Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2012 Honda Civic submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 35 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 35, in the owner's own words
I purchased a vehicle from a private seller on offer up. The seller stated the vehicle was clean title, he also stated the vehicle was low mileage with 112,000. When I got the vehicle the tire sensor was showing on the dash and the air bag sensor. After purchasing the vehicle I later found out the vehicle was salvage, and the mileage is also roughly 180,000 miles or more.
Paint defect. Paint faded and clouded on vehicle due to cheap paint used during manufacturing. I was never notified about the extended warranty. I contacted Honda and let them know, but was told the warranty ended. I financed my vehicle through American Honda for 5 years, and serviced my vehicle via Honda dealerships. Never did this come up as a possible repair that I could have fixed by them. I was told that Honda used a third party to contact owners.
The exhaust pipe fell off the catalytic converter. Upon some research on the internet, I have found that this is a common issue for this specific car model.
Sunroof exploded upwards. Nothing hit the sunroof and there was no existing damage
There is a "metal" splash guard (approx. 2ft x 2ft) under the engine that is secured by 4 steel bolts/screws and steel U-Clips. If the metal splash guard falls off it could puncture the gas tank, cut gas and brake lines or take someone's head off. This guard is more than just a piece of thin tin. The Bolts/Clips secure the metal guard to the remaining "plastic" splash guard under the rest of the car (metal probably needed for engine heat reasons). I noticed the missing metal plate after a Honda Dealer's oil change. I thought that they might have accidently forgotten to replace it after the oil change, but was told that was not the case (I got the impression that it was not uncommon for these metal splash guards to fall off). The oil filter and drain plug access requires removal of this metal plate during service. My metal plate fell off due to rusted through bolts/screws because 3 of the metal clips stayed in place and were very rusted. The dealer replacement parts were expensive, something like >> bolts-clips $10 x 4 = $40 plus approx $30 for the metal plate $70 total. Honda had to order the metal plate to be delivered later. Once the plate arrived at the Dealership they contacted me and I went to them, where they replaced the plate for free, but to add insult to injury, the Honda technician used two plastic zip ties instead of steel bolts and clips because they didn't have enough of the correct bolts/clips (should be secured by 4 steel bolts/clips). They never bothered to tell me about the zip ties and I only found out a few days later after looking under my car. I found similar bolts/clips at a Home Depot store and, on a return trip to the Honda Dealer, had Honda replace the 2 zip ties and Honda's 2 bolts/clips with 4 new "Stainless Steel" bolts/S.S. washers and 4 new steel U-Clips (I could not find Stainless Steel U-Clips).
Paint on the Vehicle is chipping off and getting oxidized. It started happening an year ago and its never ending. We are able to see the patches almost everywhere on the body of the car.
About 2 years ago, I purchased my first Honda, on September 2019. It looked perfect. However, for the past 10 months its paint has been fading, specially on the car top. Now my car is looking absolutely aweful. If Honda does not fix this problem, I will switch back to Toyota because I never had this problem before.
On the roof of my car the clearcoat/paint is fading off really bad. It’s in different spots all over.
THE PAINT IS PEELING ALL OVER MY CAR ESPECIALLY THE ROOF AND TRUNK
CAR CLEAR COAT IS COMING OFF ON THE TRUNK AND ROOF IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. IN AREAS WHERE THE CLEAR COAT IS GONE, THE PAINT IS NOW COMING OFF. VEHICLE IS A 2012 HONDA CIVIC PURCHASED NEW IN 2011. THE PROBLEM FIRST STARTED IN 2018 APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS AFTER EXTENDED PAINT WARRANTY EXPIRED. I CONTACTED HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR COSTS AND SAID THERE WAS NO KNOWN PAINT DEFECT FOR MY VEHICLE YEAR/MODEL. THE PAINT IS DEGRADING AT AN ALARMING RATE. THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS 7 YEARS OLD. THE PROBLEM IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I HAVE OWNED 2 OTHER HONDA'S AND NEVER HAD A PAINT ISSUE. THE NUMEROUS WEBSITES AND FACEBOOK GROUPS DEDICATED TO HONDA PAINT PROBLEMS SUGGESTS THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT THAT HONDA HAS CHOSEN NOT TO ADDRESS. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN FLORIDA AND WAS PREVIOUSLY IN ILLINOIS AND MARYLAND. THE CAR WAS TYPICALLY WASHED ONCE A MONTH AT A CAR WASH OR BY HAND AND WAXED AT LEAST TWICE PER YEAR. SINCE THE PROBLEM STARTED, I NO LONGER WASH THE EXTERIOR SINCE THAT EXACERBATES THE PAINT DEGRADATION.
