8.5

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$160
Average Mileage:
114,900 miles
Total Complaints:
4 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (2 reports)
  2. replace door lock cylinder and re-key lock (2 reports)
2003 Honda Civic accessories - exterior problems

accessories - exterior problem

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2003 Honda Civic Owner Comments

problem #4

Apr 012010

Civic LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 80,000 miles

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

It's a dangerous world and I have to enter my car from the passenger side. Anyone can just come up behind me. It Is not a safe situation. If anyone else has this problem, you needs to report it so we can get a recall. I can't afford to keep fixing things. So I don't, I make do until the last one goes out and I'm stuck!

- fro77, Ocala, FL, US

problem #3

Jun 112012

Civic LX 1.7L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 117,600 miles

Honestly how many times does this stupid lock cylinder jam up? I've had it. First time it was replaced under warranty, now 7 years later it jams again. Of course it was actually having issues 5 years down the road but I've been nursing it with teflon lubricant which did the trick until finally it just would stop turning.

Honda cheapened out these lock cylinders where they are designed to fail, just like the stupid transmissions.

When is someone going to bring a class action suit against Honda for the mere existence of the 7th generation model?

Friend of mine is driving a 2002 Toyota Corolla with 287,000. Hasn't replaced anything except for oil, brakes, ATF, tires, spark plugs, air filters. Why can't Honda make their vehicles reliable like they used to be? What is there deal?

Going with a Subaru next time...

- jgg204, Lake Hopatcong, NJ, US

problem #2

Dec 142011

Civic LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 215,000 miles

THE LARGEST PROBLEM IS THAT I CANNOT GET IN THE CAR, NOW ALL LOCKS DON'T WORK AND I HAVE TO TAKE IT TO THE SHOP AND GET IT FIXED, RIGHT NOW I JUST DON'T LOCK THE CAR DOORS, THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED.

- Charles G., Jackson, TN, US

problem #1

Nov 072010

Civic LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 47,000 miles

This started last Nov. (I guessed at the 47,000 mile odometer reading). This is a 2003 Honda Civic LX, 2 Door Coupe, which I bought new. It's now Oct 12, 2011 and the mileage is now about 52,500. As you can see, I don't drive it a lot, and in fact I've calculated that over 65% of the miles are highway miles.

I do not have keyless entry thus use the key to open the doors. Presently, when the key is inserted into the driver side door lock it will not turn at all most of the time, whether the door is locked or not. The passenger side door works fine. The problem with the driver side has progressed to a state that it can take over 8 definite attempts for the key to be removed and reinserted before it will turn. I'm not sure just how many times it may possibly take as I will go around to the passenger side and lock/unlock the driver side door after that many attempts.

I've used oil to lubricate the key and the inside of the lock to no avail. One thing I'd like to mention is that the problem seems to worsen in hot weather. Why that is, I have no idea. Maybe it's just a coincidence.

I've gone online and found this is apparently a big problem, even in later model Honda door locks, but it seems only safety issues alone warrant a factory recall from Honda and not being able to actually get inside the car as it was made is a non-issue. (This is not my only problem with Honda. My '92 Accord lost severe oil pressure out of the blue. Bye-bye engine.)

Could it now be that Honda is getting to the smug point where the domestic companies were decades ago when they first heard a motorcycle company was going to start making cars?

'Hyundai'. Hmm. Did I spell that right?

- robga, Brunswick, GA, US

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