RoadVitals

2018 Honda Civic Type R

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
5
+1 complaint in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
2
Latest May 21, 2026
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1

Overview

Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2018 Honda Civic Type R, most frequently naming the brakes, heating & air conditioning and engine categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 16 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Brakes120.0%
  • Heating & air conditioning120.0%
  • Engine120.0%
  • Powertrain (other)120.0%
  • Steering120.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

2 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
26V332000

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

May 21, 2026
98,892 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
The 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.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)Manufacturer number Refer to CommentsView on NHTSA.gov
23V858000

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

Dec 18, 2023
2,490,460 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The 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.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)Manufacturer number KGC, KGDView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

BrakesSteering
Filed Aug 9, 2026
Crash reported

On Thursday [XXX] I left San Marcos, CA and drove north to meet with my future father-in-law who lives in Shady Canyon, located in Irvine, CA. My car, a 2018 Honda Civic Type R, performed normally on the way to his house, without any warning lamps, messages, etc shown. The tires had regular pressure and all maintenance on the vehicle was current. Upon leaving my friend's house, I drove 1/4 mile down the road and stopped at a 3way stop sign before turning left through a gate which has an electronic arm--once a vehicle is sensed, the arm is raised and the vehicle continues forward. As I proceeded to the gate, the car accelerated, the steering froze, and I could not steer the car away from the oncoming gate. I slammed on the brakes and the brakes were non responsive although I applied immediate, hard pressure on the pedal. This is a performance car with very strong brakes capable of stopping it in a very short distance. Within a split second, my right front bumper slammed into a post right of the gate, and both front air bags and the side airbags deployed, and vehicle's momentum was stopped. I was unhurt other than a small scratch on my finger. Within minutes, the Community Security and Irvine police responded, and I told them what had happened: The steering froze and the brakes were unresponsive which led to this accident. The Police Officer confirmed from the accident scene that speed was not involved in this incident. My car was towed to a salvage yard (CoPart) affiliated with my insurance company, USAA. I asked the USAA Customer Agent if they could check the Electronic Data Recorder (EDR) on my vehicle, to learn what had occurred in the moments up to the incident. They referred me to Honda USA whom I called on June 22, 2026. However, Honda did not call me for 17 days, and they stated that they could not check the EDR and I should have hired an Inspector to do this. During this time, the car was declared a loss. So, the accident cause is unknown. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT

NHTSA ID
11755767
Incident
Jun 18, 2026
Engine
Filed May 28, 2026

It is a common issue on the Honda Civic Type R from 2017 to 2021 in which water will leak through the hood scoop causing water to drip onto cylinder 4 causing a misfire. Misfire No. 4 Cylinder (DTC P0304). There is a TSB for it under 25-062 for this same issue. Water could enter the hood scoop and accumulate down inside the no. 4 spark plug hole. This can corrode the ignition coil, plug tube, and spark plug, leading to a misfire to the no. 4 cylinder. If a misfire is detected, DTC P0304 is stored. The only warning signs will be the check engine light once the coil pack goes bad in which mosts cases there is corrosion on the plug tube and the spark plug from the water accumulating. There is lost of power and can happen during drives.

NHTSA ID
11740562
Incident
May 22, 2026
Heating & air conditioning
Filed Mar 14, 2024

See attached document for complaint

NHTSA ID
11577280
Incident
Jun 1, 2023
Powertrain (other)
Filed Oct 31, 2023

Transmission problems I have a manual transmission when you shift from 1 to second and from second to third gear sometimes the transmission will grind. I have 16.500 miles on my car and the power train should be covered under warranty. I took it to my honda dealership and the honda technician will not drive the vehicle to make the problems arise. Honda of america said that it is a dealership matter because they only make the cars not sell them. This is a pass the buck issue if I never saw one. So now I have to pay the dealership a 169.00 plus taxes diagnostic fee when the Son's Honda technician wouldn't even drive the vehicle to make the problem show up. This car is supposed to be the top of the line performance Honda Civic Type R and the technician won't drive it to make the problem show up. So I will have wasted 169.00 plus taxes for nothing because without the technician duplicating the problem Honda of America won't fix my transmission.

NHTSA ID
11552869
Incident
Oct 1, 2023
Filed Jul 10, 2023

I’m having issues with my A/C system due to faulty parts from the manufacturer. In my case, I was told by a Honda Dealership that the problem is a faulty evaporator core. I already tried reaching out to American Honda for assistance with this issue, unfortunately I didn’t get any assistance like taking responsibility for the faulty component and covering the cost of repairs. I live in Phoenix, AZ that can get up to 100+ degrees in the summer. Having a very unreliable A/C system can be a very detrimental factor to my health and safety.

NHTSA ID
11531279
Incident
Jul 10, 2023

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

A25-062

ENGINE

Service Bulletin - Water could enter the hood scoop and accumulate down inside the no. 4 spark plug hole. This can corrode the ignition coil, plug tube, and spark plug, leading to a misfire to the no. 4 cylinder. If a misfire is detected, DTC P0304 is stored.

A25-089

ENGINE

Service Bulletin - Oil leak at the cam chain tensioner inspection cover due to and insufficient sealant adhesion on the inspection cover.

A25-062

ENGINE

Service Bulletin - Water could enter the hood scoop and accumulate down inside the no. 4 spark plug hole. This can corrode the ignition coil, plug tube, and spark plug, leading to a misfire to the no. 4 cylinder. If a misfire is detected, DTC P0304 is stored.

A23-039

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Service Bulletin - Due to a new North America regulation which introduces a new refrigerant and oil requirement, the compressor shaft seal may leak. American Honda is extending the warranty on the A/C compressor shaft seal from the original 3 years to 10 years from the original date of purchase, with no mileage limitation. The new refrigerant and oil may cause swelling of the compressor shaft seal. The swelling may lead to abnormal wearing of the seal which may increase seal gaps around the compressor shaft allowing refrigerant to leak out.

A21-014

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Service Bulletin - American Honda is extending the warranty on the A/C condenser to 10 years from the original date of purchase with unlimited miles. This warranty extension only covers vehicles that have a defective A/C condenser from the factory. The A/C condenser was not manufactured to specification. As a result, corrosion may develop in the form of tiny holes in the condenser tube walls that allow the refrigerant to leak out.

A23-039

VISIBILITY; VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

Service Bulletin - Due to a new North America regulation which introduces a new refrigerant and oil requirement, the compressor shaft seal may leak. American Honda is extending the warranty on the A/C compressor shaft seal from the original 3 years to 10 years from the original date of purchase, with no mileage limitation. The new refrigerant and oil may cause swelling of the compressor shaft seal. The swelling may lead to abnormal wearing of the seal which may increase seal gaps around the compressor shaft allowing refrigerant to leak out.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Honda Civic Type R by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026000—
2025310—
2024010—
2023621—
2022000—
2021102060.2
2020110—
2019620—
2018Viewing520—
2017210—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.