CarComplaints.com Notes: Yes, the Honda Civic receives a lot of complaints because so many were sold. And sure, car parts only last so long and things eventually break. But it's never good to see this many transmission complaints, especially when the average mileage at failure is just north of 100,000 miles.

Especially when you consider that it's predecessor also has a nasty history with transmission complaints.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
47 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
41 / 2
Average Mileage:
64,703 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2002 Honda Civic seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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2002 Honda Civic Owner Comments (Page 8 of 9)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #33

Jan 182007

Civic

  • 68,775 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Merging on to a freeway, hit black ice, losing control of the car. I came to rest two lanes over and was broadsided by a fully loaded semi tractor trailer. No airbags deployed though the car was totaled.

- Farmington Hills, MI, USA

problem #32

Oct 012006

Civic 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 55,000 miles
The SRS light on my dashboard will not turn off so now my airbags won't work through no fault of my own. I was told that cell phone use may have caused the malfunction. What can I do to fix this? I don't want to pay hundreds of dollars to replace this unit and don't feel I should have to.

- Boston, MA, USA

problem #31

Sep 102006

Civic 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
I'm the owner of a 2002 Honda Civic that experienced an unexpected airbag deployment. The car was not involved in an accident yet the passenger side airbag (only the passenger side) deployed while a was pulling into my driveway. This could have caused a serious accident if I had been on the highway when the bag deployed. Since the car was not involved in an accident my insurance company will not cover the claim. The regional representative at Honda refused to cover the repair because the car is beyond warranty and they had never seen the problem before. I believe there is a serious safety issue here that is not being addressed by Honda; ie... if they agree to cover the cost of the repair they will be agreeing that the bag sensor was faulty.

- Itasca, IL, USA

problem #30

Oct 112006

Civic 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,125 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2002 Honda Civic LX-my SRS light turned on. I have read on several forums that many others have had the same problem. I am told by my mechanic that neither the airbags nor the seat belts are functional until this is fixed.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #29

Mar 012006

Civic

  • miles
I own a Honda Civic 2002 model. At around 50,000 miles, the SRS light came on and it stays on. I was told that my airbags will not deploy in this condition.

- Toccoa, GA, USA

problem #28

Jul 202006

Civic 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 129,000 miles
SRS light came on while just driving down the road. No crash, no incidents. Now, I have no airbag protection.

- Croton, OH, USA

problem #27

Aug 192005

Civic 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 50,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Air bag computer not working making air bags non functional.

- Omaha, NE, USA

problem #26

Jul 122006

Civic 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 86,700 miles
SRS light came on dash for no apparent reason (ie.no crash, body work). No diagnostic trouble codes found. While SRS light remains on, airbags are inactive. Consequences in an accident would lead to massive trauma to occupants as no airbags would deploy. Dealer contacted and unwilling to help with safety issue. Apparently this is a known safety problem. (NHTSA #10001811).

- Warrenton, VA, USA

problem #25

May 212006

Civic 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 62,000 miles
I purchased a used 2002 Honda Civic ex in may of 2006 and the day I got it home, the SRS light came on. I took it to the dealer 3 times now each time being charged almost $100 to read and clear the code. They're now telling me it will be a very costly repair. From what I can tell countless Honda owners have had similar problems with the SRS light coming on for no reason.

- Narberth, PA, USA

problem #24

Sep 222005

Civic

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
I was in an accident with minor damage. My SRS light stays on now resulting in a failed smog.

- Palmdale, CA, USA

problem #23

Apr 022006

Civic 4-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

SRS light came on about a month ago. I read in the manual to take it to the dealership to check. It costs $80-$90 just to have them to check it even it is nothing wrong. After I decided to have the dealership to check it, I couldn't get it done on a sat because only maintenance tech's work on sat and I couldn't make an appt B/C there is not one close enough to my home or job where I could leave the car while I work and have appropriate transportation to my destination. After reading several complaints, I'm convinced that it does not matter if the problem is looked at or fixed it will recur again and there is no guarantee that the airbags will deploy. My first real problem with Honda and this is my 3rd Honda.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #22

Dec 102005

Civic 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 46,000 miles
I have a 2002 Honda Civic ex. My car's SRS light stays lit all the time whenever I drive the car.

