Honda
Honda Civic years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2016, 2018 and 2022. Best years: 2020 and 2021.
The 2016, 2018 and 2022 Honda Civic draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2016 has 1,081 complaints (98 for each year on the road), 2018 has 742 complaints (82 for each year on the road) and 2022 has 882 complaints (176 for each year on the road), against a median of 54 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2022 is sticky steering (556 reports).
- 5,226complaints
- 21recall campaigns
- 13model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2016
Most reported: sticky steering (354 reports, median 40,000 miles) and A/C failure (214 reports, median 40,000 miles).
2018
Most reported: sticky steering (239 reports, median 50,000 miles) and A/C failure (102 reports, median 47,000 miles).
2022
Most reported: sticky steering (556 reports, median 20,000 miles) and power steering loss (149 reports, median 20,000 miles).
Best years
2020
Most reported: airbag (29 reports) and sticky steering (19 reports).
2021
Most reported: sticky steering (50 reports, median 36,200 miles) and brake wear (18 reports).
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2016 has the most complaints of any Honda Civic year here: 1,081 of 5,226 (21%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Sticky steering leads in 8 of the 13 model years and has the most reports overall, 1,583. Pooled across the years, half of the 399 owners who gave a mileage for sticky steering were under about 34,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 6% of Honda Civic complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2014, 32 of its 261 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 6 of the 10 model years where owners report sticky steering have a recall on the same system: 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2024 at 1,159 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 623. So far in 2026, 503 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: HJUdall, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Cutlass, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Tenth generation (FC)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 avoid | 1,081 | 98 | 5 | Steering sticks, feels notchy or jerks (354) | 34,000 |
| 2017 | 596 | 60 | 6 | A/C blows warm or the compressor fails (134) | 32,000 |
| 2018 avoid | 742 | 82 | 6 | Steering sticks, feels notchy or jerks (239) | 40,000 |
| 2019 | 433 | 54 | 4 | Steering sticks, feels notchy or jerks (81) | 29,000 |
| 2020 best | 225 | 32 | 5 | Airbag warning light or recall (29) | 25,000 |
| 2021 best | 145 | 24 | 4 | Steering sticks, feels notchy or jerks (50) | 36,200 |
Photo: MercurySable99, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Eleventh generation (FE/FL)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 avoid | 882 | 176 | 4 | Steering sticks, feels notchy or jerks (556) | 20,000 |
| 2023 | 255 | 64 | 4 | Steering sticks, feels notchy or jerks (129) | 10,000 |
| 2024 | 124 | 41 | 3 | Steering sticks, feels notchy or jerks (19) | 10,000 |
| 2025 | 73 | new | 2 | Steering sticks, feels notchy or jerks (13) | 8,000 |
| 2026 | 29 | new | 0 | Brakes on its own (automatic emergency braking) (6) |
Year by year
2026 Honda Civic
29 owner complaints so far; too new to call. 2 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. No recalls.
2025 Honda Civic
73 owner complaints so far; too new to call. Most reported: sticky steering (13 reports) and driver assist (10 reports). 10 reports involved a crash and 11 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 24V-744 on the steering system and 24V-763 on the fuel system.
2024 Honda Civic
124 owner complaints, 41 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: sticky steering (19 reports) and driver assist (10 reports). 12 reports involved a crash and 11 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 24V-744 on the steering system and 23V-704 on the steering system.
2023 Honda Civic
255 owner complaints, 64 for each year on the road (1.2 times the model median). Most reported: sticky steering (129 reports, median 10,000 miles), power steering loss (36 reports, median 10,000 miles) and brake wear (14 reports). 19 reports involved a crash and 12 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 24V-744 on the steering system and 23V-704 on the steering system.
2022 Honda Civic avoid
882 owner complaints, 176 for each year on the road (3.3 times the model median). Most reported: sticky steering (556 reports, median 20,000 miles), power steering loss (149 reports, median 20,000 miles) and driver assist (88 reports, median 18,000 miles). 34 reports involved a crash and 19 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 24V-744 on the steering system and 23V-704 on the steering system.
