Honda Civic Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used Honda Civic options? We analyzed 10 model years (2017–2026) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
HONDA CIVIC (2017-2026) has 3,693 NHTSA complaints, with steering issues accounting for 1,901 reports. Recalls total 38. Buyers should inspect steering and verify recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints and recall records.
- Make
- Honda
- Model
- Civic
- Model years analyzed
- 2017–2026 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 3,693
- Safety recall campaigns
- 38
- Crash-related complaints
- 203
- Fire-related complaints
- 19
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2022 (877 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2025 (88 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- STEERING
- Reliability signal
- Below Average
By model year
Honda Civic: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
NCAP crash test ratings for this model are not yet loaded or this vehicle was not tested in the years analyzed. NHTSA tests a subset of new vehicles each year. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings directly for the latest results.
What the complaint data suggests
Below AverageBased on NHTSA complaint data, the 2017-2026 Honda Civic shows a high volume of steering-related complaints, totaling 1,901, which is over half of all reports. Electrical system (324) and forward collision avoidance (253) issues are also notable. Recalls number 38 across the range. Source: NHTSA owner complaints and recall records.
- Steering accounts for 1,901 complaints, the highest of any component.
- 2022 has the most complaints at 877, while 2026 has only 23.
- Forward collision avoidance has 253 complaints, indicating potential ADAS issues.
- Steering system failure or malfunction
- Electrical system problems
- Forward collision avoidance system issues
2022 (877 complaints) and 2018 (598) are the worst, driven largely by steering and electrical system problems.
Years with fewer complaints include 2026 (23) and 2025 (88), but limited data may underrepresent issues. 2021 (134) also shows relatively low complaints.
- Inspect steering system for any reported issues
- Verify all open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for steering, electrical, and ADAS components
- Have a mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Jul 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
38 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
STEERING
STEERING
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
SEATS:CRITICAL FASTENERS
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 3,693 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
3,693 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the vehicle, and the steering wheel was sticking. The contact stated that the steering wheel was continuously turned while attempting to prevent it from sticking. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was a persistent failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a power steering rack assembly failure. The contact was informed that the power steering rack assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
Spontaneous rear window shattering while parked. Problem not confirmed or reproduced Insurance claim filed for repair No warning lamps, messages or symptoms of impending problem.
Cruise control does not disengage upon electronic parking brake being engaged while moving, causing the car to accelerate aggressively after the brake is released. While it does disengage after enough speed is lost, it should disengage immediately as it does when the brake pedal is tapped
A/C System completely failed. During a diagnostic they found three components with refrigerant leaks. 1) Compressor Shaft Seal 2) A/C Condenser 3) Evaporator Core A certified Honda Service center completed the diagnostic. The issue first appeared in late 2025. During the winter I rarely use Air Conditioning but now in Spring/Summer it does not cool at all. Honda knows there is an issue with the Air Conditioning system on this generation of Honda Civic, they cover the Compressor shaft seal but not the other components, on an extended warranty. My main issue is that Honda covers replacement of the A/C Condenser for 2016-2020 Honda Civics, the last year of the generation is 2021 and it is not on the Extended Warranty bulletin. 2021 cars should be covered, it is the same exact generation. Not only that, the Evaporator core and any other Air Conditioning component should be cover as well. This is not normal wear and tear, my vehicle only has 40,000 miles.
High pressure fuel pump issue diagnosed by mechanic. The models prior to mine up to and some 2021 vehicles were included in the recall but my VIN is not considered within the recall. My vehicle is a very early 2021 bought in 202 that likely has the same fuel filter as 2020sz
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 catches near center, requiring constant small corrections to maintain a straight path. The steering does not feel smooth or normal and creates difficulty maintaining lane position comfortably. I have also noticed similar catching/resistance during sharper turns at moderate speeds. To attempt to resolve the issue, I have: * Replaced a flat tire * Had two separate wheel alignments performed *opened case with Honda directly Neither repair corrected the issue. The symptoms appear similar to “sticky steering” complaints and steering investigations reported on newer Honda Civic models. Because this issue affects steering control and highway driving, I believe it may present a potential safety concern. The problem occurs intermittently but repeatedly during normal driving conditions and is most noticeable at higher speeds.
