1997 Honda Civic Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Civic years
- About as many complaints as other years 17th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 373 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Honda Civic. That ranks 17th out of 32 Civic model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (140 complaints, 38%), typically at around 89,500 miles. Complaints mention 67 crashes, 2 fires, 51 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 373owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 67complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Honda Civic problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 140 | 38% | 89,500 | “air bag” (29%) | $900 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 38 | 10% | 38,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 33 | 9% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 30 | 8% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 27 | 7% | 141,324 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 25 | 7% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 25 | 7% | 50,700 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 22 | 6% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 18 | 5% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 15 | 4% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 13 | 3% | 46,535 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 2% | 23,750 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 1% | 49,350 | — | — |
| Steering | 5 | 1% | 1,003 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 4 | 1% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 1% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 1% | 88,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 62,502 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Honda Civic recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 1998 Acura 2.2CL, 1998-1999 Acura 2.3CL, 1998-1999 Acura 3.0CL, 2001 Acura 3.2CL and Acura MDX, 1998-2000 Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Sedan, Odyssey and Acura 3.5RL, 1999-2000 Acura 3.2TL, 1996-2000 Civic Coupe, 1997-2000 CR-V, 1997-1998 EV Plus, and 1998-1999 Isuzu Oasis vehicles. These vehicles were equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) and do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, causing the inflators to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag cushion may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver frontal air bag inflator, and replace it if necessary, with an inflator of a different design, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020. Owners may contact American Honda's Customer Support & Campaign Center at 1-888-234-2138 or Isuzu customer service at 1-800-255-6727.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The front passenger air bag modules have been improperly assembled. The cloth flaps covering the folded air bag may have been tucked in too far.
Risk: This condition could prevent proper deployment of the air bag. In a crash, an improper air bag deployment could increase the risk of injury to a front seat passenger.
Fix: Dealers will repair the front passenger's air bag module to prevent this problem from occurring.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Condenser fan motor inoperative (SQ98012) — opened Jun 30, 1998, closed Nov 2, 1998.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 1997 Honda Civic. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V026000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact then received a notice that the parts were available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it…
Good day: on 17 march 2020, honda advised me that my 1997 civic is included in nhtsa recall 20v-026, which affects the driver frontal airbag module. In the recall notice, honda said the repair parts are unavailable, and promised to notify me when the defective components become available. More than…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 honda civic. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v026000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. Honda of greeley (4535 w. 29th st, greeley, co 80634) was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 honda civic. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v026000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. Gardena honda located at 15541 s western ave, gardena, ca 90249 was notified of the issue. The contact stated that the…
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V026000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR…
Other Honda Civic years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Civic | 31 | 0 |
| 2025 Civic | 75 | 2 |
| 2024 Civic | 124 | 3 |
| 2023 Civic | 256 | 4 |
| 2022 Civic | 883 | 4 |
| 2021 Civic | 145 | 4 |
| 2020 Civic | 228 | 5 |
| 2019 Civic | 436 | 4 |
| 2018 Civic | 745 | 6 |
| 2017 Civic | 600 | 6 |
| 2016 Civic | 1,081 | 5 |
| 2015 Civic | 380 | 1 |
| 2014 Civic | 293 | 2 |
| 2013 Civic | 319 | 0 |
| 2012 Civic | 456 | 3 |
| 2011 Civic | 169 | 9 |
| 2010 Civic | 397 | 8 |
| 2009 Civic | 395 | 8 |
| 2008 Civic | 916 | 7 |
| 2007 Civic | 1,204 | 9 |
| 2006 Civic | 1,403 | 13 |
| 2005 Civic | 315 | 10 |
| 2004 Civic | 350 | 10 |
| 2003 Civic | 499 | 11 |
| 2002 Civic | 702 | 11 |
| 2001 Civic | 1,079 | 14 |
| 2000 Civic | 287 | 6 |
| 1999 Civic | 338 | 3 |
| 1998 Civic | 435 | 4 |
| 1997 | 373 | 2 |
| 1996 Civic | 305 | 2 |
| 1995 Civic | 199 | 0 |
See all Honda Civic problems by year, every Honda model, or the Honda VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Honda Civic?
Owners most often report air bags, vehicle speed control, visibility problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 140 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Honda Civic?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Honda Civic a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Civic model years, the 1997 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.