If you are considering buying a used Honda Civic, these are the common problems worth knowing about first. Our garage database tracks 24 known faults for this model, 15 of them rated high severity. Every one below is a repair bill a seller has good reason not to mention.
Found a Honda Civic for sale?
Paste the advert and we read it against these 24 known faults, its MOT history and the DVLA record, and tell you what the seller has not. Free, about a minute, no card.
Check a Honda Civic advert (free) →The Honda Civic has 24 known faults in our database across 6 generations, 15 of them rated high severity. The most serious are electrics (the electrical contacts in the ignition switch can wear prematurely) and gearbox (premature failure of the Dual Mass Flywheel (DMF) and clutch assembly). None of them makes the car a bad buy on its own; the risk is a seller who knows and says nothing.
That is a count of the faults we hold, not a reliability score. Popular cars get written about more, and a newer generation has had less time to show its faults.
No year is a write-off on its own. What matters is which serious faults a given year and engine can have, and whether the car in front of you has had them fixed.
Each one is set out in full below, with the symptoms, the typical mileage and a rough repair cost.
One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.
One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.
One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.
One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
We track 65 specific phrases sellers use in adverts to soft-pedal these exact issues. Paste any Honda Civic advert and we check it in seconds.
Check an advert now (free) →Recall work is done by the manufacturer, and GOV.UK says you will not usually have to pay for it. These are the 27 DVSA recalls for the Civic, newest first. They do not tell you whether this particular car has had the work: for that, put the registration into the free GOV.UK MOT history check, which shows a recall status where the manufacturer shares it, or ask a franchised dealer to check the VIN.
On affected vehicles the alloy steel bushes may be missing in all five positions of the alloy wheel. This may result in the wheel nuts falling off or in the worst-case scenario wheel detachment.
Put right by: Inspect the wheels for the presence of bush and replace wheel(s) in case of missing bushes.
On affected vehicles due to decrease of the grease amount in the worm wheel gear meshing area of the EPS gear box during use the sliding resistance at the meshing area increases and the torque fluctuation when turning the steering becomes larger resulting in an abnormal noise or a dangerous sticking occurs when turning the steering.
Put right by: For the Honda Civic (FL4 FE1) CR-V and ZR-V models replace the worm gear pre-load spring with a countermeasure part and add grease. For the Honda Civic Type R (FL5) model replace the Steering Gearbox with a countermeasure part.
On affected vehicles due to manufacturing issues the high pressure fuel pump could leak
Put right by: On the affected vehicles check for leaks and replace the high pressure pump if necessary
On affected vehicles the Hybrid HV battery may develop a fault where battery electrolyte leakage occurs that may result in a vehicle fire in a worst-case scenario.
Put right by: Replace the Hybrid HV battery with a modified component.
On affected vehicles after cancelling the ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) the ISA (Intelligent Speed Assistance) will not alert the driver when over speed.
Put right by: Update Multipurpose Camera Unit with modified software.
The absorption of moisture into the drivers airbag propellant could lead to slow deployment or inflator rupture.
Put right by: Replace the airbag inflator or the airbag assembly. Honda is still preparing for the development and production of the remedy parts.
Affected vehicles may be equipped with a fuel pump module manufactured with low density impellers.
Put right by: The affected fuel pumps will be replaced.
The regulatory requirement for emissions levels are not met.
Put right by: Update the software in the Engine Control Unit to improve the performance of the emissions control system
Passenger air bag may not deploy correctly.
Put right by: The inflator inside the passengers airbag module is to be replaced.
Driver air bag may not deploy correctly.
Put right by: The inflator inside the drivers airbag module is to be replaced.
Driver air bag may not deploy correctly.
Put right by: The inflator inside the drivers airbag module is to be replaced.
Driver air bag may not ignite correctly.
Put right by: Replace the drivers air bag assembly.
