Owner complaints
139NHTSA recordsUSED VEHICLE RESEARCH
2021 Honda Civic
Is This A Good Car? organizes available NHTSA-derived research for the 2021 Honda Civic. This page includes owner complaint records, safety recall campaigns, manufacturer communications, defect investigations, and information about the completeness of the available evidence.
DATA CONFIDENCE: ModerateHonda Civic2021 · VERIFIED IMAGE PENDING
Recall campaigns
4Year, make and model lookupManufacturer communications
0Matched NHTSA recordsInvestigations
0Matched NHTSA recordsEVIDENCE AVAILABILITY — NOT VEHICLE RELIABILITY
DATA CONFIDENCE
ModerateData Confidence measures how much usable evidence CarIQ has for this vehicle. It does not measure how reliable the vehicle is.
Why this rating?
- Owner complaint data
- Available
- Manufacturer communications
- Available
- Recall data
- Available
- Investigation data
- Available
- Production denominator
- Unavailable
- Complaint component completeness
- 100%
- Mileage completeness
- 0%
- Incident-date completeness
- 100%
DESCRIPTIVE ANALYTICS
DATA INSIGHTS
Derived from official NHTSA source records. These statistics are descriptive and are not a reliability score.
- Complaint records analyzed
- 139 NHTSA complaints
- Most reported component
- Steering 44% of categorized complaint records
- Top-three component concentration
- 68% Records mentioning at least one top-three component
- Median reported incident mileage
- Not available from current source 0 valid mileage observations
- Recall campaigns
- 4 NHTSA recalls
- Most recent recall report
- May 21, 2026 NHTSA recalls
- Manufacturer communications
- 0 NHTSA manufacturer communications
- Most documented component
- Not available NHTSA manufacturer communications
- Top-three communication concentration
- Not available Share of categorized manufacturer communications
SOURCE COMPLETENESS
DATA QUALITY
- Complaint records analyzed
- 139
- Component classification available
- 100%
- Incident date available
- 100%
- Mileage available
- 0%
- Structured outcome fields available
- 100%
Completeness describes fields present in the retrieved complaint records. It is not a data-quality grade or a vehicle assessment.
Learn about CarIQ methodologyPRODUCTION-ADJUSTED DESCRIPTIVE METRIC
NORMALIZED COMPLAINT CONTEXT
Production-normalized complaint data is not currently available for this vehicle.
This metric compares the number of NHTSA owner complaint records retrieved by CarIQ with NHTSA-reported production volume for the corresponding vehicle population.
It is not a vehicle failure rate. Complaint reporting behavior, vehicle age, time on the road, production definitions, and other factors can affect the result.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Early Warning Reporting, Light Vehicle Production Data. Read the methodology.
OFFICIAL NHTSA OWNER COMPLAINT DATA
OWNER-REPORTED COMPLAINTS
COMPONENT CATEGORIES
A complaint may list more than one component and therefore contribute to multiple categories. Percentages show the share of categorized complaint records that mention each component—not the percentage of vehicles affected. Category percentages may overlap.
INCIDENT REPORTS BY YEAR
Grouped from complaint records with a valid incident date.
RECENT OWNER COMPLAINTS
Forward Collision Avoidance
Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11754955Read complaint narrative
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
Steering
Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11754981Read complaint narrative
Sticky steering, especially when it’s hot or humid. The issue has been going on since the car was at 60k miles, taken in multiple times and they don’t see and issue. It’s at 117k now issue still present. Same issue as the 2022-25 that got a recall
Steering
Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11753496Read complaint narrative
Steering locks up at highway speeds. This vehicle has only 36,526 miles on the odometer. This is a serious safety issue and could easily cause a high speed crash. The dealer has road tested and confirms the problem. The dealer states the electric steering box is at fault. We are having the electric steering box replaced by the dealer.
