Honda Civic

Where it stands out against its peers

• Steering: more complaints than 97% of 2016 cars — 41% of its 1,074 complaints, where an ordinary 2016 car has 8%.
• Unknown or other: more complaints than 91% of 2016 cars — 24% of its 1,074 complaints, where an ordinary 2016 car has 15%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• STEERING — 402 owners reported this, 2 involving a crash
• ENGINE — 50 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• SERVICE BRAKES — 40 owners reported this, 5 involving a crash
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 36 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• STRUCTURE — 24 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• VISIBILITY/WIPER — 23 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

37% of 2022 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 11V288000

  FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

  DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL FEED LINE ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009.

• 12V256000

  IF THIS OCCURS, THE VEHICLE WILL HAVE A LOSS OF DRIVE POWER AND MAY ROLL AWAY IF THE PARKING BRAKE HAS NOT BEEN SET WHEN THE GEAR SELECTOR HAS BEEN PLACED IN THE “PARK” POSITION, INCREASING THE RISK OF CRASH OR PEDESTRIAN INJURY.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver's side driveshaft and install a new driveshaft as needed, free of charge. The safety recall began on June 21. 2012. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.

• 12V548000

  The steering column may not have proper energy absorbing characteristics, which could increase the risk of injury during a vehicle crash.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the steering column, as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on December 10, 2012. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.

• 14V109000

  The tire damage could cause the tire to lose air, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace any damaged tire, free of charge. The recall began on April 15, 2014. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009. Honda's number for this recall is JD8.

• 15V574000

  If the transmission drive pulley shaft is damaged, it may break, and the vehicle may lose acceleration or the front wheels may lock up while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the transmission, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin October 30, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JU2 (Civic) and JU3(Fit).

• 16V074000

  If a circlip is missing or incorrectly installed, the piston wrist pin may not be secure and may drift and damage the engine cylinder causing the engine to seize, and increasing the risk of a crash or a fire.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the piston assemblies and damaged engine components, as necessary, free of charge. Parts are expected to be available in the Summer of 2016. Owners were mailed an interim notification beginning March 31, 2016, and will be mailed a second notice when parts are available. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JX9.

• 16V526000

  If a side marker light does not function, vehicle visibility can be decreased to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect both the taillight assemblies, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 31, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KB8.

• 16V725000

  If the EPB is not applied, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle's software to allow the EPB to engage immediately after the ignition is turned off, free of charge. The recall began on November 8, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KC6.

13 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Momentary Increased Steering Effort

  Engineering analysis, opened November 2023, closed January 2025.

• Momentary Increased Steering Effort

  Preliminary evaluation, opened March 2023, closed November 2023.

• Pedestrian alert sounds

  Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.

• Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Engineering analysis, opened September 2021, still open.

• Electrical overstress

  Engineering analysis, opened April 2019, closed September 2024.

• Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Engineering analysis, opened February 2015, still open.

• Honda EWR Reporting

  Audit query, opened October 2014, closed April 2016.

• Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Preliminary evaluation, opened June 2014, closed March 2015.

• Low Beam Headlights Stop Illuminating

  Engineering analysis, opened September 2011, closed September 2012.

• Rupturing driver's air bag inflators

  Recall query, opened November 2009, closed May 2010.

• Ignition Shift Interlock

  Engineering analysis, opened January 2009, closed October 2010.

• Cng tank exploding in a fire

  Preliminary evaluation, opened June 2007, closed November 2007.

• Throttle cable sticking

  Investigation SQ, opened September 1998, closed June 1999.

• Condenser fan motor inoperative

  Investigation SQ, opened June 1998, closed November 1998.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Honda filed one bulletin about the 2027 Civic.

• Electrical system: 1

• Tech Line Summary - The vehicle's infotainment system displays previously viewed SMS messages upon each ignition cycle, when the customer's Android phone is connected via Bluetooth. · April 2026

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.