Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
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 purchased this car from a Honda dealership used for over 7 thousand dollars in 2021 it's a 2005 car with known issues. I drove it for less than 2 months before it overheated without an indication by the gauge that it was overheating and blew a head gasket. It was acting funny before it happened I brought it back to the dealership a couple times they charged me several hundred dollars to do nothing besides diagnosed it and told me nothing was wrong with it. Obviously there's plenty wrong with a car I'm just finding out that the battery is probably going to die really soon and I had to pay a mechanic to put another engine in it and paid another 2 thousand dollars. …
After driving about 20 miles in warm day from san mateo to san francisco via I-101 then I-280 with A/C on. The vehicle came to a traffic jam on highway exit in sf, the speed was at 30 MPH or less and the engine temperature increased to the highest level and the engine had water boiling sound and radiator fan did not came on after stopped on a city street. Then 2nd incident happen on July 25 2015, again driving from san mateo I-101 > 92 > 238 > I-580 to dublin with weather temperature at 90+ with A/C on when the vehicle reach to slow speed at freeway ext ramp. The engine temperature increased to the highest level. Once the car stopped at a city street the engine had boiling water sound and radiator fan did not came on. Coolant is full as well as the reserve reservoir . On aug 3 same thing happens after replacing engine thermostat and radiator fan switch. …
I was on my way to school , I had driven about 18 miles from home and heard a scrubbing sound then noticed smoke coming from front of my car. I immediately pulled off the road and turned engine off. A city policeman stopped and told me the name of a wrecker service nearby. The car was towed to a garage where it was put up on a lift . The mechanic noted a piece of metal bulging from the right side of the block looking from under the car and toward the front..there was oil splatters from that area also. The piece of metal came from between the block and the air conditioner. There had to have been a defect in the block for it to break a piece of the block off in this manner. The piece was about 2 inches wide by 4 inches long. We have pictures to show what was found. There were two mechanic witnesses plus a policeman that saw the damage.the car was not running hot nor low in oil. …
While traveling down the highway I hit a deer head on. The deer destroyed much of my front end but the motor was still going . I applied the brakes and after about 15 seconds the car started to accelerate and couldn't be stopped. Since it was a hybrid it felt like the electric motor kicked in for some strange reason and the car couldn't be stopped. In order to stop the car I put it in to park while it was moving. The car continued to try and accelerate but since it was in park it was just moving slowly to a stop. Although this wasn't deadly for me it could have been if I wasn't on the highway or if I was knocked out. I don't think a car should accelerate for no reason.
Original OEM spark plug cracked and pieces fell into the cylinder. The car had a sever misfire, loss of power and I had to immediately pull off of the road. The Honda dealership the car was towed to said the cylinder was damaged and the engine should be replaced. Honda of America basically said that the car was out of warranty and that they did not warranty their engines past 3 years 36,000 miles. Even though the spark plug was well under it's recommended replacement time, it failed and created a dangerous situation.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Honda Civic sedan. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH the vehicle stalled with the airbag warning light illuminated. The contact pulled off of the roadway and attempted to activate the hazzard light. The hazzard light was inoperable. The contact opened the hood and the hood latch fractured. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 12,500.
My transmission is slipping and barley shifting into 2nd gear to 3rd it has 95000 miles on it and the transmission is bad all 2000 to 2005 hondas have bad transmission problems but they never recalled it why????? Now I had to replace the head gasket because it was blown at 75000 miles thats to early for that to be happening I spent 2000 grand on it already why didn't they recall this????
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving, smoke was seen from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact stopped the vehicle and discovered that the engine had overheated. The failure was not diagnosed by a mechanic nor was the vehicle repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The failure mileage was 107,387.
Overheating lead to cracked block and eventually complete engine failure. Starting 2006-? There has been a recall on these engines. After looking at many Honda civics for sale this seems to be common problem spanning more years. I believe the recall should be expanded.
Engine complaints in other Civic years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2005 Honda Civic?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2005 Honda Civic, 10% of the model year's 316 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Honda Civic engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling 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 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 86,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.