Steering
Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11753123Read complaint narrative
Vehicle: 2021 Honda Civic Hatchback Current Mileage: ~24,400 miles Component: Steering / Electronic Power Steering (EPS) Gearbox / Steering Rack Summary of Issue: Vehicle is experiencing severe "sticky steering" (mechanical binding) in the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) assembly while driving, most noticeably at highway speeds. The steering wheel feels stuck when trying to make minor lane adjustments, requiring noticeable extra force to break free, which causes the vehicle to over-correct and weave. This is an active safety hazard that interferes with normal vehicle control. The vehicle has only ~24,400 miles. A Honda dealership diagnosed the issue as a faulty steering rack/gearbox requiring full replacement at a quoted cost of $5,000. This behavior matches the known defect detailed in NHTSA Campaign 24V-744 (gearbox worm gear binding/sticky steering) affecting millions of Honda vehicles sharing this same EPS architecture for 2022-2025 models. Requesting an investigation to expand coverage to 2021 models.
Steering
Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11752576Read complaint narrative
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the steering wheel became firm and was sticking while driving. The contact used excessive force to turn the steering wheel while driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
Steering
Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11749998Read complaint narrative
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the vehicle, and the steering wheel was sticking. The contact stated that the steering wheel was continuously turned while attempting to prevent it from sticking. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was a persistent failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a power steering rack assembly failure. The contact was informed that the power steering rack assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
Unknown or Other
Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11746766Read complaint narrative
Spontaneous rear window shattering while parked. Problem not confirmed or reproduced Insurance claim filed for repair No warning lamps, messages or symptoms of impending problem.
Vehicle Speed Control · Service Brakes · Forward Collision Avoidance
Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11745360Read complaint narrative
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
NHTSA complaints are reports submitted by vehicle owners and other consumers. Complaint counts do not represent the percentage of vehicles affected and do not by themselves establish that a safety defect exists.
A higher complaint count can partly reflect how many vehicles were sold, vehicle age, and other factors. CarIQ does not yet normalize complaint counts by vehicles sold.
Data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This site is not endorsed by NHTSA.
OFFICIAL NHTSA MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION DATA
MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATIONS
No NHTSA manufacturer communication records were returned for this year, make, and model.
Manufacturer communications include service bulletins and other technical information submitted by manufacturers to NHTSA. The existence or number of communications does not establish how often a condition occurs or whether an individual vehicle will experience it.
Some manufacturers may issue more detailed service documentation than others, so communication counts should not be used alone to compare vehicle reliability.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration manufacturer communicationsNATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION
NHTSA DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS
No applicable NHTSA defect investigation records were returned for this year, make, and model.
NHTSA investigations evaluate potential motor-vehicle safety defects. The existence of an investigation does not by itself establish that a safety defect exists, and the absence of an investigation does not establish that a vehicle is problem-free.
Open and closed describe NHTSA's process status, not a CarIQ reliability judgment.
View official NHTSA investigation data ↗DESCRIPTIVE SOURCE OVERLAP
CROSS-SOURCE VEHICLE DATA
CarIQ compares categories appearing across independent NHTSA datasets. Overlap can help identify areas with more available documentation, but it does not establish defect frequency or prove that an individual vehicle will experience a problem.
| Component | Owner complaints | Manufacturer communications | Recall campaigns | NHTSA investigations | Official sources containing records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 61 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Service Brakes | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Electrical System | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Unknown or Other | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Lane Departure | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Air Bags | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 4 |
Displayed first by the number of source categories containing the component, then by owner complaint count, then alphabetically. This is a presentation rule, not a vehicle ranking. Complaint reports, manufacturer communications, recalls, and investigations describe different events and are never added into a combined total.
- complaint
- Available
- communication
- Available
- recall
- Available
- investigation
- Available
- production
- Unavailable
OFFICIAL NHTSA SAFETY RECALL DATA
SAFETY RECALLS
4 recall campaigns found
01AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGERCampaign 26V332000May 21, 2026
Summary
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Safety Consequence
Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
02AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGERCampaign 24V064000February 1, 2024
Summary
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Safety Consequence
An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
03FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMPCampaign 23V858000December 18, 2023
Summary
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Safety Consequence
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
04SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDERCampaign 23V458000June 29, 2023
Summary
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
Safety Consequence
Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Recall results shown here are based on year, make, and model. A specific vehicle may or may not be affected. Check the vehicle's VIN with NHTSA to confirm open recalls before purchasing. Data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
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