HONDA CIVIC · model year

2004 HONDA CIVIC

424 NHTSA complaints, 59 crash reports, and 15 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2004HONDACIVIC carries 424 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 59 crashes, 10 fires, 49 injuries, and 1 fatality. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2004 CIVIC is air bags with 115 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (28) and power train (24). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 15 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 2004 CIVIC. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

424
Complaints
59
Crashes
10
Fires
49
Injuries
1
Deaths

Total Complaints

424 filings

Crashes Reported

59 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS115
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION28
POWER TRAIN24
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL21
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM21
SEAT BELTS19
UNKNOWN OR OTHER17
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL14
STRUCTURE:BODY11
EXTERIOR LIGHTING10
ENGINE10
SUSPENSION7
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE6
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING6
STRUCTURE6

Recalls (15)

15V32000028/05/2015

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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 Acur

19V50100027/06/2019

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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.

19V49900027/06/2019

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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. The

18V26800026/04/2018

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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 b

14V35300020/06/2014

AIR BAGS

American Honda Motor Company, Inc.'s (Honda) is conducting a limited regional recall for certain model year 2003-2005 Accord, Civic, CR-V, Pilot and Acura MDX, model year 2003-2004 Odyssey and Element, and model year 2005 Acura RL, and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registere

04V55000018/11/2004

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, SOME FRONT SEAT BELT ANCHORS MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED WITH AN INCORRECT WASHER, WHICH COULD RESTRICT ANCHOR MOVEMENT. AS A RESULT, THE SEAT BELT MAY BE IMPROPERLY POSITIONED FOR CERTAIN OCCUPANTS.

06E03200018/04/2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN EAGLE EYES AND SONAR HEADLIGHTS AND CORNER LIGHTS SOLD AS AFTERMARKET FOR USE ON 1988-2005 HONDA CIVIC, 1990-2005 HONDA ACCORD, AND 1990-2001 ACURA INTEGRA PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. HEADLIGHTS AND CORNER LIGHTS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDE

06E06400017/07/2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN TRADESONIC COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED

15V37000015/06/2015

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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

06E02300013/03/2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

CERTAIN ANZO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS WHICH FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPME

07E10400011/12/2007

VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR

CERTAIN CURVED TEMPERED REPLACEMENT GLASS MANUFACTURED BY HANGZHOU SAFETY GLASS LTD AND SUPPLIED TO SAFELITE BY AUTO TEMP INC., IDENTIFIED AS DOT-430, AND SOLD FOR USE ON CERTAIN DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN VEHICLES MAY NOT BREAK INTO SMALL PIECES AS EXPECTED OF TEMPERED GLASS AND FAILS TO CONFORM TO FEDER

09E02500011/05/2009

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES

19V18200006/03/2019

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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

14V70000004/11/2014

AIR BAGS

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 ge

07V51200001/11/2007

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

ON CERTAIN COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (CNG) VEHICLES, IN THE EVENT OF A SEVERE INTERIOR FIRE IN THE AREA OF THE REAR SEAT, THE CNG TANK MAY BE HEATED UNEVENLY, PREVENTING THE PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICE FROM VENTING THE CONTENTS OF THE TANK AS DESIGNED.

Recent Complaints

20231114AIR BAGS

2004 HONDA Civic Cracked Block TSB [XXXX] Honda settled in a class-action lawsuit that covers 2008 - 2009 Civic engine block failures with unlimited miles for an extended 10-year warranty period. Covered Civics will receive an engine repair or replacement at no cost. The covered Civic engine castings were built using thinner aluminum and the cracked block will leak coolant causing the engine to overheat. Civics Covered 2006 - 2008 - ALL VINs beginning with 2HG & 1HG 2009 - Check eligibility with VIN Civic VINs beginning with 2HG & 1HG - Check eligibility * Excludes SI and Hybrid. My 2004 Civic has an identical engine crack with a 1HG VIN, and only 130k miles. The location of the crack is identical to the TSB and is not a result of the vehicle's maintenance and driver habits. I have found several cases where Honda Goodwill Assistance covered costs of repairs on vehicles past warranty. The 2004 Honda Civic has been recalled 15 times by the NHTSA with the engine problems se