FADING PAINT ON HOOD, ROOF, AND TRUCK OF THE VEHICLE. NOT ONLY HAVE I SEEN THE FADING OF PAINT ON MY CAR, BUT ON MANY MANY OTHER VEHICLES THE SAME ISSUE. I BELIEVE HONDA DID A VERY POOR PAINT JOB ON THESE VEHICLES.
PAINT COMING OFF OF CAR. WAS TOLD I WAS NOTIFIED BY A LETTER IN MAIL. NEVER WAS. ASKED FOR WHEN IT WAS MAILED, ASKED RIP WHAT ADDRESS IT WAS SENT AND ALSO ASKED FOR A COPY OF THIS SUPPOSED NOTIFICATION TO BE EMAILED TO ME. WAS TOLD BY MULTIPLE HONDA PEOPLE THEY DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.... IT'S BECAUSE THEY DID NOT SEND IT. I WAS NEVER TOLD THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN BY ANYONE !
I LEASED A HONDA CIVIC 2012-2015 , IN 2015 I BOUGHT THE CIVIC THAT I HAD LEASED FOR 3 YEARS. IN 2018 I STARTED TO NOTICE THE PAINT WAS LOOKING DULL IN CERTAIN SPOTS AND STARTING TO SHOW A WHITE RING LIKE I DUMPED SALT FOR MELTING ICE ALL OVER IT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD I MISSED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ON GETTING MY CIVIC PAINTED AND THAT I WAS NOTIFIED BY MAIL ABOUT THE PAINT ISSUE. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTICE FROM ANYONE REGARDING THE PAINT COMING OFF OF MY CAR. I ASKED THE DEALER AND HONDA SEVERAL TIMES NOW TO TELL ME WHEN AND TO WHAT ADDRESS THE NOTICE WAS SENT AND TO EMAIL THE SUPPOSED NOTICE THAT WAS MAILED. NOBODY CAN ANSWER ME. SUPPOSEDLY IT'S THROUGH A 3RD PARTY WHICH THEY COULDN'T TELL ME THE NAME OF. I JUST PAID OFF MY 30,000 $ CAR THAT NOW IS WORTH MARBLES BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE GARBAGE. I CAN'T TRADE IT IN OR SELL IT BECAUSE IT LOOKS HORRIBLE AND NOBODY WANTS A CAR THAT'S MISSING PAINT EVERYWHERE. IT'S NOW 2020, I WENT ONLINE TO INVESTIGATE AND TURNS OUT HONDA HAS BEEN SELLING THIS DEFECTIVE PAINT/CLEARCOAT TO PEOPLE FOR DECADES, SAYS THEY NOTIFIED THEIR CUSTOMERS, EVEN THOUGH THEY DID NOT, AND TRIES TO MAKE A DEAL WITH YOU TO PAY MORE MONEY TO THEM ON A CAR THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE NEVER SOLD YOU TO BEGIN WITH. MY OFFER, FROM HONDA, WAS TO PAINT MY CAR, MINUS THE HOOD, FOR 600.00$ THEY NEED IT FOR 7-8 BUSINESS DAYS AND I HAVE TO GET AND PAY FOR MY OWN RENTAL. WHEN THEY GAVE ME THIS NONSENSE OFFER, THEY THEN TOLD ME I ONLY HAVE 30 DAYS TO SCHEDULE OR THEIR OFFER WAS OFF THE TABLE AND I PAY FULL PRICE MYSELF WITH NO ASSISTANCE FROM THEM. I WANT TO KNOW WHO , WHEN AND TO WHAT ADDRESS THIS SUPPOSED NOTICE ABOUT MY CAR LOOKING LIKE JUNK IN THE FUTURE WAS SENT. I WANT HONDA TO FIX THE ISSUE IN FULL BECAUSE IT'S THEIR FAULT. I ALSO WANT TO JOIN A CLASS ACTION SUIT WITH OTHERS GETTING SCREWED BY HONDA.
