I have a 2003 HCH with just over 64,000 miles on it. I've had 2 recurring problems for about the last 20,000 miles or so, which seem to come and go in severity.

The first problem is that when I step on the gas pedal from a stop, the car will make a stuttering noise. After looking at it and not being able to figure out what was wrong, the dealer flushed out the transmission fluid, which fixed the problem for a couple thousand miles, but it has begun happening again.

The second problem is that the car will surge or lunge when I drive at slow speeds (5 - 15 miles per hour) (this makes driving through a parking lot very difficult). This also stopped when the transmission fluid was flushed, but has also returned, and is getting worse. Now I can feel slight waves of surges even at medium speeds (30 - 40 miles per hour), and driving at 10 miles per hour makes me feel like I'm on an amusement park ride.

The dealer has said I need a whole new transmission, which was going to be something like $3,000. I haven't had that done yet, I thought it seemed a little extreme for a car with only 64,000 miles to need a completely new transmission.

Does what I described sound like an entire new transmission is necessary? Also, what are the dangers of continuing to drive the car in this condition? I'd hate to spend $3,000 to completely replace the transmission if it could be repaired instead. Thanks for any information.

The surging may be your EGR valve. It needs to be replaced. Part costs about $120.00 labor should be one hours worth if you don't do it yourself.


I had the same problem with my transmission as you described and I brought it to the dealer and they said they flushed the transmission twice. It has been about 10K miles and so far so good. I heard another person have the same problem and it took care of the problem for 30K miles when he needed the transmission flushed again.

There is definately something up with the 03 cvt transmissions, but it doesn't seem to be too severe.

My hydroponics experiment

You ever notice how hard it is to lip read cartoon characters?
"Crazy is what the sane call Delta Flyer"

I've had very similar problems with my '04, with only 75k on it. I've also had the dealer mechanics tell me it's either the clutch or replace the whole transmission-- since changing the fluid only worked for a month.

as I asked on another post, what's in EGR?

I'm glad to find others with the same problem. I'll watch this thread with interest...

EGR = "Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valve".

Mine was lirching, jumping, skipping and just plain being a bear at low speeds. Especially in parking lots.
I mentioned to the dealer to check out the EGR valve. He did, changed it, and now it runs like a champ. Warranty covered it.