1998 Honda Civic Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Civic years
- About as many complaints as other years 13th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 435 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Honda Civic. That ranks 13th out of 32 Civic model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (96 complaints, 22%), typically at around 140,000 miles. Complaints mention 81 crashes, 3 fires, 55 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 435owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 81complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 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 | 96 | 22% | 140,000 | “air bags deploy” (25%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 88 | 20% | 128,000 | “ignition switch” (47%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 53 | 12% | 84,470 | “exhaust manifold” (38%) | $1,400 |
| Power Train | 49 | 11% | 63,600 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 29 | 7% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 26 | 6% | 201,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 23 | 5% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 18 | 4% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 16 | 4% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 10 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 10 | 2% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 2% | 109,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 9 | 2% | 5,818 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 2% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 2% | 93,321 | — | — |
| Seats | 6 | 1% | 32,523 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 1% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 1% | 160,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 0% | 153,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 0% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 0% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 0% | 157,508 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | 162,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Honda Civic recalls (4)
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.
Fuel system, other:storage:tank assembly
Problem: On certain compressed natural gas (cng) vehicles, in the event of a severe interior fire in the area of the rear seat, the cng tank may be heated unevenly, preventing the pressure relief device from venting the contents of the tank as designed.
Risk: This could result in a tank rupture, explosion, and ejection of the tank from the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will install a heat insulator material to the rear seat back. An interim owner letter was mailed to owners beginning november 26, 2007. When parts are available, owners will be renotified asking them to bring in their vehicle for repair. Owners may contact honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Electrical system:ignition:switch
Problem: On certain sedans, coupes, hatchbacks, and sport utility vehicles, electrical contacts in the ignition switch can degrade due to the high electrical current passing through the switch when the vehicle is started.
Risk: Worn contacts could cause the engine to stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the ignition switch. Owner notification began june 14, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact honda at 1-800-999-1009 or acura at 1-800-382-2238.
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.
1998 honda civic. Consumer writes in regard to 20v-026. The consumer stated he is still awaiting parts for the recall.
The contactâs daughter owns a 1998 Honda Civic equipped with Continental tires, Tire Line: General Altimax RT43, Tire Size: 185/65/R14, DOT Number: [redacted]. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driverâs side front tire had a blowout. The contact…
For recall on a 1998 honda civic dx replace air bag ,fuel tankers, ignition switch,floor mat.
Tl* the contact owned a 1998 honda civic coupe. The contact stated while driving at 55 mph, when she crashed into a truck. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained a fractured collarbone, left knee and right shoulder was bruised. The contact did seek medical attention for her collarbone…
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 1998 honda civic. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v026000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall…
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 | 435 | 4 |
| 1997 Civic | 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 1998 Honda Civic?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 96 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Honda Civic?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 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 1998 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.