What 377 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Honda Civic Sedan Si

The car was operating fine until made a turn and the car stopped moving entirely, it would not accelerate, and the wheels would not turn. Shifting gears produced no results, and the car was completely stuck. The transmission cap on top of the CVT transmission was off, but had never been removed by me or another service provider. The safety of myself and others was put at risk because I was abruptly stopped by the issue in the middle of the road, unable to move, and received no prior warning that there were any issues with the vehicle. Multiple service centers have been unable to get the car moving again, and the issue persists. They are saying the transmission needs to be entirely replaced. It has been expected by both an independent auto shop and a transmission specialist. I received no warning of any issues with the car on the dashboard at any point.

NHTSA ODI 11500285

The car was driving fine until I heard a grinding sound and pulled over to the side of the road. I turned the car off and on again, put it in drive, and pressed the gas pedal but instead of driving the car started to roll backwards down the hill I was stopped on. No check engine or other warning lights came on. I had the car towed to a mechanic who said the transmission was broken and needed to be replaced. The car is outside of the manufacturer's power train warranty but is only 7 years old with 95,000 miles. I was lucky to be driving on a residential road with no other cars around when the transmission failed instead of potentially driving on a busy highway. After having the car repaired I learned that this car once had a recall regarding broken drive pulley shafts. There are 0 open recalls tied to my VIN so I believe the software update recall was performed before I purchased the used car. I'm wondering if the software update was sufficient if the transmission still failed only a few years later.

NHTSA ODI 11499637

Pressure caused transmission plug to pop out unknowingly. Vehicle now jerks at low speeds or when accelerating from a full stop position. Likely that missing plug is allowing dirt and debris into transmission fluid. Transmission likely negatively impacted. This vehicle has less than 75,000 miles. Seems this vehicle should have been included with the NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 15V574000

NHTSA ODI 11499483

Transmission went out at 150,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11499454

Honda Civic Ex CVT 2 door coupe 2015 It has 117,00 miles CVT transmission problems I went to mechanic to see if I had fluid because the vehicle was sluggish when shifting I was told plenty of fluid, just nasty sludge. I was told I need a new transmission. He also said my wheel bearing on passenger side needs replaced Mechanic said ,” CVT are the worse in that year” I’m wondering why no recall??

NHTSA ODI 11498746

The contact owns a 2015 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, felt a vibration and noise at low speed and would go away as soon as the vehicle got up to speed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had driven the vehicle to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to a transmission shop. The vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer for diagnoses. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V574000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11498136

The CVT transmission resulted in the shaft breaking during operation. The car rolled in reverse and without the gears being switched.

NHTSA ODI 11497724

There is no dipstick to check transmission fluid level. My car with no warning light or check engine light lost acceleration and had almost close to stop. Thank god I wan’t on highway. Upon taking i into mechanic they said a screw was loose and transmission fluid was leaking. It ha happened to me twice. The problem has not been confirmed by dealer. Transmission fluid can neither be measured nor condition of transmission fluid can be seen without dipstick. Very importantly there is no warning light for it.

NHTSA ODI 11497177

No warning lights. No check engine lights. No dipstick to check transmission fluid. Changed the transmission fluid in 8/2021 around 90k miles and my transmission went out ON THE HIGHWAY WITH NO WARNING LIGHTS GOING 70 MPH. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. NOTHING. TRANSMISSION LIGHT COMES ON AFTER MY CAR IS AT A STOP.

NHTSA ODI 11496836

The contact owns a 2015 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while stopped in first gear, while driving at low speed, the clutch made an abnormal metallic grinding sound. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch spring needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

NHTSA ODI 11495825

On 9/30/2022 My son was driving his car on the freeway. The truck in front of him slammed on their brakes suddenly. My son slammed on his brakes but slid into the back of the truck in front of him. The car sustained moderate front end damage and was not able to be driven. The airbags do not deploy and a "airbag malfunction" light came on in his car. My son sustained only minor injuries and did not require medical assistance. I spoke with Honda regarding the malfunction light and the airbags nor deploying and was told that was normal which does NOT seem right.

