1997 Honda Civic vehicle speed control problems
38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle speed control on the 1997 Honda Civic — 10% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Throttle cable sticks at low speeds - when pressed, it "snaps lose" going to 1/2 throttle, jerking car forward, snapping necks of driver and passengers. Is a severe safety problem - could cause an accident by slamming vehicle into back of lead vehicle. Ref: campaign id 99i002000. Honda dealer says…”
filed Aug 30, 2006
“Dt*: the contact stated there was an accident that occurred with the vehicle due to the interference of the driver's side floor mat with the accelerator. There is a recall #99e015000 pertaining to the accessory driver-side floor mats. The manufacturer has been alerted who refuses to honor the…”
filed Jul 24, 2006
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
Service bulletin - due to the floor design, a mispositioned floor mat could prevent the accelerator pedal from returning to the idle position. In this case, the vehicle may continue accelerating even though the driver…
A99034 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2016
Vehicle Speed Control problems in other Civic years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Civic | 1 | 4% |
| 2025 Civic | 3 | 5% |
| 2024 Civic | 3 | 3% |
| 2023 Civic | 4 | 2% |
| 2022 Civic | 42 | 5% |
| 2021 Civic | 6 | 4% |
| 2020 Civic | 4 | 2% |
| 2019 Civic | 9 | 2% |
| 2018 Civic | 5 | 1% |
| 2017 Civic | 12 | 2% |
| 2016 Civic | 17 | 2% |
| 2015 Civic | 20 | 5% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1997 Honda Civic
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.