2001 Honda Civic Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 62 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the 2001 Honda Civic, 6% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 104,073 miles. The words owners use most often: “low beam” (47% of reports).
- 62exterior lighting complaints
- 104,073median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 36%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Low beam: mentioned in 29 of 62 complaints (47%)
- Headlight switch: mentioned in 12 of 62 complaints (19%)
- Headlights failed: mentioned in 11 of 62 complaints (18%)
- Included exterior: mentioned in 5 of 62 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 43 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 62 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 1 an injury.
Honda Civic exterior lighting complaints by model year
| Model year | Exterior Lighting complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Civic | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2024 Civic | 1 | 1% | 11,000 |
| 2023 Civic | 4 | 2% | — |
| 2022 Civic | 2 | 0% | — |
| 2021 Civic | 2 | 1% | 101 |
| 2020 Civic | 2 | 1% | 76,000 |
| 2019 Civic | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2018 Civic | 3 | 0% | 30,000 |
| 2017 Civic | 4 | 1% | 52,600 |
| 2016 Civic | 30 | 3% | 500 |
| 2015 Civic | 1 | 0% | 50,000 |
| 2014 Civic | 7 | 2% | 16,000 |
| 2013 Civic | 5 | 2% | 15,000 |
| 2012 Civic | 10 | 2% | 36,866 |
| 2011 Civic | 3 | 2% | 40,000 |
| 2010 Civic | 5 | 1% | 41,000 |
| 2009 Civic | 10 | 3% | 35,000 |
| 2008 Civic | 6 | 1% | 65,000 |
| 2007 Civic | 14 | 1% | 80,000 |
| 2006 Civic | 23 | 2% | 43,000 |
| 2005 Civic | 6 | 2% | 131,885 |
| 2004 Civic | 12 | 3% | 78,210 |
| 2003 Civic | 23 | 5% | 129,300 |
| 2002 Civic | 53 | 8% | 131,448 |
| 2001 Civic | 62 | 6% | 104,073 |
| 2000 Civic | 9 | 3% | 129,000 |
| 1999 Civic | 2 | 1% | — |
| 1998 Civic | 5 | 1% | 45,000 |
| 1997 Civic | 6 | 2% | 23,750 |
| 1996 Civic | 13 | 4% | 125,000 |
| 1995 Civic | 2 | 1% | 224,889 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the low-beam terminal on the head light wire harness can overheat and could cause the low beams to fail without warning.
Risk: An unexpected loss of low beams could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the head light switch and coupler for signs of heat damage. If heat damage is present, the dealer will replace the switch and coupler. If no heat damage is present, the dealer will replace the head light switch and one mating pin in the coupler. Owner notification began on april 5, 2004. Owners should contact honda at 1-800-999-1009.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2001 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the high-beam headlights failed to function as needed. The contact stated that the running lights and low-beam headlights were operable. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was…
Vehicles of this type were subjected to a recall back in 2012 due to a safety issue where the low beam headlights would unexpectedly fail while the vehicle was being driven at night. The recall work has been performed previously by honda on this specific vehicle. However, a similar problem has…
Light switch terminal overheated. While in motion on the road, low beam lights suddenly go dark, but high beams and parking lights do work fine. See nhtsa campaign id 04v086000
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2001 Honda Civics have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 62 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the 2001 Honda Civic (6% of the 1,079 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Honda Civic exterior lighting?
Yes: 1 safety recall list exterior lighting. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems start?
The median reported mileage is 104,073 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the 2001 Honda Civic?
The most frequent phrase is “low beam”, in 29 of 62 complaints, followed by “headlight switch” (12).
Other 2001 Honda Civic problems
See all 2001 Honda Civic problems or exterior lighting problems across all Civic years.