Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 15 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1985 Honda Civic, most frequently naming the seat belts, engine and fuel system categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 1995 | 1 | 1 |
| May 1995 | 3 | 4 |
| Dec 1995 | 1 | 5 |
| Jan 1996 | 1 | 6 |
| Feb 1996 | 2 | 8 |
| Mar 1996 | 1 | 9 |
| Jun 1996 | 1 | 10 |
| Nov 1996 | 1 | 11 |
| Sep 1997 | 2 | 13 |
| Feb 2001 | 2 | 15 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
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.govVISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
DUE TO PRESSURE BUILD UP IN FUEL TANK VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, RESULTING MINOR INJURIES. *AK
TIRE TRACTION UNACCEPTABLY LOW. TIRES SPIN ON TAKE-OFF AND SKID ON ATTEMPTING TO STOP. THE PROBLEM IS TREMENDOUSLY WORSE ON WET ROAD THAN ON DRY ROAD, BUT STILL POSES DANGER EVEN ON DRY ROAD. THE PROBLEM IS ALSO GETTING WORSE AS THE TIRES GET OLDER. THEY WERE PURCHASED IN OCTOBER OF 1999. WHEN THE TIRES SLIDE OR SPIN, THEY MAKE VERY LITTLE NOISE AND LEAVE NO MARKS. THEY ARE ALSO SHOWING VIRTUALLY NO WEAR. THEY HAVE BEEN DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 14,000 MILES. *AK (TIRESIZE: 175/70R13)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 175/70R13 )
LEFT REAR UPPER CONTROL ARM DISCONNECTED FROM THE AXLE HOUSING ATTACHMENT POINT. ALSO SPRING ON SEAT NEARLY ROTTED OUT, AND SHOCK ABSORBER WAS NEARLY ROTTING OUT. *AK
ENGINE OVERHEATED TWICE DUE TO DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET. *AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE CAME OPEN UPON IMPACT AND DRIVER HIT THE STEERING WHEEL WITH HER CHEST. *AK
SON DRIVING VEHICLE, WENT ACROSS 4 LANES, STOPPED AT SIGN, PULLED ONTO MERIDIAN, BRAKES FAILED, PUMPED BRAKES HARD, NOT WORKING, FOUND BRAKE FLUID ON SEALS. *AK
DRIVING AT SPEED 65MPH, HOOD FLEW OPEN, CAUSING IMPACT 6:00 POSITION. *AK
THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT FAILURE. THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BOLT FAILED CAUSING THE SEAT TO MOVE BACKWARDS.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2026 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 44.1 |
| 2025 | 66 | 2 | 0 | 60.7 |
| 2024 | 116 | 3 | 1 | 62.6 |
| 2023 | 251 | 4 | 2 | 61.8 |
| 2022 | 878 | 4 | 2 | 59.3 |
| 2021 | 139 | 4 | 0 | 56.0 |
| 2020 | 219 | 5 | 0 | 58.8 |
| 2019 | 416 | 4 | 0 | 56.5 |
| 2018 | 725 | 6 | 0 | 58.8 |
| 2017 | 579 | 6 | 0 | 56.4 |
| 2016 | 1,071 | 5 | 0 | 55.2 |
| 2015 | 377 | 1 | 2 | 53.9 |
| 2014 | 290 | 2 | 2 | 61.2 |
| 2013 | 316 | 0 | 2 | 51.1 |
| 2012 | 454 | 3 | 2 | 61.8 |
| 2011 | 168 | 9 | 0 | 58.8 |
| 2010 | 396 | 8 | 0 | 54.2 |
| 2009 | 395 | 8 | 0 | 56.3 |
| 2008 | 916 | 7 | 0 | 52.1 |
| 2007 | 1,204 | 9 | 0 | 49.6 |
| 2006 | 1,402 | 15 | 0 | 52.6 |
| 2005 | 314 | 15 | 4 | 69.1 |
| 2004 | 350 | 15 | 3 | 65.2 |
| 2003 | 499 | 24 | 6 | 67.3 |
| 2002 | 702 | 24 | 4 | 66.3 |
| 2001 | 1,079 | 27 | 4 | 65.9 |
| 2000 | 287 | 18 | 0 | 61.9 |
| 1999 | 338 | 15 | 0 | 58.6 |
| 1998 | 435 | 18 | 1 | 62.9 |
| 1997 | 373 | 16 | 1 | 63.1 |
| 1996 | 305 | 17 | 2 | 66.2 |
| 1995 | 199 | 12 | 0 | 64.9 |
| 1994 | 135 | 14 | 0 | 65.0 |
| 1993 | 146 | 13 | 1 | 65.9 |
| 1992 | 98 | 13 | 1 | 65.1 |
| 1991 | 110 | 8 | 3 | 65.0 |
| 1990 | 91 | 10 | 3 | 67.8 |
| 1989 | 69 | 6 | 3 | 68.3 |
| 1988 | 46 | 8 | 3 | 63.2 |
| 1987 | 39 | 3 | 3 | 65.3 |
| 1986 | 35 | 3 | 3 | 62.6 |
| 1985Viewing | 15 | 2 | 0 | 59.8 |
| 1984 | 5 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1983 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1982 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1981 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1979 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 1978 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1973 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
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.