Research · Compact Cars

2005 Honda CivicRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 15 safety recalls and 316 owner complaints for the 2005 Honda Civic. Most complaints involve air bags (129) and power train (36). The EPA rates it 25–34 mpg combined.

Combined MPG
25–34mpg
EPA · 8 versions
NHTSA overall
—
Not rated by NCAP
Safety recalls
15campaigns
Latest Jun 2019
Owner complaints
316
Top: air bags
Fuel cost / yr
$1,650est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

15 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

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
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 6, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

316 complaints filed with NHTSA · Jan 2005 – Oct 2026
  1. Air bags129
  2. Power train36
  3. Electrical system26
  4. Structure25
  5. Vehicle speed control25
  6. Seat belts21
  7. Engine and engine cooling19
  8. Engine14
  9. Service brakes, hydraulic13

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

By model year

Complaints for each Civic model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
1996314
1997383
1998450
1999348
2000297
20011,089
2002717
2003525
2004351
2005316
20061,411
20071,212
2008923
2009398
2010400
2011170
2012462
2013320
2014293
2015389
20161,083
2017608
2018602
2019460
2020240
2021162
2022962
2023338
2024144
202588
202632
Crashes reported
74
Fires reported
9
Injuries reported
71
Deaths reported
3
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 6, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Air bags

129 reports53 crashes1 fire
“Description of Incident and Safety Complaint 2004 Honda Civic Airbag Recall I am filing this complaint regarding a safety concern involving my daughter's 2004 Honda Civic and a recalled airbag. Weeks before the accident, we contacted Honda regarding the airbag recall affecting the vehicle. Despite our efforts to address this safety concern, we never received a follow-up call or instructions on when to bring the vehicle in to have the recalled airbag repaired. On Saturday, [XXX], my daughter was involved in a serious accident in Mobile, Alabama. According to her account, another driver swerved, causing her to leave the roadway and strike trees. The vehicles did not make contact with each other. During the crash, the airbag in her Honda Civic did not deploy, and my daughter sustained injuries. The vehicle was severely damaged and is believed to be a total loss. I am deeply concerned that we attempted to address the airbag recall before this accident but never received the follow-up needed to schedule the repair. I want this incident documented and investigated to determine whether the recalled airbag or any related defect contributed to the airbag's failure to…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 15, 2026Steering, Air bags, Seat beltsODI 11771526

Power train

36 reports3 crashes2 fires
“I purchased this car from a Honda dealership used for over 7 thousand dollars in 2021 it's a 2005 car with known issues. I drove it for less than 2 months before it overheated without an indication by the gauge that it was overheating and blew a head gasket. It was acting funny before it happened I brought it back to the dealership a couple times they charged me several hundred dollars to do nothing besides diagnosed it and told me nothing was wrong with it. Obviously there's plenty wrong with a car I'm just finding out that the battery is probably going to die really soon and I had to pay a mechanic to put another engine in it and paid another 2 thousand dollars. Now the transmission is completely gone and I have to figure out how to come up with more money to fix it while I'm out of work because of this I should have done better research before I bought this car but why aren't there any lemon laws for used cars just purchased from dealerships in a lot of states Florida only has one if it's a brand new car very unhelpful and unfortunate for me right now that a multi billion dollar company can do this to me and leave me broke without a car and out of work…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 21, 2022Power train, Engine, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11480383

Electrical system

26 reports1 crash3 fires
“Hagerstown Honda is 80 plus miles away from my house. My ignition failed which is a very common problem in that generation of all Honda vehicles. My ignition failed and I had it replaced by a local mechanic with genuine Honda parts. All dealerships including Honda run a monopoly on reprogramming ignition. The local mechanic taped the old key under the dash to get the car started. Not long after my hybrid battery failed and I had it replaced at Hagerstown Honda. I told them to reprogram the ignition. They said they would do it and never did it. Not long after the car refused to start and I found out from the local mechanic that Hagerstown Honda never reprogrammed the ignition. Car has sat in my driveway for years with me renewing tags. Honda started calling me and sending me letters via USPS about thd airbag. I told them to not call me anymore. My father had the same problem with his 2004 Honda Accord. Honda stalked and harassed us for years, supposedly on behalf of your agency. Honda has violated FCC regulations. I wrote a letter to Maryland state and they forwarded it to Honda serving as a cease and disist. They haven't complied. I sent a copy a complaint to…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 9, 2023Electrical systemODI 11537380
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 6, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

8 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Compact Cars
Engines
1.7L 4-cyl · 1.7L 4-cyl cng · 2.0L 4-cyl
Transmissions
Manual 5-spd · Automatic (variable gear ratios) · Automatic 4-spd
Drive
Front-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Regular Gasoline · Natural Gas

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 6, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
Civic
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.7 L, LEAN BURN · Front-Wheel Drive
313934$1,900261
Civic
Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.7 L, LEAN BURN · Front-Wheel Drive
293632$2,000278
Civic
Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 1.7 L, VTEC · Front-Wheel Drive
263530$2,150296
Civic
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.7 L · Front-Wheel Drive
273430$2,150296
Civic
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.7 L, VTEC · Front-Wheel Drive
273430$2,150296
Civic
Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 1.7 L · Front-Wheel Drive
253429$2,200306
Civic CNG
Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.7 L · Front-Wheel Drive
263128$1,650251
Civic
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L · Front-Wheel Drive
222825$2,550355
  • Civic
    Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.7 L, LEAN BURN
    31 city · 39 hwy · $1,900/yr
    34
    mpg comb.
  • Civic
    Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.7 L, LEAN BURN
    29 city · 36 hwy · $2,000/yr
    32
    mpg comb.
  • Civic
    Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 1.7 L, VTEC
    26 city · 35 hwy · $2,150/yr
    30
    mpg comb.
  • Civic
    Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.7 L
    27 city · 34 hwy · $2,150/yr
    30
    mpg comb.
  • Civic
    Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.7 L, VTEC
    27 city · 34 hwy · $2,150/yr
    30
    mpg comb.
  • Civic
    Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 1.7 L
    25 city · 34 hwy · $2,200/yr
    29
    mpg comb.
  • Civic CNG
    Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.7 L
    26 city · 31 hwy · $1,650/yr
    28
    mpg comb.
  • Civic
    Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L
    22 city · 28 hwy · $2,550/yr
    25
    mpg comb.
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 6, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

5 tested variants
NHTSA has not published 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2005 Honda Civic as of Nov 6, 2026.
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Nov 6, 2026Vehicle 1596Vehicle 1595Vehicle 1594
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2005 Civic questions

How many recalls does the 2005 Honda Civic have?

15 safety recalls as of Nov 6, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2005 Honda Civic problems?

Owners filed 316 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are air bags (129), power train (36), electrical system (26). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2005 Honda Civic get?

The EPA rates the 2005 Honda Civic at 25–34 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (8 versions rated).

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Nov 6, 2026