Three problems related to headlights have been reported for the 2004 Honda Civic. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2004 Honda Civic based on all problems reported for the 2004 Civic.
Headlights go off sometimes on their own. I think this is the same problem that caused a recall on the 2002-2003 Civics. Apparently 2004's are having problems with this also. I have seen several complaints online.
Driving at highway speed, moving from twilight to night, I suddenly noticed the headlights were not operating on either side. We pulled over to check the bulbs, fuses, and relays which all appeared in good condition. The parking lights still worked and we discovered the high beam lights still worked. We were in a rural area so there was no place to stop before our destination to either get repairs or wait for daylight, so we had to continue on with high beams. I called our Honda dealer today (9/25/12) to report the problem, knowing that the headlight recall had recently been expanded to 2003 model year, but they were not helpful. They offered to charge me for repair but did not suggest how to report the defect to NHTSA or otherwise resolve the problem.
The headlights on my car get a film over them that reduces visibility and cannot be removed by commercial products. I have to take my car to an auto body shop about every six months and have them use a power brush to remove the film. I see this condition on other cars and am wondering why there is no recall or other movement from manufacturers and/or the government to correct this potentially serious safety issue.