The front seat back pad mould (seat back cushion) and side airbag (SAB) are fitted to the seat back frame. The SAB is fitted underneath the pad mould and the pad mould has been designed with a slit that allows the SAB to deploy from underneath the pad mould. Seat back pad moulds that were supplied for after-sales use were not manufactured correctly; the slit process was not completed. When a front seat pad without the slit is assembled to the car it may block SAB deployment and may not satisfy occupant protection performance which is a non-conformance to side impact regulation.
Put right by: Registered owners of affected vehicles will receive a notification letter that will ask them to take their vehicles to a dealership or authorised repairer for a free repair. The technician will carry out inspection to verify the condition of the front seat back pad mould and will replace the pad mould and if necessary the seat heater element and seat back cover.
The propellant used in the air bag inflators may degrade over time due to heat cycles and exposure to moisture. In the event that the airbag is activated it may overinflate due to overly aggressive combustion of the propellant. The excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator body to rupture and metal fragments may pass through the cushion material causing severe injury to the vehicle occupants.
Put right by: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the airbag inflator and airbag.
Abnormal deployment pressure may lead to rupture of the passenger's air bag inflator case. In the event of an inflator rupture metal fragments could be propelled into the passenger compartment
Put right by: On affected vehicles replace the inflator inside the passenger's air bag module.
Due to a manufacturing a check valve in the Vehicle Stability Assist / Anti lock braking modulator not operate correctly.The anti lock braking may not operate correctly resulting in possible wheel lock under anti lock braking operation. In addition the City Brake Active system (CTBA) may not operate as intended.
Put right by: On affected vehicles replace Vehicle Stability Assist / Anti lock braking modulator
In the event that the airbag is activated excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator body to rupture and metal fragments may pass through the cushion material causing injury to the vehicle occupants and / or in worst cases a fatality.
Put right by: On affected vehicles replace the passenger front air bag module.
A filter in the Vehicle Stability Assist / Anti lock braking modulator may break and foul one of the one-way check valves in the modulator. If the check valve does not operate correctly the vehicle stability control (using brake pressure) will not operate correctly. In some driving conditions the vehicle stability system may not be able to control the vehicle as intended and this may result in a skid or loss of vehicle control. The braking system does not lose function.
Put right by: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the VSA modulator.
Abnormal deployment pressure may lead to rupture of the driver's air bag inflator case. In the event of an inflator rupture metal fragments could be propelled into the passenger compartment.
Put right by: On affected vehicles replace the inflator inside the driver's air bag module.
Abnormal deployment pressure may lead to rupture of the inflator case. In the event of an inflator rupture metal fragments could be propelled into the passenger compartment potentially causing injury to a vehicle occupant.
Put right by: On affected vehicles replace the drivers airbag module.
Abnormal deployment pressure may lead to rupture of the inflator case. In the event of an inflator rupture metal fragments could be propelled upward toward the windshield or downward toward the front passengers foot well potentially causing injury to a vehicle occupant.
Put right by: On affected vehicles replace the inflator inside the front passengers airbag module with a new one.
The subject vehicles are equipped with front passenger airbag inflators which could have been assembled with improperly manufactured propellant wafers. Improperly manufactured propellant wafers could cause the inflator to rupture and the front passenger airbag to deploy abnormally in a crash. This could result in increased risk of injury to the occupant or in a thermal issue in the interior compartment which may lead to fire.
Put right by: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to inspect and where necessary replace the airbag inflator module.
The drivers front airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure. If an affected airbag deploys the increased internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture. In the event of an inflator rupture metal fragments could be propelled into the passenger compartment potentially causing injury to a vehicle occupant.
Put right by: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the inflator inside the drivers airbag module with a new one.
The subject vehicles are equipped with front passenger airbag inflators which could have been assembled with improperly manufactured propellant wafers. Improperly manufactured propellant wafers could cause the inflator to rupture and the front passenger airbag to deploy abnormally in a crash. This could result in increased risk of injury to the occupant or in a thermal issue in the interior compartment which may lead to fire.
