Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Honda Civic owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The vtec-e on my 1997 Honda Civic hx is not engaging at the proper times which is not only an annoyance when driving, but also a safety hazard when it engages at low speeds (which it should not do) in traffic launching you forward into the back ends of other vehicles. Has caused (2) rearenders.
I purchased an automatic 1997 Honda Civic ex from costa mesa Honda in costa mesa, ca on March 11, 2000. I purchased the vehicle with 27,000 miles on it. Today (2/6/03) the car has a total of 50,734 miles on it. I have personally only driven 24,000 miles in a total of 3 years. The transmission is toast and needs to be replaced. There have been transmission recalls/ warranty extensions on other Honda makes and models. The '97 Civic unfortunately is not one of them. I have taken my car to a mechanic not affiliated with Honda for a "second" opinion and the mechanic has stated that this should not be happening to such a "young" car with only 50,000 miles. He said that most vehicles don't experience transmission problems until they have reached an excess of 90- 100,000 miles. …
When pressing on the gas petal, it feels rough and notchy. It's hard to accelerate smoothly. Started to notice the problem at about 85,000 miles. Then, when I was on the freeway the engine light came on. I took it to scott robinson Honda in torrance and they said the problem was probably my diagnostics system. They informed me that is was covered by Honda extended warranty. After my car was in the shop all day, the technician informed me that it wasn't my diagnostics system, but my transmission. He said that the computer's diagnosed code was(po715), which means that the mainshaft speed sensor failed. He said that since that part is inside the transmission, they felt I should have it replaced. They wanted me to spend $3,500.00 on a rebuilt one to replace mine. I asked him if my car would be OK to drive around without replacing it, he said he didn't know. …
I have a 1997 Honda Civic ex coupe automatic transmission with 95,900 miles when the transmission problem started. One day I noticed my car was hesitating when I pressed the accelerator but did not put a lot of attention to it. Then soon after I noticed the check engine light turn on. So I decided to take my car to my local Honda dealer (rock Honda). They reset the check engine light, then told me that the problem was the transmission and if it turns on again that I would need to replace the transmission. The light turned on went back to rock Honda , they recommended me replace the transmission and mentioned to me there is no recall on the a/t or warranty , the estimate was $2900 for the repair. So I decided to get a second opinion, and they told me the same thing the a/t needs to be repaired! I ended up repairing it costing me $2608.11 ouch. …
I own a 1997 Civic hx. I did research and there are so many defective CVT transmissions. The transmission was only available for this model. People just don't put the complaints on this site. I was told to do so by Honda. 90% of this model on the road have all had their transmissions rebuilt and fail in the early stages of the cars life. Why hasn't Honda resolved this issue? It fails to go into reverse and fails to sometimes go into drive. If the percentage were low, then I'd understand that it isn't a wide spread issue. But the number of cars is staggering when I go onto forums and even google the problem. And the ones that have been rebuilt sometimes have a problem with the speed sensor in the transmission and the speedometer fails to read the speed of the car. If I'm the only person who's going to complain about this, I'll make sure to post the link in forums.
Not even thirty days ago I purchased a new/used vehicle from a used car dealership in brattleboro, vt. My 30 day/1,000 mile warranty just ended a few days ago, and I am now having transmission problems with my automatic Honda Civic ex. I have read several other complaints on this same item in the 97 civics. My whole family owns hondas and they are usually reliable cars. This problem should not be occurring with only 62,000 miles on this car. This is rediculous and I am very upset. I have just started to deal with the problem, but assume I will end up paying for it myself. Honda really needs to take care of this issue with this type of car. Since it holds it's value I paid a good amount for this car and it's trade in is pretty high, too. This is a problem that needs to be addressed!
Brakes failed to stop car as it was coming to a halt, rolling forward at about 2mph. Brake pedal was floored, transmission shifted into park, and engine turned off...still kept rolling forward, as if being pushed. Only thing not tried was emergency brake. Ended up hitting car in front on both incidents. Road was dry the first time, wet the second. Cruise control not on in either incident. Honda mechanic could find nothing wrong that would cause this.
Driving at a speed of 40 MPH, then the car went into limp mode and check engine light came on with codes po700 and po715, took to transmission business, could not find the cause of the problem. This problem is still present. Recently found a service bulletin from Honda about this defect on the transmission.
While exiting the freeway the consumer stopped at a light. When the consumer depressed the accelerator pedal to proceed the vehicle jerked forward. The problem continued to occur until the transmission was replaced with a re-manufactured transmission.
Transmission failure at less than 50,000 mi. Honda says too bad, the consumer was offered a new transmission for 4,000 dollars by dealership. The transmission was rebuilt, however the consumer was responsible for the bill.
Transmission complaints in other Civic years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 1997 Honda Civic?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 1997 Honda Civic, 7% of the model year's 373 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (19 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Honda Civic transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 1997 Honda Civic, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1997 Honda Civic transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 51,000 miles, and 27% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.