NHTSA ODI 11495176

I was driving home from work and as I took off from a standstill, I accelerated and my car began to reach 4000-5000 RPM immediately but my speedometer read 4-6 mph. I made it to through the intersection and drove until I reached a safe parking lot. It began puttering through the parking lot, almost jerking, but sounded like I was accelerating at top speeds. Then, it stopped completely. I had it towed to a mechanic that I trust and it turns out that my transmission plug/cap was missing entirely, and all my transmission fluid leaked out without any notice, warning light, or message. I had driven without the cap for days likely before the car began to fail. I was alone and driving in the dark when it occurred which made me panic even more trying to get out of the road in rush hour traffic. After the tow truck began to drive away, I found this puddle of transmission fluid on the concrete. After the mechanic inspected and diagnosed all the damages/failures, he informed me that my entire transmission needs to be replaced along with other affected parts including a pump, new transmission cap, and transmission fluid. I found several other complaints reported to NHTSA about others having the same transmission failure and missing transmission cap/plug. This is my daily driver to/from work as well as transportation for me to take my parents to doctors appointments. Now, not only am I without a mode of transportation to work/medical appointments, but I am having to replace or rebuild the transmission. I was quoted $5366 for a new transmission…WITHOUT labor, replacement cap, new fluid. All for a $25 cap that popped off…NHTSA or Honda need to address this issue and find a solution. I could have been injured trying to navigate to a safe place while my car was stalling and sputtering.

NHTSA ODI 11493736

While driving at the interstate speed of 70 mph all of my warning lights came on at one time and the car began to run roughly. I stopped the car for a few moments about 30 minutes. When I started the car back it ran rough but the although the lights went out and went back to normal. I stopped on a steep incline at a stop sign and when I attempted to merge into traffic the transmission will not engage. The shifter moves through all gears freely but the shift but the transmission is not engaged. Has not been inspected yet is I don't have the money to have it towed to a dealer. I've read where there's a recall on the transmission but my VIN is not listed in that recall and it is my assumption that Honda will not make the repairs

NHTSA ODI 11492021

Unknown Fumes have been seeping into the vehicle causing driver to be lethargic, and hallucinogenic and a terrible smell to seep into the car.

NHTSA ODI 11491832

On 10/15/2022 our 2015 Honda Civic Coupe vehicle was in a front end collision at 70 mph. NONE of the airbags deployed. The vehicle is at my insurance company wrecking yard and would be available for inspection, if needed. My 16 year old son had injuries including a concussion and whiplash due to the air bags not deploying. The police, firefighters, paramedics, hospital doctors, and my insurance company ALL say that the airbags should have absolutely deployed. There were no warning lamps or messages that alerted us there was any concern before the accident.

NHTSA ODI 11491553

Noticed at around 58,000 miles my trans fluid fill plug kept popping out, I cleaned the vent cap and that helped for a few weeks. Back to popping out time after time. I did a trans fluid change the first time I noticed it. Still kept popping out. Now the transmission is starting have little shimmies or slips, I’ve notice it more and more. There’s no good reason this should be happening to a vehicle with 60,000 miles on it, it absolutely has to be some kind of recall or manufacturer defect. Please advise.

NHTSA ODI 11491356

The transmission plug pops out while driving and can cause fluid to spray everywhere. A known issue of vehicles of this types

NHTSA ODI 11488267

Under 78,000 miles just out of warranty, bought certified used in 2016. Car randomly started shaking/jerking when slowly accelerating. I thought I had a flat tire. Tires were fine and shaking went away as I went up to higher speeds. Progressively got worse throughout the day, more shaking and jerking and then wasn’t shifting at higher speeds. Check emission and transmission warnings popped up. I immediately took to a small shop who said they didn’t have the tech to properly diagnose the transmission issue. They took it for a test drive after clearing the computer and transmission went capoot. Towed to Honda and they said transmission bad, lots of broken metal inside. $7200 before tax for a fix. They’ve offered me $2000 to help cover cost but still outrageous. My VIN wasn’t part of the recall. Car isn’t even paid off, this is insanity. Honda is supposed to be reliable.

NHTSA ODI 11485736

Car key remotes both failed within the 7 years. They had to replace the SOP Fuse Box and Imobi Unit. The parts should not have failed within this time. The remote would open the trunk when the open and close feature was lightly touched and created a safety issue for the driver to secure the car and the alarm feature was not working. It was very costly to repair. With the cooperation of the car dealership, they reduced the cost to about $1300. This occured in August 2022.

