2002 Honda Civic Problems

High Complaint Volume

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2002 Honda Civic. Part of Generation 7 — 2001–2005.

20012003
Complaints
876
Crashes
144
Fires
14
Injuries
129
Fatalities
4
Recalls
8

Worst 2002 Honda Civic Problems

Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.

#1176 complaints

AIR BAGS

Avg mileage:101,761 mi
Crash-related:48
Fires:2
#2102 complaints

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Avg mileage:98,346 mi
Fires:1
#373 complaints

POWER TRAIN

Avg mileage:117,962 mi
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All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2002 Honda Civic.

ComponentComplaintsCrashesFiresAvg MileageVolume
AIR BAGS176482101,761 mi
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION102198,346 mi
POWER TRAIN73117,962 mi
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL4330150,550 mi
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM411118,676 mi
EXTERIOR LIGHTING3523142,932 mi
SEAT BELTS34592,913 mi
UNKNOWN OR OTHER266119,548 mi
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL226114,026 mi
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE2151,060 mi
ENGINE172120,685 mi
STEERING17668,983 mi
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING152161,997 mi
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS151113,651 mi
STRUCTURE:BODY155113,846 mi
TIRES14176,700 mi
SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT12115,277 mi
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE111229,675 mi
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION1165,348 mi
SUSPENSION:FRONT11163,186 mi
SUSPENSION9223,795 mi
SEATS719,000 mi
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY6251,432 mi
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP63
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE597,700 mi
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC5119,000 mi
VISIBILITY/WIPER5153,000 mi
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW4386,061 mi
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM4154,452 mi
SEAT BELTS:FRONT4328,913 mi

Recalls for 2002 Honda Civic

8 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~13,919,309 vehicles.

19V501000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
~1,657,752 affected

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

19V499000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
~3,947 affected

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot and 2006 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

19V182000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
~1,101,534 affected

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.

18V268000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
~1,335 affected

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012 Ridgeline vehicles. The front passenger air bag may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.

15V370000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
~3,498,481 affected

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic vehicles manufactured March 21, 2000, to January 20, 2005, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX vehicles manufactured June 14, 2000, to August 19, 2004, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid vehicles manufactured February 24, 2002, to January 18, 2005, 2003-2007 Honda Accord vehicles manufactured February 21, 2002, to August 28, 2007, 2002-2004 Honda CR-V vehicles, 2002-2003 Honda Odyssey vehicles manufactured June 19, 2001, to July 12, 2003, 2003 Acura MDX vehicles manufactured September 19, 2002, to June 19, 2003, 2003 Honda Element vehicles manufactured June 25, 2002, to July 31, 2003, and 2003 Honda Pilot vehicles manufactured November 26, 2001, to August 21, 2003. The affected vehicles have a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.

15V320000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
~6,281,043 affected

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline, 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2003-2006 Acura MDX, and 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion and other factors, including manufacturing variability that, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

14V700000AIR BAGS
~0 affected

American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic, 2003-2004 Civic CNG and Element, 2002-2005 CR-V, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2005 Accord, Pilot, Civic Hybrid, and Acura MDX, 2005 Acura RL and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saipan, Guam, and American Samoa are addressed by this recall. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

12V136000EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH
~1,375,217 affected

HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2002 THROUGH 2004 CR-V; MODEL YEAR 2003 THROUGH 2005 PILOT; AND MODEL YEAR 2002 AND 2003 CIVIC VEHICLES. IN MARCH 2012, HONDA FILED A DEFECT REPORT TO RECALL CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2002 THROUGH 2004 CR-V AND CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2003 PILOT VEHICLES. IN AUGUST 2012, HONDA INFORMED THE AGENCY THAT IT WAS INCLUDING AN ADDITIONAL 820,789 VEHICLES INCLUDING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 AND 2005 PILOTS AND MODEL YEAR 2002 AND 2003 CIVICS. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VEHICLES BEING RECALLED IS NOW 1,375,217. DUE TO TENSION FROM THE COMBINATION SWITCH WIRING HARNESS, WEAR ON THE SURFACE OF THE ELECTRICAL TERMINAL CAN OCCUR, YIELDING COPPER OXIDE, WHICH INCREASES ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE. INCREASED ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE MAY CAUSE THE TERMINAL ENDS TO MELT WITHIN THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR.

Other Honda Civic Years

Wider context: See the full Honda Civic reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.

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