Honda 7th Generation Transmission Failure

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I can't speak to the 7th gen Civics, but early 7th gen Accords had problems with some gear shafts not getting enough ATF to keep them cool so they would cook the fluid and ultimately themselves. Honda issued a recall, placing some sort of baffle to better cool the gears/shaft and by 06-07 it was pretty much a non-issue.

For the earlier ones, changing the ATF was highly recommended, not waiting for 100k but more like 15-30k. Keep an eye on the fluid, for sure, and make certain it stays red. Any change in color means a flush/fill is in order (3 times was recommended). Some Accord folks did the triple change every 30k, while others did a single change with oil change or at 15k. I couldn't tell you which was better. I have an 07 and it has not been a problem, but I'll change fluid at 30k anyway.

You might find links to more info at driveaccord.com. Hope this helps.
 
I think it's a high standard to ask if early changes will "save" a trans. There is a designed lifespan as well as design flaws. I think frequent changes helps with extending the normal lifespan, but will not counteract a design flaw. That's an informed opinion, PROVING it to someone is a far matter.
 
I know the 01 Civics had some transmission problems, but the 02-05 models were trouble-free. Honda transmission failures have not been linked to poor maintenance practices, but instead, poor design. The fluid will turn brown and this is normal, so there's no reason to change it based on color alone.
 
No tranny problems with my 2001 Civic so far. I bought it new and put 87K on it. I changed it around 50K and again at 80K. The fluid was still very red when I drained it both times.
 
It's definitely troubling to see people report premature failure at under 100k and none is getting help from Honda.

Peking: I am at 85k. I think I will change it since it's lightly brown and seems to be the original fluid.

I can only hope and pray I won't be another victim of Honda bad design if I start doing my fluid drain/change at 15 or 30k interval or at least once yearly. I drive like an old lady now fearing that normal driving may kill it prematurely.
I think this is my last Honda since I am experiencing AC Compressor failure at 85k mile already.
 
flares are common. This is an issue with two different friends' cars.

Interestingly enough, the 08 civic I have is pretty hard of a shift.
 
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Originally Posted By: uunfews
It's definitely troubling to see people report premature failure at under 100k and none is getting help from Honda.

That isn't true. Honda will goodwill most of the repair as long as you take the correct steps.
 
My mom has a 2001 Civic with only 35K miles.

I have done 5 drain/refills hoping that this will extend the life of the trans, cause she plans on keeping the car another 6-7 years. I was thinking of installing a Magnefine (inline) filter, but I changed my mind. For some reason the magnetic drain plug get very dirty on her Civic.
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BTW, could you post pics of it if you have any.

I was thinking of glueing a piece of magnet onto the bottom of the transmission case just to catch the serious metal grinding off.
 
Originally Posted By: uunfews
What steps would that be?

The vehicle needs to be diagnosed at the dealer first. Then you should let the dealer go to the bat for you and see what they come back with. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, call Honda corporate and open up a case. You need to explain to them that you are a loyal Honda customer and the failure at such an early mileage is unacceptable for a well-maintained (I assume) vehicle. Chances are, you're going to be dealing with a Honda model that has a history of this problem, so you need to let them know that you are not the only who has experienced this. Then, you need to tell them that you were hoping to continue buying Honda products in the future, but this failure may affect your customer loyalty.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: uunfews
What steps would that be?

The vehicle needs to be diagnosed at the dealer first. Then you should let the dealer go to the bat for you and see what they come back with. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, call Honda corporate and open up a case. You need to explain to them that you are a loyal Honda customer and the failure at such an early mileage is unacceptable for a well-maintained (I assume) vehicle. Chances are, you're going to be dealing with a Honda model that has a history of this problem, so you need to let them know that you are not the only who has experienced this. Then, you need to tell them that you were hoping to continue buying Honda products in the future, but this failure may affect your customer loyalty.


How can DIYers prove they maintain their vehicle well? The only way to prove maintenance to manufacture is all work done at the dealership, which sometime conveniently delete records and force the customers the burden of keeping them. This is on top of the fact that dealership always recommend doing things twice or 3 times as frequent as the owner manual suggests. The way I see it, the owner manual suggest 105k miles ATF OCI interval so any AT fail before that should be replaced free of charge.
 
They can't.

Cause if you had receipts showing that you bought cases of Z-1 ATF from the parts dept....

the dealershop would just say that doesn't prove you actually used that ATF in your car.
 
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