repaired · 2020 Q4
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
2002 Honda CivicProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 703 owner complaints about the 2002 Honda Civic, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 11 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-499 the manufacturer reports only 22% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 9, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2002 Honda Civic has problems
703 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
242Air bags81 crash/fire/injury
185Power train2 crash/fire/injury
53Exterior lighting7 crash/fire/injury
51Seat belts13 crash/fire/injury
49Electrical system
35Suspension
31Engine and engine cooling
25Vehicle speed control
23Steering
13917 other systems27 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 242 | 81 |
| Power train | 185 | 2 |
| Exterior lighting | 53 | 7 |
| Seat belts | 51 | 13 |
| Electrical system | 49 | 1 |
| Suspension | 35 | 4 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 31 | 6 |
| Vehicle speed control | 25 | 7 |
| Steering | 23 | 6 |
| 17 other systems | 139 | 27 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
11 recalls
2002 Honda Civic recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2020 Q4
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2020 Q3
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other…
repaired · 2019 Q3
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Show 7 more recalls
repaired · 2017 Q4
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the passenger…
repaired · 2017 Q4
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other…
repaired · 2016 Q1
Air bags
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…
no report yet
Headlights: switch
Risk. IF THE TERMINAL ENDS MELT WITHIN THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS MAY BECOME INOPERATIVE, REDUCING DRIVER VISIBILITY AND INCREASING THE…
no report yet
Storage: tank assembly
Risk. THIS COULD RESULT IN A TANK RUPTURE, EXPLOSION, AND EJECTION OF THE TANK FROM THE VEHICLE.
no report yet
Exterior lighting: headlights
Risk. AN UNEXPECTED LOSS OF LOW BEAMS COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
no report yet
Engine and engine cooling: engine
Risk. IF THE PLASTIC PIECE LODGES IN THE THROTTLE BODY, THE THROTTLE COULD STICK IN A PARTIALLY OPEN POSITION.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Honda.
Mileage at failure
When do air bags problems start?
77kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 144 air bags complaints. 64% were reported before 100,000 miles.
13under 30k miles92under 100k miles52100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Power train
24 owners mentioned a cost$2,600median
Middle half: $2,000 – $3,133
Air bags
23 owners mentioned a cost$500median
Middle half: $164 – $600
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2002 vs. every other Civic year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Civic median. How we score
00000011195153539466991110981461351993053734353382871,0797034993503161,4041,2049163963981694563192933811,0836067504442381488862601278232
'73'74'75'76'77'78'79'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2002 Honda Civic safety ratings
2002 Honda Civic 2-DR. Hatchback in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Side barrierNot rated
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
4 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2002 Honda Civic, and the recalls they led to.
- Low Beam Headlights Stop IlluminatingLed to recall 12V-136
- Air Bag Inflator RuptureLed to recall 14V-668
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen
- Air Bag Inflator RuptureLed to recall 14E-073
In owners' words
What Civic owners report
Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
On XXX, at approximately 1930 hrs. while traveling 25 MPH and heading east on [XXX], I swerved to avoid striking a small animal resulting in me striking the left rear of a vehicle in front of [XXX] with the front portion of my vehicle. Neither of the front air bags deployed, resulting in my head…
The contact owns a 2002 Honda Civic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V501000(Air Bags) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted.
The death investigator's decedent owned a 2002 Honda Civic. The contact stated that after the decedent stopped at a stop sign, they attempted to make a left turn and struck another vehicle on the passenger side. The decedent's air bag was deployed which caused trauma to the decedent's neck. The…
Own a 2002 Civic?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.