Honda Civic Years to Avoid
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 8,005 NHTSA complaints, the Honda Civic years to avoid are 2008, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023 — the worst logged up to 8.3× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by steering failures. Updated July 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of July 2026 · How we rate model years
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 986 | 404 | 7 | AVOID |
| 2009 | 425 | 169 | 8 | CAUTION |
| 2010 | 412 | 175 | 8 | SOLID |
| 2011 | 171 | 70 | 9 | SOLID |
| 2012 | 472 | 245 | 3 | CAUTION |
| 2013 | 324 | 143 | 0 | BEST |
| 2014 | 295 | 176 | 2 | SOLID |
| 2015 | 390 | 258 | 1 | SOLID |
| 2016 | 1,062 | 670 | 5 | AVOID |
| 2017 | 578 | 306 | 6 | AVOID |
| 2018 | 605 | 458 | 6 | AVOID |
| 2019 | 425 | 313 | 4 | AVOID |
| 2020 | 223 | 118 | 5 | CAUTION |
| 2021 | 146 | 88 | 4 | CAUTION |
| 2022 | 953 | 843 | 4 | AVOID |
| 2023 | 320 | 285 | 4 | AVOID |
| 2024 | 131 | 88 | 3 | CAUTION |
| 2025 | 87 | 55 | 2 | SOLID |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Honda Civic. Full methodology.
Common Honda Civic problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Honda Civic are steering, fuel, engine. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Sticky steering wheel
· Honda Civic 2016–2022Corroborated by 43 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 1,624 steering complaints across 2016–2022, typically 23,000–150,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $3,990–$7,500.
Sticky steering wheel
· Honda Civic 2016–2022Corroborated by 43 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 1,624 steering complaints across 2016–2022, typically 23,000–150,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $3,990–$7,500.
Fuel pump failure prevents engine start
· Honda Civic 2018–2019Corroborated by 2 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 285 fuel complaints across 2018–2019.
Fuel pump failure prevents engine start
· Honda Civic 2018–2019Corroborated by 2 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 285 fuel complaints across 2018–2019.
Engine block crack with coolant leak
· Honda Civic 2008–2010Corroborated by 9 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 274 engine complaints across 2008–2010, typically 130,000–160,000 miles.
Engine block crack with coolant leak
· Honda Civic 2008–2010Corroborated by 9 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 274 engine complaints across 2008–2010, typically 130,000–160,000 miles.
Why these years stand out
2008 Honda Civic: 986 owner complaints on federal record, 404 of them severe, plus 7 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Civic.
2016 Honda Civic: 1,062 owner complaints on federal record, 670 of them severe, plus 5 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Civic.
2017 Honda Civic: 578 owner complaints on federal record, 306 of them severe, plus 6 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Civic.
2018 Honda Civic: 605 owner complaints on federal record, 458 of them severe, plus 6 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Civic.
2019 Honda Civic: 425 owner complaints on federal record, 313 of them severe, plus 4 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Civic.
2022 Honda Civic: 953 owner complaints on federal record, 843 of them severe, plus 4 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Civic.
2023 Honda Civic: 320 owner complaints on federal record, 285 of them severe, plus 4 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Civic.
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FAQ
What years of the Honda Civic should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the Honda Civic years to avoid are 2008, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by steering issues. See the year-by-year table for the full picture. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Honda Civic?
The 2013 Honda Civic shows the cleanest federal records among years with enough time on the road to judge — the lowest severity-weighted complaint rates for the model.
How is the Honda Civic verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Honda Civic's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Honda Civic before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Honda Civic reliable?
The Honda Civic's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 8,005 NHTSA owner complaints, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023 rate "avoid", while 2013 shows the cleanest federal records — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Honda Civic?
The most-reported problem area for the Honda Civic is steering, followed by fuel and engine. Confirmed failures include sticky steering wheel, sticky steering wheel, fuel pump failure prevents engine start. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Honda Civic across every model year on record. Retrieved July 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Honda Civic, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.