Problems · by component
2001 Honda Civic electrical system problems
59 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2001 Honda Civic cite electrical system, 5% of all 1,089 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
59
5% of all complaints
Crashes
8
Reported by owners
Fires
7
Reported by owners
Injuries
5
Reported by owners
What owners say about the electrical system
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL PART OF THE IGNITION, CAUSING MY CAR TO CUT OFF, OR IT LEAVES ME AND MY KIDS STRANDED!!! EVEN THE SRS LIGHT IS ON, AND WHEN I LOOKED UP THE RECALL INFORMATION, THERES RECALLS ON BOTH AND THE DEALERSHIP IS DECLINING TO SERVICE MY VEHICLE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFTEY ISSUE, I CANT AFFORD TO PUT MY KIDS LIFE IN JEOPARDY, NOR CAN I AFFORD ANOTHER CAR RIGHT NOW. PLEASE HELP ME !!!”
“STALLS OUT / LOSES POWER WHILE DRIVING, CANNOT MAINTAIN SPEED EVEN WHEN FLOORED, WORSE ON HOT DAYS, DOESN'T HAPPEN IN THE WINTER, THE MAIN FUEL RELAY GETS REAL HOT AND CAR WILL NOT RUN UNTIL IT SITS FOR ABOUT 5 OR 10 MINUTES, THEN SOMETIMES (WHEN 90+ DEGREES OUT) WILL ONLY RUN FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE IT HAPPENS AGAIN, I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THE RELAY AND ITS STILL HAPPENING.”
“I RECEIVED A 2001 HONDA CIVIC LX FROM MY DAD AS A GIFT AROUND THE END OF APRIL, 2018. WHICH HE HAD SPENT ABOUT 2000 IN THE MOTOR BEFORE GIVING IT TO ME. THE ISSUES OCCURRED WITH THE CAR OVER HEATING RIGHT WHEN WE LANDED INTO LAS VEGAS WHICH WE WERE COMING FROM SAN DIMAS CALIFORNIA, IT TOOK ABOUT 3-4 HOURS TO GET BACK HOME. I HAD ISSUES WITH MY CAR OVER HEATING A LOT WHICH HAD TO DO WITH THE SENSORS AT FIRST WHICH HAD GOTTEN REPLACED. THAN AFTER THE FAN TO COOL DOWN THE RADIATOR WASN'T WORKING PROPERLY TO WHERE ONLY ONE FAN WOULD KICK IN. NOW OUT OF NO WHERE MY CAR HAD ISSUES ACCELERATING WHICH SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE SOMEBODY REALLY GETS HURT. FROM ALL THE REVIEWS THANK GOD IN THE LONG RUN EVERYBODY IS OKAY BUT IN ORDER FOR THIS TO BE RECALLED IT'S LIKE PEOPLE NEED TO BE INJURED OR DEATHS NEED TO REALLY OCCUR BEFORE WHEN THINGS LIKE THIS SHOULD BE FIXED SO SERIOUS PROBLEMS DON'T OCCUR IN LEADS TO DEATH. I ALMOST GOT SIDE SWIPED WHEN I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO TRY TO MOVE TO SAFTEY REALLY SLOW WHICH I DIDN'T HAVE CONTROL OF THE CAR MOVING AT THAT PASTE WHEN IT WOULDN'T MOVE ANY FASTER THAN WHAT IT WWAS.SINCE I FOUND OUT MY CAR HAVING ISSUES ON ACCELERATING AND…”
“TAKATA RECALL. MY 2001 HONDA CIVIC HAS BEEN SITTING MY MY DRIVE FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND IS NOT BEING USED AS MY PRIMARY VEHICLE. YESTERDAY THE CAR SEEMED FINE; WINDOWS CLEAR, NO SMELL, ETC. HOWEVER, WHEN RETURNING TODAY THE CAR HAD THE SMELL OF BURNT PLASTIC WHICH WAS OVERPOWERING AND WENT TO SEE WHY IT SMELLED AND THEN NOTICED THAT THE WINDOWS WERE COVERED IN SOOT. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS OPENED AND THE SMELL WAS 100% STRONGER AND YOU COULD SEE THAT THE PLASTIC ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DASH WAS BURNT AND MELTING RIGHT AROUND WHERE THE AIRBAG; I WILL SEND PICTURES. IT LOOKED LIKE THE DASH HAD MELTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT AND BESIDES THE CAR COVERED IN SOOT THE DAMAGE IS LOCATED SPECIFICALLY ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AROUND THE AIRBAG AND GLOVE COMPARTMENT. IN WORKING TO COMPLETE THIS REPORT I NOTICED HOW IT ASKS HOW MANY MILES ARE ON THE CAR, BUT THE ONLY WAY TO SEE THE NUMBER OF MILES IS BY TURNING THE CAR ON. I AM HESITIANT TO TURN THE CAR ON SINCE I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND DON'T THINK IT IS SAFE. HOWEVER, I KNOW THE CAR HAS OVER 200,000 MILES BUT I AM NOT SURE AS THE EXACT NUMBER OF MILES.”
“AN ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL WHILE DRIVING APPROX 45 MPH TURNED OUT TO BE THE MASTER POWER WINDOW REGULATOR AND THE FUSE. I HAVE READ SEVERAL FORUMS ONLINE STATING THE SAME ISSUES, BUT NO ONE KNOWS THE CAUSE. VERY SCARY.”
“ON APRIL 8 2015 WHILE I WAS DRIVING TO MY HOUSE, I SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE DASHBOARD SO I HAD TO DESPERATELY STOP THE CAR I RUN. MY CAR WAS CALL FOR RECALL AND I WHEN TO HONDA SERVICES IN HILLSIDE, NEW JERSEY WHERE THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD TO FIX SOMETHING FROM THE AIR BAG IN THE DASH BOARD THEY TOLD ME THEY HAVE TO ORDER SOME PARTS AND THEY WILL CALL ME TO COMEBACK SO I WAIEDT FOR ONE MONTH AND TWO MONTH AND THEY NEVER CALL ME I CALLED TO FIND OUT ABOUT THOSE PARTS AND I WAS TOLD THE SAME THING, THAT THEY ARE GOING TO CALL ME I BELIEVE MY CAR WAS TOTAL DESTROY IN FIRE BECAUSE THEY DID NOT FIX MY CAR ON TIME. *TR”
Showing 6 of 59 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 5, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.