Problems · NHTSA complaints

1999 Honda Civic problems

Owners filed 348 complaints about the 1999 Honda Civic with NHTSA between Jan 1998 and Dec 2023. The most-cited component is electrical system (120).

Complaints
348
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
62
Reported by owners
Fires
5
Reported by owners
Injuries
55
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system120
  2. Air bags59
  3. Power train39
  4. Engine and engine cooling29
  5. Tires17
  6. Structure16
  7. Service brakes, hydraulic16
  8. Engine14
  9. Vehicle speed control13
  10. Visibility12
  11. Seat belts9
  12. Suspension8
  13. Equipment6
  14. Latches/locks/linkages4

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
19981
199935
200025
200128
200243
200329
200423
200524
200610
20078
20087
20096
201017
201114
20129
20137
20148
201512
201612
20175
20184
20195
20208
20213
20221
20234

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

Electrical system

120 reports3 crashes3 fires1 related recall
“The contact owns a 1999 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle lost electrical power inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring. Additionally, the contact stated that the instrument panel lights were no longer illuminated while starting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the ignition switch was corroded at the contact point. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and several other unknown dealers were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 2, 2023Electrical systemODI 11536022

Air bags

59 reports44 crashes1 related recall
“You listed this VIN as having an airbag recall repair pending. I setup an appointment at the dealer. They went through the motions of doing the replacement and gave me paperwork indicating they had serviced the recall, but I believe you had lied to me and they are lying to me about the recall. This VIN does not correspond to an airbag recall according to multiple other sources. I recently inspected the passenger airbag it definitely not new. That is what clued me to begin checking further. I don't believe they replaced the driver airbag either. In the mean time I had to take buses to and from the dealership, after work, at night, in the rain, in the middle of this Omicron Covid spike. You an the dealer endangered my health and I want to know why and who is responsible.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 27, 2021Air bagsODI 11445149

Power train

39 reports2 crashes
“WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY DOING 60MPH, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SO I PULLED INTO A LOCAL PARTS STORE HAD THEM LOOK UP WHAT HAD MADE MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON AND THE CODE THAT SHOWED UP WAS P0740 (TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION). NOW MY CAR IS HAVING HARD TIMES SHIFTING UP AND DOWN IN ALL SPEED RANGES. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS BUT NO ACTION TAKEN. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 24, 2013Power trainODI 10499855

Engine and engine cooling

29 reports
“MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE NEXT MONTH DURING AN OIL CHANGE I HAD MY MECHANIC LOOK AT IT. THEY RAN DIAGNOSTICS AND INSPECTED MY EXHAUST AND INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN THIS MODEL THAT CAUSES THE OXYGEN SENSOR TO BE TRIGGERED. SINCE THE OXYGEN SENSOR IS PART OF THE SAME ASSEMBLY AS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, THE COMPONENT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON SIMILAR HONDA VEHICLES OF SIMILAR YEARS AND THAT I SHOULD CONTACT HONDA TO GET IT FIXED. AFTER MANY CALLS WITH HONDA, THEY REFUSED STATING THAT MY YEAR AND MODEL WAS EXCLUDED, DESPITE HAVING IDENTICAL ISSUES. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 14, 2011Engine and engine coolingODI 10395881

Tires

17 reports2 crashes1 fire
“THIS LETTER IS IN REFERENCE TO A SET OF 4 COOPER GLS TOURING TIRES PURCHASED FROM NTB, CLOVER, SC. TIRE INFORMATION (COOPER GLS TOURING, 185/65R 14 86T, U96L1DR0917, 1 EACH AND U96L1DR1116, 3 EACH) WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF PURCHASING THE TIRES, THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE DEVELOPED A SLOW LEAK TAKING SEVERAL DAYS TO DEFLATE. ON 12/16/2018, I WAS IN HAMPTON, VA WHEN THE TIRE DEVELOPED A MORE SERIOUS LEAK AND DEFLATED WITHIN A FEW HOURS. I WAS UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE CLOVER, SC LOCATION ON THIS TIRE AND TOOK IT TO THE HAMPTON, VA LOCATION WHERE THE TIRE WAS PATCHED. HOWEVER, WITHIN A FEW WEEKS THE SLOW LEAK RETURNED WHICH PROGRESSED INTO A FASTER LEAK OVER TIME. I RETURNED THE TIRE TO THE CLOVER, SC LOCATION WHERE THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME THE TIRE BALANCING WEIGHT HAD BROKEN THE BEAD AND THAT WAS THE LOCATION OF THE LEAK. AT THIS TIME IT SEEMED THAT THE TIRE PROBLEMS HAD BEEN SUCCESSFULLY ADDRESSED. HOWEVER, ON 6/16/2019 THIS TIRE SUFFERED A SUDDEN CATASTROPHIC DEFLATION WHILE PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT OF WALMART IN OSAGE BEACH, MO. I REMOVED THE TIRE AND WALKED INSIDE THE TIRE CENTER OF WALMART WHERE IT WAS REPLACED. NOTE THAT THE TIRE WAS EXAMINED AND NO EXTERNAL…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 14, 2019TiresODI 11231745

Structure

16 reports1 fire
“3 out of 4 doors have stopped opening from the outside. The locks still work properly and have no effect on the outside door handles. The doors still open just fine from the inside, except for the driver door. The driver door will not open at all, which is a major safety issue and should have been recalled, especially since the door handles are well known issue for Hondas. Although the car does have minor damages to the body, the door handles have not been affected at all by them. This seems to be an issue that lies inside the door panel itself.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 13, 2023StructureODI 11559983
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.