Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2020-2021 Civics, 2020-2022 CR-Vs, 2022-2023 Pilots & Passports with a customer complaint of the center display flickering, flashing, or frozen (Civics and CR-Vs only). To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect information from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2021 Honda Civic electrical problems
severe Owners of the 2021 Honda Civic have filed 13 NHTSA complaints about the electrical at roughly $850 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See electrical across all vehicles →
Complaints
13
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$850
| Model year | electrical complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 Civic | 84 |
| 2018 Civic | 39 |
| 2019 Civic | 28 |
| 2020 Civic | 28 |
| 2021 Civic (this page) | 13 |
| 2022 Civic | 25 |
1crash
What stands out
No new NHTSA electrical complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 3 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering electrical on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2020-2021 Civics, 2020-2022 CR-Vs, 2022-2023 Pilots & Passports with a customer complaint of the center display flickering, flashing, or frozen (Civics and CR-Vs only). To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect information from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2020-2021 Civics & 2020-2022 CR-Vs with a customer complaint of the center display flickering, flashing, or frozen. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect information from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2020-2021 Civics & 2020-2022 CR-Vs with a customer complaint of the center display flickering, flashing, or frozen. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect information from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2020-2021 Civics & 2020-2022 CR-Vs with a customer complaint of the center display flickering, flashing, or frozen. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect information from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Electrical failures on 2021 Civics fall into distinct problem areas, starting with soy-based wire insulation that rodents and rabbits chew through. Owners report complete vehicle disablement—loss of power steering, adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, and all warning lights—with Honda aware enough to sell protective "hot chili tape" and face class action lawsuits, yet refusing to warn buyers or cover harness repairs under the bumper-to-bumper warranty.
Electric power steering systems fail suddenly, making steering sticky or uncontrollable. One owner's EPS failure involved a part number matching a known recall, yet Honda refused coverage because the VIN fell outside the recall list and the car had just exited warranty.
Automatic emergency braking triggers randomly on freeways with no vehicle ahead, automatically locking brakes at highway speeds. Forward collision sensors malfunction without warning. Door auto-lock repeatedly cycles even when doors are already locked.
Infotainment systems freeze or go black. Android Auto connections drop and restart continuously, heating phones dangerously. Navigation arrows jump randomly, misdirecting drivers. Honda has stated no hardware fix exists.
Vehicles stall during normal driving or while braking, with oil and battery lights appearing. Dealerships blame turbo or wastegate without repair; fuel injector and spark plug replacements fail to resolve it. Spark plugs char and foul within single driving trips.
Some non-LED headlights are too dim at night for safe driving. Remote window-open features activate unintentionally despite owners requesting disablement.
Same Honda Civic electrical reports on nearby years: 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2022
Failure modes owners describe
Rodent-chewed wiring harness (soy-based insulation)
Soy-based wire insulation attracts rodents and rabbits, which chew through the harness. Owners report Honda is aware of the problem (class action lawsuits filed, sale of proprietary 'hot chili tape' to wrap harnesses), but does not warn consumers despite selling bumper-to-bumper warranties that exclude the harness.
When: Under 4,000 miles; can occur any time vehicle is parked outdoors
Symptoms owners cite: Complete vehicle disablement with all warning lights illuminated; Loss of power steering; Adaptive cruise control failure; Automatic emergency braking failure; Lane keeping assistance failure
Repairs/costs cited: $350 for 18-inch wire harness replacement (labor to unclip and clip in new harness)
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda sells 'hot chili tape' for rodent deterrent; aware of class action lawsuits; bumper-to-bumper warranty does not cover harness despite it being between the bumpers
Electric Power Steering (EPS) system failure
EPS unit failure causing sticky, difficult steering control immediately after authorized dealership service. Owner discovered the failed part number is tied to a known Honda recall, though VIN not currently in recall list. Repair cost exceeds $4,500.
When: Just outside 3-year warranty; failure occurred immediately after routine dealership service
Symptoms owners cite: Sticky steering wheel requiring extra force to turn; Difficult steering control on freeway; Intermittent steering motor fault
Repairs/costs cited: $4,584.30 estimate for entire steering rack replacement
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda America Corporate refused coverage because owner is outside warranty window; no goodwill extension granted
Automatic emergency braking and forward collision sensor malfunction
Forward collision sensor light flashes and triggers automatic hard braking in traffic with no vehicle ahead. In one case, unwarranted braking on freeway at highway speeds created safety hazard. Another report notes brake warning sign appears randomly even without vehicles in front.
