Problems · by component
2002 Honda Civic vehicle speed control problems
26 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2002 Honda Civic cite vehicle speed control, 4% of all 717 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
26
4% of all complaints
Crashes
8
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the vehicle speed control
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“#1) OVERHEATS/BOILS RESERVOIR LOST 3 CAPS #2)WATER PUMP FAILURE #3)TRUNK LATCH DOESN'T WORK ALL TIME #4)CRUISE CONTROL NEVER WORKED #5) WINDOW WASHER MOTOR FRIED #6) CAN'T RUN AC SOMETIMES HEATER CAUSES TO OVERHEAT IT WILL IDLE FOR HOURS BUT ONCE ITS DRIVEN DOWN HWY IT STARTS TO OVER HEAT. #7) TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE DRIVING IN TO LIBRARY TO GET MY SON IT WAS LIKE IT WENT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE I WAS DRIVING NO SPEED ALL RPMS. #8) IGNITION KEEPS STICKING WON'T ALWAYS START FEELS LIKE THE KEY IS GOING TO BREAK #9) ALL THE WINDOWS ARE NOW MANUAL DRIVERS SIDE WIRE FRAYED AND MESSED UP BROKE PLASTIC PIECES. IT'S HELD UP BY PVC THE PASSENGER IS THE ONLY WINDOW STILL OPERABLE ONE MOTOR STOPPED AND NEVER STARTED THE OTHER IS HELD UP WITH A DOOR STOPPER. #10) THE SEATBELTS LOCK AND WON'T LET GO EVEN IF THE CAR IS STARTED BUT NOT MOBILE STILL IN PARK.”
“ON MY RETURN HOME FROM WORK AS I SLOWLY CAME TO MY DRIVEWAY CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN TRIED TO BRAKE TO STOP THE BRAKES DID NOT HELP CAR HIT THE GARAGE DOOR THAT WAS CLOSED STILL SPEEDING INSIDE THE GARAGE LIKE WILD BULL. THERE WAS AN OLD MERCEDES BENZ AND A MOTORCYCLE INSIDE THE GARAGE AMONG OTHER STORED GOODS THAT STOPPED THE CAR MOVING ANY FURTHER IF THE MERCEDES WAS NOT THERE I WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BY HITTING THE CONCRETE WALL OF THE GARAGE. THERE IS LOTS OF DAMAGE AT THIS TIME IN MY GARAGE AND LOTS OF DEDUCTIBLES I HAVE TO PAY TO GET THINGS FIXED, FOR SOMETHING OF NO FAULT OF MINE. I AM SO GLAD IT DID NOT HAPPEN BEFORE FEW MINUTES WHEN I WAS STILL ON THE ROAD AT A TRAFFIC HOUR AFTER WORK BETWEEN 6 TO 7 PM ON FRIDAY APRIL 10TH. DURING THIS ACCIDENT MY GARAGE FILLED WITH SMOKE I WAS TERRIFIED THINKING OF FIRE HAZARD NEXT I THREW MYSELF OUT OF THE CAR THEN CAME AND TURNED OFF THE CAR CALLED FIRE DEPARTMENT THEY CAME AND SAW THE GARAGE FULL OF SMOKE BUT THANKFULLY NO FIRE HAZARD. I AM LUCKY THIS DID NOT HAPPEN ON THE ROAD AND I AM THANKFUL I AM ABLE TO REPORT THIS SO SOMEONE ELSE WILL NOT GO THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THIS. *TR”
