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2013 Honda Civic Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints 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.
316
+1 complaint in 30 days
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.
30
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
15
Reports on file since Feb 2, 2013

What this page shows

Our database holds 316 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2013 Honda Civic. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

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

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–25 of 316 · page 1 of 13

Airbags
Filed Aug 10, 2026

Receiving an error message to check my air bag system. Did show - which shows two error codes B0001-13 and B0002-13. Both of which are related to the driver’s side air bag. Spoke to the local Honda dealership which advised me the this issue isn’t covered under a recall or extended warranty - BUT the same issue is covered for passenger side air bags. This MAKES no sense when it is a KNOWN issue - for Honda to not fix both sides of the air bags. My Honda Civic has around 36,000 miles on it.

NHTSA ID
11756064
Incident
Aug 10, 2026
Airbags
Filed Jul 14, 2026

Air Bag light is on. Dealer said it it probably just a faulty relay switch and turned it off. It came back on. I'm listing the date as today, but this has been going on for over 5 years, no incident, but why is light on? I do not trust the airbag system.

NHTSA ID
11750205
Incident
Jul 14, 2026
BrakesElectrical
Filed Jun 23, 2026

The ABS misfired and locked my brakes without warning during normal driving. This was without pumping the brakes or any engagement of the brake system.

NHTSA ID
11745914
Incident
Jun 17, 2026
Airbags
Filed Jun 22, 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the driver’s side air bag warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the air bag inflater needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 92,000.

NHTSA ID
11745722
Incident
Mar 1, 2026
Mileage
92,000 mi
ElectricalEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 22, 2026

car inverter failure, 2013 civic hybrid inverter recall for said year but refuse to include in recall lemon

NHTSA ID
11732997
Incident
Apr 13, 2026
Airbags
Filed Mar 19, 2026

I bought a 2013 Honda Civic used off the first and only owner, got it at about 98,000 miles. A month later the check airbag system light came on. Brought it to the mechanic down the road from me and it threw a B0001-13 code - driver side airbags faulty. I ran my VIN and it looks like there are no recalls, although there is an investigation into airbag deflators for cars from this year. Really frustrated as I paid a lot of money of this car and was hoping to move to Arizona with it. Now I'm scared to take it down the block.

NHTSA ID
11725498
Incident
Mar 18, 2026
AirbagsExterior lightingSuspension
Filed Feb 16, 2026
Crash reported5 injuries reported

A drunk driver hit my car along with six others, and my car spun into the highway wall and totaled the car with an impact probably 40 or 50 mph and airbags did not go off

NHTSA ID
11718337
Incident
Feb 14, 2026
BrakesElectrical
Filed Jan 28, 2026

I am writing to express my frustration and disappointment regarding the ongoing VSA/ABS module failure in my 2013 Honda Civic Si. This issue, common among Honda vehicles from 2013–2017, has caused significant stress, both financially and emotionally. The ABS module in my vehicle has malfunctioned, affecting the vehicle’s anti-lock braking and stability assist systems. This is a serious safety concern, as the failure could impair the car’s ability to brake effectively, especially in adverse driving conditions. The failure of this critical component puts my safety, and the safety of others, at risk.I took my car to two separate service centers, a certified Honda dealer and a Honda tuner shop, both of which confirmed the ABS module failure. They quoted over $2,200 for installation and reprogramming of a new module, which itself costs approximately $1,800. The car has had recurring ABS and VSA warning lights for several weeks prior to the issue becoming critical, and I was not informed by Honda about any recalls or known issues with the module. But this is common. As a loyal Honda customer, I am extremely disappointed that I have to shoulder the cost of what seems to be a widespread design flaw. I am requesting that Honda take responsibility for this issue and assist in covering the repair costs, as this is not an isolated problem but a defect in vehicles from this generation.

NHTSA ID
11713974
Incident
Dec 12, 2025
Airbags
Filed Dec 22, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the driver’s side inflator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 47,412.

NHTSA ID
11706507
Incident
Dec 22, 2024
Mileage
47,412 mi
Electrical
Filed Dec 19, 2025

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 Honda Civic. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 113,000. The contact paid for the vehicle in full, and when the Title arrived, it was later discovered that the mileage on the Title was 224,000. The contact reached out to the dealer. However, the dealer had not responded.

NHTSA ID
11706099
Incident
Dec 12, 2025
Mileage
224,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Dec 6, 2025

The light for the air bag came on. I have not been in an accident. But this is the car of my 16 year old daughter. I did some research it looks like once the light come on the air bags may not deploy if in an accident. It is a sensor problem. Thank goodness she has not been in an accident but this is definitely a concern.

