Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Honda Civic owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
SRS light on for years. Told it was nothing to worry about. Then Honda says it is a serious safety issue, I have to pay hundreds of dollars for repair. Transmission went out cost over $2500 so far, car still isn't working. Well known problem but Honda is greedy and won't pay to fix their unsafe vehicles. Car overheats when using the heater. Driver seat feels like it is going to move while driving. I will never buy a Honda ever again.
Good morning, we took our Honda Civic in for an airbag recall recently. Last weekend the air bag light came on and we return to the dealer. They said they couldn't check it out unless we paid an initial $150.00 service fee and that it was probably the seat belt that broke and not the air bag but that its not covered since we now have gone over the 80,000 mile limit on their liability.
Vehicle driver side seat belt does not retract. After airbag light came on seat belt will not retract into the seat belt retainer. I feel very dangerous and Honda will not address the issue. Stating it is not under warranty.
Driver side sear belt does not retract. It has been replaced before by the dealer. Front mud flaps are to low and are damages and need replacing. Electric plug socket does not work (lighter and cell phone)
It takes many attempts to get the drivers side seat belt to latch/click. I am concerned after seeing other recalls that mine maybe in fact affected as well.
I have a 2004 Honda Civic ex sedan. The driver's side seatbelt sensor that connects with the larger SRS safety system was triggered for no apparent reason. When this sensor indicates a failure, the SRS light comes on and the airbags are taken offline and prevented from being deployed. Thus, it is a serious safety concern. I took it to the dealership Honda of pasadena, where they reset the sensor, tested it, and declared that it was not faulty. So they would not replace it under warranty, nor give any discounted price for replacement. My concern is that the sensor triggered for no reason, so it is likely to trigger again for no reason, disabling airbag deployment in the case of a crash. I can't take this chance given that I and my family have a long road trip next week. So I need to pay $320 out of pocket to have the sensor replaced. …
I took our Honda into the Honda dealer for an airbag recall. They changed the airbag on oct 20 2016. After a few days the airbag light came on. They did a scan and now they say the seat belt on the driver side needs to be replaced. About $700.00. I am seeing thru google searches that this seems to be an ongoing problem after the airbag is replaced. As this is a safety issue and seems to be an ongoing Honda problem I am thinking they should rectify problem or install original airbag back to fix. As this was a car only driven 5 to 6 months a year and then stored for the rest now that we want to sell we need to get fixed
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Honda Civic. The contact stated the steering wheel locked without warning while entering the drive way and the steering wheel could not be turned. A private mechanic inspected the vehicle and located the failure in the ignition switch. The mechanic was able to place the vehicle in neutral gear into neutral in order to move the vehicle to a safe area. The contact also stated the drivers seat belt retracting system failed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 158,000.
We have had the Takata airbags replaced by the Honda dealer in bow, nh. However, our airbags are still not functioning as indicated by the airbag light still being on and the diagnositce later run (at our request) by the dealer. The dealer now ways that there is a defect in our seatbelt which is disabling the airbags. We thought the seatbelts were warrantied against defect but the dealer claims it is not. Please assist.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Honda Civic. The supplemental restraint system light remained illuminated. The manufacturer stated that the VIN wasn't included in the Honda voluntary service warranty extension 06-009 for the supplemental restrain system trigger;therefore, they would not assist with the repair. The vehicle wasn't repaired. The failure and current mileages were 91,500.
Related recalls
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
On certain passenger vehicles, some front seat belt anchors May have been installed with an incorrect washer, which could restrict anchor movement. As a result, the seat belt May be improperly positioned for certain occupants.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the front seat belt anchors for restricted movement. If an anchor does not rotate freely, the dealer will replace the washer with a countermeasure washer. The recall began on November 24, 2004.
Seat Belt complaints in other Civic years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat belt problems on the 2004 Honda Civic?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the seat belts of the 2004 Honda Civic, 6% of the model year's 350 complaints. The component named most often is rear/other (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Honda Civic seat belt problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 04V-550 (anchorage, Nov 18, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2004 Honda Civic seat belt problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 99,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to seat belts 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.