What's Wrong with the 7th Generation (2001–2005) Civic?

Civic owners have made 2,275 complaints about the 2001–2005 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 56th out of 58 Honda generations in overall reliability, with real transmission and engine concerns.

Compare With Other Civic Generations

Common 2001-2005 Honda Civic Problems

Some of the worst issues 7th generation Civic owners have to deal with.

  2. Automatic Transmission Failure

    If you own a Honda released between 1999-2004 and haven't had any issues with your automatic transmission, may I suggest you go to your nearest conevnience store and play the lottery? 'Cause you're one lucky son-of-a-gun.

    Continue reading article "Automatic Transmission Failure"

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

7th Generation (2001–2005) Civic Key Numbers

  1. 5 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 2,275 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 56th in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 58 eligible generations.

Recent 7th Generation (2001–2005) Civic News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  3. 2001-2002 Accord. 2001-2002 Civic. 2002 CR-V. 2002 Odyssey. 2003 Pilot. If you own one of these vehicles and you haven't replaced their Takata inflators, the next knock on your door could be from a Honda representitive.

    And you should answer ... it might just save your life.

    In addition to going door-to-door with about 550 teams of representatives, Honda says it has made more than 35 million phone calls to customers and sent more than 1 million text messages, trying to convince owners to get the vehicles repaired.

    Desperate times. Desperate measures.

    keep reading article "550 Honda Representitives Are Going Door to Door, Begging Certain Owners to Replace Their Takata Inflators"

  5. An additional 104,000 vehicles are joining the growing list of Honda cars with dangerous Takata airbag inflators. Owners will need to have their car's driver-side inflators replaced.

    This includes the 2001 Accord, 2004 Civic, and 2008 Pilot. Honda hasn't said when the recall will begin, but the moment it does you **need to get your airbags serviced.

    This is a very dangerous problem that demands attention. Concerned owners with questions can contact Honda customer service at 800-999-1009.…

    keep reading article "More Takata Airbags Recalled"

What Civic Owners Say About This Generation

The Civic's Rapid and Uneven Tire Wear Problem

I think I'm too late to file a claim for the control arm issue. I've had to replace my tires once a year since I bought it 5 years ago. I also have to replace the front brakes almost every year, which I believe is related to the whole premature wearing and whatever else is causing the frequent replacing of tires.

2006 Civic Owner in PEI, Canada