Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: the reliability record is poor enough to outweigh everything else here.
Owners have filed 717 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Honda Civic, and it carries 24 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 191 | 27% |
| Power train | 167 | 23% |
| Exterior lighting | 39 | 5% |
| Air bags | 24 | 3% |
| Suspension | 24 | 3% |
| Engine and engine cooling | 21 | 3% |
| Seat belts | 17 | 2% |
| Vehicle speed control | 17 | 2% |
| Electrical system | 16 | 2% |
| Structure | 15 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
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
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
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 dece
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
I recently purchased the car . I see on several forums , the transmission in this car for this year is prone to leaks and failures and Honda is aware . I’m having that issue .
NHTSA complaint: Power train
SRS light came on. Vehicle didn’t have any change in driving performance.
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
I bought this vehicle with only ~74,000 miles yet the transmission slips 100% of the time when the automatic transmission shifts from first to second gear, and also second to third gear.
NHTSA complaint: Power train
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 d
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
Automatic high beams, etc. Potentially very dangerous to other drivers. Place a limit on the intensity of headlights. Ultra bright lights tend to interfere with me knowing where my own vehicle is on the road.It's getting
NHTSA complaint: Exterior lighting
The contact owns a 2002 Honda Civic. The contact stated while trying to fasten the driver’s side seat belt, the seat belt failed to release, not allowing the contact to fasten the seat belt. The vehicle was not diagnosed
NHTSA complaint: Seat belts
NHTSA lists 24 recall campaigns for the 2002 Honda Civic. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
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
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or dea
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer servic
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.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-213
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. The
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
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 ge
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious inj
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009
| Reliability | 36 | below average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 62 | average |
| Maintenance | 90 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 83 | excellent |
| Performance | 42 | below average |
| Efficiency | 53 | average |
Percentile ranks against other compact cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 717 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and air bags is the most reported area with 191 of them (27%). There are 24 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 36/100 (below average) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density, adjusted for how many were sold so a popular model is not penalised for having more owners.
AVOIR scores its longevity 62/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2002 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: skip, because the reliability record is poor enough to outweigh everything else here. Its overall ownership score is 61/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.