When: During normal driving; one incident occurred mid-intersection
Symptoms owners cite: Brake warning light flashing randomly with no vehicle ahead; Automatic braking at highway speeds with no collision threat; Brake warning dinging when no car nearby
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership refused to address; customer reported no recalls announced at time of incident
Door auto-lock malfunction
Auto-lock feature continuously engages even when doors are already locked, locking and relocking repeatedly while driving. No warning messages precede the malfunction.
When: Intermittent during driving
Symptoms owners cite: Continuous door locking while already locked; Auto-lock function triggering without user input
Navigation and infotainment system freezing/malfunction
Touchscreen navigation freezes, goes black, or becomes unresponsive during use. When phone is connected via USB (Android Auto), system restarts continuously, heating phone to unsafe levels and causing navigation arrow marker to jump, sending drivers wrong directions. Honda has acknowledged the issue and stated no hardware fix is available.
When: Ongoing since purchase; issues persist after multiple dealership visits
Symptoms owners cite: Screen completely freezes or blacks out; Navigation display not working properly; Android Auto connection loss and arrow marker jumping; Phone overheating when connected via USB; System restarts continuously when phone connected
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda stated no fix available for hardware system issue; other owners on Reddit report same problem with no resolution from Honda
Engine stalling with oil and battery warning lights
Vehicle shuts down during driving, particularly when coming to a stop. Oil light and battery light illuminate during shutdown. Dealership has failed to resolve after multiple visits, initially blaming turbo (not replaced) and electronic wastegate (no work performed). Likely electrical system issue, not addressed by manufacturer.
When: Recurring issue throughout ownership; last reported April 21, 2022
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle shuts down during normal driving; Vehicle shuts down when coming to a stop; Oil warning light appears; Battery warning light appears
Codes mentioned: P0172 (Fuel system too rich), U0038 (CAN Bus Off), U0100 (CAN Bus voltage)
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership replaced fuel injectors and hard fuel line; spark plugs replaced 3 times at $90 each; PCV valve and tube replaced; MAF sensor replaced; battery replaced twice
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda stated fuel injector replacement would fix the problem, but issue persists; spark plugs burn out within 5 minutes of driving after replacement
Chronic spark plug fouling
Spark plugs become charred and fouled unusually rapidly, requiring replacement 3 times in short timeframe. After latest spark plug replacement, plugs charred again on first drive. Associated with electrical system issues and fuel-related codes.
When: Recurring; plugs charred on single trip after replacement
Symptoms owners cite: Spark plugs charred and fouled; Rapid spark plug degradation (3 replacements in short period)
Codes mentioned: P0172 (Fuel system too rich)
Repairs/costs cited: $90 per spark plug replacement; replaced 3 times in ownership period
Dim headlights (non-LED models)
LX, Sport, and EX trim models equipped with halogen headlights have significantly reduced nighttime visibility compared to LED versions. Poor beam distance and brightness create safety concern on roads requiring better illumination.
When: Present from purchase
Symptoms owners cite: Headlights too dim at night; Poor visibility even with fog lights on; Insufficient road illumination
Remote window-open feature cannot be disabled
Remote window open feature via key fob activates unintentionally, opening all four windows after car is parked and locked. Honda service stated feature cannot be disabled, despite Toyota offering this capability on their vehicles with same key fob systems.
When: First month of ownership
Symptoms owners cite: All four windows automatically open after parking; Remote window function activates unintentionally
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda service department stated the disable function is not available (unlike Toyota's implementation)
Synthesized from 13 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 1 most recent
The coating on the wiring harness is soy based and rodents chew the wires causing multiple electronic failures. Power steering failed, Adaptive Cruise Control failed, Automatic Emergency Braking failed, Lane Keeping Assistance failed. Vehicle is extremely unsafe!
Had electrical trouble with your 2021 Honda Civic?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the electrical problem on the 2021 Honda Civic?
It's a meaningful issue. 13 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $850.
At what mileage does the electrical typically fail?
Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $850 for electrical repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to electrical?
No active recalls currently cover electrical issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2021/Honda/Civic.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.