Used 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid Consumer Reviews
Best Car I've Ever Owned!
I bought the car new in 2003 and it's been great. I see many complaints about gas mileage, but mine averages 49 MPG with snow tires on. This has been the most trouble free and economical car I've ever owned, and it's fun to drive.
Status Report- 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid After 200K
Total 2003 HCH Cost- HW Items purchased from 79k to 200k miles as follows: 2 sets of tires 1 speed sensor (drove thru deep puddle) 1 set of spark plugs 1 set of ft brake pads 1 fuel filter Fluid change maintenance from 79K to 200k miles as follows: * Several 0-20W/0-30W oil/filter changes (8k mile intervals) * Two CVT fluid changes noting I assumed to change oil every 100K miles until I noticed the transmission was slipping and read my OEM operators manual stating to change trans. oil every 30K. After changing the oil the first time THE TRANSMISSION QUIT SLIPPING and I make sure to change this fluid at recommended intervals. * One Antifreeze change Car runs good(mildly abused)
Not worth the premium
I bought my 2003 Honda Hybrid new. All told I think it was $35k. Paying a premium on the car because it was a hybrid, the tax deduction and the gas savings would make up for the extra cost; right? Well, for the past year it has been sitting in our driveway with a busted transmission. $4500 to replace it. This is the latest in a long string of recalls/replacements on this car. Luckily, our other fixes have been covered by Honda; but this fix is not. We look at the blue book value of this car, and seriously question if it is worth fixing especially when we read other reviews of cars that have gone through multiple transmissions and other fixes. For the price, I expected better.
Beware: Battery goes right after warranty
Just a warning to those looking at this car. I bought in 2002 (2003 model) and have been the only owner for just over 8 years. Five months past the warranty, the battery failed and now I have to pay $3000 to have it replaced. The car has less that 80,000 miles, but because I've owned it over eight years, the warranty has expired. This is simply too much of an expense to be reasonable or fair. It certainly doesn't justify the gas savings. I am very disappointed in Honda and will not buy another one, because of this experience.
The battery is a disaster!
The IMA Battery on the 2003 Civic Hybrid is/was a flawed product. My first battery failed at 42,000 miles ( at 7 years) and was replaced under warranty. The second battery has failed with less than 27,000 miles ( at 11 years) and the dealer says it will cost me $3,684 to replace it with a rebuilt battery with a 3 year, 36K warranty. So far, Honda and I have spent more on batteries than I have on fuel for this car. With a 3 year warranty on a $3,684 battery, I'm planning on $1,000 per year battery cost going forward.
A Convert
I recently purchased a 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid, though I had to get rid of my ever so fun to drive G35 the car is remarkable with respect to fuel efficiency. The layout of the car is simple, just like all Hondas. The power is on the low side, but lets face, we buy these cars for one reason and that's fuel economy. I wouldn't care if I had to get out and push the car up a hill (which it almost seems like I have to do living in Upstate NY), as long as I'm getting my 50 MPG let every other car pass me on the road. I'm purchasing a new set of Cooper GFE (LRR) tires and I'm hoping to eek out a few more MPG.
Great car for the money
I've owned my 2003 Civic Hybrid for 2 years now and so far its been a great car with only a few minor problems. The Good: Handles great Luxurious interior (compared to other non-luxury cars) Extremely quiet 45mpg The bad: Transmission fluid needs changing every 2 years IMA battery will start to degrade after 7 years Seats are very stiff, its like sitting on a bench Overall the car performs well as a daily driver, and if you aren't looking to set Nurburgring lap records you'll be satisfied with its performance. Even though it is less reliable than a standard civic the blue book value is lower, making it a better value when you factor in the better gas mileage.
Best Reliable car I've had!
Battery sucks...had battery issues before I reached 100K miles and Check engine light went on because of it. However, I wasn't going to pay 3K for replacment batteries and just ran the car without the extra HP the batteries would have given me. I still get 50 mph, and 200K miles later its still going strong. I have 310k miles on it now and runs great! Haven't really replaced anything on it except tires, oil, and struts. Everything on it is pretty much original!
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Adequate Car for the initial cost
I have never been one to be impressed by Hondas, but this hybrid was in my price range so I bought it. Overall, it was cheap in every way, you get what you pay for. This car on various occasions wouldn't start, so I'd wait a half hour, and it would start. This is by far the most uncomfortable car that I have ever owned, the battery was just replaced for free by the dealer. The car's transmissin also has needed expensive repairs many times. If you need good mileage, and don't have any money, this is the car for you.
2003 Civic Hybrid
The Hybrid is here to stay! After waiting about two weeks to get the color I wanted, I finally brought home my new Honda Civic Hybrid.I have only driven it for a few days, but every time I drive it, I love it more and more.It is everything that I expected.This makes Honda #5 for me and it is the only brand vehicle that I will ever own. Thanks Honda!