PAINT IS PEELING WHERE THE REAR WINDOW MEETS THE ROOF. JUST NOTICED, NOT SURE HOW LONG IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING.
THE PROBLEM IS ON TOP OF THE CAR AROUND REAR WINDSHIELD. THE PAIN IS GONE DURING A COUPLE MONTHS. IT IS WHITE RIGHT NOW.
THE SUNROOF ON MY 2012 HONDA CIVIC SUNROOF WON'T CLOSE. IT GETS STUCK AND IT DOES A CLICKING SOUND. BASED ON PREVIOUS FORUM PAGES THIS ISSUES IS ONGOING WITH MANY OTHER CARS WITH THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR. HONDA REFUSES TO FIX THE ISSUE. THIS ISSUE CAN LEAD TO WATER GETTING IN THE VEHICLE AND OTHER DEBRIS.
SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY ON 5/16/2017 @ 645 AM. TEMPERATURE WAS UPPER 60S WITH CALM WEATHER. THE GLASS COVERED THE FRONT SEATS OF THE VEHICLE.
DRIVING ON A RURAL HIGHWAY AND HIT A DEER. IMPACT BENT THE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE AIRBAG SENSOR COMPLETELY BACKWARDS AND INTO THE SENSOR ITSELF, WHICH CRACKED. AIRBAG NEVER DEPLOYED. NOW, POST REPAIR, AIRBAG WARNING AND LIGHT ARE ON CONSTANTLY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT A TAKATA RECALL IS, BUT PER HONDA'S WEBSITE I HAVE NO RECALLS. I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT ON 5/21 AROUND 2PM. I WAS DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT CITY ROAD CLOSE TO GETTING ON THE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 25MPH. THE WOMAN WHO WAS DRIVING NEXT TO ME "DIDN'T SEE ME" AS SHE TURNED INTO MY LANE. SHE SCRAPED THE WHOLE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR THEN HER CAR LODGED INTO MY CAR NEAR WHERE THE DOOR & FRONT PART OF THE CAR MEET ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE CAR HIT RIGHT NEAT THE SIDE AIRBAG, BUT NONE OF THE AIRBAGS WENT OFF. THAT IS WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT. WHY DID NONE OF THE AIRBAGS GO OFF?
WHEN YOU BUY A NEW CAR YOU DON'T EXPECT TO HAVE ANY PROBLEMS, WELL THAT WASN'T THE CASE WITH ME. 1. WATER WAS LEAKING IN THE MOON ROOF ALL THE RUBBER HAD TO BE REPLACED 2. SO MUCH RUST BECAUSE OF LEAK 3. HEATING SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED WHEN YOU TURNED IT ON WOULD MAKE SUCH A LOUD NOISE IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE. DEALERSHIP SAID NEEDED A PART SPENT ALMOST A DAY AND THEN SAID NEED ANOTHER PART ,, CANT BELIEVE A NEW CAR NEEDS NEW PARTS. 4. TIRE SENSOR LIGHT KEPT COMING ON . 5.KEYS WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE EGNITION . 6. RIGHT SIDE OF THE WINDOW WOULD RATTLE BETWEEN THE DASHBOARD AND WINDOW, TOP OF VISOR.. 7.NEEDED NEW BATTERY 8. FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU. 9 SPENT MORE TIME GOING BACK AND FORTH TO DEALERSHIP WHICH I SHOULD HAVE NOT HAD TO DO THIS. 10. TOLD THE DEALERSHIP CAR MAKES A THUMBING NOISE WHEN YOU GO OVER A BUMP.WAS TOLD A DEFECTIVE RIGHT REAR SHOCK CAUSING THE THUMBING NOISE . 11. HAD TO REPLACE LIGHT BULB ON RIGHT SIDE. 12.SHOULD NOT , HAD ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS WITH A NEW CAR...
