the torque of the motor, which led to its premature failure. It's well documented in Honda forums that the clutch is weak and prone to early failure. It usually starts to fail in the upper gears under moderate acceleration. Once it starts to fail it does become a problem. Honda appears to be aware of the problem as they did have a TSB out that allowed for replacement for 5 years of 60K miles. However, reports on the internet seem to state Honda charges $2K just to tear down the car to look at the clutch. My car was low mileage and still hasn't hit 60K miles but outside the 5 year warranty. However, even if Honda had agreed to replace the clutch they reportedly leave the original dual mass flywheel, which would contribute to a shorter life span for the new clutch they just installed. The OEM manufacturer Exedy won't sell you the same clutch that Honda put into this car, and will only sell you the clutch from the type R. Thus it does appear clear that both Exedy and Honda were fully aware of the manufacturer defective clutch. A clutch like this should last over 100K miles. However, Honda rather then recalling them appears to have just thrown it to the wind and is willing to just let whatever happens pan out and see what's left . The failure of this clutch once it starts to slip does appear to be a relatively short process before total failure. Although it appears there has been no deaths so far there is a good chance someone will delay replacing that clutch because of cost, which could lead to a severe auto-accident or death. Even if Honda doesn't want to do a recall or reimburse their car owners they should at least issue an alert to owners about their defective clutch with free inspections. Respectfully submitted.
NHTSA complaint #11715706 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Transmission drive belt snapped while driving. Took it to Honda dealer to diagnose, they found it to be the drive belt that snapped in the cvt transmission. There was a recall involving the same year make and model (2015 honda civic) however my car wasn't part of the recall even though this is a known problem with cars excluded from this recall. Cars included in the recall recieved software updates to decrease the tension to the belt, which can cause it to snap under stress. My car wasn't included in this software update and I believe that is a mistake. Honda denied us coverage because we weren't "loyal enough" despite driving mostly only Honda vehicles for my entire life. As for safety concern I was nearly stopped when it snapped so I was able to pull over, so it wasn't a safety concern in my instance atleast. Dealer took pictures of the transmission fluid pan and found metal debris from the metal drive belt that snapped. I just wonder if my car was included in this recall for the software update if it would still be driving today. There were no lights or signs of warning it just snapped unexpectedly. I have always changed the cvt fluid with Honda genuine fluid and don't believe maintenence to be a problem. More the fact that this should have been included in a recall this was a very bad year for Honda and the cvt transmission from what I am now realizing from research
NHTSA complaint #11712924 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated or stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. The “Check Emission Systems" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact then received notification from the Manufacturer for Honda Service Bulletin: 19-106. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where a PCM update was performed. Recently, the contact stated that the "Check Emission Systems" message returned, and the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The dealer was notified of the failure and provided the cost for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided with a case number. The contact was also informed that dealers were independently owned and could not be forced to repair the vehicle under the service bulletin. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 211,000.
NHTSA complaint #11712153 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The engine and electrical/power train system malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to stall, shut off, and shake without warning. The failure results in complete loss of power and inability to move the vehicle. This defect has occurred multiple times and has been inspected by the dealership over five occasions, but the problem has not been fixed.
NHTSA complaint #11710604 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.