YearToAvoid

2005 Honda Civic Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Caution The 2005 Honda Civic has 315 NHTSA complaints, a complaint index of 25, and 10 recall campaigns, mostly for airbags. It ranks 16th out of 21 model years and carries a Caution verdict capped by its recall count rather than by complaint volume alone.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
25/100
#16 of 21 Civic years
Verdict
Caution
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
315
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
10
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
74
reported in complaints
Fires
9
Injuries
70
Top issue
Airbags
Best nearby year
2013
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
30
26.5 city / 34 hwy
Injuries / deaths
70 / 3

Top 2005 Honda Civic problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags128 (41%)
  2. Engine57 (18%)
  3. Transmission & Powertrain36 (11%)
  4. Structure & Body31 (10%)
  5. Electrical System29 (9%)
  6. Suspension, Wheels & Tires21 (7%)
  7. Seat Belts20 (6%)
  8. Other19 (6%)
  9. Brakes18 (6%)
  10. Fuel System12 (4%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Owners describe airbags failing to deploy during frontal or rollover crashes, sometimes at speeds around 30-40 mph.
  • Some report the transmission locking up unexpectedly, in one case followed by a fire after a guardrail impact.
  • A seat belt wiring fire was reported under the passenger seat, spreading to the seat, floor, and door.
  • One owner reported a front axle/spindle breaking while driving, causing loss of control and a collision.
  • Others describe brake pedal fade and a clicking brake line noise linked to a faulty gear positioning sensor.
  • A sudden acceleration incident while parking was reported, resulting in a collision with a building.
2005 Honda Civic complaints: complaints filed per quarter162005 Q12007 Q22010 Q12012 Q22014 Q32017 Q12019 Q22021 Q4
315 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2005 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2010 Q1 (16).

2005 Honda Civic recalls

10 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 19V499000Jun 27, 2019Airbags3,947 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    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.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: 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. Honda's numbers for this recall are Q5A and Y58.

  2. NHTSA 19V501000Jun 27, 2019Airbags1,657,752 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    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.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: 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 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are E5D and X5C.

  3. NHTSA 19V182000Mar 6, 2019Airbags1,101,534 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    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.

    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 death.

    Remedy: 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 service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.

See all 10 recalls for the 2005 Honda Civic →

2005 Honda Civic fuel economy and fuel cost

City
26.5 MPG
Highway
34 MPG
Combined
30 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,150
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2005 compared with other Civic years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2005Caution253151030
2006Avoid901,4021328.5
2007Avoid951,204928.5

All Honda Civic years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2005 Honda Civic reliable?
NHTSA data shows the 2005 Civic has a complaint index of 25 and ranks 16th out of 21 model years, earning a Caution verdict. Its main issue is 10 recall campaigns tied to airbag inflators, not a high volume of owner complaints.
What are the main problems with the 2005 Honda Civic?
Airbags are the top problem area, making up 41% of complaints and linked to 53 crashes. Engine issues follow at 18% and transmission and powertrain problems at 11%.
Does the 2005 Honda Civic have an airbag recall?
Yes. NHTSA lists multiple airbag recall campaigns for the 2005 Civic, mostly involving driver and passenger frontal air bag inflator replacement, part of the broader Takata inflator recalls.
How does the 2005 Civic compare to other Civic years?
The 2005 Civic's complaint index of 25 is lower than years like 2006 (90), 2007 (95), and 2022 (100), but its 10 recall campaigns cap its verdict at Caution instead of Good.
At what mileage do 2005 Civic airbag problems typically show up?
NHTSA data lists a median mileage of 87,000 for airbag-related complaints on the 2005 Civic.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.