2002 Honda Civic SI: common problems

Owners of the 2002 Honda Civic SI filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 3

What fails most often

1 Air bags 67% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 33% of all complaints
3 Fuel/propulsion system 33% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Air bags: 2 complaints (67% of all).
Electrical system: 1 complaints (33% of all).
Fuel/propulsion system: 1 complaints (33% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 3 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

airbag warning light1 · 33%
fuel system, fuel smell1 · 33%
smoke, burning smell, fire1 · 33%
warning lights, check engine1 · 33%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Air bags	2	0	0
Electrical system	1	0	0
Fuel/propulsion system	1	0	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

I just bought this vehicle and the srs light came on after I bought it I've gone to specialist to get this fixed and it's still broken and now I can't get a sticker because of the defective air bags.
Air bags · 2018-04-03 · NHTSA complaint #11083070
The fuel pump assembly at the top of the fuel tank just under the rear passenger seat develops cracks because of it being made of plastic.this happened on my car. Quite a bit of fuel leaks out of these cracks when operating the automobile. The average person might not ever know this if it was always parked outside.
Fuel/propulsion system · 2017-09-03 · NHTSA complaint #11021277
When given my vin, the honda recall site gives back the wrong model of car. My car is a civic and it is hard for me to believe that all the 2002s except mine need the takata recall.
Air bags · 2017-08-25 · NHTSA complaint #11019571

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20172
20181

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 17,152 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 47% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Civic SI has 10 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 3, below average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Honda Civic SI?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, fuel/propulsion system. Total complaints: 3. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (33%), fuel system, fuel smell (33%), smoke, burning smell, fire (33%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Honda Civic SI?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2002 Honda Civic SI from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2002 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.