I have this same issue, do you happen to know what the service bulletin number is or how I could look it up?

 

I believe the service bulletin number is 07-049. check attached file.

Does anyone by chance how long I could drive with a bad starter clutch? or better question will it cause any further damage driving with a bad starter clutch? Just can't afford $1,500+ right not for repairs for it.

 

Just dropped mine into Honda to get "diagnosed" with what I already know is there and have been told is there previously at the same dealership. I am lighting their asses up about the fact that I have asked about my transmission since I first brought it to them, when it was well under the service bulletin extended warranty. They are gonna try to weasle out of it or Honda America will offer me partial coverage, but I am settling for nothing less than 100% on this one. They should have done this when I first took them the car 3 years ago.

It's pretty amazing they are gonna try and play dumb with this. EVERY VEHICLE that had a CVT transmission from 2001-2005 has these issues. Its a **** transmission. I can't wait to be rid of this car. One day I'll have a nice fuel efficient hybrid, until then back to a trusty old accord with 32mpg.

 

So when my dealership called me back the other day they told me "Honda of America declined any assistance with your issue." Then they quoted me $2250 to do the work they should have done for free one of the many times I asked about the issue before. Oh and they also told me that the Transmission Mount I had just replaced less than 6 months ago was once again split **** near all the way through. This car and this transmission are a disgrace.

So after I spoke with them about that I immediately called Honda of America to find out wtf was going on for them to turn their back on this. I plead my case to the case manager and was informed today that "When your car was checked out, the regional rep for Honda of America was there and your vehicle was declined for assistance." When I asked why I was told "Because your vehicle is outside the warranty." I asked for a real reason and I got "That is Honda's position" and other obfuscation but no real explanation of why I was being abandoned. I demanded to speak to a supervisor or someone ahead of her and all she could do was say "I will put forward that request."

This is unacceptable. I called Clark Howard's Consumer Action Center to find out what my options are at this point. They told me that Honda has been doing "silent recalls" (aka service bulletins) for transmission issues on various vehicles since around 1999. What this means is that instead issuing a full out recall, they issue a service bulletin that you will only be told about if you already know about it. They owe every owner of a vehicle with this transmission a new one, but only the owners who speak loud enough will get it. They said I should pursue the dealership aggressively and make my complaint "trickle up" meaning, bypass the service manager, and keep moving my way up the chain to the GM etc. They said don't take no for an answer, and I plan on that.

Worse comes to worse I can choose to either take the dealership or Honda themselves to small claims court. This is an awful lot of crap I have to go through, all because nobody wants to take responsibility for the garbage engineering that went into the design of this car and transmission.

I will continue to update this thread as I go through all this. Even though it looks like no one reads this, hopefully this thread will appear in search engines and help others educate themselves about this treachery!

 

CheckEngine4EVA sorry to hear about Honda declining you. They gave me the run around too saying even though my transmission was under 3year/36k miles warranty stating the same thing as your. That the service bulletin was outside the service window. But I was not taking no for answer too since I was still covered under warranty. After a week of going back and forth with the service advisor they accepted my warranty claim. But pretty said this will be the last warrantable service done on this transmission, even though I has about 3k left on the warranty.

Honda has really screwed us on this transmission. I can't afford to shell out 2k every 30k mile for a new start clutch or new transmission for that matter. I wont even be able to make anything off selling thei car and honestly feel bad for passing a lemon on to someone else to deal with. Can't afford a new car. So guess I'm stuck with this lemon until it leaves me stranded one day. Sigh!!

 

Exactly. The maintenance cost of this vehicle is astronomical. And the fact that most of us now own vehicles that are worth next to nothing. In my case I still owe about $4200 which is allegedly what you can trade in for if its in perfect condition (which none are!). I am literally spending tomorrow seeing if I can find a dealership willing to take this turd on a trade in. I'll probably still end up paying off the excess on a new loan, or taking a loss selling outright to carmax and paying off the remainder while I drive a cheapo craigslist special. I'm trying not to let this experience sour me on honda, since its all I've ever driven, but this situation is a nightmare.

 

Well after a futile weekend of trying to find out what trade/sale value my car could have I got quotes of $2500 from two different places. That leaves me $1800 in the hole. Spoke with Honda higher ups who just continue to tow the line and basically tell me I'm screwed. Their argument is that I never asked about the transmission and its outside the warranty so I'm SOL. Atrocious.

I have no options left. Anyone wanna buy a $4200 paperweight?

 

I feel you pain. Lucky I had a extend warranty when I brought the car certified used from Honda. But my warranty is up and still owe 4k on it, like you do. I just hoping to take it super easy on the car and try to make it last couple more years, after saving for a new car and switching back to normal gas car. Don't get me wrong I love the hybrid and the gas mileage. but this year HCH with it transmission problems just turned me off, lucky no battery problems yet (knock on wood)

 

Can't say I'm blown away by Honda's position but they seem content to have me go after the dealership who screwed the pooch on this one. Good luck to you.