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 2005 Honda Civic owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2005 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed and ceased with the RPM level rising. The vehicle then loss motive power. The contact was awaiting a tow to the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 73,361.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Honda Civic. While entering a parking area, the vehicle unintendly accelerated with the brake pedal depressed. The contact crashed into a parked, unoccupied vehicle. The contact did not suffer any injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where a failure code was located at the throttle body. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 27,000.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Honda Civic. While stopped behind another vehicle, the contacts vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into the preceding vehicle. The dealer was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. The dealer stated that it was normal for the vehicle to perform in that manner. The contacts insurance company did not investigate the failure, but they repaired the front bumper. The contact suffered back injuries. He was surprised when he received a recall letter in January of 2008 for the replacement of the clutch judder. A second recall letter was received for the transmission causing the vehicle to lunge forward. The manufacturer stated that the crash in 2006 was not related to the recalls, and was the contacts fault. The powertrain, speed, and recall numbers were unknown. The current mileage was 37,000 and failure mileage was 17,946. Updated 4/2/08 updated 04/02/08
Tl contact owns a 2005 Honda Civic hybrid. The contact was involved in a crash. The contact sustained neck injuries, and a passenger sustained whiplash. While attempting to park the vehicle, the contact noticed that it suddenly accelerated without warning, causing the contact to crash into a restaurant. The dealer was notified and stated that it was driver error and repaired the front end of the vehicle. The contact did not inform the manufacturer. In October 2010, the vehicle accelerated again without warning and was towed to the dealer. The dealer sent out a technician who was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact informed the manufacturer and filed a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired a second time. The current mileage was approximately 95,000. The failure mileage was 93,302. A police report was filed.
2005 Honda Civic - unexpected acceleration on at least four occasions during the 8 or 9 months that I owned it. Mileage was only 40,000 miles. Dealer said I was stepping on the accelerator instead of the brake but, in 60 years of driving, this has never happened before. I sold it back to the dealer (at a substantial loss) because I didn't want to risk my family. My replacement car, Chevrolet hhr, does not have this problem. The district manager for Honda has informed my st. Louis dealer that this is not a problem but, according to the internet, it was through 2004.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Honda Civic. The contact was driving approximately 2 MPH when the vehicle abnormally accelerated. The contact attempted to depress the brakes but to no avail. The contact was involved in a crash and she was able to shut off the engine to stop the vehicle from accelerating any further. The contact was uninjured. A police report was available. The vehicle was towed to an independent repair facility but was not examined for the cause of failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 71,000.
Dt: the contact stated there was a sudden acceleration when parking the vehicle. This caused the vehicle to hit a building. A police report taken at the scene. The vehicle was towed to the dealership and there was front end damage. The dealership has not informed the contact of any defects with the vehicle speed control. Updated 12/27/2005.
I was driving on the freeway approaching some traffic, slowing from about 60mph to a stop. As I was slowing down, I noticed that my engine RPM was staying relatively constant (vehicle was not downshifting), I could hear the engine revving, and the brakes seemed less effective at slowing my vehicle. It essentially felt as though I had cruise control on, but it wasn't cancelled by applying the brakes. I was able to slow down enough to not hit traffic stopped in front of me, but had to quickly switch to neutral to stop completely. When I shifted into neutral, the engine rpms jumped up before dropping back down after a few seconds. I put it back into drive to move off to the shoulder of the road and the car seemed to operate normally. After shutting my car off, checking the foot well for obvious issues with the brake/accelerator pedals, and waiting a few minutes, I put it back into drive. …
2005 Honda Civic hybrid. Consumer states sudden acceleration the consumer stated as she made a left turn into a parking lot and was preparing to immediately turn right into an available parking spot slowly with her foot on the brake, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. Applying the brake had no effect. The consumer managed to guide the vehicle into the spot, avoiding both a redwood tree to the left and a rock pond to the right, as the vehicle continued to accelerate beyond the end parking spot, by landing on top of a boulder and running into a chain link fence, in which the vehicle slowed down and the wheels were spinning. The front end of the vehicle was lifted off the ground by the boulder. As she began the right turn into the parking space, the consumer then noticed smoke billowing from under the hood. The consumer turned off the ignition, which stopped the forward motion of the wheels.
First of all I am from Canada...I said I was from washington state because that is the closest state to where I'm from...while driving my car on a very busy city street my 2005 Honda Civic suddenly began accelerating with out cause...when I applied the brakes they did not work...in fact, the car seemed to accelerate even more...I the put the car into neutral at which point the brakes did take somewhat...the car then continued to roll down a very busy city street people on foot were crossing the street about 1/2 a block in front of my car and it is only by the grace of god that I did not hit them...then I put the car in park and it came to a stop....I had my daughter in the car with me and I am grateful that no one was killed...my feeling is that I don't want to ever get back in that car again.....
Acceleration complaints in other Civic years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2005 Honda Civic?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2005 Honda Civic, 8% of the model year's 316 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Honda Civic acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2005 Honda Civic, though it has 10 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 2005 Honda Civic acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 18,000 miles, and 53% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 0 fires and 3 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.