There are 14 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2004 Honda Civicin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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. THE OTHER DRIVER AND VALET GUYS FROM A HOTEL ACROSS THE STREET WITNESSED I WAS EXTREMELY SHAKEN UP BUT ALERT AND IN MY RIGHT MIND, ETC.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION HONDA CIVIC LX 2004 REACHES RATTLING/GRINDING NOISE WHEN REACHED 2000 RPM OR SO. THE NOISE IS LOUD AND DOWNSHIFTING BECOMES VERY ROUGH. THE CAR SLOWS DOWN WHEN NOT PRESSING ACCELERATOR. EVEN WHEN IN NEUTRAL THE CAR SOUNDS WITH A RATTLE. ONLY WHEN THE CLUTCH IS PRESSED DOES THE SOUND MINIMIZE. CAR FEELS VULNERABLE WHEN DRIVEN LIKE THIS. IT'S MAINLY DUE TO THE NOISE, AND FEELING OF THE CAR. THE INPUT SHAFT BEARING IS THE PROBLEM. MANY REPORTS WERE BLOGGED AND DIAGNOSED. THE CAR STILL RUNS. UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT CLEAR FOR HOW LONG.
MY CAR ACCELERATED WHILE IN PARKING LOT AND WENT INSIDE A BUILDING. I WAS NOT HURT. MY CAR WAS DAMAGED AND THE BUILDING AND ANOTHER CAR I HIT SUSTAINED A SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. *TR
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. WITH THE HELP OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR HOWEVER, THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AS IF IT WAS ACCELERATING. THIS IS WHEN I DECIDED TO PUT IT ON NEUTRAL AND FOLLOW BY A LOUD NOISE THE ENGINE FINALLY STOP RUNNING....THANK GOD NO ONE WAS HURT.... *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA CIVIC. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH THE POWER STEERING AND THE BRAKE PEDAL LOCKED SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HER. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE TOWING FACILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK WHEN THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN LOUD ROAR, THEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES REPEATEDLY BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE CONTACT WAS HEADED TOWARD A TREE AND ABRUPTLY TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO AVOID A CRASH. THE VEHICLE THEN CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THERE WAS MINOR BODY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE VEHICLE WOULD EXHIBIT A LOUD THUMPING NOISE WHENEVER IN OPERATION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND HAD CONCERNS OF THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 32,139.
WHILE DRIVING MY 2004 HONDA CIVIC JUST OFF FROM WORK AT 8:30 PM, IT STARTED TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT REDUCING THE RPM'S. I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE PEDAL AND CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE. GOT ON THE FREEWAY, AND KEPT ACCELERATING WITHOUT CONTROL, AT 50 MPH, I TRIED TO BRAKE WITH NO RESPONSE, SO I SHUT DOWN THE KEY AND PULLED OVER. I PARKED IN P POSITION. I TURNED ON THE CAR AGAIN VERY QUICK AND RPM'S WHERE VERY HIGH. SHUT IT DOWN AGAIN. CALLED MY INSURANCE, THEY TOWED MY CAR TO THE HONDA DEALER, AND THE TOWING MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE SPRING/CAP WAS UP FROM THE THROTTLE BOX. HE JUST TOUCHED IT AND WENT BACK TO DECELERATING POSITION. WE TURNED ON THE CAR, AND FOUND NO ISSUES. NEXT DAY THE HONDA DEALER DROVE THE CAR WITH NO ISSUES. I APPEARED THAT THERE WAS NO ROOT CAUSE FOR THIS PROBLEM ACCORDING WITH THEM. IFOR MY OWN SAFETY I ASKED THEM TO REPLACE THE PART, BUT IT WILL BE UNDER MY BUDGET THINKING THAT MAY HAPPEN AGAIN. THE WORST PART OF IT IS THAT THE DESIGN ON THIS PART HAS NOT CHANGED ACCORDING WITH THE REPAIR MAN, WHY? AM I THE FIRST ONE? ARE THERE ANY OTHER CASES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM? DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR A SAFETY ISSUE? I WAS LUCKY THAT HAPPENED WITH NO TRAFFIC IN A GOOD WEATHER CONDITION. I CANNOT IMAGINE THIS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE WITH THE KIDS UNDER HEAVY TRAFFIC CONDITION. I WAS ABLE TO REACT AND THINK PROPERLY AS I ALWAYS DO WHEN I DRIVE. I NEED HELP AND ANSWERS. THANKS, *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE AT SPEEDS OF 5 MPH, APPLYING MINIMAL PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED OVER A CURB AND INTO A NEARBY FIELD. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO DRIVER ERROR AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS CONTROLLED BY A CABLE AND NOT ELECTRONIC. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED WITH THE RECURRENCE OF THE FAILURE AND THE POSSIBILITY OF A CRASH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000 AND THE CURRENT WAS UNKNOWN.
ON OCCASIONS, WHEN STOPPED FOR RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, VEHICLE WILL RACE FORWARD CAUSING ME TO SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE TO STOP IT AS IT MOVES FORWARD EVEN WHILE I HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. *TR
MY CAR HONDA HYBRID 2004 WAS LURCHING A LITTLE BIT ON INCLINES, THEN THE STEERING WAS ACTING WEIRD. ANYWAY, I TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP FOR MY 5,000 MILE CHECK UP AND THE GUY THERE AT HONDA DEALER SAID EVERYTHING WAS FINE. WELL, I WAS DRIVING UP THE CA I 5, STOPPED OVER AND PULLED IN, IN FRONT OF A 7/11 AND THE CAR SLOWED DOWN AND I PULLED UP TO THE CEMENT STOP, WITH FOOT ON BRAKE. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR LURCHED AT A HIGH SPEED THREE TIMES, AND I WAS TRYING TO BRAKE IT TO MAKE IT QUIT AND IT WOULDN'T QUIT OR BRAKE. MY CAR BASHED IN THE WINDOW OF THE 7/11 AND MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE GAS.....IT WAS A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. HOWEVER, HONDA DEALER IS SAYING THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. I WAS JUST ON THE FORUM AND THERE ARE LURCHING PROBLEMS. I AM SICK OVER THIS WHOLE THING. *NM
THE SPEEDOMETER LOCKED AT 40 MPH, IT WILL NOT MOVE TO LET THE CONSUMER KNOW WHAT SPEED SHE WAS GOING. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AT THIS TIME. *JB *NM
I WAS DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT AT A LOW SPEED, STOPPED TO TURN IN PARKING SPACE WITH FOOT ON BRAKE, CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE, PUSHED ON BRAKES THEY WOULD NOT WORK AND CAR JUMPED CURB, AND HIT POST OFFICE BUILDING. CAR DIED IMMEDIATELY, BUT WHEN TURNED CAR BACK ON EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL.*AK
2004 HONDA CIVIC. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UP TO 80 MPH IN 10 SECONDS THE BRAKES FAILED. *MC
RUN A WAY HONDA 2004 HYBRID CVT. *MR WHILE THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE WAS IN ECONOMY MODE THE CONSUMER TOOK HIS FOOT OF THE BRAKE TO MANEUVER A TURN WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. AS A RESULT THE, THE CONSUMER SLID ON A SANDY PARKING LOT WHICH KNOCKED OFF ONE OF THE REAR VIEW MIRRORS AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. *NM THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ON SOME OCCASIONS, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, THE ENGINE WOULD DIE, THERE WOULD BE NO RPM, THE CONSUMERS FOOT WOULD BE ON THE BRAKES, THE ENGINE WOULD START UP AND THE RPM WOULD READ 1200. *SC *JB
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