1997 Honda Civic Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 140 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 1997 Honda Civic, 38% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 89,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (29% of reports).
- 140air bags complaints
- 89,500median miles at failure
- 48mention a crash
- 35mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- $900typical repair cost reported by owners
- 22%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air bag: mentioned in 40 of 140 complaints (29%)
- Airbags deployed: mentioned in 11 of 140 complaints (8%)
- Upon impact: mentioned in 10 of 140 complaints (7%)
- SRS unit: mentioned in 9 of 140 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical air bags repair on the 1997 Honda Civic at $900, and half of them between $690 and $1,200.
Based on 15 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2001–2009), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 46 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 140 complaints, 48 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 35 an injury.
Honda Civic air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Civic | 2 | 6% | — |
| 2025 Civic | 3 | 4% | — |
| 2024 Civic | 2 | 2% | 21,541 |
| 2023 Civic | 8 | 3% | 3,750 |
| 2022 Civic | 9 | 1% | 46,500 |
| 2021 Civic | 9 | 6% | 78,000 |
| 2020 Civic | 29 | 13% | 21,650 |
| 2019 Civic | 12 | 3% | 10,000 |
| 2018 Civic | 23 | 3% | 16,000 |
| 2017 Civic | 24 | 4% | 4,000 |
| 2016 Civic | 28 | 3% | 30,628 |
| 2015 Civic | 58 | 15% | 43,069 |
| 2014 Civic | 57 | 19% | 65,500 |
| 2013 Civic | 114 | 36% | 60,000 |
| 2012 Civic | 149 | 33% | 41,000 |
| 2011 Civic | 51 | 30% | 64,000 |
| 2010 Civic | 96 | 24% | 72,000 |
| 2009 Civic | 95 | 24% | 75,000 |
| 2008 Civic | 177 | 19% | 81,656 |
| 2007 Civic | 156 | 13% | 80,175 |
| 2006 Civic | 180 | 13% | 80,000 |
| 2005 Civic | 129 | 41% | 87,000 |
| 2004 Civic | 133 | 38% | 92,122 |
| 2003 Civic | 140 | 28% | 107,106 |
| 2002 Civic | 241 | 34% | 76,750 |
| 2001 Civic | 310 | 29% | 80,000 |
| 2000 Civic | 82 | 29% | 79,715 |
| 1999 Civic | 58 | 17% | 89,500 |
| 1998 Civic | 96 | 22% | 140,000 |
| 1997 Civic | 140 | 38% | 89,500 |
| 1996 Civic | 70 | 23% | 92,000 |
| 1995 Civic | 76 | 38% | 175,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are 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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Honda Civics have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 140 owner complaints about air bags for the 1997 Honda Civic (38% of the 373 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Honda Civic air bags?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 89,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix air bags problems on the 1997 Honda Civic?
Owners report a typical cost of $900 (half paid between $690 and $1,200), from 15 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 1997 Honda Civic?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 40 of 140 complaints, followed by “airbags deployed” (11).
See all 1997 Honda Civic problems or air bags problems across all Civic years.