Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Honda Civic owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Takata recall previous complaint in feb. 2018, and no action taken, complaint # 11079970, air bag recall, resulting in no action taken from Honda, head-on accident occurred, and air-bags should've deployed, but didn't. Injuries incurred. Honda has refused any partaking on matter. I was at a complete stop, in the turning lane, car appeared out of nowhere, and I hit her head-on to the drivers side front bumper, light, tire. This was a no-fault accident on the police report.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to buckeye Honda (2615 n memorial dr, lancaster, oh 43130). The contact was informed that the radiator was leaking and there was also an oil leak. Additionally, the horn, fog light switch, and cruise control failed to operate as designed. The contact was also informed that the steering column cover was cut. In addition to the failures, the driver's and passenger's front doors were unable to be opened with the key. The contact was only able to unlock the trunk with the key. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer for an ignition switch repair where the keys were replaced however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage approximately 190,000.
I was struck on my front bumper by a driver directly in front of me. He was making a 3-point turn and didn't know that I was behind him. He accelerated into me and even though my car sustained minimal damage, my neck received all of the crash energy. I have hard-copy evidence of my neck from mris and cat scans taken 1 year before the accident; I had a healthy neck. I now have 3 disintergrating discs and constant pain. The treatments will be open-ended, I am told. Through my research, I found that Honda changed their head-restraint design on the Civic hybrid 2003 (my car). Before that year, the regular Civic had excellent ratings. This model had a 'minimal passing' rating. I feel that the lack of neck support was the reason that my body sustained such injuries.
I was driving south bound on the 215 shortly before the exit, mills, there was a cone laying on its side in the middle of the road that I was not able to see from a distance because the color of the cone was facing forward . By the time I was able to realize what it was, I could not avoid it and go to another lane because I was in the middle of two cars, which probably would have caused much more damage then there is if I attempted to do so. As a result the cone cracked my front bumper on the right hand side in the shape of a v, there was a little steam coming from my engine and there seems to be some kind of leak now, as well as some black rubber type thing that looks like its supposed to be over the tire was dragging.
I rear ended a vehicle that came to a sudden complete stop, I was going approximately 30 MPH, (the roadway was 45 but I had started to slow as I slammed on my brakes). The collision was full frontal impact and my airbags did not deploy. I hit my head on the steering wheel despite having a seat belt on. I am having a mechanic investigate why my airbags did not deploy, but it concerns me as I was injured in the crash. I went to the emergency room and I have whip lash, muscle spasms and muscle tension in my neck and back. I feel that these injuries could have been avoided if the air bags had deployed. My lawyer advised me to file a complaint here as well as with Honda about this incident.
The paint has been fading and peeling since about January of 2014. Car has been taken care of and washed cleaned regularly (but not excessively) its whole life and the paint should not have any issues. This is a common problem for Honda's made around this time and Honda should issue a recall and pay to have it painted. It is not fair to car owners who do not have the resale value the car is worth because of a simple cosmetic issue like this.
Clear coat failure. Noticeable clear coat failure started about 5 years ago. I contacted Honda and they refused to do anything about it. They claim it is only an issue on 2005 and later civics, which obviously isn't true. Clear coat failure on roof, trunk, and above the doors.
This car was totaled in a crash many, many years ago ! I have filled out and mailed in two recall notices to this affect and I am still getting recall notices for this car. For the third time, this car is long gone, update your records and do not sent another notice.
The door will not lock using the key. The key either gets jammed in the door or wont go in. When it does go in, it wont come back out. Frustrated because I cant lock/unlock my car without a break-in kit.
I drive a 2003 Honda Civic ex. I got off work at 5:30 p.m. And got on the interstate and had the incident about 5:55. On 4 lanes of traffic, I was in the 3rd from the right. This is rush hour in indianapolis. No warning at all, the hood on my Honda flew up and smashed my windshield to pieces and put a large dent in the top of the Honda where it meets the top of the windshield. The hood stayed up, completely taking away any vision in front. I immediately slammed on my breaks and thanfully didn't hit anyone in front of me. Thankfully nobody was tailgating me. I managed not to swerve the car and stay in my lane. I could see a vehicle on each side of me as I slamed on the brakes. I then proceeded to steer my way to the left, crossing 2 lanes and then getting my car over to the shoulder. I used my side mirrors for this. When I got my car over on the shoulder, my hood came down. …
Body complaints in other Civic years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2003 Honda Civic?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the body & structure of the 2003 Honda Civic, 5% of the model year's 499 complaints. The component named most often is body (19 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Honda Civic body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2003 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 2003 Honda Civic body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 126,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 11 injuries to body & structure 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.