WHEN MY CIVIC WAS AT ROUGHLY 98,000 MILES, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. I HAD ROUND ROCK HONDA INSPECT THE VEHICLE, AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE CAR WAS GIVING OFF A P0740 CODE, WHICH DENOTES INTERNAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. AS SUCH, THEY RECOMMENDED AN ENTIRELY NEW TRANSMISSION. THE SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED ME THAT THIS REPLACEMENT WOULD COST ROUGHLY $3,000, AND I HAD TO WAIT SEVERAL WEEKS FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION TO ARRIVE. IN THAT TIME, I GOT A SECOND OPINION FROM AN INDEPENDENT, HIGHLY REPUTABLE HONDA MECHANIC. HE CONFIRMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH WAS RUINED AND HAD BURNED UP THE FLUID. HE FURTHER INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN HONDA TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE EARLY 2000їS, ESPECIALLY FROM 2001 CIVICS. MY TRANSMISSION WAS EVENTUALLY REPLACED, AT A COST OF $1467.48. AFTER DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH, I'VE DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FROM HONDA CIVIC OWNERS FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM. INDEED, TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS HAVE BEEN OUT FOR YEARS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. GIVEN HONDAїS REPUTATION FOR RELIABILITY, I FIND IT EXTREMELY UNUSUAL THAT THE TRANSMISSION DIED THIS EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE CAR. INTERNET MESSAGE BOARDS ABOUND WITH STORIES OF CIVIC OWNERS FROM SUBSEQUENT MODEL YEARS WHO RECEIVED PARTIAL OR TOTAL REFUNDS FOR TRANSMISSION FAILURES. SINCE SUBSEQUENT MODEL YEARS SHARED THE SAME 1.7 LITER ENGINE AND THE PARTS ARE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL, I BELIEVE THAT MY CASE WARRANTS INVESTIGATION AS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. *TR
