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1999-2000 Honda Civic

How to upgrade the stereo system in your Civic

1999 Honda Civic

In brief: This Crutchfield Research Garage article gives you an overview of your Civic's stock stereo system and your aftermarket upgrade options. We'll tell you all about:

Then, use our vehicle selector to find the gear that will fit your car.

Overview of the Honda Civic

The Honda Civic is one of the most frequently seen cars on the road for a reason – it’s affordable, reliable and doesn’t require much to keep it running for a long, long time. It's also a great car for budding do-it-yourselfers, because of how easy it is to find and install high-performance aftermarket goodies.

The same goes for high-performance audio equipment. If you're thinking about building a serious system, the Civic is a great place to start. In fact, bumping up the sound can be even simpler and more rewarding than bolting on the go-fast parts.

honda civic radio

The Civic's factory radio is a pretty basic unit (Crutchfield Research Photo)

The factory stereo system

The standard stereo system in the Civic is an AM/FM radio with a CD or tape player with the option for a CD changer. Speakers are located in the front doors on all models and in the rear deck for coupes and sedans. Hatchbacks have speakers positioned on either side of the rear seat.

honda civic radio cavity

Here's a look inside the Civic's radio cavity (Crutchfield Research Photo)

Removing the factory radio

After you take out a few dash panels, getting the factory stereo out is a snap. The dash opening is large enough to accept any type of stereo, from budget-friendly units that improve on what came from the factory to top-of-the-line double-DIN decks that give you navigation, Bluetooth and a world of add-on options.

Detailed stereo and speaker removal instructions

MasterSheet image
With step-by-step disassembly instructions and plenty of up-close, detailed photos, our exclusive Crutchfield MasterSheet™ takes the guesswork out of removing the factory stereo and speakers. It's free with your Crutchfield order, or you can purchase one separately for just $9.99.

With such a wide variety of stereos available, choosing the right one might be harder than installing it. Our advice? Think about how you use your Civic every day and choose a receiver that does everything you need—and maybe a little more. That way, you'll avoid having to upgrade again in the near future.

Tools needed: Phillips screw driver, 8mm driver

Read our Car Stereo Buying Guide for shopping tips and advice.

Shop for car stereos that fit your Honda Civic

Removing the factory speakers

The Civic's speakers are easy to get to, easy to work with, and easy to upgrade.

honda civic front door speakers behind factory grilles

Upgrading the speakers is a great way to improve your sound (Crutchfield Research Photo)

Front speakers

The Civic's large stock front door speakers give you plenty of options, too. Most 6-1/2 inch speakers fit easily, and the common size means there are upgrades for any budget. The larger size also makes it possible to get solid low notes, and adding a set of component speakers will give you a full, rich sound up front, right where it should be.

The door panels are easy to remove to get to all the necessary connection points, making the task a great way to get comfortable with doing your own upgrades to your Civic’s stereo.

In the front doors, you'll see a plastic cup that sits behind the factory speaker. This cup restricts your choices for new speakers because you can't use a speaker that's much over 2" deep. It's easy to cut out the back of the plastic cup to provide enough depth for your new speakers, and that will really open up your choices. It's a good idea to use foam speaker baffles to protect your new speakers.

honda civic rear deck speakers

You'll need to do a bit of work to access the rear deck speakers, but it's not too difficult for the average DIY-er (Crutchfield Research Photo)

Rear speakers

Rear shelf speakers are a simple, bolt-in upgrade on Civic coupe and sedan models. The speaker openings are large, but you have to remove the rear seat to get to them. You can install 6"x9"s back there, or go with 6-1/2" or 5-1/4" speakers with the help of mounting brackets.

Again, you’re only limited by your budget, and swapping out these rear speakers will really fill out the sounds in your Civic. You'll have to remove the rear seats and rear deck material, along with several interior panels, to get to the factory speakers, but removal and installation is straightforward and yields big results. Crutchfield will give you a very nice discount on these brackets, and the wiring harnesses with your speaker order.

Tools needed: Phillips screwdriver, panel tool, 10mm, 12mm drivers

Read our Car Speakers Buying Guide for more information

Shop for speakers that fit your Honda Civic

Sound Ordnance powered subwoofer

A Sound Ordnance B8PTD powered subwoofer will boost your car's bass

Bass in your Honda Civic

Honda didn’t put much thump in the Civic, so adding a subwoofer will really wake up any style of music. The Civic has impressive trunk space for a compact car, so there is plenty of room to add the necessary amp to go along with a sub and enclosure. Or, you can choose a compact powered subwoofer.

Make sure you pick a deck with preamp outputs to make installation easier, and match your new subwoofer to an amp that has enough power to push it. You can also get big improvements by updating the rear 6"x9" speakers for added midrange to complement your subwoofer and fill in any gaps in your music.

Learn more about building a bass system in our Car Subwoofer Buying Guide.

Other options for your Civic

With a car like the Civic, the aftermarket upgrade opportunities are amazingly plentiful. Here are a few things we'd suggest.

