Honda Civic reliability by year
26 recalls and 10,007 owner complaints across 21 model years. Best year to buy: 2021. Year to avoid: 2016.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 8 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 . Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 21 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Civic aggregated across 21 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Honda Civic?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2021 Honda Civic scores 7.6/10 — the strongest in the 2005–2025 range. 129 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Honda Civic year should I avoid?
The 2016 Honda Civic scores 6.0/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 1,047 owner complaints with NHTSA, 3 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2016 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Honda Civic should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2017 (avoid — the electrical system — 5 fire-related complaints on the electrical system); 2007 (avoid — the body — 5 fire-related complaints and 1 crash-related complaint on the engine); 2006 (avoid — the engine — 17 fire-related complaints and 1 crash-related complaint on the engine); 2020 (high-risk ownership — electrical system: 28 complaints, classified severe); 2016 (high-risk ownership — electrical system: 98 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 10,001–44,000 mi); 2012 (high-risk ownership — steering: 74 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 33,100–89,687 mi). The cleaner years on the data are 2021, 2022, 2019, 2018, 2015, 2014. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Honda Civic are tracked?
21 model years (2005 through 2025) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 26 recalls and 10,007 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Honda Civic?
steering is the most-reported category — 1,974 complaints across 18 model years. Average shop repair runs about $700.