20231114ENGINE

2004 HONDA Civic Cracked Block TSB [XXXX] Honda settled in a class-action lawsuit that covers 2008 - 2009 Civic engine block failures with unlimited miles for an extended 10-year warranty period. Covered Civics will receive an engine repair or replacement at no cost. The covered Civic engine castings were built using thinner aluminum and the cracked block will leak coolant causing the engine to overheat. Civics Covered 2006 - 2008 - ALL VINs beginning with 2HG & 1HG 2009 - Check eligibility with VIN Civic VINs beginning with 2HG & 1HG - Check eligibility * Excludes SI and Hybrid. My 2004 Civic has an identical engine crack with a 1HG VIN, and only 130k miles. The location of the crack is identical to the TSB and is not a result of the vehicle's maintenance and driver habits. I have found several cases where Honda Goodwill Assistance covered costs of repairs on vehicles past warranty. The 2004 Honda Civic has been recalled 15 times by the NHTSA with the engine problems se

20230316SEAT BELTS

It takes many attempts to get the drivers side seat belt to latch/click. I am concerned after seeing other recalls that mine maybe in fact affected as well.

20230203CrashAIR BAGS

I got into an accident today and airbag inflator that was replaced due to a recall never deployed upon impact causing me to slam into my steering wheel with my head. Officer looked in car and realized airbag never deployed. I drove car home. Now waiting for hopefully someone to give me an answer to why my airbag did not deploy?

20221010SEAT BELTS

Unknown

20221010POWER TRAIN

Unknown

20221010FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Unknown

20220322CrashAIR BAGS

The air bag failed to deploy during the vehicular collision on Jan.27, 2022 at the intersection in a city in Virginia. The HONDA Civic LX 2004 was hit by another vehicle on the driver side; the air bag on the passenger side deployed BUT NOT THE AIR BAG ON THE DRIVER SIDE. The driver suffered head injury (hematoma and cuts on scalp) & lumbar fracture and has to be treated in ER and was hospitalized for a few days. The injured driver also cannot go back to work until completely healed and still undergoing treatment. The car was moved from the towing service company shop to the storage facility of USAA (as of this writing, the vehicle is still there). In the police report, in the box for "Airbag Deployed", the officer encircled YES but did NOT specify it was for the passenger side ONLY. The insurance company declared the car NOT REPAIRABLE based on their inspections.

20220225UNKNOWN OR OTHER

It is not safe to drive because of the slippage is really hard and it still kicks when braking and can cause the car to keep driving while harshly pressing the brake to stop.

20211206STRUCTURE:BODY

On Thursday the 2nd of December 2021 at 8:50 AM, I was driving by myself on the freeway heading to work and the hood popped up and smashed my entire windshield. I was unable to see and luckily managed to pull over to the left hand side of the road without hitting anything or anyone. I could have easily been hit by another car traveling at 70-80 miles per hour. Although glass shards hit me, I did not receive any personal injury. Stauffer Towing towed the vehicle to Caliber Collision. The windshield was replaced on Friday December 3rd by Caliber Collision in Salt Lake City. Caliber Collision also inspected the hood and related components. The hood will require replacement because the hinges were so badly damaged and I had to remove the hood so that this won't happen again. The hood latch had released and I later noticed that the metal supporting the latch is also having issues. The latch has been giving problems with opening and closing properly at times.

20210830AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2004 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the airbag warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V501000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the recall was serviced; however, the airbag warning light remained illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact notified the dealer of the failure and he was informed that the warning light was related to a failure that was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

20210307AIR BAGS

DEALERSHIP SHOWED NO RECALL FOR THIS VIN , WHEN I ENTERED IT IN THEIR WEBSITE.

20201202POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE TRANSMISSION AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKE AND INDEPENDENTLY DECELERATE. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE WAS SKIPPING GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE WAS DUE TO A FAULTY CVT SKIPPING OR AN EGR VALVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 85,000.

