There are 16 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2003 Honda Civicin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I HAD TO REPAIR A KNOWN HEADLIGHT ISSUE FOR 2003 CIVICS. THE LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING ON DIM, AND THE WIRES HAD COMPLETELY MELTED AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL INFORMATION FOR AFFECTED CIVICS. MY VIN IS NOT LISTED AS PART OF THE RECALL. ALSO, MY GEAR SELECTOR CAN BE ACCIDENTALLY PLACED INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT PRESSING A BRAKE OR BUTTON ON THE KNOB. FOR EXAMPLE, MY DAUGHTER REACHED TO CHANGE THE RADIO STATION, AND ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE GEAR SELECTOR. THE CAR SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) WITHOUT PRESSING OF BREAK OR BUTTON. WE WERE IN MOTION, AND AT FIRST, I THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR, AND I LOOKED DOWN TO REALIZE IT HAD BEEN PLACED INTO NEUTRAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES ON ACCIDENT. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN 2003 BRAND NEW FROM A HONDA DEALERSHIP, AND I AM THE ONLY OWNER.
THE AIRBAG DOES NOT WORK AT ALL..AND IVE ALWAYS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLIGHTS FOGGING ALL THE TIME....
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. WHILE DRIVING, THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V136000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 171,000.
CALLED THE DEALERSHIP FOR AN APPOINTMENT AND WAS GIVEN ONE OVER 60 DAYS BEYOND THE DAYS DATE. THE RECALL IS FOR AIRBAGS AND IS A CLEAR SAFETY RISK TO DRIVERS. THEY WILL SELL VEHICLES BUT WILL NOT REPAIR THEIR MISTAKES IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 15V320000 (AIR BAGS), NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V136000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V370000 (AIR BAGS) AND FELT THAT THEY EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR REPAIR. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT THE CONTACT BACK TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATIONS FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V351000 (AIR BAGS), NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V394000 (AIR BAGS) AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V136000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). HOWEVER, THE PARTS NEEDED WERE UNAVAILABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO INFORM WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V70000 (AIR BAGS,EXTERIOR LIGHTING) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
ONE OR MORE HEADLIGHTS OFTEN DO NOT LIGHT WHEN TURNED ON. PLUG ON HEADLIGHT IS NOT LOOSE, FUSES AND RELAYS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A YIELD SIGN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE POLICE WERE CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE VIN QUALIFIED FOR REPAIRS UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER:12V136000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 133,000.
DRIVING VEHICLE, (2003 HONDA CIVIC), DURING PREDAWN HOURS ON UNLIT PORTION OF TOWN ROAD. PROCEEDING AROUND A BEND IN THE ROAD, VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST BOTH LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS. FORTUNATELY, WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL VEHICLE TO A STOP WITHOUT GOING OFF THE ROAD. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED!!! VEHICLE HIGH BEAMS WORK AND ALL OTHER LIGHTING APPEARS TO BE FINE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHT FAILED WHILE LEAVING A PARKING AREA AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A PROCEEDING VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC WHOM LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE HEADLIGHT WIRING SYSTEM. THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V136000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING: HEADLIGHTS: SWITCH) WAS RECEIVED AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,222.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 12V136000, 14V349000 AND 14V351000 (AIR BAGS, EXTERIOR LIGHTING); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIRS WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ACTIVATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHICH MADE THE REPAIRS UNDER A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 12V136000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH). THE CONTACT STATED LESS THAN TWENTY FOUR HOURS AFTER THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE CONTINUOUSLY AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO INFORMED THE OWNER WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR EXPENSE; EVEN THOUGH THE RECALL REMEDY FAILED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
LEFT AND RIGHT LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT FAILURE, HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS OPERATIONAL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW BEAMS WERE INOPERABLE AND HAD TO UTILIZE THE HIGH BEAM LIGHT FOR ILLUMINATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. . THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000. UPDATED 10/12/11*LJ UPDATED 02/24/12 ...UPDATED 03/30/12 *BF
2003 HONDA CIVIC EX OVER 125K MILES LOW BEAMS WILL TURN OFF BY THEMSELVES WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ANY SPEED. HIGH BEAMS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS ARE NOT AFFECTED. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, BUT I DO NOT DRIVE IN THE EVENING VERY OFTEN. ON JULY 10, 2010 MY LIGHTS SHUT OFF 4 TIMES IN A 210 MILE TRIP AT SPEEDS RANGING FROM 40 - 70 MPH. THE FIRST TIME I EXPERIENCED THIS WAS IN JANUARY 2009. *TR UPDATED 01/04/2012 *LN *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026