2021 Honda Civic best
145 owner complaints, 24 for each year on the road (0.4 times the model median). Most reported: sticky steering (50 reports, median 36,200 miles), brake wear (18 reports) and phantom braking (16 reports). 5 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 26V-332 on the airbags and 24V-064 on the airbags.
2020 Honda Civic best
225 owner complaints, 32 for each year on the road (0.6 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (29 reports), sticky steering (19 reports) and stalling (17 reports). 15 reports involved a crash and 12 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 26V-332 on the airbags and 24V-064 on the airbags.
2019 Honda Civic
433 owner complaints, 54 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: sticky steering (81 reports, median 54,258 miles), stalling (45 reports, median 36,000 miles) and fuel pump (43 reports, median 48,000 miles). 26 reports involved a crash and 19 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 26V-332 on the airbags and 23V-858 on the fuel system.
2018 Honda Civic avoid
742 owner complaints, 82 for each year on the road (1.5 times the model median). Most reported: sticky steering (239 reports, median 50,000 miles), A/C failure (102 reports, median 47,000 miles) and power steering loss (76 reports, median 50,000 miles). 26 reports involved a crash and 23 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 18V-663 on the steering system and 26V-332 on the airbags.
2017 Honda Civic
596 owner complaints, 60 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: A/C failure (134 reports, median 40,000 miles), sticky steering (123 reports, median 56,817 miles) and power steering loss (38 reports, median 47,574 miles). 23 reports involved a crash and 13 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 26V-332 on the airbags and 23V-858 on the fuel system.
2016 Honda Civic avoid
1,081 owner complaints, 98 for each year on the road (1.8 times the model median). Most reported: sticky steering (354 reports, median 40,000 miles), A/C failure (214 reports, median 40,000 miles) and brake wear (94 reports, median 25,000 miles). 36 reports involved a crash and 16 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 26V-332 on the airbags and 23V-858 on the fuel system.
2015 Honda Civic
380 owner complaints, 32 for each year on the road (0.6 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (58 reports, median 45,452 miles), transmission failure (53 reports, median 95,000 miles) and transmission shudder (42 reports, median 90,000 miles). 37 reports involved a crash and 23 people were hurt. 1 recall: 15V-574 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2014 Honda Civic
261 owner complaints, 20 for each year on the road (0.4 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (53 reports, median 73,000 miles), wheels (29 reports, median 21,428 miles) and transmission failure (23 reports, median 97,000 miles). 28 reports involved a crash and 26 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 15V-574 on the transmission and drivetrain and 14V-109 on the tires.
Recalls that cover several model years
The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
The steering gearbox assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause excessive internal friction and lead to difficulty steering the vehicle.
The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
The steering rack may have been incorrectly assembled, which can allow the tire to chafe against the lower suspension or tie rod end, possibly resulting in tire damage.
The driver's seat cushion frame may not have been tightened properly, which can result in an unsecured seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 207, "Seating Systems."
Compare the Civic with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Civic vs Toyota Corolla2014 to 2026
- Civic vs Hyundai Elantra2014 to 2022
- Civic vs Mazda32014 to 2018
- Civic vs Nissan Sentra2014 to 2026
- Civic vs Volkswagen Jetta2014 to 2019
- Civic vs Chevrolet Cruze2014 to 2018
- Civic vs Subaru Impreza2017 to 2019
Questions
What Honda Civic years should you avoid?
The 2016, 2018 and 2022 Honda Civic draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2016 has 1,081 complaints (98 for each year on the road), 2018 has 742 complaints (82 for each year on the road) and 2022 has 882 complaints (176 for each year on the road), against a median of 54 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2022 is sticky steering (556 reports).
What are the best years for the Honda Civic?
The 2020 and 2021 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2020 has 225 (32 a year) and 2021 has 145 (24 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Honda Civic?
Sticky steering, with 1,583 reports across the 13 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
How many recalls does the Honda Civic have?
21 recall campaigns cover the Honda Civic model years 2014 to 2026 on this site. The widest, 26V-332 on the airbags, covers 7 model years.
How many Honda Civic complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
6% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2014 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for sticky steering on the Honda Civic?
On 6 of the 10 model years where owners report it: 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.