U.S. public vehicle records

2005 Honda CIVIC HYBRID problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

48 owner complaints analyzed

6 distinct recall campaigns

96,500 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2005 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 42 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Power Train is the most frequently named component, appearing in 20 of 48 complaints (41.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting	18	37.5%
Electrical and battery issues	5	10.4%
Braking behavior	2	4.2%
Steering behavior	2	4.2%
Engine operation	1	2.1%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Power Train

Air Bags

Electrical System

Unknown Or Other

Vehicle Speed Control

Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling

Fuel/Propulsion System

Power Train: 20; Air Bags: 15; Electrical System: 10; Unknown Or Other: 5; Vehicle Speed Control: 4; Engine: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling: 2; Fuel/Propulsion System: 2

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 4; 50,000 to 74,999: 8; 75,000 to 99,999: 10; 100,000 to 149,999: 8; 150,000 and above: 11

150,000 and above miles has the most reports with usable mileage (11). 6 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2011: 4; 2012: 5; 2013: 7; 2014: 14; 2015: 7; 2016: 5; 2017: 1; 2018: 3; 2019: 2

Pattern summary

Power Train leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 18 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 5 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10427937 · 2011-09-29 (September 29, 2011)

TRANSMISSION IS JUDDERING WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. I'M ONLY 10,000 MILES OVER THE 105,000 EXTENDED TRANSMISSION WARRANTY (THEY KNOW THE TRANSMISSIONS ARE BROKEN), AND I HAVE AN EXTREMELY EXTENSIVE SERVICE RECORD WITH THE DEALER. THEY REFUSE TO WORK WITH ME ON THE ISSUE. A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED ON THE CVT TRANSMISSION AND STARTER CLUTCH, AND THE WARRANTY SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO 200,000 MILES. *TT

Owner-reported narrative. 115,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10427937 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10428722 · 2011-10-04 (October 4, 2011)

2005 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID BEGAN JUDDERING WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOP. THE TRANSMISSION ALSO BEGAN SLIPPING. HONDA HAS ACKNOWLEDGED PROBLEM WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSION AND EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 105,000 MILES OR 7 YEARS. HOWEVER, THEY INITIALLY INSIST ON ATTEMPTING TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITH A PROCEDURE CALLED "BURNISHING". THIS PROCEDURE TAKES CARE OF THE PROBLEM TEMPORARILY, BUT JUDDERING AND SLIPPING EVENTUALLY COMES BACK. THIS IS NOT A PERMANENT FIX. THE STARTER CLUTCH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, A MORE EXTENSIVE AND EXPENSIVE REPAIR, BUT THE ON…

Owner-reported narrative. 53,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10428722 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10454488 · 2012-04-09 (April 9, 2012)

MY CAR IS NOT ACCELERATING PROPERLY. DESPITE THE FACT THAT I BROUGHT IT IN TO THE DEALER IN ABOUT NOVEMBER OF 2011, THEY DID NOT DO ANYTHING. THEY CLAIMED IT WAS THE WAY I DROVE. I'VE ALWAYS DRIVEN THE SAME WAY AND OWNED THE CAR FOR 7 YEARS NOW. THEN, A FEW MONTHS AGO, I DISCOVERED THE REASON I LOST POWER WAS THEY REPROGRAMMED THE CAR SO I LOST POWER! I AM SURE YOU ARE AWARE OF THE VARIOUS LAWSUITS AGAINST HONDA FOR REPROGRAMMING THE HYBRIDS SO THAT EVERYONE LOST ABOUT 5 MPG AND THE BATTERY WAS LESS POWERFUL, ALL SO THEY COULD MAKE THE BATTERIE…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10454488 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10500823 · 2013-02-28 (February 28, 2013)

ON 26 FEBRUARY 2013, HONDA OF POWAY, CA PERFORMED CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES (DMV) MANDATED SERVICE #R83 REQUIRED TO REGISTER MY CAR FOR THE 2013 YEAR. THE MANDATED SERVICE WAS A SOFTWARE UPGRADE FOR MY VEHICLE'S IMA BATTERY. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN DIRECTLY HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES. ON 28 FEBRUARY 2013, I HAD DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES WHEN THE IMA AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON. I CONTACTED HONDA OF POWAY THAT SAME MORNING AND WAS INFORMED BY COLLIN AT THE SERVICE DESK THAT MY IMA BATTERY HAD EITHER…

Owner-reported narrative. 122,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10500823 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10565338 · 2014-02-21 (February 21, 2014)

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THIS CAR HAS ACCELERATED DANGEROUSLY WHEN I WAS APPLYING THE BRAKES, INCLUDING AT INTERSECTIONS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED BEFORE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 95,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10565338 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10653668 · 2014-11-09 (November 9, 2014)

IT LURCHES FOR IT WILL ACCEL WHEN YOU DON'T WANT IT TO. HAS TROUBLE TO SHIFT INTO ANOTHER GEAR LOUD NOISES. WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND I TURNED ON THE CRUISE CONTROL AN ACCELERATED FASTER THAN WHEN I PROGRAM DATA ENTRY OF THE RPM'S UP. HAD TO STEP ON THE BRAKES A COUPLE TIMES TO GET IT TO STOP DOING THAT ALMOST HIT TWO VEHICLES I DO ALL THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGES RECOMMENDED AND OIL. THESE ARE GREAT CARS BUT THESE PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 189,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10653668 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10558020 · 2013-12-31 (December 31, 2013)

A FRIEND WAS DRIVING US BACK HOME ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS OF 55-65 MILES PER HOUR, GETTING ON AN OFF RAMPS. SHE IS AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME SHE HAD DRIVEN MY CAR. SHE TOLD ME THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY WOBBLY, THE CAR WAS SHAKING AND SHE FELT SHE HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE; SHE HAD TROUBLE STEERING. I HAD SEVERAL INCIDENTS AFTER THAT WHEN I HAD START-UP/JUDDER VIBRATION AND EXTREME GRINDING WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. IT FELT LIKE THE CAR WAS SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR. HONDA DETERMINED THE CVT TRANSMISSION WAS B…

Owner-reported narrative. 40,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10558020 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10593859 · 2014-05-24 (May 24, 2014)

I HAD HIT A POLE AND THE AIRBAG ON THE PASSENGER SEAT WENT OFF AND NOT MY AIR BAG AS IN THE DRIVERS SEAT I HAD HIT MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL BUT NO SERIOUS INJURIES BUT STILL I WANT TO SUE HONDA DUE TO THE FACT MY AIR NAH DIDN'T GO OFF WHEN YOU SHOULD HAVE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 160,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10593859 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10850739 · 2016-03-21 (March 21, 2016)

MY 2005 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID IS EXPERIENCING A SHUDDER WITH MOMENTARY LOSS OF POWER UPON ACCELERATION FROM A STATIONARY POSITION. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO HONDA DEALERSHIP FOR A CLUTCH BURNISHING PROCEDURE. THIS TEMPORARILY FIXED THE PROBLEM FOR APPROXIMATELY 3000-4000 MILES. PROBLEM HAS RETURNED AND HAS BECOME A SAFETY CONCERN AS THERE IS MOMENTARY LOSS OF ACCELERATION POWER DURING THE SHUDDER EVENT. DEALERSHIP INSISTS ON CHARGING FOR ANOTHER BURNISHING PROCEDURE THOUGH IT IS OUTLINED IN A TECHNICAL NOTICE. THIS SHUDDERING HAPPENS UPON EVERY AC…

Owner-reported narrative. 80,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10850739 at NHTSA ↗