Honda Civic Reliability by Year
19,909 NHTSA complaints (1981–2026). Complaint rate: 93.8 per 1,000 vehicles.
Honda Civic reliability varies significantly by model year. Based on 19,909 NHTSA complaints (1981–2026), the most problematic years are 2006, 2007, 2001, 2016, 2022, 2008, with high complaint volumes linked to steering defects. Better choices include 2021, 2011, 2020, which show significantly fewer reported problems.
Why these years are worse
The most common issues driving the complaint spikes:
- steering defects — 2,301 complaints (5.3% involved a crash)
- airbag malfunctions — 2,155 complaints (27.3% involved a crash)
- unknown or other — 1,293 complaints (5.2% involved a crash)
- electrical faults — 1,087 complaints (3.9% involved a crash)
- engine problems — 1,083 complaints (2.4% involved a crash)
Honda Civic Generations
Manufacturer redesigns the car every few years (a “generation”). Each generation has different engineering and common issues. Click a generation to see year-by-year breakdown.
| Generation | Years | Complaints | Crashes | Volume | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 1 | 1973–1979 | 0 | 0 | Show years | |||
| Gen 2 | 1980–1983 | 10 | 0 | Show years | |||
| Gen 3 | 1984–1987 | 119 | 14 | Show years | |||
| Gen 4 | 1988–1991 | 392 | 56 | Show years | |||
| Gen 5 | 1992–1995 | 714 | 259 | Show years | |||
| Gen 6 | 1996–2000 | 2,092 | 432 | Show years | |||
| Gen 7 | 2001–2005 | 3,672 | 627 | Show years | |||
| Gen 8 | 2006–2011 | 5,459 | 405 | Hide years | |||
| 2006 | 1,709 | 108 | View 2006View→ | ||||
| 2007 | 1,465 | 64 | View 2007View→ | ||||
| 2008 | 1,078 | 89 | View 2008View→ | ||||
| 2009 | 497 | 63 | View 2009View→ | ||||
| 2010 | 489 | 48 | View 2010View→ | ||||
| 2011 | 221 | 33 | View 2011View→ | ||||
| Gen 9 | 2012–2015 | 1,906 | 237 | Show years | |||
| Gen 10 | 2016–2021 | 3,813 | 190 | Show years | |||
| Gen 11 | 2022–present | 1,730 | 126 | Show years |
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 2006–2008 Honda Civic (261 crash-related complaints). The 2021 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: STEERING.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
Too New
Need 3+ years on the road for reliable complaint data.
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Honda Civic Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| STEERING | 2,301 | 5.3% |
| AIR BAGS | 2,155 | 27.3% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1,293 | 5.2% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1,087 | 3.9% |
| ENGINE | 1,083 | 2.4% |
| POWER TRAIN | 859 | 3.5% |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 680 | 3.1% |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 557 | 84.9% |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 542 | 13.7% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 540 | 17.8% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983GOOD | Gen 2 | 10 | 0 | — | View → |
| 1984GOOD | Gen 3 | 7 | 0 | — | View → |
| 1985GOOD | Gen 3 | 17 | 5 | 1 | View → |
| 1986GOOD | Gen 3 | 54 | 3 | 2 | View → |
| 1987GOOD | Gen 3 | 41 | 6 | — | View → |
| 1988GOOD | Gen 4 | 51 | 4 | 1 | View → |
| 1989GOOD | Gen 4 | 88 | 17 | 3 | View → |
| 1990GOOD | Gen 4 | 110 | 22 | 3 | View → |
| 1991GOOD | Gen 4 | 143 | 13 | 9 | View → |
| 1992GOOD | Gen 5 | 113 | 29 | 4 | View → |
| 1993GOOD | Gen 5 | 178 | 48 | 4 | View → |
| 1994GOOD | Gen 5 | 171 | 79 | — | View → |
| 1995 | Gen 5 | 252 | 103 | 3 | View → |
| 1996 | Gen 6 | 383 | 96 | 5 | View → |
| 1997 | Gen 6 | 452 | 78 | 2 | View → |
| 1998 | Gen 6 | 502 | 92 | 3 | View → |
| 1999 | Gen 6 | 404 | 75 | 7 | View → |
| 2000 | Gen 6 | 351 | 91 | 10 | View → |
| 2001AVOID | Gen 7 | 1,357 | 206 | 20 | View → |
| 2002AVOID | Gen 7 | 876 | 144 | 14 | View → |
| 2003AVOID | Gen 7 | 619 | 127 | 6 | View → |
| 2004 | Gen 7 | 424 | 59 | 10 | View → |
| 2005 | Gen 7 | 396 | 91 | 12 | View → |
| 2006AVOID | Gen 8 | 1,709 | 108 | 21 | View → |
| 2007AVOID | Gen 8 | 1,465 | 64 | 9 | View → |
| 2008AVOID | Gen 8 | 1,078 | 89 | 8 | View → |
| 2009 | Gen 8 | 497 | 63 | 11 | View → |
| 2010 | Gen 8 | 489 | 48 | 8 | View → |
| 2011GOOD | Gen 8 | 221 | 33 | 8 | View → |
| 2012AVOID | Gen 9 | 618 | 91 | 8 | View → |
| 2013 | Gen 9 | 430 | 41 | 1 | View → |
| 2014 | Gen 9 | 377 | 47 | 9 | View → |
| 2015 | Gen 9 | 481 | 58 | 4 | View → |
| 2016AVOID | Gen 10 | 1,308 | 53 | 7 | View → |
| 2017AVOID | Gen 10 | 735 | 31 | 13 | View → |
| 2018AVOID | Gen 10 | 813 | 41 | 4 | View → |
| 2019 | Gen 10 | 494 | 34 | 1 | View → |
| 2020 | Gen 10 | 281 | 22 | 3 | View → |
| 2021GOOD | Gen 10 | 182 | 9 | 3 | View → |
| 2022AVOID | Gen 11 | 1,140 | 66 | 6 | View → |
| 2023 | Gen 11 | 321 | 32 | — | View → |
| 2024TOO NEW | Gen 11 | 161 | 17 | 1 | View → |
| 2025TOO NEW | Gen 11 | 88 | 8 | 1 | View → |
| 2026TOO NEW | Gen 11 | 20 | 3 | — | View → |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
Tap any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
See also: Honda Civicaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
Buying a Honda Civic?
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