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EnginePart report

2004 Honda Civic Engine Problems

Complaints
10about this part
Share
3%of 350 total for the year
Median mileage
95,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 10 complaints about the engine of the 2004 Honda Civic, 3% of the 350 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 95,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“This is the second 04 Honda Civic I've owned. The first one was a hybrid and the transmission blew while driving on the highway. The Civic I own now only has 85k and was previously owned by an old lady since it was new. But low and behold the transmission blew while driving again. How many people need to get injured or killed in order for this to be recalled?????”

NHTSA complaint #11042657, filed 2017-11, 85,405 miles

“At 74,515 miles the transmission is out of my 2004 Civic,..the car is in excellent condition even the original floor mats are in place and look great because of my care of the car,...I want Honda to pay for the cost of a new transmission for choosing to install a cheep one and knowing it wouldn't last. I was driving home from work and was just about ran over by traffic when my car began to slow and make noise putting me in a very stressful situation.”

NHTSA complaint #10823200, filed 2016-01, 74,515 miles

“The vehicle is growling and rumbling in low gears, shifting from first to second. I took the car in and they want to rebuild transmission. I find at 77000 miles the vehicle transmission should not be failing. Researching has amounted to numerous vehicles that have the same problem. One mechanic has personally seen 4 vehicles in past few months with the same problem. I believe the manufacture should take responsibility for this matter!”

NHTSA complaint #10554159, filed 2013-11, 77,000 miles

“I was stopped at a light with my r foot on the break. Suddenly the car went into an uncontrolled acceleration. I could hear the engine revving. In a few seconds, it hit the car directly in front of me and stopped upon impact but if that car hadn't been there I would have been propelled into a busy intersection with crossways traffic. It was like a nightmare. This was at a very busy city street intersection at a busy time of day (3 pm), on the access rd to a major interstate hwy in a large metro area. …”

NHTSA complaint #10953983, filed 2017-02, 84,000 miles

“Today, I was driving my wife s 2004 Honda Civic in the highway at about 60 miles per hr when all of the sudden the car started accelerating as if it was in cruise control.. I took my foot off the gas pedal and pressed the brake with little results. The brakes felt so hard as if they were locked. Then I decided to change gears to d2 and together with the emergency brake I was able to slow down the car a bit. After that, I pulled over the brake down lane at about 10 miles per hour but I still could not stop the car. …”

NHTSA complaint #10477094, filed 2012-09, 95,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2026516%
202557%
202443%
202383%
2022111%
202153%
2020136%
2019337%
2018578%
20176611%
2016959%
2015318%
2014238%
2013227%
2012327%
201174%
2010195%
2009277%
200815617%
200717014%
200622716%
2005144%
2004103%
200382%
2002172%
2001192%
200041%
1999144%
199831%
199731%
199621%

Other parts of the 2004 Honda Civic

Air bags
133 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
56 complaints
Electrical system
32 complaints
Vehicle speed control
23 complaints
Seat belts
20 complaints
Fuel system
18 complaints
Other or unknown
18 complaints
Body and structure
17 complaints
Engine cooling
16 complaints
Suspension
15 complaints
Exterior lighting
12 complaints
Brakes
11 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2004 Honda Civic

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology