1997 Honda Civic power train problems

“DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 40 MPH, THEN THE CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITH CODES PO700 AND PO715, TOOK TO TRANSMISSION BUSINESS, COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS STILL PRESENT. RECENTLY FOUND A SERVICE BULLETIN FROM HONDA ABOUT THIS DEFECT ON THE TRANSMISSION. *JS”

“THE VTEC-E ON MY 1997 HONDA CIVIC HX IS NOT ENGAGING AT THE PROPER TIMES WHICH IS NOT ONLY AN ANNOYANCE WHEN DRIVING, BUT ALSO A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN IT ENGAGES AT LOW SPEEDS (WHICH IT SHOULD NOT DO) IN TRAFFIC LAUNCHING YOU FORWARD INTO THE BACK ENDS OF OTHER VEHICLES. HAS CAUSED (2) REARENDERS. *TR”

“I OWN A 1997 CIVIC HX. I DID RESEARCH AND THERE ARE SO MANY DEFECTIVE CVT TRANSMISSIONS. THE TRANSMISSION WAS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR THIS MODEL. PEOPLE JUST DON'T PUT THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE. I WAS TOLD TO DO SO BY HONDA. 90% OF THIS MODEL ON THE ROAD HAVE ALL HAD THEIR TRANSMISSIONS REBUILT AND FAIL IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE CARS LIFE. WHY HASN'T HONDA RESOLVED THIS ISSUE? IT FAILS TO GO INTO REVERSE AND FAILS TO SOMETIMES GO INTO DRIVE. IF THE PERCENTAGE WERE LOW, THEN I'D UNDERSTAND THAT IT ISN'T A WIDE SPREAD ISSUE. BUT THE NUMBER OF CARS IS STAGGERING WHEN I GO ONTO FORUMS AND EVEN GOOGLE THE PROBLEM. AND THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN REBUILT SOMETIMES HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE SPEED SENSOR IN THE TRANSMISSION AND THE SPEEDOMETER FAILS TO READ THE SPEED OF THE CAR. IF I'M THE ONLY PERSON WHO'S GOING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS, I'LL MAKE SURE TO POST THE LINK IN FORUMS. *TR”

“AFTER THE R & R MAIN SHAFT WAS REPLACED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. *PH MONTHS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. IT WAS DETERMINED BY THE COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT THE R & R MAIN SHAFT CAM SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE SENSOR FAILED THREE MORE TIMES AFTER IT WAS INITIALLY REPLACED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT THE OEM DRUM HAD A CRACK IN IT AND THAT WAS WHAT CAUSED THE SENSOR TO FAIL. *NM”

“THIS VEHICLE IS A LEMON -- DEFECTIVE THROUGHOUT. MAJOR PROBLEM IS A TRANSMISSION THAT HAS FAILED TWICE -- ONCE BEING REPLACED BY THE MANUFACTURER ONLY AFTER TWO YEARS OF COMPLAINING ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BEING UNABLE TO DRIVE ANY DISTANCES, AND AFTER NUMEROUS TIMES I PAID TO HAVE THE PROBLEM UNRESOLVED. SINCE IT WAS REPLACED IN JULY 2001, I BEGAN COMPLAINING AGAIN ABOUT PROBLEMS IN MAY OF 2002, ONLY TO GET THE SAME RUN AROUND AGAIN. COSTING ME MONEY OUT OF MY POCKET FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE CVT TRANSMISSION FOR WHICH THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR DEFECT. FINALLY GOT IT FIXED AND THE WARRANTY EXTENDED FOR THE SECOND TIME, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, CHECK OUT THE VIN NUMBERS ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND YOU'LL MANY OTHER HONDA OWNERS WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND VERY SIMILAR VIN NUMBERS. LATE FALL 2002 TO WINTER 2003 DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCK FAILED AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THAT WAS FIXED THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW FAILED. I HAD TO DRIVE DOWN THE FREEWAY IN THE RAIN TO GET HOME WITH A WINDOW I COULD ONLY PULL UP HALF WAY. BUT TO TOP THINGS OFF, I HAVE TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR THIS MONTH. WORSE OF ALL, MY CAR WAS EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS THAT WERE APPARENTLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE…”

“I HAVE A 1997 HONDA CIVIC EX COUPE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WITH 95,900 MILES WHEN THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM STARTED. ONE DAY I NOTICED MY CAR WAS HESITATING WHEN I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR BUT DID NOT PUT A LOT OF ATTENTION TO IT. THEN SOON AFTER I NOTICED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURN ON. SO I DECIDED TO TAKE MY CAR TO MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER (ROCK HONDA). THEY RESET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, THEN TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE TRANSMISSION AND IF IT TURNS ON AGAIN THAT I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THE LIGHT TURNED ON WENT BACK TO ROCK HONDA , THEY RECOMMENDED ME REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND MENTIONED TO ME THERE IS NO RECALL ON THE A/T OR WARRANTY , THE ESTIMATE WAS $2900 FOR THE REPAIR. SO I DECIDED TO GET A SECOND OPINION, AND THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING THE A/T NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED! I ENDED UP REPAIRING IT COSTING ME $2608.11 OUCH. I BELIEVE HONDA SHOULD HAVE TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY AND NOTIFY THE MILLIONS OF CUSTOMERS THAT OWN HONDA CIVICS AND TELL THEM ABOUT THIS MAJOR REPAIR BY ISSUING A RECALL. I FEEL HONDA SHOULD REIMBURSE ALL THEIR CUSTOMERS WHO UNKNOWINGLY HAVE HAD TO FIX THEIR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION JUST LIKE I HAVE. NOW I'M WONDERING IF I…”