Read 14 more owner reports
Steering rack binds and requires extra effort to return to center. Specifically for me, when proceeding on a long curve that requires me to turn my steering wheel left more than like 40 degrees the steering will "stick" in place and won't automatically return to center when releasing the wheel requiring me manually start returning the wheel to center before it will auto center. It happens after having driven for about 20 or more minutes. It happens at smaller degrees when driving at highway speeds trying to keep the car centered in the lane. (Adjusting the wheel to the left more then 5 degrees will cause the steering wheel to stick left requiring manually effort to return to center.) I informed my dealership (Metro Honda of Jersey City) of the steering feeling sticky but they couldn't replicate it at the time.
At speeds between 40 and 70 my 2021 Honda Civic EX Hatchback steering feels sticky when making small adjustments. There is a slight resistant in steering when a slight correction is needed. Once that resistant is overcome, the steering wheel jerks in the direction of the correction potentially causing an over correction. This is a safety problem and can cause an accident. I am not seeing any warning lights or warning noises.
The steering wheel gets stuck in lock position making the steering wheel feel sticky. Issue happens at highway speeds of around 40-60mph causing to overcorrect while driving.
The clutch began slipping while driving vehicle. Lost power and could not accelerate while on highway.
While driving the car began to smoke from under hood and engine stopped. Interior and under hood flooded with smoke and fire under hood. This was a major fire, fire company put it out. No repairs were made or needed on car since purchase October 2024.
The Steering Gearbox, Electronic Power Steering failed. The steering was resistant and sticks on the highway, causing jerking and overcorrection to control the vehicle. This was with both manual driving and Lane Assist. Took the vehicle to the local Honda dealership, they confirmed the problem, and replaced the steering gearbox, EPS, because it was still under warranty. However, this is the same exact part and this problem will occur again. The car did not display any warnings.
There’s a sticky notch in my steering that becomes noticeable at highway speeds. I see later models (2022-) already have been recalled by the exact issue is happening on my relatively new 2021 Civic
I went to my dealership for the recall on November seventh of 2025 and the service crew notified me that my car did not have the lug nuts Honda was worried about.
My steering wheel becomes "sticky" when I am accelerating 40mph and up. It is hard to make minor corrections without potentially over correcting due to the stickiness.
Steering wheel seems to "stick" when positioned in the center and "unsticking" it requires extra effort causing the wheel to jerk free and making you overcorrect for what would be a minor lane adjustment. It causes you to zig zag back and forth in your lane as you try to correct each time the steering wheel stick. It has happened to me multiple times on multi hour drives on the highway and persists until the end of the drive. The vehicle has not been inspected yet by any professionals and the first signs of the sticking issue appeared several weeks ago beginning this winter.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Lane Keep Steering Assist failed to function as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the steering wheel was sticking. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to two dealers, and the vehicle was diagnosed with steering rack assembly failure. The contact was informed that the steering rack assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 36,200.
Vehicle is experiencing sticky steering. Same as discovered in recall report 24V-744. A ton of 10th generation owners are experiencing the same exact problems. You have over 1,200 reports on record for the 10th generation years. Please do something about this, it would be easy to add additional years into the report and get Honda to fix these cars before more people get hurt.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving approximately 37 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine, master cylinder, and adaptive cruise control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake master cylinder, fuel pump, and ignition coils needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
My car has sticky steering when making turns and has a difficult time making micro adjustments. This appears to be the same issue that there is a recall for but my VIN is not recalled. This is a huge safety issue as the steering is more difficult to control on the highways, turning on and off ramps, driving straight, etc. I find myself having to pull the wheel back to center to straighten it out after a turn and when making adjustments on the highway, the wheel jerks back and forth. Honda has refused to fix the issue since I am 9k miles out of warranty. The dealer diagnosed my issue as an internal failure of Honda's part and wants to charge me $5400 to replace their faulty steering rack. They refuse to cover this because I am out of warranty even though this is a safety issue and is the result of their faulty part.
Showing 20 of 3,693 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact Honda Civic
These pages show model-year patterns across 10 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used Honda Civic, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Honda Civic has 3,693 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Honda Civic has 38 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 203 of the Honda Civic's 3,693 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Below Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Honda Civic vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Honda Civic vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Honda Civic has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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Honda Civic reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the Honda Civic reliable?
Below Average. The Honda Civic has 3,693 NHTSA owner complaints and 38 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is STEERING. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which Honda Civic years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2022 (877 complaints), 2018 (598 complaints), 2023 (577 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common Honda Civic problems?
Top reported issues: STEERING (1,901 complaints); UNKNOWN OR OTHER (490 complaints); ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (324 complaints).
Does the Honda Civic have recalls?
Yes — 38 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the Honda Civic. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.