INVOLVED IN A HIT AND RUN ACCIDENT WHERE THE AIRBAG SENSORS WHERE HIT BUT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALL PANELS OF CAR HAD TO BE REPLACED. WE WHERE HIT GOING THRU AN INTERSECTION AND THE CAR RAN A RED LIGHT GOING 65 SIDESWIPED US INTO A WALL AND ELECTRICAL BOX....UPDATED 09/15/15 *BF UPDATED 11/13/2017*CN
DURING A MILD RAIN EVENT TODAY I DROVE MY CAR FOR NO MORE THAN 35 MINUTES AT NO MORE THAN 60 MPH. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION, I NOTICED A WET SPOT WHERE THE DRIVER'S SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG COVER MEETS THE INTERIOR ROOF COVER ALONG THE A PILLAR. I SUSPECT THAT WATER IS LEAKING IN NEAR THE JUNCTION OF THE WINDSHIELD AND ROOF RAIL SEAL AS THEY APPEAR TO HAVE DETERIORATED. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS LEAK WILL CAUSE A MALFUNCTION IN MY DRIVER SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG, A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. THE FOLLOWING YOUTUBE VIDEO DEMONSTRATES THE ISSUE PERFECTLY (HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=XIYZNF6IGBE). *TR
I WAS DRIVING A 2012 HONDA CIVIC WHEN THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP DUE TO SOMETHING IN THE ROAD. I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES AND TRIED TO AVOID THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME BY SWERVING TO THE RIGHT. THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE FRONT OF MY CAR HIT THE BACK OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY SMASHED IN THE FRONT. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. AFTER I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, MY CAR LIT ON FIRE. THE CAR WAS BURNED AND COMPLETELY DESTROYED. *JS
UPON IMPACT THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND I HAD 3 RIB FRACTURES AND A FRACTURED STERNUM. I AM CURRENTLY HAVING BURSAR KNEE PAIN. I WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM AND WAS LATER SENT TO A TRAUMA CENTER ER. I HAD ONE OVERNIGHT HOSPITALIZATION. *TR
SENSE THE DATE OF PURCHASE THE NOISE LEVEL FROM THE ROAD SURFACE INSIDE THE CAR HAS BEEN VARY LOUD. I DOWN LOADED A DB APP IN OUR IPHONE AND HAVE MEASURED SOUND LEVELS ABOVE 90DB. ON OUR RECENT VACATION ON HIGHWAY 197 BETWEEN THE DALLES AND BEND OR WHICH HAD BEEN JUST TAR&GRAVELED THE NOISE LEVEL WAS IN THE 90DB+ RANGE FOR CLOSE TO 4 HOURS. THIS NOISE LEVEL IS HAZARDOUS FOR ADULTS BUT EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN. I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER AND THEY BLAMED THE TIRES (WHICH ARE THE ORIGINALS), BUT THEY DID NOT REPLACE THEM. IT'S ILLEGAL FOR THE DRIVER TO WEAR HEAD PHONES OR EAR PLUGS IN CA. THE CAR SHOULD NOT REALLY ON SPECIAL TIRES TO MAINTAIN AN EXCEPT-ABLE NOISE LEVEL IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .