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#BS-2002-HONCIV-40DA2002 Honda Civic
Based on reports from 876 owners and 24 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 876 complaints, 144 crashes, 14 fires, and 24 recalls. Complaint rate is 6.2x the class average.
Top reported problems
transmission failure
281 complaints β’ Severity 9.2/10
transmission slipping
60 complaints β’ Severity 7.7/10
paint clear coat bubbling peeling off
16 complaints β’ Severity 6/10
Preview: What's in your full report
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
176 owners reported airbags issues β failures commonly reported around 90K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 90β120K miles (122 reports) β’ Median: 90K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Airbags (176 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2002 Honda Civic: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Airbags Issues
Airbags complaints account for 20% of all reports filed for the 2002 Honda Civic, with 176 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 90,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 90K-mile mark.
Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues
Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 2002 Honda Civic, with 102 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to power train:automatic transmission-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Drivetrain Issues
Drivetrain complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2002 Honda Civic, with 73 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Air Bags:frontal Issues
Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 2002 Honda Civic, with 43 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2002 Honda Civic. Recent trend: increasing.



Don't negotiate blind β know what this car costs to own
Repair costs β’ Negotiation scripts β’ Mechanic checklist β’ Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (24 recalls)
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. DURING THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS, THE AIR CLEANER BOX COVER MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED, AND A BROKEN PLASTIC PIECE COULD TRAVEL INTO THE INTAKE CHAMBER.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE LOW-BEAM TERMINAL ON THE HEAD LIGHT WIRE HARNESS CAN OVERHEAT AND COULD CAUSE THE LOW BEAMS TO FAIL WITHOUT WARNING.
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 EQUIPMENT."
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
CERTAIN POLI-AUTO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES, P/NOS. 11-728, 11-728D, 11-710, 11-419, 11-713, 11-703, 11-704, 11-708P, 11-735, 11-725, 11-726, 11-716 (P&C), 11-721-1, 11-733, 11-729, 11-730, AND 11-732, SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
+ 19 more recalls in the full report
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Honda Civic is the 2001 β worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.
2002 Honda Civic vs. Class Average (Subcompact Cars)
This vehicle
876
Class avg
141
6.2x the class average β significantly more complaints than typical subcompact cars vehicles.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume β popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 876 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 24 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Honda Civic Model Years
2002 Honda Civic: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Honda Civic?
Is the 2002 Honda Civic reliable?
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Does the 2002 Honda Civic have any recalls?
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Get the Full 2002 Honda Civic Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 876 owner reports. Know before you buy.