2012 Honda Civic: Reliability Data

618
Total Complaints
28,523mi
Median Mileage
Air Bags
Top Issue
91
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

10,000 25th Percentile
28,523 Median Mileage
69,100 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Air Bags
146
Steering
73
Electrical System
55
Power Train
46
Vehicle Speed Control
37
Service Brakes
34
Engine
32
Unknown Or Other
31
Body
31
Fuel/Propulsion System
17

Severity Assessment

91
Crashes
8
Fires
62
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"HONDA CIVIC HYBRID 2012 BOUGHT JUST AFTER SIX DAYS FAILED AFTER DOING A LEFT TURN. ALL WARNING LIGHTS LIT FROM THE DASHBOARD. RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME BUT FAILED TO START NEXT DAY. TOWED TO THE NEAREST HONDA DEALER. SERVICE GUY AFTER CALLING HONDA HEADQUARTERS DETERMINE IT WAS THE AB..."
"HONDA CIVIC HYBRID 2012 BOUGHT JUST AFTER SIX DAYS FAILED AFTER DOING A LEFT TURN. ALL WARNING LIGHTS LIT FROM THE DASHBOARD. RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME BUT FAILED TO START NEXT DAY. TOWED TO THE NEAREST HONDA DEALER. SERVICE GUY AFTER CALLING HONDA HEADQUARTERS DETERMINE IT WAS THE AB..."
"THE SUNLIGHT REFLECTION FROM THE DASHBOARD TO THE WINDSHIELD MAKES SOME DAYLIGHT DRIVING DIFFICULT TO SEE AND REDUCE VISIBILITY."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Air Bags 146 complaints
25th: 12,750 mi Median: 41,000 mi 75th: 80,000 mi
Steering 73 complaints
25th: 30,000 mi Median: 59,350 mi 75th: 83,000 mi
Electrical System 55 complaints
25th: 22,500 mi Median: 39,000 mi 75th: 64,717 mi
Power Train 46 complaints
25th: 4,750 mi Median: 19,129 mi 75th: 64,500 mi
Vehicle Speed Control 37 complaints
25th: 700 mi Median: 9,000 mi 75th: 25,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 133 NY: 47 FL: 39 TX: 35 VA: 29 NJ: 28 GA: 26 OH: 23 MA: 21 IL: 19

Who Files Complaints?

1%
Original Owners
99%
Second+ Owners

Honda Civic — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
199011022
199114313
199211329
199317848
199417179
1995252103
199638396
199745278
199850292
199940475
200035091
20011357206
2002876144
2003618127
200442459
200539691
20061708108
2007146464
2008107889
200949763
201048548
201122033
201343041
201437747
201548058
2016130153
201772631
201880741
201949234
202028122
20211819
2022113666
202331832
202415917
2025808

Active Recalls (3)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Column
Campaign 12V548000 | 21/11/2012
The steering column may not have proper energy absorbing characteristics, which could increase the risk of injury during a vehicle crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the steering column, as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on December 10, 2012. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings
Campaign 11V288000 | 18/05/2011
FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL FEED LINE ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009.
Driveshaft
Campaign 12V256000 | 04/06/2012
IF THIS OCCURS, THE VEHICLE WILL HAVE A LOSS OF DRIVE POWER AND MAY ROLL AWAY IF THE PARKING BRAKE HAS NOT BEEN SET WHEN THE GEAR SELECTOR HAS BEEN PLACED IN THE “PARK” POSITION, INCREASING THE RISK OF CRASH OR PEDESTRIAN INJURY.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver's side driveshaft and install a new driveshaft as needed, free of charge. The safety recall began on June 21. 2012. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.

Airbag Safety

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

  • Check for open airbag recalls at NHTSA.gov using your VIN
  • Never ignore the airbag warning light — get it diagnosed immediately
  • Don't install aftermarket steering wheel covers that block the airbag
  • Keep the area around airbag deployment zones clear of accessories

Looking for a replacement?

Based on the data above, here are relevant options.

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28