The day starts out great: You packed the car before turning in for the night, woke up before the alarm sounded, and headed out for that weekend away you’ve been looking forward to all year. And then, before you even make it out of town, your car engine begins to sputter, everything goes quiet, and you coast to a stop.
Your significant other looks at you with a frown and says, “I can’t believe you forgot to fill up yesterday.”
The problem is — you did fill up yesterday and have no idea what has happened formerly reliable old Civic. If you called a friend that knows cars what might be wrong, his likely guess would be you had:
- Faulty fuel injectors
- Bad spark plugs
- A faulty fuel pumps
Once you get over your had luck, and you call your Honda Dealership Service Department, they will ask what year Civic you own, and almost immediately tell you what the problem is sight unseen — a bad ignition switch.
Honda Motor Co. has recalled over one million Civics, Accord, and Elements since 2003 for the same problem — failure of an ignition switch. The good news is that any authorized dealer can replace that ignition switch at no charge to you.
2003 Honda Civic Recalls
Ignition Switch
NHTSA Recall Number: 10V364000
What is the Recall for?
Certain vehicles may have ignition switches that become deformed, allowing vehicles with an automatic transmission to have the interlock function to malfunction.
How Can it Affect the Vehicle?
A failed ignition switch can allow the ignition key to be removed when the driver has yet to shift the vehicles into park.
Which Models Were Affected?
Certain 2003 Honda Civics.
Are there risks if you fail to have the problem corrected?
If the ignition key is removed without the vehicle in park, it can roll away causing the risk of a crash.
How is the Recall Resolved?
Any authorized Honda dealer can repair your vehicle for free. An authorized repairman will remove the original interlock lever and pin with new and redesigned components.
Five Main Symptoms of a Bad Ignition Switch
Any time you receive a recall notice, you had an authorized dealer fix the problem. If you have not done that already, you may have noticed one or more of these symptoms with your Civic.
- Key Doesn’t Turn – Excessive wear or damage inside an ignition switch can prevent the key from aligning properly with the keyhole. This problem generally occurs over time and becomes increasingly more noticeable.
- Car Won’t Start – If your car won’t start at all, the odds your battery is dead. However, a bad ignition switch can drain the battery so both should be checked.
- Dashboard Lights Flicker – One of the first signs of an ignition switch wearing out, is the lights flicker but you hear no sound of the primary relay clicking. Sometimes, the dashboard may flicker while driving before an ignition switch fails.
- Accessories Won’t Power On – Often when a battery runs low, the engine won’t turn over, but your radio or other accessories still have some power. Then the ignition switch fails, everything fails.
- Vehicle Stalls While in Drive – This is the primary reason Honda issued the recall. If you are driving at any speed, an ignition switch can extremely dangerous.
Visit the NHTSA website to learn more about recalls issued on Honda Civics. For the most accurate results, enter your 17-digit VIN number here to see if there any recalls specific to the Honda you own. Call us to learn more about a specific recall, or the steps you need to take in getting your vehicle repaired.
