Problems · NHTSA complaints
2017 Honda Civic problems
Owners filed 608 complaints about the 2017 Honda Civic with NHTSA between Nov 2016 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is steering (175).
Complaints
608
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
23
Reported by owners
Fires
6
Reported by owners
Injuries
13
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Steering175
- Electrical system103
- Engine66
- Service brakes38
- Structure37
- Fuel/propulsion system33
- Power train29
- Air bags24
- Visibility/wiper23
- Visibility14
- Vehicle speed control13
- Electronic stability control (esc)11
- Forward collision avoidance10
- Wheels9
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 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
1
28
54
53
68
49
41
83
91
70
70
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 28 |
| 2018 | 54 |
| 2019 | 53 |
| 2020 | 68 |
| 2021 | 49 |
| 2022 | 41 |
| 2023 | 83 |
| 2024 | 91 |
| 2025 | 70 |
| 2026 | 70 |
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
Steering
175 reports3 crashes1 related recall
“After driving for 20 minutes or more and especially on hotter days my steering sticks. It is very noticeable when going in a straight line. It feels as if it gets stuck in a notch and I have to give it extra pressure to move the car which results in overcorrecting.”
Electrical system
103 reports5 fires
“I was sitting in my car with it turned off. About 1.5 minutes after it being off the electric parking brake engaged, which is not normal and I wasn’t parked on a hill. I turned on my car after hearing the E-brake engage. The dash board showed “Electric Parking Brake Problem” & the E-Brake dashboard display was flashing as well(I have a video but video is not an option for uploading). The alert magically disappeared as well.”
Engine
66 reports1 crash3 fires
“The contact owns a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and exiting the freeway, while approaching a traffic light, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The vehicle was driven 50 MPH to a parking lot. Prior to the failure, the HVAC, emission, brakes, assist, and power steering warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was unknown.”
Service brakes
38 reports9 crashes1 fire
“The car failed to turn on and the brake pedal froze in a locked position. The warning lights flashed on the dash indicating a system failure of the brakes. This is a known safety issue with this vehicle but not acknowledged by the manufacturer.”
Structure
37 reports4 crashes1 fire
“My 2017 Honda Civic just had a known BCM issue and many with the same models year from 2016-2018 experience the same failures. Honda should have a recall because it's where the car unknowingly drains the battery and the engine sits in idle/accessory mode that is damaging to other parts that the customer have to expense for.”
Fuel/propulsion system
33 reports1 fire
“While driving the car on April 19, 2026, the car started losing engine power, was unable to maintain current speed of roadway, had to drive less than 15 miles an hour to a safe location. Had the car towed to the dealership they said there was a faulty code throwing for cylinder three had the fuel injectors replaced. Pick the car up drove not even 2 miles and car was still having the same issue turned around went back to the dealership. They said the car wasn’t throwing any codes picked the car up. It drove fine for less than a week and had to repeat of the same situation, had the car towed again to the dealership all to find out there is a crack in the head gasket, unsure if the turbo was affected after researching apparently this is a very common problem for this make, and model of car.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.