Put right by: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to inspect and where necessary replace the airbag inflator module.
Due to a software issue it could be possible to start the engine when the vehicle is in gear and the clutch is not depressed.
Put right by: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to install new software.
In rare circumstances the gear indicator may display neutral when the gearbox is in reverse gear. If this happens the vehicle may reverse unexpectedly and cause an incident.
Put right by: Recall vehicles likely to be affected to correct the unit software and inspect the reverse shift holder for deformation. Where necessary the reverse shift piece and shift holder will be replaced.
Incorrect positioning of the engine bay wiring harness under the engine mounting bracket could result in damage to the harness leading to a short circuit or in the worst case a fire.
Put right by: Inspection of the wiring harness. If damaged harness is to be replaced
Recall data published by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence v3.0. A recall listed here may not apply to every car of this model: the build dates and the registration check are what decide it.
An overdue cambelt is the most expensive thing a seller can fail to mention on a used Civic. These are the figures UK specialists work to.
Uses a wet belt that runs in oil. Honda intervals are long, but specialists treat this as a 6-year/70,000-mile replacement item because degradation blocks the oil strainer, starving the turbo and engine.
Honda diesel engines use a highly reliable timing chain that is designed to last the life of the engine, provided oil changes are done on schedule.
Always confirm against the vehicle handbook. Intervals vary by engine, and several manufacturers revised theirs after failures in service.
Three stand out. Electrics: the electrical contacts in the ignition switch can wear prematurely. Gearbox: premature failure of the Dual Mass Flywheel (DMF) and clutch assembly (typically 10000 to 80000 miles). Suspension: rear suspension lower arm bolts may break, leading to instability or loss of control. The full list above is grouped by generation, with typical mileage and a rough repair cost for each.
No Honda Civic year is a write-off, but the Mk6 (1999 to 2001) carries the most serious faults: electrics, suspension, brakes, fuel system and bodywork and trim. The Mk8 (2006 to 2011), Mk7 (2001 to 2005), Mk9 (2012 to 2016) and 10th Gen (2017 to 2022) have high-severity faults on record too. The Mk10 (2017 to 2018) has none rated high severity. Year matters less than whether the specific car has had the known fixes, so check the history for them.
Ask the seller about the electrics, gearbox and suspension faults on this page and whether they have been fixed, with invoices. On the test drive watch for engine cutting out unexpectedly while driving, clutch slip under acceleration, especially in higher gears and unusual noises from the rear suspension. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories, then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against all 24 known faults before you travel. Check a Honda Civic advert →
The DVSA lists 27 safety recalls for the Honda Civic issued between 2011 and 2026. The most recent, from February 2026, is "Civic Wheel Steel Bushes Missing (Accessory)". Recall work is done by the manufacturer, and GOV.UK says you will not usually have to pay for it. This list is by model, so it cannot tell you whether one particular car has had the work: the free GOV.UK MOT history check shows a recall status from the registration where the manufacturer shares it, and a franchised dealer can check the VIN.
Owners report 49.4 mpg on average across the Honda Civic engines with data, about 86% of the official combined figure. The gap between official and real-world economy varies a lot by engine, so the Real MPG page lists every engine and generation separately, from 4,044 owner submissions. Honda Civic Real MPG by engine →
Looking at a Honda Civic right now? Check the advert before you go and see it.
If you used to check the Honest John “Good & Bad” section before the site closed in 2026, this page is where that information now lives. We rebuilt the Honda Civic owner-report history from the archived Honest John dataset, added our own research, specialist and owner-club sources and DVSA recall data, and we keep it free. Each fault above is badged with its source. The same data feeds our free advert check, which reads a listing against every known fault for the exact engine and year.
CarAdCheck is not affiliated with Honest John or Volkswagen Financial Services. What happened to Honest John, and where each feature lives now.
Knowing what a Honda Civic goes wrong with is half of it. The rest is reading the advert and checking the car's history before you hand any money over.