Honda Civic Equipment Problems
Owners have filed 183 complaints with NHTSA about equipment problems on the Honda Civic across 22 model years. The 2006 model year has the most (31). The words owners use most often: “air conditioner” (23% of reports).
- 183equipment complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 10mention a crash
- 8mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- $1,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 43%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 conditioner: mentioned in 43 of 183 complaints (23%)
- Road debris: mentioned in 10 of 183 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical equipment repair on the Honda Civic at $1,050, and half of them between $920 and $1,300.
Based on 21 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (1999–2022), 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 equipment problems happen?
Based on 76 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 183 complaints, 10 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 8 an injury.
Honda Civic equipment complaints by model year
| Model year | Equipment complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Civic | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2019 Civic | 3 | 1% | — |
| 2018 Civic | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2017 Civic | 1 | 0% | 4,900 |
| 2016 Civic | 15 | 1% | 35,956 |
| 2012 Civic | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2010 Civic | 4 | 1% | 9,557 |
| 2009 Civic | 6 | 2% | 34,000 |
| 2008 Civic | 15 | 2% | 13,500 |
| 2007 Civic | 17 | 1% | 14,458 |
| 2006 Civic | 31 | 2% | 18,000 |
| 2005 Civic | 6 | 2% | 65,218 |
| 2004 Civic | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2003 Civic | 10 | 2% | 30,000 |
| 2002 Civic | 7 | 1% | 8,374 |
| 2001 Civic | 13 | 1% | 102,208 |
| 2000 Civic | 6 | 2% | 35,806 |
| 1999 Civic | 5 | 1% | 68,157 |
| 1998 Civic | 10 | 2% | — |
| 1997 Civic | 5 | 1% | 49,350 |
| 1996 Civic | 10 | 3% | 22,000 |
| 1995 Civic | 14 | 7% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Equipment:other:owners/service/other manual
Model years: 2017, 2018
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Honda Civic Hatchback and Civic Type R vehicles. The owners guide in these vehicles may not have been included or if included, the owner's guide may not have been properly provided required information. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
Risk: If the information is missing or improper, it can increase the risk of injury or a crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the owners information kit, free of charge. The recall began January 9, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O3A.
Equipment:other:labels
Model years: 2018
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018 Honda Civic vehicles. The manufacturing date area of the certification labels may have random characters which can affect the owner's ability to determine if a safety recall includes their vehicle.
Risk: If the owner is not able to verify if their vehicle is involved in safety recall, it can increase the risk of injury or crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the certification label, free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is U23.
Equipment:other:owners/service/other manual
Model years: 2006
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles and motorcycles, the owner's manuals contain incorrect contact information for the national highway traffic safety administration's (nhtsa) vehicle safety hotline.
Risk: The language in the owner's manuals is not in accordance with the current mandatory requirements.
Fix: Honda will send a postcard to dealers and owners with the correct nhtsa vehicle safety hotline information and with instructions to insert the card into the "reporting safety defects" section of the owner's manual. The recall began on august 2, 2006. Owners may contact honda at 1-800-999-1009, acura at 1-800-382-2238 or honda motorcycles at 1-866-784-1870.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I am writing to file a complaint regarding the air conditioning system failure in my 2020 Honda Civic Sport. The air conditioner in my vehicle began blowing hot air instead of cold air starting in January 2024. I took the vehicle to a mechanic for inspection, I was informed that the evaporator has…
See attached document for complaint
Purchased the vehicle on 3/5/2022 with less than 10k miles on it. Within the first 2 months of driving the vehicle, the infotainment screen would freeze while driving and reset. One of these occurrences happened while driving on the highway at which time when the screen froze, turned a different…
The air conditioning system has failed. Safety is at risk due to elevated temperatures. Thousands of people have complained about these issues. HSB 19-091 does not go far enough, Honda needs to recall the entire a/c system and repair these manufacturer defects.
The BT will lag & skip while listening to music. Also, the home screen will malfunction & return to the default screen & beep constantly (during driving operations).
Frequently asked questions
Do all Honda Civics have equipment problems?
No. NHTSA has 183 owner complaints about equipment for the Honda Civic. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Honda Civic equipment?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list equipment. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix equipment problems on the Honda Civic?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,050 (half paid between $920 and $1,300), from 21 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about equipment problems on the Honda Civic?
The most frequent phrase is “air conditioner”, in 43 of 183 complaints, followed by “road debris” (10).
Other Honda Civic problems
- Air Bags problems (2,757)
- Steering problems (2,548)
- Power Train problems (1,732)
- Electrical System problems (1,426)
- Engine problems (1,107)
- Suspension problems (854)
- Visibility problems (792)
- Structure problems (778)
See all Honda Civic problems.