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
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Air bags72
- Service brakes, hydraulic50
- Visibility34
- Vehicle speed control31
- Engine and engine cooling27
- Power train24
- Structure16
- Electrical system16
- Exterior lighting10
- Tires10
- Equipment9
- Parking brake9
- Seat belts7
- 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
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
1
50
74
32
31
30
21
8
14
14
8
6
1
1
4
3
1
2
0
6
1
1
1
0
1
3
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 1 |
| 1996 | 50 |
| 1997 | 74 |
| 1998 | 32 |
| 1999 | 31 |
| 2000 | 30 |
| 2001 | 21 |
| 2002 | 8 |
| 2003 | 14 |
| 2004 | 14 |
| 2005 | 8 |
| 2006 | 6 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 4 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 6 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 3 |
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.
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.”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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…”
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.