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 2005 Honda Civic owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Hood safety latches both failed, causing hood to slam into windshield breaking windshield & denting hood. Various electrical issue, battery issue. Alternator issues that haven been tested to be working but don't work in car. Coolant system loses pressure & over heats, no leaks, no blown head gaskets. Battery, starter & alternator all good but car will not start. Everything has power but will not turn over. Over 3,000 dollars I have spent fixing numerous factory issues that have broken or simply failed. 400$ for need windshield & dent removal from defective locking device. Soon as I fix something on my car, something else breaks. 2005 civic 1.7l automatic 126,700 miles. I have roughly 50K miles less on original engine than most & I've been having issue since I bought it at 121,100 miles. Nothing but pouring money into a car that should run with zero problems.
I,was,in,a,accident,my,car,was,totalled,I,was,turning,the,corner,both,cars,hit.I,do,not,remember,everything,I was,hurt,both,airbags,deployed.I,was,hurt,in,my,left,arm,my,jacket,and,shirt,were,burned.I,was,taken,by,ambulance.to,the,hospital,arm,burns,and,chest,pains.they,did,xrays,meds,and,the,told,me,to,follow,up,w/my,pcp,they,sent,me,for,more.xrays.I,now,had,no,car,burns,your,recall,was,never,sent,before,that,date.I,just,got,it. This,is,so,wrong.I,hope,you,are,doing,something,about,it.
Was recently tboned at a red light, driver door, passenger door and frame dented in. I was spun around three times before coming to a stop. Front driver airbag and passenger airbag failed to deploy. Window won't roll fully down, driver and passenger stick and hard to open, lock makes a buzzing sound, seatbelt now stuck and seatbelt indicator dings even when fastened.
I was heading home on 4/30/2017 approx 2 mins away when my car was cut off from another SUV cut infront of me. She misjudged the distance and my car immediately crashed into her car. I was going about 45 MPH maybe a little more. After the crash my car had completely stopped and the driver side air bag did not deflate all the way.
Takata recall I had let my brother used my 2005 Honda Civic he was driving in a city road someone run a red light and my vehicle impact the other vehicle causing dr airbag to deploy metals came out of airbag and got cuts on his neck lost a lot of blood and was rush to the hospital he was lucky
Honda is refusing to fix the clear coat issue on the 05 civics. It starts off as a light area usually on the roof of the car and then spreads. The clear coat is now gone from almost half of the roof and has started on the trunk lid and doors of the car. Customer service told me that after 10 years they expect all cars should be repainted and that it was my job to have that done. Since this problem started 3-4 years ago and I have tried all I could to stop it and correct the issue I'm pretty sure the fault lies with Honda and the paint/clear they used. After being told that they only expect their paint to last 10 years they have lost a customer.
Trunk lid latch malfunction. Lid does not close all the way causing it to open when seats & windows are down driving on the highway. The nylon inside the latch has worked it's way out causing the latch to bind and not close properly, thus making the trunk not actually locked. Is a security risk and also a safety hazard to others on the road. If you had a lot of belongings in the trunk they would be scattered all over the highway.
The hood latch has broken through normal use. The bottom piece that secures to the frame of the car broke at the screws that secure it. Is this something that is covered through a safety issue or warranty? I can't attach a picture or documentation, because currently my hood is being held down by straps on the inside. I had noticed the hood lifting up while driving and discovered the problem after opening the hood.
(1) new vehicle - steering was not as responsive as previous vehicle (same model) (2) during a left turn motion of engine caused skid into right wall of underpass. (3) left front engine mount was replaced - I have the original mount. Vehicle had approx 4700 miles when accident occurred.
"Takata recall" reports and vehicle safety test reports are un-satisfactory with the 2005 Honda Civic. I have requested fucco Honda to resolve an airbag warning light on my dashboard, and fucco Honda has failed to repair my vehicle after service appointments and safety inspections.
Body complaints in other Civic years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2005 Honda Civic?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the body & structure of the 2005 Honda Civic, 8% of the model year's 316 complaints. The component named most often is body (18 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Honda Civic body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure 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 body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 129,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 0 fires and 6 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.