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Why won’t my Honda Civic accelerate?

Recently, my Honda Civic has been acting sluggish. And then yesterday, when I was trying to merge onto the highway, it wouldn’t accelerate, and I was nearly rear-ended by the car behind me. Why won’t my Honda Civic accelerate?

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Rachel Rigolino · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Your Civic may not be accelerating due to issues with your car’s fuel delivery or fuel exhaust system. Acceleration issues interfere with operating your vehicle safely and must be addressed quickly.
Let’s review some common causes of acceleration problems:
  • Clogged fuel injector. Your Civic’s fuel injector helps to control the amount of fuel getting to your engine. If it’s clogged, it won’t send enough fuel to accelerate properly
  • Clogged fuel filter. Ditto with the fuel filter. Because the fuel filter takes out contaminants, it becomes clogged over time and should be routinely replaced
  • Bad fuel pump. This pump sends fuel from the gas tank to the engine. If it goes bad, you might even find yourself stalling out
  • Problems with your catalytic converter. If the catalytic converter is clogged and not sending enough air to the engine, you’ll notice acceleration problems
Be sure to address this problem with your Civic’s acceleration immediately. As your experience with trying to merge onto the highway demonstrates, drivers must be able to count on their cars to accelerate.
Wondering why your car or truck won’t accelerate? Have other car-related questions? When you need answers, ask
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