2004 Honda Civic Engine Problems

THIS IS THE SECOND 04 HONDA CIVIC I'VE OWNED. THE FIRST ONE WAS A HYBRID AND THE TRANSMISSION BLEW WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CIVIC I OWN NOW ONLY HAS 85K AND WAS PREVIOUSLY OWNED BY AN OLD LADY SINCE IT WAS NEW. BUT LOW AND BEHOLD THE TRANSMISSION BLEW WHILE DRIVING AGAIN. HOW MANY PEOPLE NEED TO GET INJURED OR KILLED IN ORDER FOR THIS TO BE RECALLED?????

AT 74,515 MILES THE TRANSMISSION IS OUT OF MY 2004 CIVIC,..THE CAR IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION EVEN THE ORIGINAL FLOOR MATS ARE IN PLACE AND LOOK GREAT BECAUSE OF MY CARE OF THE CAR,...I WANT HONDA TO PAY FOR THE COST OF A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR CHOOSING TO INSTALL A CHEEP ONE AND KNOWING IT WOULDN'T LAST. I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND WAS JUST ABOUT RAN OVER BY TRAFFIC WHEN MY CAR BEGAN TO SLOW AND MAKE NOISE PUTTING ME IN A VERY STRESSFUL SITUATION.

HOT AIR WAS NOT BLOWING. NOTICED LITTLE BIT OF GREEN COOLANT ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. THERE WAS ENOUGH COOLANT IN THE RESERVOIR. TOOK IT TO THE HONDA DEALER. PRESSURE TEST WAS PERFORMED. SERVICE TOLD ME THAT HEAD GASKET BLOWN AND NEED TO BE FIXED IMMEDIATELY OTHERWISE CAR MAY BECOME STALLED ANYTIME. 5 MONTHS AGO SAME DEALER PERFORMED TIMING BELT, WATER PUMP MAINTENANCE. MILEAGE IS VERY LOW FOR HEAD GASKET RELATED ISSUES. *TR

INPUT SHAFT BEARING FAILURE ...THOUGHT IT WAS ORIGINALLY THE CLUTCH, RELEASE BEARING AND FORK PAID AND REPLACED AND PROBLEM STILL PERSISTED...THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND YEAR AND IS A CONSTANT PROGRESSION OF NOISE AND INHIBITS ACCELERATION AND SMOOTH DRIVING ...I FEEL AS IF THE CAR IS READY TO COMPLETELY FAIL AND I'VE DRIVEN MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS ALL MY LIFE SO USER ERROR IS NOT THE CAUSE... I'VE ALWAYS STOOD BY HONDA AND THERE PRODUCTS ALL MY LIFE AND HOPE THERE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND LOYALTY IS STILL OF HIGHEST VALUE AND THE RIGHT ACTIONS ON THEIR PART ARE DONE TO RECTIFY THIS RECURRING ISSUE IN THERE PRODUCT. I DRIVE OVER 100 MILES A DAY AND HOPE ONE DAY I AM NOT STRANDED OR WORSE IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO MY CAR SUDDENLY HALTING DUE TO MISALIGNED GEARS ON THE FREEWAY... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 45 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT WHERE THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER WAS LOCATED, A SPRING WAS FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE TIMING BELT TO FAIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 117,695.

ENGINE HEAD GET SO HOT THAT IT MELTS THE SPARK PLUG TO THE HEAD, EVEN MELTING THE HEX NUT ON THE SPARK PLUG. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING MY HONDA CIVIC LX, 2004 . WE HAVE BEEN USING THIS CAR SINCE LAST 6 YEAR WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. ON NOV. 1ST WE WERE DRIVING THIS CAR TO GO TO WORK; CAR WAS RUNNING PERFECT SMOOTH WITH NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEM. DURING EVENING HOURS WHEN SHE WAS DRIVING BACK TO HOME AFTER WORK. CAR STARTED FINE AS USUAL BUT SHE DROVE ABOUT 5 MILES AND AS SOON AS SHE REACHED ON THE WALT WHITMAN BRIDGE (NJ) SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, SHE PULLED OVER CAR IN THE SHOULDER LANE AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR. SHE CALLED THE POLICE FOR HELP, AS SOON AS POLICE OFFICER ARRIVED ON THE SCENE, CAR BUSTED IN THE FLAMES. POLICE CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR HELP AND SOON WHOLE CAR ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND STARTED TO BURN WITH HIGH FLAMES. BY THE TIME FIRE TRUCK SHOWED UP WHOLE CAR WAS DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. IT WAS VERY UNUSUAL THAT THE RUNNING CAR WITH NO PROBLEM FOR 6 YEARS AND FINE RUNNING CAR ALL OF SUDDEN CAUGHT IN FIRE. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE IS SOME FAULTY ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND MAY BE DUE TO MANUFACTURE DEFECT. I AM VERY FORTUNATE THAT THERE WAS NO INJURY OR DEATH IN THIS INCIDENCE. HOWEVER MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY BURN DOWN AND DESTROYED. I WILL APPRECIATE IF YOU CAN HELP ME WITH THIS. DID ANYONE BEFORE REPORTED THIS KIND OF PROBLEM IN THIS MODEL OF CAR WHICH MAY SUGGEST MANUFACTURE DEFECT? *TR

