Problems · by component

2012 Honda Civic air bags problems

151 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2012 Honda Civic cite air bags, 33% of all 462 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
151
33% of all complaints
Crashes
34
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
26
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the air bags

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“We were not injured. We fixed the problem before we did get hurt..message came up.. “Check airbag system”. We had t replace our driver’s side airbag at the cost of over $1,500.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 30, 2026Air bagsODI 11747440
“The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side seat weight sensor failed to operate properly. The contact stated that while the front passenger’s seat was occupied, the air bag enabled warning light was flashing off and on. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V332000 (Air Bags). The dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that the failure was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 26, 2026Air bagsODI 11746744
“I purchased a vehicle from a private seller on offer up. The seller stated the vehicle was clean title, he also stated the vehicle was low mileage with 112,000. When I got the vehicle the tire sensor was showing on the dash and the air bag sensor. After purchasing the vehicle I later found out the vehicle was salvage, and the mileage is also roughly 180,000 miles or more.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 23, 2026Air bags, Structure, Unknown or otherODI 11726572
“I have had this 2012 for a little over a year, within the past 6 months periodically the check air bag system warning lamp comes on if I make a sharp turn or move the steering wheel very fast. On the guage it says that the passenger side air bag is off..This issue just came out of no where, but generally the car runs great”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 16, 2025Air bagsODI 11687556
“I was 3 hrs away from home and I started my vehicle and the air bag light began flashing and beeping. The light was on the message board that indicates my speed, clock, fuel, etc. it basically is the information center for the car. I pushed the information button on the steering wheel to clear it but it kept blinking and flashing the entire way home. I also turned off the engine and restarted it but no luck with that either. It was a very distracting experience having to drive 3 hours like this. I made an appointment with my mechanic and he diagnosed it as the Occupant Passenger Detection Sensor. This will cost $800.00 to repair. The car is not drive able in this condition because of the safety of the air bag. I looked up recalls but it seems my car has none.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 26, 2024Air bagsODI 11622097
“The IMA inverter system keeps malfunctioning without any clear reasons, and the car is in drive mode, which makes the electric motor unresponsive. Additionally, the braking system also malfunctions, leading to a lack of control over the vehicle. I have tried to repair it multiple times, but to no avail. It keeps malfunctioning without any apparent reason.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 23, 2024Electrical system, Air bags, EngineODI 11595954

Showing 6 of 151 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 2, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

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