Door Lock & Latch complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 0% | 25,000 miles |
| 2019 | 1 | 0% | 206,000 miles |
| 2015 | 2 | 1% | 60,000 miles |
| 2012 | 1 | 0% | 4,000 miles |
| 2011 | 3 | 2% | 18,000 miles |
| 2010 | 3 | 1% | 35,000 miles |
| 2009 | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2008 | 4 | 0% | 12,000 miles |
| 2007 | 2 | 0% | 68,000 miles |
| 2006 | 5 | 0% | 52,000 miles |
| 2005 | 2 | 1% | 145,000 miles |
| 2004 | 8 | 2% | 45,000 miles |
| 2003 | 7 | 1% | 99,000 miles |
| 2002 | 4 | 1% | 50,000 miles |
| 2001 | 7 | 1% | 128,000 miles |
| 2000 | 3 | 1% | 73,000 miles |
| 1999 | 4 | 1% | 105,000 miles |
| 1998 | 2 | 0% | 150,000 miles |
| 1997 | 3 | 1% | 88,000 miles |
| 1996 | 3 | 1% | 71,000 miles |
| 1995 | 2 | 1% | 96,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The trunk latch , once locked by a key, will not engage and open the trunk from the inside of the car. I brought my auto to the dealer twice. It occasionally will open, but more often than not, it will not engage. The service manager was present and able to see this problem. He was baffled. But they said I used too much force to unlock the trunk. This after having the car for over 6 months! This is my 2nd Honda Civic and I never had an issue before.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Honda Civic. The contact stated that when utilizing the electric key fob, the doors would engage as if locking but would not actually secure the vehicle. Upon checking the doors, the contact found that the doors were not locked. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 18,000. The current mileage was 30,000.
Tl contact owns a 2010 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the driver side head rest did not lock in place. In addition, all doors and trunk locked unexpectedly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that they could not alter the design and they were unable to duplicate the failure on the doors. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who referred her back to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 1,000 and current mileage was 7,000. Updated 3/6/12
- premature brake ware 40 thousand miles on the car and the brakes have to be changed this will be the 3rd time, checked in feb 14, 2012 and deemed fine. - rear wheel wobble - passenger window glass shakes when window down - door unlock makes screeching noise when unlocked - car whines when started.
Leading up to the failure, it was necessary ziggle the steering wheel in order to turn the key and start the car. On July 4, 2010 the ignition totally seized - stranding the driver. It was necessary to tow the car to a dealership. Honda advised the car was just out of warranty. The following parts were replaced at a cost of $1026.00: ignition switch, dummy sidewinder and the lock assembly / steering. In a letter to Honda we stated that the part hadn't been reasonably durable and that the warranty didn't apply. The car ignition failed long before it should have. Honda agreed to pay $653.00 towards repairs in response to our letter.
Front driver window came out of plastic window channel (seal) during closing and would not seal properly. Temporary fix: could manually push/pull window into channel during closing, but watch your fingers! Occurred at approximately 6000km. I believe root cause was faulty switch which didn't provide signal to window motor to stop if window closed. After window closed, if button activated, could hear motor still pushing window glass up. Eventually, this would cause window glass to damage channel (seal) dealer replaced window regulator,seal and glass under warranty.
Trunk latch suddenly failed. There is no keyhole on the exterior trunk, and the fob and interior switch can't open it. The seat releases are also in the trunk, so there is no way to fix the problem without going to the dealer, and they want to charge for the repair even though there are multiple pages of complaints on the web about the problem that date back to 2008. I can't get to my spare tire or any of my other emergency equipment.
I have a Honda Civic 2006 (lease) this car has 2 recall one on 8/30/07 and on 11/07 but the dealer never sent me any warning, note, letter or call to notify this situation, I read that by fed law they should contact me and let me know the ricks that this issue can cause me. I called because I had a problem with my car keys code and they told about this and they said sorry because they do not know why I was not notify about this I very disappointed because that is very dangerous and I do not get notify at all, I had 3 cars with the Honda all 3 are lease cars so it is not excuse that they cannot contact me also I am living t the same place for more than one year and I got my Honda bill every month.
Frequently asked questions
Which Honda Civic years have door lock & latch problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2004 (8), 2001 (7), 2003 (7) and 2006 (5) model years. Door Lock & Latch complaints make up 2% of all complaints for the 2004.
Is there a recall for Honda Civic door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for any Honda Civic model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Honda Civic door lock & latch problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles; 43% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the doors › latch (17 mentions), followed by the hood › latch (10).
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.