Rep Power: 0

Ok, so my automatic transmission in my 2003 civic LX was acting up...shifting from 1st gear to 2nd gear usually resulted in a "jolt" then from 2nd to 3rd gear was slow at times, and if i let go of the gas to slow down the vehicle would "jolt" again. Sometimes it feels like the engine is either working too hard or not working hard enough. This car has 87k on it and everything seems to be working. So I took it to a Honda dealership and they said I needed some transmission fluid...did it. done. Now theyre saying Im almost 30k over a timing belt change...
so called 2 dealerships, Honda themselves and bought a carfax report to see if there was anything saying that the belts were changed but no such luck...should I call like Patchatogue, NY dmv to see if it's been fixed? There's no record for repairs on carfax and the two dealerships who previously had the car cant find anything either...any help..??

also, I read alot on the internet about how '01-'03 civics have really faulty transmissions...is this true??

 
Rep Power: 0

I'm not sure how to help your problem, but I can confirm the crappy transmissions we got stuck with in the 7th gens, especially automatics. There's a thread about how to diagnose different problems in the tranny, but you're more than likely going go have to repair/replace.

 
Rep Power: 313

Yea your in trouble with the transmission.. You at this point have 3 options:

A rebuild
Replace
Convert to manual.

I recommend converting to manual if you want to keep your civic. Mainly because the manual transmissions are actually pretty good in these things.

 
Rep Power: 0

I'll second that. I've run this thing at the track (or on the highway as though I'm on the track), lots of stop and go with mail delivery sometimes, and trips across town to take people home. I'm at 115k and I'm just getting the feeling like I should look into a rebuild. No matter what you do, look on here for a custom input shaft bearing. Get one of those in while they're cracking open your transmission. That's the Achilles's heel of our transmissions. Get that sucker out!