Problems · NHTSA complaints

2021 Honda Civic problems

Owners filed 162 complaints about the 2021 Honda Civic with NHTSA between Mar 2021 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is steering (68).

Complaints
162
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Steering68
  2. Forward collision avoidance33
  3. Electrical system21
  4. Service brakes17
  5. Air bags13
  6. Lane departure11
  7. Engine9
  8. Vehicle speed control6
  9. Fuel/propulsion system6
  10. Power train4
  11. Suspension3
  12. Seats3
  13. Tires2
  14. Exterior lighting2

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
20215
202219
202317
202440
202546
202635

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

68 reports1 crash
“When it is warm and humid, at highway speeds and slight turns, the steering sticks and the wheel does not recenter on its own. All driver assist features are off when this occurs. It takes additional force to unstick and causes overcorrection in the steering. Symptoms are consistent with the 11th gen civic recalls, yet mine is a 2021 and no recall yet. This is very scary and dangerous at highway speeds, a crash waiting to happen. Issues started before my 3 year/36k mile warranty ran out, and was taken to a Honda dealership which claimed they could not recreate the issue (drove around the block, checked for codes and checked suspension). No repairs were made by the dealership. This issue remains at current 5 years and 60k miles and seems to be getting worse (sticking harder). Issue more consistently noticeable in humid weather. No indicator lights.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 28, 2026SteeringODI 11767602

Forward collision avoidance

33 reports2 crashes1 fire
“while driving last week with my family, doing some grocery shopping, we got on the highway which is 75mph in our 2021 Honda Civic and it had a catastrophic failure on its ADAS system out of nowhere it stopped and made my car swerve off the road and applied the breaks like it detected a car in front of us, it took us from 75 to 0 pretty darn fast fortunately no one was behind us, after the event im not able to use any features that involve the camera which includes crucial features of the car including cruise control, i can't even see what any info that is supposed to be displayed on the dash, I took it to the dealership where they said that their ADAS system doing this's a common occurrence and that most likely the camera it self will need replacement, i truly believe this to be a very dangerous feature that should be looked into and if the camera is prone to getting messed up like they said they are there should be a recall on this equipment before there's a bad accident! also yes my vehicle is and can be inspected whenever it is needed and no we didn't have any problems whatsoever with the ADAS system before it just failed”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 5, 2026Forward collision avoidanceODI 11754955

Electrical system

21 reports1 crash
“On September 17, 2026 at approximately 8:00 a.m. I was driving my 2021 Honda civic Lx with my children in the vehicle when multiple warning lights and system malfunction messages suddenly appeared on the dash board. The vehicle appeared to experience an electrical malfunction/ reset while still driving and I suddenly lost normal power- steering assistance. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn and control while the vehicle was moving.I was able to call for assistance and when jumper cables were hooked on to battery underneath the vehicles hood the vehicle engine was able to restart, then was able to get the vehicle home without a collision or injury. The sudden loss of steering assistance created a serious safety risk to me, my children and others on the road. I photographed multiple warnings displayed on the dash panel, including Electric Parking break problem and collision mitigation system problem. This vehicle has a documented history of electrical/ mechanical concerns and prior repairs, including battery and alternator replacement. The exact cause of this most recent failure is currently UNKNOWN. American Honda motor co. has also opened a…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 20, 2026Steering, Electrical systemODI 11765597

Service brakes

17 reports2 crashes1 fire
“Cruise control does not disengage upon electronic parking brake being engaged while moving, causing the car to accelerate aggressively after the brake is released. While it does disengage after enough speed is lost, it should disengage immediately as it does when the brake pedal is tapped”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 20, 2026Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11745360

Air bags

13 reports2 crashes2 related recalls
“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 28, 2025Air bagsODI 11696081

Lane departure

11 reports
“The Steering Gearbox, Electronic Power Steering failed. The steering was resistant and sticks on the highway, causing jerking and overcorrection to control the vehicle. This was with both manual driving and Lane Assist. Took the vehicle to the local Honda dealership, they confirmed the problem, and replaced the steering gearbox, EPS, because it was still under warranty. However, this is the same exact part and this problem will occur again. The car did not display any warnings.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 14, 2026Steering, Lane departureODI 11731202
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.