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2002 Honda Civic air bags problems

245 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2002 Honda Civic cite air bags, 34% of all 717 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 7 recalls on this component.

All 2002 Civic problems
Complaints
245
34% of all complaints
Crashes
80
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
75
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the air bags

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 4, 2025Air bagsODI 11652851
“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 decedent's vehicle caught fire shortly after impact. The other driver attempted to remove the decedent from the vehicle as authorities were called to the scene. The decedent received medical treatment at the scene and was later transported to the hospital. The decedent was pronounced deceased approximately 30 minutes after arriving at the emergency room. The other driver did not sustain any injuries. A police officer who arrived at the scene managed to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. The fire department later arrived at the scene to ensure that the fire was extinguished. A police report was filed. The whereabouts of the vehicle after the accident were unknown. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V370000(Air Bags) and NHTSA…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 28, 2025Air bagsCrash reportedFire reportedODI 11645529
“The contact owned a 2002 Honda Civic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 15V370000 (Air Bags) and 15V320000 (Air Bags) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 29, 2024Air bagsODI 11585835
“SINCE THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE THE SRS WARNING LIGHT HAS CONTINUOUSLY STAYED ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH BOARD. MY FIRST THOUGHT OF COURSE WAS SOMETHING WAS EITHER WRONG WITH THE AIR BAG SYSTEM OR THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION THAT LED TO THE AIR BAGS (WHICH ONES I HAVE NO CLUE) BEING DEPLOYED AND SO WHEN I SIGNED THE BILL OF SALE WITH THE DEALER I INQUIRED ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND WAS GIVEN A PAPER THAT STATES THE DEALER DID NOT KNOW AS WELL AS TO WHAYLT THE AIRBAG SYSTEM STATUS WAS BUT WAS TO BE EXCLUDED FROM LIABILITY TO THIS ISSUE BY MAKING UP THIS RIDICULOUS DOCUMENT. AFTER SEEING THE CAR FAX THE VEHICLE WAS THEN KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN IN A HEAD ON COLLISION IN 2018 AND SO THE DEALER LIED A BOUT NOT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THIS DEALER HAS BEEN TOTALLY NON COMPLIANT WITH THE PROCESS OF GETTING THIS ISSUE ADDRESSED LET ALONE FIXED AND I HAVE TRIED ON SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO TALK TO OWNER WITHOUT ANY CALLBACK OR ANSWERS. I KNLY GET HOUNDED ABOUT WHAT THEY BELIEVE TO BE THE BALANCE DUE ON THE VEHICLE THAT'S IT . JUST TODAY I RAN THE VIN INN THE DATABASE AND SURE ENOUGH THERE WAS AN OPEN RECALL ON THE AIR BAG SYSTWMM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS VIN AND…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 13, 2021Air bags, Seat belts, SeatsODI 11407968
“RECURRENT AND UNSOLVED ISSUES WITH THE SRS AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT. IT WAS "REPAIRED" IN 2016, AGAIN IN FEBRUARY 2021, AND HAS RECURRED AGAIN IN MARCH 2021. I HAVE A HONDA CIVIC SI, WHICH WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE TAKATA RECALL PROGRAM. THE SI IS AN UNCOMMON MODEL OF THE CIVIC, AND I BELIEVE THIS IS THE REASON IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE ISSUES OVER THE YEARS WITH THE SRS WARNING LIGHT COMING ON, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE IT EFFECTIVELY REPAIRED. ACCORDING TO ONLINE FORUMS FOR OLDER CIVICS, THE SRS WARNING LIGHT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE. THOSE OWNERS RECOMMEND DIY REPAIRS AND WORK-AROUNDS. GIVEN THE LIFE-SAVING IMPORTANCE OF AIRBAGS, HONDA SHOULD BE REPAIRING/REPLACING THEM AS NEEDED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 4, 2021Air bagsODI 11399149
“DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE TAKATA AIRBAGS EXPLODED DURING DEPLOYMENT. SHRAPNEL FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE TAKATA AIRBAG LODGED IN THE DRIVER'S NECK CAUSING FATAL INJURIES. THE PASSENGER SIDE TAKATA AIRBAG CAUSED A FIRE ON THAT SIDE OF THE AUTOMOBILE AS WELL.*DT*JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 13, 2021Air bagsCrash reportedFire reportedODI 11387937

Showing 6 of 245 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 6, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

7 recalls on this component

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Air bagsReported Jun 27, 2019NHTSA 19V501000

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot and 2006 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Air bagsReported Jun 27, 2019NHTSA 19V499000

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.

Air bagsReported Mar 6, 2019NHTSA 19V182000

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012 Ridgeline vehicles. The front passenger air bag may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.

Air bagsReported Apr 26, 2018NHTSA 18V268000

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic vehicles manufactured March 21, 2000, to January 20, 2005, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX vehicles manufactured June 14, 2000, to August 19, 2004, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid vehicles manufactured February 24, 2002, to January 18, 2005, 2003-2007 Honda Accord vehicles manufactured February 21, 2002, to August 28, 2007, 2002-2004 Honda CR-V vehicles, 2002-2003 Honda Odyssey vehicles manufactured June 19, 2001, to July 12, 2003, 2003 Acura MDX vehicles manufactured September 19, 2002, to June 19, 2003, 2003 Honda Element vehicles manufactured June 25, 2002, to July 31, 2003, and 2003 Honda Pilot vehicles manufactured November 26, 2001, to August 21, 2003. The affected vehicles have a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.

Air bagsReported Jun 15, 2015NHTSA 15V370000

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline, 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2003-2006 Acura MDX, and 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion and other factors, including manufacturing variability that, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

Air bagsReported May 28, 2015NHTSA 15V320000

Air bags

Free remedy

American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic, 2003-2004 Civic CNG and Element, 2002-2005 CR-V, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2005 Accord, Pilot, Civic Hybrid, and Acura MDX, 2005 Acura RL and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saipan, Guam, and American Samoa are addressed by this recall. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

Air bagsReported Nov 4, 2014NHTSA 14V700000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 6, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.