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Honda Civic Problems

The Honda Civic is one of the best-selling cars in American history, with a reputation for reliability that spans five decades. However, 39,394 complaints and a concerning 388 reported deaths reveal that some generations have serious issues. The Civic's long production run means quality varies significantly by era.

39,394
Total Complaints
131
Total Recalls
47
Model Years
388
Reported Deaths
!

Years to Avoid

These years have significantly more complaints than average.

2022 2016 2008
✓

Best Years

These years have the fewest reported problems.

1979 1981 1982

Common Problem Categories

Air Bags 5,786
Steering 4,656
Power Train 3,576
Electrical System 3,054
Unknown Or Other 2,540

Complaints by Model Year

All Model Years

Year ↓ Complaints Recalls Crashes Fires Rating
2026 18 0 6 0 Good
2025 112 2 12 2 Good
2024 308 3 32 2 Good
2023 626 4 62 0 Average
2022 2,230 3 124 6 Avoid
2021 350 3 18 6 Good
2020 544 4 42 6 Average
2019 960 3 68 2 Average
2018 1,582 5 82 8 Below Average
2017 1,422 5 62 26 Below Average
2016 2,570 4 104 14 Avoid
2015 948 1 116 8 Average
2014 748 2 94 18 Average
2013 848 0 76 2 Average
2012 1,222 3 182 16 Average
2011 440 9 66 16 Average
2010 970 8 96 16 Average
2009 994 7 126 22 Average
2008 2,154 6 178 16 Avoid
2007 2,930 6 128 18 Avoid
2006 3,418 6 216 42 Avoid
2005 792 8 182 24 Average
2004 848 8 118 20 Average
2003 1,238 10 254 12 Average
2002 1,752 8 288 28 Below Average
2001 2,712 7 412 40 Avoid
2000 700 2 182 20 Average
1999 808 1 150 14 Average
1998 1,004 1 184 6 Average
1997 904 1 156 4 Average
1996 766 1 192 10 Average
1995 504 0 206 6 Average
1994 342 0 158 0 Good
1993 356 0 96 8 Good
1992 226 0 58 8 Good
1991 286 0 26 18 Good
1990 220 0 44 6 Good
1989 176 0 34 6 Good
1988 102 0 8 2 Good
1987 82 0 12 0 Good
1986 108 0 6 4 Good
1985 34 0 10 2 Good
1984 14 0 0 0 Good
1983 20 0 0 0 Good
1982 2 0 2 0 Good
1981 2 0 0 2 Good
1979 2 0 2 0 Good

Honda Civic Years to Avoid

The 2006 Civic is the worst model year, with cracked engine blocks in the 1.8L engine causing coolant leaks and catastrophic failures. The 2007-2009 Civics continued engine block issues, with Honda eventually extending the warranty to 10 years. The 2016 Civic introduced turbo engine reliability concerns and infotainment glitches with the first-year redesign. The 2001-2003 Civics had transmission failures, particularly in automatic models, that Honda later settled in a class-action lawsuit. Avoid the 2012 Civic, which was so poorly received that Honda did an unprecedented mid-cycle refresh.

Best Honda Civic Years

The 1981-1991 Civics established Honda's bulletproof reputation and many are still running with 300,000+ miles. The 1996-2000 sixth-generation Civics offer an excellent balance of simplicity, reliability, and efficiency. The 2012-2015 Civics (post-refresh) and 2019-2021 tenth-generation models represent reliable, refined choices.

Frequently Asked Questions