SiriusXM Onyx EZR

Add a SiriusXM Onyx EZR to your system to enjoy a huge variety of programming

Step up to satellite radio

SiriusXM satellite radio wasn’t available in this Civic, but if you find yourself on the road a lot, you'll definitely want to add it. Most receivers have the ability to add and control satellite radio tuners, or you can pick up a dock-and-play unit that can be easily transferred between vehicles. Your favorite stations will be right there wherever you go, and you’ll love the variety of music, sports and news, as well as hearing music you probably wouldn’t ever hear on FM radio.

Add some amps

Honda didn't offer factory amps, but a quality amplifier is a must if you want the best possible sound. Just how much sound is up to you, but a good place to start is added power for your front speakers. If you’re adding a sub, you’ll also need a way to power it, so look at multichannel amps that can handle the subwoofer and your door speakers. There is plenty of room for the additional juice, with ample trunk space and room under the seats.

Learn more about adding amps to your system in our Car Amplifier Buying Guide.

Get navigation

With so many Civics being utilized as commuter cars, an in-dash navigation system can really come in handy. Double-DIN stereos fit nicely in the Civic’s dash and give you a high-end look and easy visibility when you’re tracking your progress on the road. If you’re Civic only pulls commuter duty and you have more than one car, take a look at our selection of portable GPS devices. They’re easy to move from car to car, packed with handy points of interest and come with trusted software and preloaded maps for your journey.

Improve your security

Installing a security system in your Civic isn't easy (security systems rarely are), but it's definitely a good idea. Our Crutchfield Advisors can help figure out what you need to get the job done, but we usually recommend taking your car and new gear to a professional installer.

Let's get started!

Ready to shop? Use our vehicle selector to find the gear that will fit your car or truck. If you have questions, give us a shout via phone, chat, or email

Please share your thoughts below.

  • Alec from Meridian

    Posted on 6/27/2023

    Alright so I have an si. It has the door tweeters, lower door speakers and the normal rear ones. Is there a package I can buy with all three?

    Commenter image

    Jon Paul from Crutchfield

    on 6/28/2023

    Eric, I've sent your question to our sales team, and they'll be contacting you via email soon. For immediate help, you can contact them via phone or chat.
  • Kyle Harler from Columbus

    Posted on 6/5/2021

    I'm looking into upgrading my 99 honda civic ex coupes stereo. I'm looking to put a touchscreen multimedia in it and was wondering before I purchase it do I need to buy the kit to make one for properly or should it fit properly without having to buy anything else. I'm also am looking into replacing the speakers but am not sure of everything I would need to buy to be able to install them and get them working

    Commenter image

    Jon Paul from Crutchfield

    on 6/7/2021

    Kyle, We can help with that! When you enter your vehicle's info into our Outfit My Car tool, you'll see which stereos (and speakers) fit your Civic, plus the correct harness and installation gear. If you have any questions, our advisors are available via phone or chat.
  • Phillip from Oregoncity

    Posted on 1/17/2020

    Switched my CD player in 2000 Honda Civic, no sound checked wires, and fuses. Deck has power, put in new speakers, time consuming. Please help with any ideas. Do Honda's of my year have factory amp that might be causing this? And thing might help at this point. Thanks.

    Commenter image

    Jon Paul from Crutchfield

    on 1/17/2020

    Phillip, Sorry to hear that. We'll probably need some more info to help you out, though. If you bought your gear from Crutchfield, you can call Tech Support for free help troubleshooting your system. If you purchased your equipment elsewhere, you can still get expert Crutchfield Tech Support - 90 days-worth for only $30. Check out our tech support page for details.
  • chuck from houston

    Posted on 9/27/2019

    i want to know if i can upgrade my civic's radio to have a stock cd player and tape deck simultaneously.. i don't want a new radio but i want both cd player and tape deck.

    Commenter image

    Jon Paul from Crutchfield

    on 9/30/2019

    Chuck, Brand-new CD/Cassette combos are hard to find these days, but you might find one online. If you do, give us a call and we'll see if we can help you with a harness and/or dash kit. We can definitely help you with speakers, which will improve your sound even if you decide to keep the stock radio.
  • Commenter image

    Jon Paulette from Crutchfield

    Posted on 6/12/2017

    Bob, That's a new one, frankly. We've seen no evidence of anything of the kind in our research, so don't worry about it. The Civic is actually a pretty straightforward car, and the MasterSheet will guide you through the installation process. If you have questions, just give us a call.

  • Bob B.

    Posted on 6/9/2017

    I have been told that my 1999 Honda Civic EX Coupe integrates the factory AM/FM/CD stereo with the remote door locks and that I would need to somehow keep the factory radio hidden but connected even if I want to install a replacement unit. Have you heard of this before and is there a solution or are there instructions in the Crutchfield MasterSheet that address this issue?

  • dave dickson from Canada

    Posted on 5/29/2015

    Great advice! great pictures and suggestions with trick of trade and knowledge. just picked up a 2000 civic for commuter car, but finding it a hobby in the upgrades from audio to tires/rims, Very cheap on parts also, summer of 2015 here I come with thumping tunes. am installing a Kenwood head unit with JL audio Subwoofer, JBL Speakers, Component, .5 farad x 3, AudioBaun amps, Spare battery and active crossovers, etc. Excited!

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