Honda Civic TYPE R Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data

The Body Control Module (BCM) is faulty and causes the alarm to go off on its own, lights inside the cluster glitch turning on by itself and drains the battery even with the key fob nowhere near its vicinity when off. Sometimes does not recognize the key fob.

Sticky steering wheel. It gets worse to steer above 50 to 60 miles an hour. Noise when it is turned. The steering has once locked when turned to an extreme angle.

The steering feels like it is sticking, having to correct it all the time to keep a lane.

The steering wheel is sticking in my 2017 Civic. This problem happens more frequently after I have been driving for a while and is more common at speeds above 40 mph. The steering wheel will feel "locked" in place and require force to turn the wheel. It feels sticky and heavy, and occurs especially often on the freeway, leading to dangerous situations where I have to jerk the wheel, either causing my car to deviate from my path, or not allowing me to respond to changing road conditions in time. The steering column is still original and has not been previously repaired. These symptoms sound surprisingly like NHTSA recall # 4V-744, though my vehicle falls outside of the model range. Potentially defective parts include the electric power steering rack, the gearbox worm wheel, or a clock spring. It has not been replicated at a dealer despite multiple inspections, but I finally got a video of it happening. It has been happening for about a year, but has been getting worse. I checked my tire inflation multiple times and it has not resolved the problem. No warning lamps, message, or other symptoms have been reported.

There is a recall for 2022-2025 Honda civics for gearbox repair/sticky steering issues and my year 2017 is NOT included. I’ve had this issue since I bought my car from Phillipsburg/Easton Honda on October 3, 2023. I thought it was unique to this car until I looked it up online and noticed that several car owners have the same issue. I feel that N HTSA need to look into it and add 2017 Honda Civic to this recall. A mechanic told me it could cost upwards over $2300 to make this repair. How is a normal person supposed to afford such an expensive repair. I purchased a Honda for the first time in my life wanting an affordable good car and it’s been nothing but a headache since I purchased it. I am worried that because I drive the everyday on the highway, I will get into an accident one day because if the steering sticking issue… PLEASE HELP

I brought my 2017 Honda Civic to an authorized dealership in Phoenix, AZ in June 2025 for A/C issues. Honda has issued an extended warranty on A/C compressors and condensers due to known defects, and my compressor was found to be leaking and covered under that warranty. However, the dealership refused to perform the warranty repair unless I agreed to pay $2,311 out of pocket to replace the evaporator, citing signs of dye in the evaporator case. I declined, and the compressor repair was denied. When I picked up the vehicle, the A/C system was worse than before. Before the inspection, the driver side blew 90°F air and the passenger side blew 68°F. After the inspection, both sides blow extremely hot air and there is a loud hissing noise coming from the dash. I now cannot operate the vehicle safely in 110°F+ Arizona heat. This is not just an inconvenience — it’s a potential safety hazard, particularly in a state like Arizona where cabin temperatures can become dangerous. Honda’s refusal to honor the warranty and deterioration of system function following the inspection suggest bad faith and put driver and passenger health at risk. I am filing this report to document the issue and to add to any investigation into this widespread A/C defect on 2016–2018 Honda Civics.

The steering wheel of the vehicle often feels like it gets stuck around the 12 o’clock position frequently. Extra force is needed to correct steering. Then you have to correct the correction. The symptoms occur more often than not. This condition was discovered shortly after purchasing the used car. Honda dealer said steering rack would need replaced. The vehicle does not display any codes or service warnings. Since there are no recalls on this VIN#, I assume this will NEVER cause an accident to the occupants or others on the road.

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that the steering wheel felt like it was sticking. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

I have owned my 2017 Honda Civic LX since it was new and have maintained the car consistently since purchasing it; the car is lightly driven and while over seven years old, only has 28,000 miles on it. In recent months, I had experienced some odd occurrences on the highway of my steering wheel seeming to stick when driving at highway speeds especially noticeable after driving the car for at least 10-15 minutes; there were no warning lights or other alerts on the car of a problem. I took my car to be evaluated at a Honda dealership service center in early May, as it was difficult to control the car within highway lanes, very dangerous especially in windy conditions. In that diagnostic appointment, a certified Honda mechanic verified the suspected cause of a sticky steering wheel - a failing steering rack. The mechanic could not explain why that part would fail, especially in a car with such low miles, as they said the problem was internal and could not be visualized. This is a known issue, and not just for the Civics and some other models from 2022-2025 for which there was a recall issued, but for the same generation Civics that mine is; there are many reports of 2016-2018 Civics having this issue around the 20-30,000 mile mark. After that diagnosis and being unwilling to pay out of pocket for an issue related to an internal component of an original Honda part, I reached out to Honda customer service. After spending a couple weeks communicating with Honda Customer Service and proving all the maintenance and diagnostics on the vehicle, they are unwilling to acknowledge this as an issue and have dismissed my case. I am asking that Honda be held accountable for this faulty part and stand by their brand and consumer safety, as this issue has led to crashes in Honda's with this defect.

The steering is sticky, especially when driving on the highway in a straight line. It feels as though the steering wheel is locked and you have to apply extra pressure to free it. This can cause the car to jerk and oversteer. It feels very unsafe.

My paint has been coming off for a while now and now I have serious rust issues. I have gone in for inspection at the local Honda dealership and they recommended for me to contact Honda of America. I contacted them and they said that there was nothing that they could do. I shouldn't have to fork out money for a bad paint job. My car is rusting. Please help me.

Drivers Side Air Conditioning does not work, blows warm air instead of cold.

The air conditioning system failed—specifically, the A/C evaporator developed a leak and stopped functioning. This is part of the same system that previously experienced failures in the compressor and condenser, both of which were replaced under warranty. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Loss of air conditioning, especially in hot weather, presents a heat-related safety risk, including reduced driver alertness and potential heat exhaustion—particularly for long drives or when transporting vulnerable passengers (e.g. children, elderly). Additionally, a non-functioning defogger (which relies on the A/C system) can impair visibility in humid or rainy conditions, increasing the risk of an accident.

I'm filing this complaint regarding my 2017 Honda Civic Touring (VIN: [XXX] , ~75,000 miles). The AC condenser failed, which Honda covered under an extended warranty (TSB 19-091). However, the AC compressor also failed, and Honda denied coverage, even for goodwill. I believe the compressor failure is a direct result of the leaking condenser with a possible compressor seal leak. Refrigerant loss causes the compressor to overwork and lose lubrication, leading to premature failure. The car mechanic had noted how low our refrigerant fluid was. A compressor should last well beyond 73,000 miles, typically 100,000-150,000+. This early failure, linked to a known condenser defect, points to a systemic manufacturing flaw. Furthermore, the dealership's "blue light" test for leaks might have been inadequate. Honda's TSB 23-012 specifically requires a "calibrated sniffer" for compressor shaft seal leaks, a more rigorous diagnostic that may have been overlooked. This means a compressor seal leak, caused by the condenser issue, could have been missed. Widespread AC component failures (condensers and compressors) in 10th-gen Civics are well-documented, leading to class-action lawsuits. This is not an isolated incident but a pervasive defect. A sudden AC failure affects driver comfort and can be a safety concern, especially in extreme heat, by potentially causing distraction. I urge NHTSA to investigate this systemic issue and compel Honda to cover the compressor replacement, acknowledging the direct link and apparent manufacturing defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)