10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
71,922 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.

2003 Honda Civic seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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2003 Honda Civic Owner Comments

problem #16

Mar 282023

Civic

  • miles

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

The contact owned a 2003 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, a semi-truck unexpectedly crossed into his lane which caused him to crash the truck's land gear. The air bags did not deploy upon impact and the seat belt pretensioners failed to restrain the contact. The contact was taken to the hospital via ambulance and was treated for multiple torn ligaments, a chest injury, and back pain. The other driver did not suffer any injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle was initially towed to an independent tow yard and was later towed back to the contact's residence where it remained in his possession. The dealer and the manufacturer were both notified of the failure. A case was filed. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Fayetteville, NC, USA

problem #15

Oct 242018

Civic

  • 110,000 miles
I am driving Honda Civic 2003 model past 14+ years. I am single owner. I had an accident on 10/24/2018. I applied the brake when I saw traffic stopped but the seat belt not tighten. Because of this reason, my chest hit the steering. Also air bag didn't open. Good news is no fracture but my chest hitted steering really bad. Few years ago I went to the Honda service station they changed the seat belt but not remember the which seat belt they changed. Please do the inspection and do the needful help who ever still driving Honda Civic. Please feel free to call me at (xxxxx) if you have further questions. Parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Baton Rouge, LA, USA

problem #14

Dec 092017

Civic

  • 144,000 miles
Airbag light is on and stayed

- Fayetteville, NC, USA

problem #13

Mar 112017

Civic

  • miles

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

My SRS light has been on for a couple of years, no one could find the problem. Now, my seat belt, driver side will not latch when I put the strap in.

- Marion, SC, USA

problem #12

May 042003

Civic

  • miles
While driving my 2003 Honda Civic my airbag senor light came on and stays on, I was told it was the driver side seat belt buckle and it would need to be repaired at a cost of $500 dollar should this be a problem for Honda

- Waukegan, IL, USA

problem #11

Sep 082015

Civic

  • 99,000 miles
SRS light comes on constantly. Code reads seat belt buckle, changed multiple times under seat belt warranty. Now tech line advises replacing wire harness into seat belt...dealer wants over $900. Honda will cover under warranty anything seat belt related but they do not care about air bags...and won't cover it. Please cover this under warranty Honda...it's not even guaranteed this will clear the code. Theory is air bags are disabled if SRS light is on...why have the harness anyway...service has used electrical contact cleaner, re-wired the end of the harness, but only satisfies for a few months and code continues to eliminate SRS light which disables airbags. Why cover seatbelts but not airbag/SRS system?

- Terre Haute, IN, USA

problem #10

Aug 212015

Civic

  • 107,000 miles

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

Yesterday, while driving, I noticed that my airbag warning light, on the dash, was illuminated. Approximately, 3 - 4 weeks ago, I had my airbags replaced at my local dealer, due to a recall notice I received in the mail. Today, I took my car to the same dealer that replaced my airbags and they told me that the issue was probably be the replacement of the seatbelt, of which, she had seen costs for this to be between $200 & $450. I showed her that I had another warning light, alerting me to any seatbelt issue, but, she told me that warning light alerts drivers to 'put on their seatbelt', and that the warning light that I was seeing illuminated on my dash is for the entire supplemental restraint system, (I.e. airbags, seatbelts, etc.). she told me that she thought my issue was tied to the driver's seatbelt, because it gets the most use. Shouldn't all components, dealing with occupant restraint, be considered warranted for the life of the vehicle?

- Eau Claire, WI, USA

problem #9

Jul 252014

Civic

  • 62,000 miles
My seatbelt/SRS light went came on and when I took it to the Honda dealership I was told that there is an issue with the SRS sensor but is not covered under any warranty. To me it seems like a safety issue that Honda does not cover the SRS sensor in the buckle. With this sensor going bad it could cause an issue with the airbag. My Honda has had multiple recalls on the airbag but nothing on the sensor. I believer Honda should cover this as a safety issue.

- Plain City, OH, USA

problem #8

Aug 042014

Civic 4-cyl

  • 78,721 miles
The airbag/ SRS light went off and Honda dealer said it was the seatbelts and required a $530 repair. I am not sure why this is not covered under a warranty for safety.

- Fairfax, VA, USA

problem #7

Jan 012013

Civic 4-cyl

  • 64,000 miles
Transmission slip for 20 min when I first start the car then it shift hard after that. Seat belt light always on.

- Sunnyside, NY, USA

problem #6

Jan 122012

Civic

  • 120,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2003 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the front passenger side seat belt would not connect to the anchor. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where the contact was advised that the latch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000. The VIN was unavailable.

- Carbondale , IL, USA

problem #5

Sep 282012

Civic

  • 75,000 miles
Honda has a lifetime seatbelt warranty that states "Honda will repair or replace any seat belt component that fails to function properly during normal use." Seatbelt sensor is not working and Honda now says it's an electrical not a seat belt component and not covered. My understanding is the sensor on/off state affects air bag deployment.

- Dumfries, VA, USA

problem #4

Nov 012011

Civic

  • 0 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the SRS air bags warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they advised her that the driver side seatbelt buckle assembly needed to be replaced. The dealer stated that if the component was not replaced, not the airbags would not deploy in the event of a crash. The vehicle was repaired for the drivers side seat belt buckle assembly. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure and current mileages were unknown.

- Tempe, AZ, USA

problem #3

Jan 052012

Civic 4-cyl

  • 141,150 miles
SRS warning light appeared in December 2011, made appointment with pohanka Honda in fredericksburg, va. To have diagnostic performed. Dealer stated that seatbelt buckle has bad sensor and needs to be replaced. Seat components have a lifetime warranty as stated in users manual page 48, and in warranties manual page 31 stating: Honda provides a lifetime warranty on seat belts. Honda will repair or replace any seat belt component that fails to function properly during normal use. In warranty manual it states, Honda will repair or replace, at its option, any Honda seat belt component that fails to function properly during normal use this includes all parts and labor charges. Pohanka Honda failed to warranty part stating the buckle is not part of the seat belt it is part of the electrical system and therefore not warrantied. Honda customer service stated that the buckle is not part of the seat belt and therefore not covered under warranty. Honda needs to warranty and stand behind this warranty. Not able to pass Virginia state inspection with this light on and failure.

- Fredericksburg, VA, USA

problem #2

Jul 092011

Civic 4-cyl

  • 62,888 miles
Front end collision in clearwater fl in which the seat belt did not restrain the driver and the air bag did not deploy. Driver's head hit windshield, he has significant head, neck and back injuries. The vehicle, a 2003 Honda Civic is a total loss. The car's SRS light had come on approx. 1 month before the accident. A Honda dealer replaced a part needed for that approx. 2 weeks before the accident.

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #1

Dec 292010

Civic

  • 87,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Civic hybrid. The contact stated that when driving at various speeds, the SRS warning light would illuminate on the instrumental panel. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised him that he would need to replace the driver and passenger seat belts. The vehicle was not repaired and the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where he was advised that the sensors in the seats would need replacing. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

- Hagerstown, MD, USA

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