Honda Civic Service Brakes Problems
Owners have filed 554 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes problems on the Honda Civic across 28 model years. The 2016 model year has the most (92). The words owners use most often: “parking brake” (8% of reports).
- 554service brakes complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 97mention a crash
- 34mention an injury
- 4related recalls
- $330typical repair cost reported by owners
- 32%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.
- Parking brake: mentioned in 46 of 554 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical service brakes repair on the Honda Civic at $330, and half of them between $290 and $1,550.
Based on 12 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2012–2024), 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 service brakes problems happen?
Based on 339 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 554 complaints, 97 mention a crash, 4 a fire, 34 an injury.
Honda Civic service brakes complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Civic | 5 | 16% | — |
| 2025 Civic | 7 | 9% | — |
| 2024 Civic | 7 | 6% | 3,500 |
| 2023 Civic | 14 | 5% | 8,150 |
| 2022 Civic | 23 | 3% | 27,000 |
| 2021 Civic | 17 | 12% | — |
| 2020 Civic | 13 | 6% | 11,000 |
| 2019 Civic | 31 | 7% | 11,800 |
| 2018 Civic | 18 | 2% | 7,500 |
| 2017 Civic | 37 | 6% | 19,495 |
| 2016 Civic | 92 | 9% | 22,928 |
| 2015 Civic | 14 | 4% | 7,000 |
| 2014 Civic | 18 | 6% | 24,000 |
| 2013 Civic | 37 | 12% | 16,532 |
| 2012 Civic | 35 | 8% | 19,494 |
| 2011 Civic | 26 | 15% | 19,500 |
| 2010 Civic | 65 | 16% | 24,022 |
| 2009 Civic | 21 | 5% | 33,878 |
| 2008 Civic | 16 | 2% | 51,450 |
| 2007 Civic | 14 | 1% | 92,000 |
| 2006 Civic | 16 | 1% | 89,320 |
| 2005 Civic | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2004 Civic | 2 | 1% | 97,730 |
| 2003 Civic | 12 | 2% | 126,738 |
| 2002 Civic | 4 | 1% | 90,000 |
| 2001 Civic | 5 | 0% | 102,500 |
| 2000 Civic | 1 | 0% | — |
| 1998 Civic | 2 | 0% | 157,508 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (4)
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder
Model years: 2020, 2021
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
Risk: Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module
Model years: 2023
Problem: Honda (America Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023 Civic, Acura RDX, Acura Integra, and 2022 Honda Accord vehicles. A ball valve in the vehicle stability assist (VSA) modulator may leak brake fluid, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the brake hold feature is engaged or an unexpected increase in brake pedal travel.
Risk: Unintended vehicle movement or an unexpected increase in brake pedal travel can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the VSA modulator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are OEJ, XEK, AEY, XEX and OEW.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:wheel speed sensor/tone ring
Model years: 2006, 2007
Problem: On certain vehicles, the wheel speed sensor housing uses an o-ring seal to prevent leakage to or from the wheel bearing. If assembled improperly, the o-ring may not seal properly allowing water to enter the wheel bearing and eventually cause damage to the bearing, especially in areas where use of road salt is prevalent. If the driver continues to drive with this condition it is possible for the wheel bearing to become loose, which could cause the bearing to fail.
Risk: This could cause a wheel to fall off of the vehicle, possibly resulting in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear abs sensors and wheel bearings for damaged parts and replace them free of charge. The recall began on september 25, 2007. Owners may contact honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Model years: 1996
Problem: A soapy lubricant was used to insert the check valve into the vacuum hose which causes the brake booster check valve to stick.
Risk: This condition can cause a loss of the brake's power assist resulting in a reduction in braking performance increasing the potential for a vehicle accident.
Fix: Dealers will clean the check valve by washing the vacuum hose with hot water.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
2 Issues. 1) Only a few weeks after purchase there were defective stabilizer link bushings. They removed them and gave the car back to me while they waited for the part to come in. This part did not come in for several months maybe even a year so I was driving with defective suspension that entire…
I was sitting in my car with it turned off. About 1.5 minutes after it being off the electric parking brake engaged, which is not normal and I wasnât parked on a hill. I turned on my car after hearing the E-brake engage. The dash board showed âElectric Parking Brake Problemâ & the E-Brake…
I was driving with the cruise set at 74mph as a lead car on a highway, overcast day. No vehicles, animals, trees or plastic bags had flown in front of me when the car slammed on the brakes causing the car following me to also slam and switch lanes to avoid rear ending me! Today is the third time I…
The car failed to turn on and the brake pedal froze in a locked position. The warning lights flashed on the dash indicating a system failure of the brakes. This is a known safety issue with this vehicle but not acknowledged by the manufacturer.
This car brakes at least once a week while using adaptive cruise control despite zero carsz people or anything at all being in front of me. It's extremely common and dangerous. Look on Honda forums on Facebook or I suspect anywhere else and you'll see. I had a 2023 Honda HRV and never had such…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Honda Civics have service brakes problems?
No. NHTSA has 554 owner complaints about service brakes 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 service brakes?
Yes: 4 safety recalls list service brakes. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix service brakes problems on the Honda Civic?
Owners report a typical cost of $330 (half paid between $290 and $1,550), from 12 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about service brakes problems on the Honda Civic?
The most frequent phrase is “parking brake”, in 46 of 554 complaints.
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.