Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Honda Civic owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On my return home from work as I slowly came to my driveway car suddenly accelerated on its own tried to brake to stop the brakes did not help car hit the garage door that was closed still speeding inside the garage like wild bull. There was an old Mercedes Benz and a motorcycle inside the garage among other stored goods that stopped the car moving any further if the Mercedes was not there I would have been killed by hitting the concrete wall of the garage. There is lots of damage at this time in my garage and lots of deductibles I have to pay to get things fixed, for something of no fault of mine. I am so glad it did not happen before few minutes when I was still on the road at a traffic hour after work between 6 to 7 pm on Friday April 10th. …
#1) overheats/boils reservoir lost 3 caps #2)water pump failure #3)trunk latch doesn't work all time #4)cruise control never worked #5) window washer motor fried #6) can't run ac sometimes heater causes to overheat it will idle for hours but once its driven down hwy it starts to over heat. #7) transmission failure while driving in to library to get my son it was like it went into neutral while I was driving no speed all rpms. #8) ignition keeps sticking won't always start feels like the key is going to break #9) all the windows are now manual drivers side wire frayed and messed up broke plastic pieces. It's held up by pvc the passenger is the only window still operable one motor stopped and never started the other is held up with a door stopper. #10) the seatbelts lock and won't let go even if the car is started but not mobile still in park.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Honda Civic. The contact stated that she pulled into a parking space and when she put the vehicle in reverse it suddenly accelerated forward and hit a brick wall.the contact stated that she had not placed her foot on the accelerator pedal. The front bumper fell off due to the crash. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership for a diagnostic test but the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The current and failure mileages were approximately 146,000.
2002 Honda Civic 1.6 automatic gear equipped with cark-91 nokia car kit crashed. Possible reason was interference of electromagnetic signals of car kit with electronic throttle control. Car was in parking place. Cellular phone (nokia 5110) installed to car kit. Engine has been started. Rear gear selected. With slow input to throttle caused rapid acceleration to back. My wife tried to stop the car with braking but possibly with panic she pushed the throttle pedal instead of brake pedal. The back of car crashed hitting and damaging a small truck. I investigated for the manufacturing error. Service declined it and also there was no clue about manufacturing error (even in computer record of the car). After the delivery of car (03/28/2002) my wife lived similar incidence. She installed nokia 5110 to car kit, started engine, selected rear gear and engine has started acceleration. …
While leaving parking lot it was very dark as lights were out in front of and behind me and it was difficult to see behind me. I proceeded slowly in reverse and lightly hit the cement base of light behind me. I felt the impact on back right . I immediately placed my right foot on the brake. The car was stopped. I then tried to put the car into drive while doing this I noticed that the engine was loud and revving up speed and actually moving while I had my right foot on the brake and no foot on the gas. My first thought was that from the revving noise the accelerator pedal was stuck. I checked this with my right foot and felt that the gas pedal was up and not down as it sounded. I next put the car into park, we continued to move at an accelerated pace. I then placed both my feet on the brake pedal. …
I was driving early this morning around 6:45 am. Was driving around to get coffee and such, then going 45mph to get to onramp of I-75. After accelerating normally to 68mph, the acceleration stopped and pressing on the gas did nothing. I slowed to around 20mph and that is the max speed I could go on the interstate until I pulled over. There were no weird sounds or smells or leaks, transmission fluid was full. I can start the car fine and drive it around going 20mph, but wont shift after that. Took to belle tire mechanics and they claim its a bad transmission. Everything I've researched online shows this to be a defective clutch pack carrier and is a known issue to Honda and most mechanics, but they claim to not know anything for obvious reasons to avoid having to pay for their mistakes. This needs to be fixed by Honda as this is not the fault of normal wear/tear. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Honda Civic. The contact was driving 30 MPH when the vehicle suddenly accelerated abnormally at a rapid pace. The contact was unable to control the vehicle and shifted into park in order to stop the unintended acceleration. The vehicle did not stop until crashing into the rear of another vehicle. The police arrived to the scene and advised that the accelerator was stuck. The vehicle was then towed to a local dealer where they were unable to locate or duplicate the failure. The vehicle was later inspected by a personal friend who discovered an aluminum name plate from the spectre air filter (model number: 888911) (na) was lodged between the housing and the butterfly, causing the throttle to become stuck open and the vehicle to accelerate. The failure mileage was 96,000. The name plate was glued onto the air filter. …
Cruise control suddenly speed up and down by itself and transmission not engaged on highway. I changed cruise control all parts with dealer non of them work and I got same happening every month 4 or 10 times on highway and suddenly my transmission makes whining sound I changed transmission fluid every 30000mi but it give me trouble. As I check on my issues in internet a lot of people got same trouble just like me even well maintained car owner got this same issues! Something really wrong on Honda Civic 2002 transmission. I can not give it to my daughter for her first car cruise control speed up and down by itself and dealer can not fix and transmission suddenly makes funny action(sometimes disengage on middle of anywhere ). …
I was driving up an incline at about 35 MPH on the parkway, and needed to accelerate up the hill. I pressed on the gas pedal, and it hardly moved and I got no response. All of a sudden, the pedal pulled away from my foot downward towards the floor, and the car accelerated uncontrollably. With the possibility that cruise control was accidentally put on (which I hardly ever use), I immediately stepped on the brake to stop the acceleration, and there was no response. I was still accelerating, so I put the car into neutral, and it was still revving out of control. (the RPM was in the red zone) I finally put the toe of my boot under the gas pedal to try to lift it up off the floor, and it finally gave, and went back to normal . I then proceeded toward home, at a voluntary 20 MPH. I am taking it to the Honda service center for evaluation.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while traveling 35 MPH, the vehicle erroneously accelerated. The contact was able to get the vehicle to function normally by applying the brakes. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted about the issue. The failure and current mileages were 173,462. Updated 12/21/12 the consumer stated the dealer replaced the fuse box assembly claiming it was defective. The dealer found a mouse nest in the linkage to the throttle. The dealer claimed that the fuse box and mouse nest were not related but, that defective fuse box could affect the throttle sensor. Updated 1/9/2013
Acceleration complaints in other Civic years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2002 Honda Civic?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2002 Honda Civic, 4% of the model year's 702 complaints. The component named most often is linkages (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Honda Civic acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2002 Honda Civic, though it has 11 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Honda Civic acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 122,000 miles, and 24% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.