I have a 1990 honda civic 4 dr 1.5 liter auto. And the distributor went bad-I know the car is not worth much but it is my work car-to replace this part $800.00 and talking to several junk yards it would be $225.00 but the man said that there's no guarantee that part would be good as this yr. Make and model are famous for this problem but I do not find any recall.
1990 Honda Civic electrical problems
18 complaints (20% of all complaints for this car).
- owner complaints
- 18
- of this car's complaints
- 20%
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Ignition10
- Wiring: fuses and circuit breakers2
- Wiring: interior/under dash1
- Wiring: front underhood1
- Starter assembly1
- Ignition: switch1
- Alternator/generator/regulator1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Honda Civic electrical problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Stalling
There is no summary currently available
PE93082
What 1990 Honda Civic owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
After driving my car and it sitting for approximately 1 and a half hours I noticed that their was flames coming from under my hood. I ran out and turned on the water hose and started to squirt it as a neighbor opened the hood for me but we quickly realized that wasn't going to do anything because it was electrical, so we then disconnected the battery. Which stopped the fire.
My 1990 honda civic wagon has stopped without warning three times in the last month and will not start again for 10 minutes to overnight. I have had to push the car off the road to get it out of rush hour traffic. From members of the [email protected], I have determined that the igniter has failed. Honda had an upgrade to this component and according to honda my car received the upgrade in 1994, but now is apparently failing. Wishing to be safe, I have ordered a whole new distributor to install so I do not have to stop somewhere at any moment.
The car fails to start on occasion, I noticed on honda's web site there is a recall for the ignition switch, but it doesn't cover the year of my car. I know of 3 other people who are experiencing the same problem. The problem seem to occur as the temperature outside gets hotter. I get in the car try to start it nothing, go back an hour later and it starts right up. I think honda should be held responsible. Email me with any questions. Thanks, ter.
No summary listed for above vehicle.
No summary listed for above vehicle.
The first time the alternator was replaced the car slowly lost power til it just stopped, this also happened the second time, then the 3rd time the car started and stalled and wouldn't start again, the 4th time the car was run for a short trip(5 miles) and after turned off a left for a couple hours would not start at all , hazard lights would not light, either. The 5th time was a faulty alternator...
Distibutor rotor came off on 3 occasions in past 10 months, causing instant engine failure while driving in heavy traffic in fast lane..
The car may start on the first try, or on the fiftieth. This seems to happen most frequently on hot days. It cranks, but does not catch. I believe this problem is covered either in tsb93028, july '93, or atratb132, sept. '92, or both. However, the failure is not listed in the federal safety agency site. I bought the car used, from an acquaintance, not from a dealer. Can I get it fixed free of charge? Thanks, c. Cannon.
Ignitor failed twice. Yh
Questions about the 1990 Honda Civic electrical
Does the 1990 Honda Civic have electrical problems?
Owners have filed 18 complaints about the electrical of the 1990 Honda Civic, 20% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 1990 Honda Civic electrical problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 1990 Honda Civic electrical?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Honda Civic have the most electrical problems?
The Honda Civic model years with the most electrical complaints are 2016 (119 complaints), 1999 (118 complaints) and 2017 (104 complaints).
Is there a class action lawsuit over the Honda Civic?
Yes. Class action says Honda and Acura keyless entry makes cars easy to steal and asks for theft protection (November 12, 2026).
Other 1990 Honda Civic problems
Seat belts 34Brakes 6Engine 6Transmission 6Visibility 6Acceleration 5Body 5Lights 4Fuel system 3Tires 3Steering 2Suspension 2Airbags 1Locks 1Seats 1Wheels 1
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