Problems · NHTSA complaints

2019 Honda Civic problems

Owners filed 460 complaints about the 2019 Honda Civic with NHTSA between Jan 2019 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is steering (115).

Complaints
460
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
27
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
20
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Steering115
  2. Fuel/propulsion system75
  3. Fuel system, gasoline71
  4. Electrical system38
  5. Engine36
  6. Forward collision avoidance34
  7. Service brakes32
  8. Lane departure15
  9. Power train15
  10. Structure13
  11. Air bags12
  12. Wheels12
  13. Vehicle speed control11
  14. Visibility/wiper8

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
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
201930
202029
202132
202224
202351
2024154
202569
202671

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

Steering

115 reports3 crashes
“It was diagnosed by my mechanic as needing a new rack and pinion but my situation matches other safety reports made from what I've been reading about. The steering is very notchy, and jerky; especially, when I am steering to the left the wheel pulls and sticks. I have to jerk the wheel back a little bit to get it to go back to the 12:00 position. When I am driving on the highway I have to make little adjustments in order to keep the car where it's supposed to be, and although nothing has happened, thankfully, in terms of an accident, there have been a couple of moments where I really had to jerk the wheel in order to get it to stay in the lane and it was a really dangerous situation. The car has also been making horrible creaking noises that are similar to the other ones I have read about. No warning lights came on or have come on at all.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 21, 2026SteeringODI 11772833

Fuel/propulsion system

75 reports1 crash
“The car stalls when driving in low speeds such as 5-6 mph. The happens at random points and the only clear indication that it will happen is when the car has a sudden jump. The car will run normally but once turned off and turned on after some time and driving it, it stalls completely. No warning light comes on and no codes have been successfully found. I have taken the car to the Honda mechanic about 5 times and in neither of those times have replaced parts fixed the issue. The car is a safety hazard for me and my family.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 26, 2026Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11773773

Fuel system, gasoline

71 reports3 related recalls
“The contact owns a 2019 Honda Civic SI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start on the initial startup intermittently. The contact stated that the fuel pump made a grinding sound while locking the door. The check engine warning light was illuminated for a moment. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000. Parts distribution disconnect.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 9, 2025Fuel system, gasoline, Electrical system, EngineODI 11653591

Electrical system

38 reports3 crashes
“The vehicle's smart entry door handle system was continuously drawing power even when the vehicle was off. This resulted in repeated battery drain and battery replacement (approximately 4 times). The ongoing electrical load also resulted in alternator failure. Once the issue was diagnosed (performed by the dealer), expense was required to resolve the parts. The issue caused repeated no-start conditions and reliability/safety concerns. This took a year to resolve and appears to be a common concern based off online posts. I am submitting this complaint now for documentation and potential reimbursement/recall creation as it is likely that others have had this same issue.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 2, 2026Electrical systemODI 11741455

Engine

36 reports1 fire
“Vehicle: 2019 Honda Civic (1.5L turbo), VIN [XXX] Mileage at failure: ~167,000 Component: Engine — head gasket Description: My 2019 Honda Civic with the 1.5L turbocharged engine suffered a blown head gasket, diagnosed by my Honda dealer. The car was purchased brand new from the same dealership. Symptoms were coolant loss with no visible external leak — coolant was leaking internally into the cylinders, causing misfires. This is a known defect with the 1.5L turbo engine affecting 2016–2021 Civics. Honda issued a warranty extension for this exact failure (10 years / 150,000 miles), which acknowledges the defect, but my vehicle was just over the mileage limit at 167,000 miles. The dealer denied any goodwill assistance. A federal class action lawsuit (XXX v. American Honda Motor Co., Case XXX) has been filed over this same engine defect. Safety concern: Coolant leaking into the cylinders causes engine misfires and can lead to sudden loss of power while driving. An engine misfire or stall at highway speed creates a clear crash risk. This is not normal wear — it is a documented design defect that Honda has attempted to correct with revised parts in later model years.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 24, 2026EngineODI 11766742

Forward collision avoidance

34 reports4 crashes
“While pulling into a parking lot at approximately 10–15 mph around sunset, the vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly engaged the brakes without any input from me. The abrupt braking caused all of my personal belongings inside the vehicle to be thrown forward. After pausing briefly to assess the situation, I cautiously applied light pressure to the accelerator. The vehicle responded, allowing me to slowly proceed and safely pull into a nearby parking space.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 2, 2026Forward collision avoidanceODI 11754242
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.