- South Plainfield, NJ, USA

problem #21

Mar 062006

Civic 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 48,800 miles
The SRS airbag light has come on in my 2002 Honda Civic. With this light being on the airbags will not deploy causing a major safety risk.

- Twinsburg, OH, USA

problem #20

Aug 022002

Civic 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 36,000 miles
With no vehicle accident of any sort, the SRS light came on my 2002 Honda Civic LX, which at that time was out of warranty. We have been driving since that time with possibly no SRS capability in this vehicle. American Honda is aware of flaws in their SRS system, and the Civic is not the only vehicle with these issues (I.e.: Accord, Pilot, Odyssey). Apparently Honda would be pleased as punch for an owner to pay $90+ for a diagnosis, then $800 to $1,000+ to have various SRS components replaced. I find this highly unacceptable to have to go through this on a $16,000 vehicle. I seriously question whether the airbags will deploy even if the SRS light was off. I have read of several instances where frontal impacts resulted in non-deployment of the SRS airbags.

- Willows, CA, USA

problem #19

Oct 082005

Civic 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 41,000 miles
I am submitting a complaint on Honda Civic 2002 coupe model. The complaint is in reference to the SRS light that remains lit on the dashboard even after repairs. The Honda dealers have repair the SRS unit and reset the system several times but the SRS light keeps coming back on. When the light comes back on, the airbags in the vehicle are not on and therefore will not deploy in an accident. This is a serious safety issue. I am concerned that this is a defect and Honda should initiate a recall for this item. The replacement cost is extremely costly and these should be refunded by Honda.

- Desoto, TX, USA

problem #18

Sep 292005

Civic 4-cyl

  • 60,000 miles
My daughter drives a 2002 Honda Civic LX. Approximately 18 months ago, the SRS warning light came on and she took it to a Honda dealer. The dealer determined that there was no failure, and turned off the warning light (<$100 charge). Today, the light came on again, and this time the dealer (a different dealer) indicated that the opds unit needed to be replaced at a cost of $300, which was not covered by the extended warranty on the car. I searched the web and found that this is a very common occurrance, and that the airbags are disabled when the SRS light is on. Also, in many cases, the replacement of the opds will only fix the problem for a few months, and then the cycle is repeated. Multiple related technical service bulletins have been developed. The apparent frequency of this failure and the potential consequences, since the air bags are disabled, warrant a NHTSA investigation and possible recall by Honda.

- Huntsville, AL, USA

problem #17

Aug 242005

Civic 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 55,000 miles
The SRS (safety restraint system) light on my 2002 Honda Civic is on again. The car only has about 55000 miles on it, and this is the third time I have had this problem.

- Lexington Park, MD, USA

problem #16

May 012005

Civic 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 76,000 miles
Honda Civic ex, SRS light stays on.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #15

Dec 232002

Civic 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 97,000 miles
SRS light stays on for no indentifiable reason. Took it to local Honda dealer, and he charged for diagnostics, and said they could not determine why it was on. He thought that it was probably the SRS computer unit itself that was the cause. The safety implication is that the air bags will not work when the light is on. The SRS unit will be replaced, costing around $600 for parts and labor.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #14

Dec 022004

Civic

  • miles
I am reporting a dangerous problem in 2002 Honda odeysseys. It relates to the SRS system. Honda has designed their car with a "ods" sensor device under the front passenger seat. My dashboard SRS light has come on approx 5 or 6 times. The dealer tells me that no electrical device can be placed on the front passnger seat...this includes cell phones, radios, laptops. They all could trigger the the sensor inoperable....making the airbags non-functional. How can a car be designed with such a defect. Any passenger with a cell phone in their pocket can set this off. I have written Honda Motors and they say...see the dealer. This should be investigated and Honda must issue a recall and a fix for this. The dealer tells me its quite common...how many people are are riding around without functional airbags?

- Pleasantville, NY, USA

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