“CRUISE CONTROL SUDDENLY SPEED UP AND DOWN BY ITSELF AND TRANSMISSION NOT ENGAGED ON HIGHWAY. I CHANGED CRUISE CONTROL ALL PARTS WITH DEALER NON OF THEM WORK AND I GOT SAME HAPPENING EVERY MONTH 4 OR 10 TIMES ON HIGHWAY AND SUDDENLY MY TRANSMISSION MAKES WHINING SOUND I CHANGED TRANSMISSION FLUID EVERY 30000MI BUT IT GIVE ME TROUBLE. AS I CHECK ON MY ISSUES IN INTERNET A LOT OF PEOPLE GOT SAME TROUBLE JUST LIKE ME EVEN WELL MAINTAINED CAR OWNER GOT THIS SAME ISSUES! SOMETHING REALLY WRONG ON HONDA CIVIC 2002 TRANSMISSION. I CAN NOT GIVE IT TO MY DAUGHTER FOR HER FIRST CAR CRUISE CONTROL SPEED UP AND DOWN BY ITSELF AND DEALER CAN NOT FIX AND TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY MAKES FUNNY ACTION(SOMETIMES DISENGAGE ON MIDDLE OF ANYWHERE ). SINCE JUNE 2010, I DON'T USE CRUISE CONTROL AND SOMEHOW MANAGED MY CIVIC RUN ON HIGHWAY AND I ADD UP 40000MI MORE AND I REALLY FEEL GUILTY FOR OTHER DRIVER WHEN I DRIVE ON HIGHWAY! *TR”
“I WAS DRIVING EARLY THIS MORNING AROUND 6:45AM. WAS DRIVING AROUND TO GET COFFEE AND SUCH, THEN GOING 45MPH TO GET TO ONRAMP OF I-75. AFTER ACCELERATING NORMALLY TO 68MPH, THE ACCELERATION STOPPED AND PRESSING ON THE GAS DID NOTHING. I SLOWED TO AROUND 20MPH AND THAT IS THE MAX SPEED I COULD GO ON THE INTERSTATE UNTIL I PULLED OVER. THERE WERE NO WEIRD SOUNDS OR SMELLS OR LEAKS, TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS FULL. I CAN START THE CAR FINE AND DRIVE IT AROUND GOING 20MPH, BUT WONT SHIFT AFTER THAT. TOOK TO BELLE TIRE MECHANICS AND THEY CLAIM ITS A BAD TRANSMISSION. EVERYTHING I'VE RESEARCHED ONLINE SHOWS THIS TO BE A DEFECTIVE CLUTCH PACK CARRIER AND IS A KNOWN ISSUE TO HONDA AND MOST MECHANICS, BUT THEY CLAIM TO NOT KNOW ANYTHING FOR OBVIOUS REASONS TO AVOID HAVING TO PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKES. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED BY HONDA AS THIS IS NOT THE FAULT OF NORMAL WEAR/TEAR. THIS IS A BLATANT MISTAKE BY HONDA!! SOMEONE NEEDS TO FILE A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST HONDA FOR THIS. I'VE SEEN HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. *TR”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO FUNCTION NORMALLY BY APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 173,462. UPDATED 12/21/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUSE BOX ASSEMBLY CLAIMING IT WAS DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER FOUND A MOUSE NEST IN THE LINKAGE TO THE THROTTLE. THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THE FUSE BOX AND MOUSE NEST WERE NOT RELATED BUT, THAT DEFECTIVE FUSE BOX COULD AFFECT THE THROTTLE SENSOR. UPDATED 1/9/2013 *JS”
“I BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM A USED CAR DEALER. THE HORN WORKS INTERMITTENTLY ABOUT 10% OF THE TIME. I WAS NEARLY RUN OFF THE ROAD ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS SINCE THEN BECAUSE I COULD NOT HONK AT PEOPLE DRIFTING INTO MY LANE. I HAVE SPENT OVER $300 INVESTIGATING THIS ISSUE AND REPLACING PARTS THAT I WAS TOLD WERE THE CULPRIT. I DO NOT KNOW WHERE ELSE TO TURN. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, AND IT SHOULD BE A RECALL WITH ALL HONDAS/ACURAS SINCE THEY ALL USE THE SAME ASSEMBLY. *TR”
Showing 6 of 26 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 6, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.