Head-to-head reliability
Honda Civic vs Honda Passport
How the Honda Civic and Honda Passport compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
Honda Civic vs Honda Passport: The Civic has 3744 complaints over 10 years, with steering issues dominating, while the Passport has 888 complaints, focusing on electrical and braking glitches. The Passport averages 88.8 complaints per year versus 374.4 for the Civic. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Honda Civic or Honda Passport more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Honda Civic
The Honda Civic, a compact sedan, shows a high complaint volume concentrated in steering, with owners describing electric power steering motors failing and steering racks needing replacement, often at highway speeds. Electrical issues also surface, including battery drain and infotainment glitches, while forward collision avoidance systems can trigger phantom braking. These patterns suggest a car that may be less dependable in its electronic and steering components than expected.
Honda Passport
The Honda Passport, a midsize SUV, has fewer complaints per year but a notable share in electrical and forward collision avoidance systems. Owners report the auto idle stop feature causing sluggish restarts or even shifting into neutral, and the collision mitigation system engaging randomly, leading to phantom braking. Engine-related complaints often tie back to the same idle stop issue, indicating a focus on drivetrain and driver-assist quirks.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Honda Civic | Honda Passport |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 3,744 | 888 Better |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 38 Better | 43 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 206 | 43 Better |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 374.4 | 88.8 Better |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 143 | 29 Better |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 1 | 0 Better |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
Honda Civic
- 01STEERING1,922
- 02UNKNOWN OR OTHER507
- 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM333
- 04FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE257
- 05FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM215
Owners report electric power steering motor failures and steering racks that need replacement, with symptoms like a sticking or stiff wheel at highway speeds, which can be alarming and affect control.
Battery drain is common, with some owners replacing batteries multiple times, alongside issues like faulty PCV valves and spark plugs that may be linked to electrical or charging problems.
The system can suddenly apply brakes with no obstacle present, causing the car to stop or swerve, which is dangerous, especially at highway speeds.
Air conditioning failures due to refrigerant leaks in the compressor, condenser, and evaporator are reported, along with infotainment system malfunctions that cause restarts and overheating when using navigation.
“The component that has failed is my electric power steering motor. Yes, it is available for inspection upon request. While driving, the steering wheel should turn in a fluid motion, without requiring much force to turn the wheel. When i turn my wheel, it some…”
“Vehicle: 2021 Honda Civic Mileage: Approximately 58,000 miles Over the past couple of months, I have experienced a steering issue that appears to be worsening. While driving at highway speeds, the steering wheel intermittently feels as though it “sticks” or c…”
Honda Passport
- 01ELECTRICAL SYSTEM180
- 02FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE174
- 03ENGINE128
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER124
- 05SERVICE BRAKES97
The Auto Idle Stop system often fails to restart the engine smoothly, with sluggish starts or the transmission shifting into neutral, leaving the driver unable to accelerate.
Collision Mitigation Braking engages randomly, causing phantom braking and warning lights, which can be startling and potentially lead to rear-end collisions.
Engine hesitation and stalling are tied to the auto stop/start feature, which struggles to restart, making the vehicle feel unreliable at stops.
Some owners report severe windshield dimming at night, impairing visibility, which is a safety concern for nighttime driving.
“For several months before the failure, the Auto Idle Stop (engine stop-start) system became progressively slower to restart the engine after stopping. Each restart sounded sluggish, as though the starter was dragging, and the vehicle would remain stopped for…”
““Idle-Stop” feature stays on per factory installation. However when car is stopped and brake is released to proceed with acceleration, the feature automatically throws the transmission into “Neutral” and will not go forward, allow shifting of gears or shuttin…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
Honda Civic — 38 recalls
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, w…
The risk: Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall ar…
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura R…
The risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls ar…
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV,…
The risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansi…
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022…
The risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH,…
Honda Passport — 43 recalls
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Pilot, and 2019-2023 Passport vehicles. Due to a faulty Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) communication coaxial cable connector, the rearview camera image may not appear on the display. As such, these vehicles…
The risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the MOST cable harness and install a straightening cover over the vehicle cable connector, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-21…
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, w…
The risk: Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall ar…
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023 Passport and Ridgeline vehicles. The inner ball joint housing in the steering gearbox assembly may loosen and detach from the steering rack and result in a loss of steering control.
The risk: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the steering gearbox as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is LHY.
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Passport and 2023-2025 Pilot vehicles. The fuel filler neck tube and fuel filler pipe may separate, allowing fuel to leak.
The risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the fuel filler neck tube and pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this r…
Buyer analysis
Honda Civic or Honda Passport: which should you buy?
The Honda Passport has fewer complaints per year (88.8 vs 374.4), indicating a lower rate of reported issues. However, the Civic's problems are more concentrated in steering, which is critical for control, while the Passport's issues are more about driver-assist and idle-stop annoyances. In practice, the Passport may offer a more trouble-free ownership experience, but both have notable electronic gremlins.
Key differences
- The Civic has a much higher complaint volume, especially for steering failures, while the Passport's complaints are fewer and center on idle-stop and braking system glitches.
- Civic owners report dangerous steering stickiness and rack failures, whereas Passport owners face phantom braking and transmission neutral issues from the idle-stop feature.
- The Passport has more recalls (43 vs 38) but fewer crash-related complaints (43 vs 206), suggesting different safety profiles.
- Electrical issues in the Civic often involve battery drain and sensor failures, while the Passport's electrical problems are tied to the auto stop/start system.
- Test the steering at various speeds for any sticking or stiffness, and listen for unusual noises from the power steering motor.
- Check the battery and charging system, as multiple battery replacements are common, and inspect the A/C system for leaks.
- Test the auto idle-stop feature repeatedly to ensure the engine restarts smoothly and the transmission engages properly.
- Drive in an area with no obstacles to see if the collision mitigation system triggers phantom braking.
Before you buy
- For the Civic, have a mechanic inspect the electric power steering motor and rack for any signs of wear or failure.
- For the Passport, verify the auto idle-stop system functions correctly and does not cause hesitation or neutral shifts.
- Check for open recalls on both vehicles and ensure they have been addressed.
- Review the vehicle's service history for any repeated repairs related to the top complaint areas.
- Take both on a test drive that includes highway speeds and stop-and-go traffic to feel for any steering or braking anomalies.
Year by year
Which model years to avoid
Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.
| Year | Honda Civic | Honda Passport |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 27 | 55 |
| 2025 | 89 | 35 |
| 2024 | 266 | 16 |
| 2023 | 582 | 37 |
| 2022 | 881 | 58 |
| 2021 | 142 | 139 |
| 2020 | 222 | 93 |
| 2019 | 348 | 274 |
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Honda Civic or Honda Passport in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Honda Civic vs Honda Passport
- Honda Civic total complaints
- 3,744
- Honda Passport total complaints
- 888
- Honda Civic total recalls
- 38
- Honda Passport total recalls
- 43
- Honda Civic avg complaints/year
- 374.4
- Honda Passport avg complaints/year
- 88.8
- More reliable overall
- Honda Passport
- Honda Civic top complaint area
- STEERING
- Honda Passport top complaint area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM