Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Hybrid Vehicles Honda Civic Hybrid Honda Civic Hybrid Maintenance & Repair Civic Hybrid Catalytic Converter Failures
85 messages, Last post on Feb 15, 2010 at 11:46 AM
You are in the Honda Civic Hybrid Maintenance & Repair Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer
|
|
|---|---|
|
Replying to: skylennard (Oct 19, 2009 2:25 pm) http://honda-car-parts.macautoparts.net/Catalytic-Converters-5784/4346483-03-04-- 05-Honda-Civic/ProductInfo.aspx Thanks! |
|
|
Replying to: skylennard (Oct 19, 2009 2:25 pm) How are you going to go about pursuading the dealership and Honda Corp. that they should take care of it? I feel like they will just say, "there is too many miles and your Warranty is gone". This is indeed a faulty part. I just need to know how to come at them I've also seen the aftermarket Davico converters and thought about paying $150 for one and have Grismer Automotive put it on. Not sure how long it will last. How do we go about contacting Honda Corporate (do you have the #)?
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: fergs13 (Oct 20, 2009 7:07 am) http://automobiles.honda.com/information/customer-relations.aspx (800) 999-1009 The person I ended up talking with at that number forwarded my request to the service manager for the dealership that I took my car to yesterday. The guy I was dealing with before (a rep, not the manager) said that Honday declined to assist me with the repair. The lady on the phone was really kind of pushing me to say tha the dealership had specifically told me that the cause for the issue was due to the ECM settings before, however I don't think they ever committed to that specifically. I just paid them $60 to "diagnose" the problem in the hopes that Honda would do the right thing and cover this repair under the recall the same as it seems other people had been covered earlier in this thread, but apparently not (yet). My basic approach at this point is to cite this and other message boards I have found about this problem to document the cat. conv. damage correlation with the ECM flash, and if they flat refuse to cover it, I'll file a complaint with the corporate office and see what that gets me. I really don't expect that they will continue to put up a fight considering that I have documentation of other drivers with the exact same car and mileage issues getting Honda to cover the part, but if they put up enough of a fight and I decide to give up, then i'll probably (eventually) try out that Davico converter. There's NO way i'm putting up over $1000 to get another OEM one put in. Let me know if you end up with any luck and I'll let you know the same.
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: skylennard (Oct 20, 2009 3:09 pm)
|
|
|
Replying to: 03civichybrd (Nov 20, 2009 7:51 am) 1) What will happen if I don't replace the Cat Conv? Will my car stop running? 2) Why do I need to replace the battery? Will my car stop working? I understand why a lot of people post about the troubles that everyone is facing with these parts, but it's not a dire issue. My 2003 Civic Hybrid has 145,000 miles on it over 7.5 years of ownership. In that period, I've gotten my transmission replaced once for free while it was under warranty. My check engine light has come on and stayed on, my battery discharges much faster than it used to, and I've been told my Catalytic Converters need to be replaced. I've been driving my car with a weaker battery, a check engine light, and (supposedly) broken catalytic converters for about 2-3 years now (approximately 40-60k miles). I've had no problems, no new issues. This is not a safety issue (e.g. airbag, suspension, brakes) and because it's a flaw in the design, even if you spend money to replace these parts, you're going to have the same issue in 40,000 miles at the latest. So why spend the money? Does the benefits outweigh the cost? I don't think we need to spend money to continually try to fix an unfixable design issue. I think the best we can do is notify consumer reports and BBB and honda corporation that they messed up in the design so that other people who consider buying a used civic hybrid knows. Also, if you haven't received it yet, there is a lawsuit against Honda regarding Civic Hybrids that will take place on 1/11/10. If the judge favors the plaintiff, then all Civic Hybrid owners will be allowed between $250-1000 rebate if you purchase a new 2009-2010 Honda (excluding fit, civic hybrid, and insight). As for me, I've decided that I can live with the problems and plan on keeping this car another 5 years. =)
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: rileyyh (Nov 20, 2009 12:23 pm) Yes, same problem here. Check engine light came on at 120,000 miles. Went the the dealer and they told me catalytic converter needed to be replaced, and quoted me $2400. I did get the ECM update done in 2007. I called back and spoke to the service manager today, telling them about this obviously widespread problem, but his answer was that since the check engine light hadn't come on when I got the ECM update, my catalytic converter must have been fine at that point. Had the light come on they would have extended my warranty on the cc to 180000. I told him exactly what I thought of that policy and said I would start following other avenues. I've seen people have had luck contacting Honda corporate. Does anyone have any further advice.?
|
|
|
Replying to: dkellyb717 (Jan 07, 2010 6:02 pm)
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: hchybrid (Jan 08, 2010 10:18 am) Cat Converter went out on my '03 HCH in October of 2006 at 77,000 miles. I took it to Streater-Smith Honda in Conroe, TX and they replaced the CC and only charged me labor due to the 80,000 mile warranty. The Check Engine Light came on again in January of 2010 at 114,000 miles (after I noticed a drop of about 8mpg efficiency). Took it to Santa Barbara Honda, and they tell me it the CC is bad. I called Honda Care and did my best to bitch up a storm. The representative filed my complaints and said Honda would not be acting on my request for parts because the warranty is up. So everyone else out there, please keep complaining to Honda. Maybe if the racket continues, we'll get our third Catalytic Converters covered. That is only three years and 40,000 miles on a Honda parts and installed Cat. Something is definitely wrong with the settings on our cars! If any lawyers are out there looking to pick up a class action lawsuit, get on it!  Now, I've agreed to the service because I'm pretty sure you can't run on a broken CC. It causes overheating in the exhaust system, which I think leads to a backing up of exhaust and damage to the rest of the engine. I've learned that the CC isn't essential, if you can get a non-Honda mechanic to put in a third party CC, do it. If you can get someone to skip the CC process and have a straight pipe of exhaust, that works too (unless you have emissions tests to pass). I live in Cali, so I can't get most Cat Converters as they have to be California Legal by state standards. Most cheap ones aren't. |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: hchybrid (Jan 08, 2010 10:18 am)
|
|
You are here:
Forums
Hybrid Vehicles Honda Civic Hybrid Honda Civic Hybrid Maintenance & Repair Civic Hybrid Catalytic Converter Failures
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2011 Honda Civic
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