NHTSA ODI 11484052

Paint chipping off of vehicle around rear windshield.

NHTSA ODI 11481003

With no warning, the transmission went out on the Civic. It left my son stranded on the side of a busy road. The car still ran, but would not engage in drive or reverse. I had to have it towed and they have concluded the transmission is shot. The mechanic stated the 2015 model is known for this, but mine is not in the recall. This should really be looked into, $7000 out of my pocket when there is a known defect really bothers me.

NHTSA ODI 11480573

Software glitch fried the transmission on the spot. Without warning all warning lights came on (engine, brake, power steering, tpms, etc.) then the car immediately lost all power. It would start and run fine, but no power to the wheels and the warning lights all stayed on. This left me stranded on the highway for hours in the middle of the night. Towed to honda dealership who first misdiagnosed issue then concluded the transmission was shot. It is clear to me and others that had this same issue, that the software has a glitch that increases hydraulic fluid in the transmission case tenfold, leading to immediate failure. All maintenance had been meticulously maintained. Honda charged me 9000 dollars for a new transmission. How do you hold the customer responsible for a software issue? A class action suit is needed. I was the biggest honda fanboy out there...not anymore. It had 118000 miles at time of incident.

NHTSA ODI 11479230

The transmission failed; however, no code or warning appeared to indicate there was a problem. The only indication that there was an issue, we’re problems with acceleration. This was meant to be our newer reliable family vehicle for which we drive our two year old son in. Had the car broken down the wrong place and wrong time it could put our son and others in danger. Some sort of code should have appeared to indicate there was an issue before the transmission failed prematurely. The car had just a little over 100,000 miles when the transmission failed. The car was evaluated at a Honda service shop in Annapolis MD (west street). They determine the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. I suspect that 2015 Honda civics have transmission problems and defects. Although our VIN number is not associated with the 2014-2015 Honda Civic recalls, those recalls were transmission related issues. I don’t know that it is a coincidence, I suspect this year, make and model produced defective transmissions. The most concerning part is that no code nor check engine light appeared to warn us of the transmission issue. The car is currently in an transmission auto shop (glen Burnie, MD) waiting for a used transmission to be installed. It may take two to three weeks for the repairs.

NHTSA ODI 11478699

Hard to steer to the left and car pulls to the right if you let go of steering wheel. Yes it has been reproduced & confirmed by the local dealer, & i was told this case usually happen when car was involved in accident but my car has never had any accident, there is no warning light, i thought it has something to do with alignment, i had it aligned early this year and i was told to have the power steering rack be check.

NHTSA ODI 11475625

My transmission failed because the transmission fill plug came off at some point during my commute. I had no idea the cap had come off until my transmission stopped shifting properly which is very scary when you are on the highway and are trying to reach safe highway speeds. The next morning, I pulled out of my parking space and was able to pull through my apartment gates without any indications of issues shifting until I stopped at my stop sign. Upon acceleration, my car only had enough acceleration to put me right in the middle of the road. Thankfully it was an early Saturday morning or that would have been even more dangerous. I put it in on the S level to have more control of my low gear and I was barely able to get back to my apartment and could not go more than 5 mph. This was very scary because I knew nobody around that could help me. Imagine if this was late at night or in a more dangerous part of town. No service engine light has ever came on. I get the proper and routine oil changes and also rotate my tires. I bought the car in 2018 as a certified preowned Honda with 33k miles and now it has 95k.The technician at HONDA informed me he has frequently seen this issue with CVT transmission from Honda as the fill plug likely comes off due to the internal forces from the transmission when driving. The technician also informed me that there was no way I could know that the fill plug came off until the complications I had started. A complaint about the $7000 dollar repair to Honda corporate has been filed (I have a warranty for powertrain, but was denied because the fill plug is conveniently not covered by the warranty.) Overall, I am scared that even when this is fixed, that it will happen again. This issue is already happening to others and it has the potential to cause injury. This issue has been inspected by Honda and my insurance. There is no damage that has been identified by either party to have caused this issue other than fill plug being dislodged.

NHTSA ODI 11472057