Mileage: 85,000

20201028AIR BAGS

I HAVE RECEIVED MANY RECALL NOTICES FROM HONDA STATING THE AIR BAG RECALL REPAIR IS FREE AND A FREE RENTAL CAR WILL PROVIDED FOR THE DAY OF THE REPAIR, HOWEVER THIS IS ABSOLUTELY FALSE! I HAVE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP IN MY AREA MULTIPLE TIMES AND AM CONSISTENTLY TOLD RENTAL CARS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AND THEIR RIDE SHUTTLE IS NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. I CALLED THEM BEFORE THE PANDEMIC AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING, THAT A RENTAL CAR IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THAT SERVICE! THEY SAID I CAN SIT IN THE WAITING ROOM FOR 4 HOURS (OR MORE!) DURING THE RECALL REPAIR AND THAT IS IT. I CANNOT MISS WORK TO RESOLVE THIS, I HAVE ALREADY DONE THAT IN THE PAST AS THIS IS NOT THE FIRST RECALL! I CONTINUE TO RECEIVE NOTICES IN THE MAIL TELLING ME MYSELF OR MY PASSENGERS COULD DIE IF THIS PROBLEM ISN'T RESOLVED, CAUSING SO MUCH ANXIETY, AND YET I CANNOT GET THE REPAIR SCHEDULED UNLESS I TAKE AN ENTIRE DAY OFF WORK, LOSE AN ENTIRE DAY OF PAY AND SIT IN THEIR WAITING ROOM FOR HOURS (DURING A PANDEMIC)!

20200929CrashAIR BAGS

WHEN I STOPED AT A STOP SIGN, MY AIRBAG DEPLOYED, KNOCKING ME UNCONSCIOUS. I PROCEEDED TO HIT A TREE GOING AT AN ACCELERATED SPEED. I WAS AIRLIFTED BY HELICOPTER TO A TRAMA HOSPITAL. I HAD 3 FRACTURED RIBS, A BROKEN STERNUM, AND 4 BROKEN BONES IN MY LOWER BACK. I FRECEIVED A CALL BACK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. THIS ACCIDENT WAS BECAUSE OF FRAUD FROM TAKATA, AND HONDA. MY CAR SHOULD'VE BEEN RECALLED.

Mileage: 177,000

20200204AIR BAGS

STEVENS CREEK HONDA (SAN JOSE, CA) SAID THEY FIXED THE SRS LIGHT PROBLEM(09 DEC 2019) BUT IT REAPPEARED A FEW DAYS LATER. UNCLEAR WHETHER THEY REALLY FIXED PROBLEM; CONTINUING TO WORK WITH AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO(CASE #10-214133 AND STEVENS CREEEK HONDA(DEALER) TO REMEDY AIRBAG PROBLEM..

Mileage: 165,000

20200126AIR BAGS

I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL ALERT ON MY HONDA CIVIC AIR BAGS YEARS AGO. I TOOK IT IN TO MY HONDA DEALER AND THEY TOOK CARE OF THE PROBLEM. I RECEIVED A NEW SAFETY RECALL ALERT TODAY. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN HANDLED (SEE ATTACHED).

20200125FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

THIS MODEL CAR HAS A DOCUMENTED ISSUE WITH THE START CLUTCH PERFORMANCE. THIS ISSUE CREATES A SAFETY HAZARD DUE TO THE UNPREDICTABLE ACCELERATION IT CAUSES. DESPITE RE-SURFACING PROCEDURES, THE ISSUE WILL RETURN. THIS IS NOT SIMPLY A WEAR ISSUE, THE PART(S) AND/OR DESIGN ARE FAULTY. THIS IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE AMONG HONDA MECHANICS WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS MODEL. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED MORE INFO OR DETAILS.

Mileage: 80,000

20200125POWER TRAIN

THIS MODEL CAR HAS A DOCUMENTED ISSUE WITH THE START CLUTCH PERFORMANCE. THIS ISSUE CREATES A SAFETY HAZARD DUE TO THE UNPREDICTABLE ACCELERATION IT CAUSES. DESPITE RE-SURFACING PROCEDURES, THE ISSUE WILL RETURN. THIS IS NOT SIMPLY A WEAR ISSUE, THE PART(S) AND/OR DESIGN ARE FAULTY. THIS IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE AMONG HONDA MECHANICS WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS MODEL. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED MORE INFO OR DETAILS.

Mileage: 80,000

20191104SEAT BELTS

VEHICLE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT. AFTER AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT INTO THE SEAT BELT RETAINER. I FEEL VERY DANGEROUS AND HONDA WILL NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE. STATING IT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY.

Mileage: 99,000

Compare 2004HONDACIVIC to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2004 HONDA CIVIC have?
The 2004 HONDA CIVIC has 424 NHTSA complaints, 59 crashes, 10 fires, 49 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2004 HONDA CIVIC?
Yes, the 2004 HONDA CIVIC has 15 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 HONDA CIVIC?
The most-complained component for the 2004 HONDA CIVIC is AIR BAGS with 115 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 2004 HONDA CIVIC safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.