2004 HONDA CIVIC LX SEDAN 60,300 MILES, USED CERTIFIED VEHICLE BOUGHT FROM HOWARD COOPER DEALERSHIP IN ANN ARBOR MI. ENGINE DID OVERHEAT AT IDLE, 1/2 QUART OF COOLANT SPILLED ON THE FLOOR OF MY GARAGE. COOLANT LEVELS WERE TOPPED AFTER EVENT, AT RADIATOR AND BOTTLE WITH 1/'2 QT OF COOLANT. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AT DEALERSHIP, CYLINDER HEAD GASKET DAMAGED, PERHAPS HEAD DAMAGED AS WELL. DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO TELL ME WHAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THIS EVENT. SUFFICIENT COOLANT WAS PRESENT AT FAILURE. CAUSE OF OVERHEAT UNKNOWN. WAS IT THE THERMOSTAT, THE WATER PUMP, THE COOLING FAN..? NO SERVICE LIGHT OR DUMMY OVERHEAT LIGHT EVER CAME ON. NO BCM HISTORY CODES APPEAR TO EXIST RELATED TO OVERHEATING ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP. IT IS STRANGE THAT A CAR CAN COOK ITSELF JUST LIKE THAT, WITH COOLANT IN IT. I HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE WEB RESEARCH AND I FIND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS OF SIMILAR RELATED COOLING SYSTEM MISHAPS, ON HONDA CIVICS. MY PERSONAL OPINION IS THAT THIS DESERVES SOME INVESTIGATION. I FIND IT ODD THAT NO DEFINITE ANSWERS ARE OFFERED BY THE DEALER ON WHAT WENT WRONG. NO HISTORY CODES? IS THERE A DIAGNOSTIC FAULT SIGNAL FROM THE TEMPERATURE SENSOR, FAN MOTOR, WATER PUMP ETC TO THE BCM? WILL (SHOULD) SUCH SIGNALS SET A CODE? VERY STRANGE. I WAS BEING CHARGED $1400 FOR THE REPAIR, BUT THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THE WARRANTY MIGHT PICK UP THE COST. I DON'T KNOW THIS FOR SURE YET SINCE ANALYSIS OF PARTS IS BEEN DONE AT THE DEALERSHIP. I AM SORRY, EXCUSE ME BUT I SMELL A RAT HERE. IT WAS LIKE PULLING TEETH TO GET THE DEALER TO LOOK DEEPER INTO THIS MATTER. I HAD TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THIS DEALERSHIP TO GET SOME REAL ATTENTION ON THIS. COME ON, THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG HERE. *TR UPDATED 02/01/10.*JB

