2003 Honda Civic Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 101 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2003 Honda Civic, 20% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 74,259 miles. The words owners use most often: “cvt transmission” (15% of reports).
- 101power train complaints
- 74,259median miles at failure
- 7mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,100typical repair cost reported by owners
- 19%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- CVT transmission: mentioned in 15 of 101 complaints (15%)
- Starter clutch: mentioned in 6 of 101 complaints (6%)
- Catalytic converter: mentioned in 6 of 101 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2003 Honda Civic at $2,100, and half of them between $1,900 and $5,000.
Based on 6 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2008–2011), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 87 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 101 complaints, 7 mention a crash, 3 an injury.
Honda Civic power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Civic | 2 | 6% | — |
| 2025 Civic | 6 | 8% | 1,000 |
| 2024 Civic | 6 | 5% | 17,000 |
| 2023 Civic | 6 | 2% | 1,200 |
| 2022 Civic | 10 | 1% | — |
| 2021 Civic | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2020 Civic | 31 | 14% | 8,200 |
| 2019 Civic | 13 | 3% | 7,000 |
| 2018 Civic | 14 | 2% | 20,000 |
| 2017 Civic | 29 | 5% | 25,000 |
| 2016 Civic | 36 | 3% | 35,977 |
| 2015 Civic | 176 | 46% | 84,500 |
| 2014 Civic | 98 | 33% | 43,297 |
| 2013 Civic | 22 | 7% | 6,450 |
| 2012 Civic | 49 | 11% | 18,315 |
| 2011 Civic | 4 | 2% | 13,750 |
| 2010 Civic | 12 | 3% | 77,000 |
| 2009 Civic | 23 | 6% | 20,359 |
| 2008 Civic | 52 | 6% | 35,000 |
| 2007 Civic | 104 | 9% | 12,450 |
| 2006 Civic | 76 | 5% | 50,000 |
| 2005 Civic | 36 | 11% | 57,330 |
| 2004 Civic | 56 | 16% | 87,250 |
| 2003 Civic | 101 | 20% | 74,259 |
| 2002 Civic | 185 | 26% | 102,681 |
| 2001 Civic | 403 | 37% | 98,000 |
| 2000 Civic | 30 | 10% | 47,349 |
| 1999 Civic | 35 | 10% | 75,000 |
| 1998 Civic | 49 | 11% | 63,600 |
| 1997 Civic | 25 | 7% | 50,700 |
| 1996 Civic | 25 | 8% | 112,500 |
| 1995 Civic | 14 | 7% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2003 Honda Civic. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
When driving the car at highway speeds, if i let off the accelerator and coast, the manual transmission pops out of 5th into neutral. *tr
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HUNTINGTON HONDA (1055 JERICHO TURNPIKE, HUNTINGTON, NY 11743, PHONE NUMBER: [redacted]) TO BE REPAIRED FOR AN UNKNOWN AIR BAG RECALL. WHILE DRIVING FROM THE DEALER, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG WAS STICKING OUT OF…
Vehicle steering wheel violently jerks back and forth when shifting automatically resulting in no control of vehicle.vehicle does not lock doors.dealership failed to complete or inform me of any kinds of hazards as i overlooked these major problems when purchased used car. I paid over 3400 dollars…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Honda Civics have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 101 owner complaints about power train for the 2003 Honda Civic (20% of the 499 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Honda Civic power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 74,259 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2003 Honda Civic?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,100 (half paid between $1,900 and $5,000), from 6 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2003 Honda Civic?
The most frequent phrase is “cvt transmission”, in 15 of 101 complaints, followed by “starter clutch” (6).
Other 2003 Honda Civic problems
- Air Bags problems (140)
- Electrical System problems (51)
See all 2003 Honda Civic problems or power train problems across all Civic years.