Problems · NHTSA complaints

1996 Honda Civic problems

Owners filed 314 complaints about the 1996 Honda Civic with NHTSA between Dec 1995 and Jun 2020. The most-cited component is air bags (72).

Complaints
314
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
68
Reported by owners
Fires
4
Reported by owners
Injuries
48
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags72
  2. Service brakes, hydraulic50
  3. Visibility34
  4. Vehicle speed control31
  5. Engine and engine cooling27
  6. Power train24
  7. Structure16
  8. Electrical system16
  9. Exterior lighting10
  10. Tires10
  11. Equipment9
  12. Parking brake9
  13. Seat belts7
  14. Suspension6

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 6, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19951
199650
199774
199832
199931
200030
200121
20028
200314
200414
20058
20066
20071
20081
20094
20103
20111
20122
20130
20146
20151
20161
20171
20180
20191
20203

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Air bags

72 reports38 crashes1 fire1 related recall
“I HAVE 2 RECALLS AND I NEED THE NOTIFICATION FOR THEM GONE ASAP SO I CAN SHIP MY CAR OVERSEAS. THE ISSUES STATED ABOUT THE "AIR BAG" AND "FLOOR MATS" HAVE YET TO CAUSE A CONCERN TO MY DRIVING AND OR HANDLING ABILITY. I DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO GO THROUGH THESE RECALLS AS I AM MILITARY AND NEED MY VEHICLE SHIPPED BUT THE RECALLS ARE WHATS KICKING ME BACK.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 12, 2020Air bags, Unknown or otherODI 11308881

Service brakes, hydraulic

50 reports21 crashes1 related recall
“ON APRIL 20, 2007, I WRECKED MY CIVIC ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SUDDENLY HIT THEIR BRAKES, AND WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKES WHICH DID NOT WORK PROPERLY CAUSING MY CAR FISHTAILED AND RUN INTO THE CEMENT FREEWAY DIVIDER. MY CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS, AND I HAD TO BUY ANOTHER CAR. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 29, 2009Service brakes, hydraulic, EquipmentCrash reportedODI 10272385

Visibility

34 reports2 crashes
“THE WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE CONTINUALLY COMES OFF THE TRACK. I HAVE HAD IT FIXED, BUT IT STILL COMES OFF AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET THE WINDOW BACK UP. I HAVE NO CHILDREN AND USUALLY RIDE ALONE TO WORK SO NO ONE 'PLAYS' WITH THE UP/DOWN BUTTON. THE WINDOW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WILL SOMETIMES NOT COME UP. I HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE MANUALLY PULL IT UP WHILE I PRESS THE BUTTON. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 2, 2014VisibilityODI 10586078

Vehicle speed control

31 reports8 crashes1 related recall
“ACCESSORY DRIVER-SIDE FLOOR MATS USED IN 1996-1998 HONDA CIVIC VEHICLES. DUE TO THE SHAPE OF THE FLOOR ON THESE VEHICLES, A MISPOSITIONED FLOOR MAT COULD INTERFERE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE CAR IS IN MOTION. K60”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 4, 2017Vehicle speed control, Unknown or otherODI 11052354

Engine and engine cooling

27 reports2 crashes2 fires
“WHEN THE VEHICLE REACHES THE OF 75 MPH THERE IS A BURNING SMELL THAT COMES FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE IS SERVICED ON A QUARTERLY BASIS. SERVICING INCLUDES AN OIL AND FLUID CHANGE AND A TRANSMISSION CHECK. *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 27, 2006Engine and engine coolingODI 10151347

Power train

24 reports5 crashes
“8/4/2014 DEAR AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR COMPANY, INC. I AM A PROUD HONDA OWNER, AND I CHOSE HONDA AS MY AUTO OF CHOICE FOR ITS COMPACT SIZE, ITS KNOWN RELIABILITY AS WELL AS GREAT GAS MILEAGE. I HAVE BEEN HOLDING ON YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE @ 1-800-999-1009 FOR QUITE A WHILE AND A FEW DAYS, AND I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO SPEAK TO A CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, SO I AM IN THIS LETTER CORRESPONDING MY CONCERNS TO YOU. I OWN A 1997 HONDA CIVIC LX WHICH I PURCHASE IN 6/12/2006 NEW. MY HONDA HAS JUST LEGITIMATELY CLOCKED 90 THOUSAND MILES AS OF 8/4/2014, SO I AM QUERIED I WOULD BE HAVING PROBLEMS. I WAS RECENTLY INFORMED BY A HONDA DEALER AS WELL AS I CHECKED AND READ ON LINE THAT HONDA ISSUED A RECALL ON THESE MODELS FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AS WELL AS THE PAINT CHIPPING OFF IN SEVERAL AREAS. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY KIND OF NOTIFICATION FROM HONDA NOR HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MY HONDA CHECKED FOR THESE PROBLEMS, ALTHOUGH I HAD MY HONDA SERVICED IN 3 MAJOR PENNSYLVANIA HONDA DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENTS ON A REGULAR BASIS. IT WAS NEVER REPORTED AS A MAJOR CONCERN TO ME, MY AUTO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND OFF AND THE CAR STUTTERS AND JERKS WHILE ACCELERATING…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 4, 2014Fuel system, gasoline, Power train, Structure, EngineODI 10618839
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 6, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.