I DRIVE A 2004 MANUAL HONDA CIVIC. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET AT ABOUT 70 MPH. SUDDENLY, I FELT MY CAR SPEED UP SUBSTANTIALLY AND WHEN I LOOK AT THE SPEEDOMETER I WAS TRAVELING OVER 85 MPH. I IMMEDIATELY CANCELED CRUISE CONTROL BUT MY CAR CONTINUED TO GAIN SPEED. I HIT MY BRAKES WHICH CAUSED MY CAR TO SHUDDER VIOLENTLY. WHEN MY FOOT WASN'T ON THE BRAKES, MY CAR CONTINUED TO QUICKLY GAIN SPEED. I ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND COAST TO A STOP, BUT WHEN I PUT THE CLUTCH IN MY RPM'S ROSE TO ABOUT 8,000 AND DIDN'T GO DOWN EVEN WHEN THE CAR WAS IN NEUTRAL. THE CAR ALSO CONTINUED TO INCREASE IN SPEED EVEN WHEN IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. I MOVED BACK INTO 5TH GEAR AND CONTINUED DOWN THE HIGHWAY GOING BETWEEN 85-95 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT SPEED ONLY WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES. I PLACED A CALL TO 911 AND INFORMED THEM THAT I COULDN'T STOP MY CAR. THE 911 DISPATCHER CONTACTED HIGHWAY PATROL WHO SET OUT TO CATCH ME. ONCE A HIGHWAY PATROLMAN WAS BEHIND ME, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL, EVEN THOUGH THE RPM'S WOULD SHOOT UP, AND COAST TO A STOP. THE CAR SHOOK ALMOST UNCONTROLLABLY WHILE I WAS SLOWING DOWN AND EVEN AT A COMPLETE STOP IN NEUTRAL ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THE RPM'S WERE AT ABOUT 8,000. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY TURNED THE CAR ON AND WITNESSED THE RPM'S IMMEDIATELY SHOOT UP TO 8,000 AGAIN. AFTER LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE A CAUSE FOR THE INCIDENT. WHEN THEY TURNED THE CAR ON AGAIN IT STARTED AND RAN NORMALLY. NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE CAR WAS DONE, AND LUCKILY THE FREEWAY WAS UNCROWDED SO AN ACCIDENT WAS AVOIDED. *TR

1. NO PRIOR WARNING, OTHER THAN A SLIGHT LURCH WHILE ACCELERATING WHILE MERGING ONTO THE FREEWAY EARLIER THE SAME DAY. 2.&3. TRANSMISSION FAILURE/ P0370 INCORRECT GEAR RATIO RESULTING IN A PULLING LURCHING SENSATION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE PAST 10MPH WITHOUT AVOIDING THE LURCHING, HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND BE TOWED TO THE NEAREST RESIDENTIAL AREA THEN GET IT TOWED IN THE MORNING TO A MECHANIC WITHIN 3-4 MILES OF WHERE I WAS PARKED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS INDEED ON AND WAS TURNED OFF ONCE THE ERROR CODE WAS RETRIEVED BY THE TRIPLE A MECHANIC, WHO RECORDED IT AS A P0370 INCORRECT GEAR RATIO ISSUE. AS IT IS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, HONDA'S POLICY IS TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION ENTIRELY. AT THIS POINT, I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST HONDA DEALERSHIP, BECAUSE IT WAS A FAR MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED. HOWEVER, SINCE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS OFF NOW AND WITH IT, THE ERROR CODE, HONDA'S SERVICE CENTER HAS STATED THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE BY THEM UNTIL THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REAPPEARS AND THE LURCHING OCCURS AGAIN. I WAS TOLD THAT WHETHER THAT HAPPENED ON A SIDE STREET OR FREEWAY, IT WAS OF NO CONCERN TO THEM AND THAT THE SITUATION WAS OUT OF THEIR HANDS. THE SITUATION I HAVE WITH MY CAR MIRRORS THE EXPERIENCE OF THE MANY 2001 HONDA CIVIC OWNERS, HENCE MY CONCERN AND FRUSTRATION WITH THE AIRPORT MARINA HONDA DEALERSHIP. MY MAJOR CONCERN IS THAT I WILL HAVE TO FORCE A LURCHING, JERKING CAR SAFELY OFF THE FREEWAY BEFORE HONDA WISHES TO DEAL WITH MY VEHICLE AGAIN. *TR

I DRIVE A 2004 HONDA CIVIC WHILE COMING OUT FROM WORK WAS AT A STOP LIGHT AND WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN PUSH ON THE GAS AND NOTICE MY CAR HAD SHUT DOWN, ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT JUST BOUGHT A USED CAR IN JAN THIS HAPPENED IN THE BEGIN OF MARCH. THIS WAS NOT THE ONLY THING THAT HAPPEN MY CAR WOULD HAVE THIS LATE CRANK WHEN YOU START IT. IT HAPPENS OCCASIONLY TOOK IT TO HONDA DEALER SHIP AND THEY RAN A TEST ON IT AND THE GUY SAID THAT HE COULD NOT DUPLICATE WHAT HAD HAPPEN . *AK

