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#BS-2004-HONCIV-40DA

2004 Honda Civic

Based on reports from 424 owners and 15 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
424
Crashes
59
Fires
10
Recalls
15
TSBs
244
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 424 complaints, 59 crashes, 10 fires, and 15 recalls. Complaint rate is 2.1x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

transmission failure

23 complaints • Severity 8.7/10

$X,XXX
2

head gasket fail

9 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

brake calipers broke

3 complaints • Severity 9.3/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the AirbagsHIGH

115 owners reported airbags issues — failures commonly reported around 84K miles.

!Inspect the Power Train:automatic TransmissionMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

58
0–30K
36
30–60K
66
60–90K
59
90–120K
31
120–150K
40
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (66 reports) • Median: 84K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Airbags (115 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

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

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Airbags115 (27%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission28 (7%)
Drivetrain24 (6%)
Speed Control21 (5%)
Electrical21 (5%)
Seat Belts19 (4%)
Other17 (4%)
Engine16 (4%)

2004 Honda Civic: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 27% of all reports filed for the 2004 Honda Civic, with 115 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 83,915 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 84K-mile mark.

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2004 Honda Civic, with 28 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 6% of all reports filed for the 2004 Honda Civic, with 24 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Speed Control Issues

Speed Control complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 2004 Honda Civic, with 21 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to speed control-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

1
03
37
04
32
05
27
06
18
07
16
08
28
09
28
10
34
11
24
12
17
13
32
14
37
15
20
16
20
17
17
18
17
19
7
20
3
21
5
22
4
23

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2004 Honda Civic. Recent trend: stable.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (15 recalls)

04V550000Nov 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.

06E023000May 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 EQUIPMENT."

06E032000Apr 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 FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

06E064000

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 EQUIPMENT.

07E104000Jan 2008

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 FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 205, "GLAZING MATERIALS."

+ 10 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.

Unlock

The worst model year for the Honda Civic is the 2001 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.

2004 Honda Civic vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

424

Class avg

205

2.1x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical compact cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 424 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 15 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Honda Civic Model Years

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View all Honda Civic years →

2004 Honda Civic: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2004 Honda Civic?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2004 Honda Civic is related to the airbags, with 115 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2004 Honda Civic reliable?
The 2004 Honda Civic has 424 complaints, 59 crash reports, and 10 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 2.1x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 2004 Honda Civic problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2004 Honda Civic have any recalls?
Yes, the 2004 Honda Civic has 15 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Honda Civic problems start?
Based on 290 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 83,915 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 424 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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