I RECENTLY HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY HONDA PILOT. WE TOOK IT TO AUTO ZONE AND HAD THEM HOOK IT UP TO THEIR DIAGNOSTICS MACHINE. THE CODE "P1399" RESULTED. HOWEVER, WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD TO CONTACT HONDA TO FIND OUT WHAT THE CODE MEANT BECAUSE IT WAS A GENERIC CODE THAT HONDA PUTS OUT. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND ASKED WHAT THE CODE MEANT, AND I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TO BRING MY VEHICLE DOWN TO THEM TO PUT IT ON THEIR MACHINE: FOR $95.00. HONDA HAS CREATED THEIR CODES SO THAT AUTO ZONE AND OTHER REASONABLY PRICED PLACES CAN NOT ASSIST HONDA OWNERS. WE ARE FORCED TO PAY THIS OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNT BECAUSE ONLY HONDA CAN TELL US WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR VEHICLES. I DID MANY HOURS OF RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND HAVE FOUND THAT THIS "P1399" CODE IS QUITE COMMON, AS WELL AS THIS KIND OF PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. THE HONDA PILOT HAS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT AND VTM LIGHT COMING ON AROUND 30-40 THOUSAND MILES. THE ENGINE MISFIRES, AND THE VEHICLE FEELS LIKE IT IS "CHUGGING". IT SEEMS THE TIMING OF THIS PROBLEM IS CONSISTENT WITH THE WARRANTY EXPIRING. I HAVE READ THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM, AND THAT HONDA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, YET HAVE FAILED TO ADDRESS IT. IF YOU LOOK AT WWW.HONDA.ORG YOU WILL SEE THE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS MECHANIC FAILURE. I WOULD LIKE THIS PROBLEM TO BE INVESTIGATED, AND HAVE HONDA BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE FAULTY PARTS. *NM

TIMING BELT FAILURE AT 26,450 MILES ON ENGINE STARTUP. *NM

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA CIVIC-HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY FOUND NO FAILURES; HOWEVER, THEY RESET THE SENSOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IF THE ENGINE FAILED, HE WOULD BE UNAWARE BECAUSE THE INDICATOR IS CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 147,000.

VEHICLE PURCHASED NEW NOV 2004 - THREE OCCURRENCES OF ENGINE STALLING WHILE IN GEAR AND CAR IN MOTION - DEALER SAYS DIAGNOSTICS DO NOT SHOW A PROBLEM - EXTREME SAFETEY HAZARD - CAR IS UNSAFE - DEALER HAS NOT CORRECTED PROBLEM. *AK

INFO COPY TO NHTSA OWNER OF 2004 HONDA CIVIC ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT FIRE VEHICLE DESTROYED. *BF THE CONSUMER NOTICED A SMELL COMING THROUGH THE AIR VENTS OF THE VEHICLE. SECONDS LATER SMOKE STARTED COMING THROUGH THE VENTS AS WELL AS RISING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. FLAMES CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND THE ENTIRE FRONT END WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY 3 MONTHS OLD AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. *TC *JB

PROBLEMS WITH MAIN REAR CRANK SHAFT SEAL ON 2004 HONDA CIVIC. *MR *SC *JB

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A 2004 HONDA CIVIC LX IN CALIFORNIA. THE NIGHT I DROVE HOME AND PULLED OVER, I HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. I OPENED THE HOOD AND REALIZED THE NOISE HAS BEEN COMING FROM THE BELTS. I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR AND THEY TURNED ME AWAY AND SAID THE PARTS ARE PROBABLY TOO NEW AND THEY NEED SOME TIME TO 'BREAK IN'. THE MILEAGE ON MY CAR JUST OVER 1000 MILES AND I AM VERY CONCERNED OF THAT NOISE IF IT WILL CAUSE ANY MAJOR CONSEQUENCES. PLEASE ADVISE. *JB

THE ADVERTISED MPG OF MY HONDA HYBRID FOR CITY DRIVING IS 48 MPG. I HAVE NEVER GOTTEN BETTER THAN 38 MPG. HONDA SAYS THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT AND JUST ADVERTISING THAT IT WILL GET 48 MPG DOESN'T MEAN IT WILL GET THAT ACTUAL MILEAGE. I BELIEVE IT SHOULD AT LEAST BE CLOSE, NOT 20% LESS THAN ADVERTISED. I PAID EXTRA TO BUY A HYBRID AUTOMOBILE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO PERFORM MUCH BETTER THAN IT DOES. FALSE OR MISLEADING ADVERTISING FOR ANY CONSUMER PUCHASE SHOULD NOT BE PERMITTED, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS A MAJOR PURCHASE FOR AN AVERAGE CONSUMER TO MAKE.*AK