NHTSA ID
11703402
Incident
Nov 27, 2025
BrakesElectricalEngine
Filed Nov 25, 2025

I was driving 35 MPH toward a busy intersection when I lost my brakes and power. A service message “IMA CHECK SYSTEMS” light lit up on the dash. I lost brakes and power while entering an intersection putting myself and other drivers in danger of an accident narrowly missing a container truck. The car shut off with my front end in the intersection. I was able to restart the car and drive it to the nearest garage. They connected the code machine to the vehicle showing “P1437.” I then had my car towed to the nearest Honda dealership. They told me my VIN was not listed under service bulletin 20-030 even though my car fit all of the parameters and showed the same code(s). After giving me a quote of $1900+ to fix the issue, they are claiming to have fixed the problem but I am questioning if the real issues were fixed and if I am responsible for any costs.

NHTSA ID
11701597
Incident
Oct 30, 2025
Other / unspecified
Filed Nov 8, 2025

The lugnuts on the driver’s side front wheel must have become loose somehow. I was driving along and noticed a strange thumping sound. Before I could pull over the wheel became detached and was rolling away. I pulled off safely and called a tow truck. The tires were last rotated by Annapolis Honda 6 months prior to the date of the accident (11.4.25). The damage estimate – the front brakes and rotors need to be replaced. Also body damage to the front left quarter-panel and front bumper. Likely at least $4,000 in total costs. There were no warning lights, the vehicle was repaired at AAA car care center in Annapolis, MD and Caliber Collision in Edgewater, MD.

NHTSA ID
11698321
Incident
Nov 4, 2025
ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed Sep 22, 2025

The hybrid motor DC to DC convert failed. When this fails it stops providing 12 V power to the rest of the vehicle resulting in multiple systems stopping or working very slowly. This vehicle does not have a traditional alternator. There was a TSB and an extended warranty offered to some models, but not all included in the VIN range for this vehicle. The vehicle was scanned and pulls the same codes as the TSB notes as the issue.

NHTSA ID
11688991
Incident
Aug 27, 2025
Brakes
Filed Sep 21, 2025

Several warning lights on the dashboard illuminated: powersteering warning, ABS system warning, VSA warning. We had to pay almost $300 for dealer diagnostics which advised our ABS VSA module must be replaced, reprogrammed and brake fluid bleed otherwise our ABS brake system would fail. There are hundreds of similar complaints on-line of Honda owners with the exact issue costing over $3000 to make the repair. It will cost us almost $2600 for the repair. This appears to be a defect in Honda's VSA Module circuitboard across several models (Accord, Civic).

NHTSA ID
11688767
Incident
Sep 11, 2025
Airbags
Filed May 27, 2025
Crash reported2 injuries reported

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the contact was rear-ended by another vehicle, which caused the contact to crash forward into another vehicle. The contact and their spouse were taken to a local emergency room to be evaluated. The contact and their spouse sustained multiple injuries, such as whiplash and back injuries. In addition, the contact's spouse sustained an arm injury. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID
11663184
Incident
May 27, 2025
Mileage
70,000 mi
AirbagsBody & structureBrakes
Filed May 1, 2025
1 injury reported

I stepped on brakes and airbags opened up on my steering wheels made me hit

NHTSA ID
11658235
Incident
Apr 1, 2025
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 24, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to respond. The check emission system and check transmission system warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 65 MPH, the vehicle was losing motive power, jerking, and was slow to respond. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who removed and replaced the speed sensor. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic who sprayed the wires and thought it would repair the vehicle; however, the warning light illuminated again. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,156.

NHTSA ID
11656543
Incident
Mar 24, 2025
Mileage
75,156 mi
Interior & seatsOther / unspecified
Filed Mar 19, 2025

I got a recall on car seat from amazon where i bought it an others

NHTSA ID
11649280
Incident
Mar 19, 2025
Brakes
Filed Jan 13, 2025

The ABS module is defective. I was told by the auto repair shop that he has been getting a lot of Honda vehicles that have defective ABS modules and that it should have a recall on this vehicle. This is dangerous for my vehicle to be on the road. The auto place is having a hard time finding a replacement part for my car. If this is happening to many other cars this should be a recall.

NHTSA ID
11635587
Incident
Jan 9, 2025
BrakesSteering
Filed Dec 29, 2024

Wheel bearing

NHTSA ID
11632953
Incident
Apr 3, 2024
Seat belts
Filed Nov 4, 2024

The driver seatbelt, the portion that accepts the buckle when you "buckle up" has become sloppy over time with excessive free play. This part is free to wobble around. I feel this is a passenger safety risk. The restraint and crash systems in a car work together, and with excessive ship and play in the restraint system, it could experience unexpected forces leading to an interesting or improperly restrained driver. I have spoken to two dealership service departments and neither of them actually inspected the seatbelt, I was only told it would not be replaced under warranty. I told them it is a safety issue, but they do not budge. The seatbelt was inspected by my mechanic who said the part would need replaced, saying there is excessive slop and play in the restraint system. No warning lamps or codes, airbags have never deployed, clean title. Going back to Honda dealer tomorrow to have them actually inspect the restaurant system and put in writing that they aren't willing to replace or repair it, when I went yesterday, neither of the two dealership service departments even visually inspected my seatbelt.

NHTSA ID
11623564
Incident
Nov 4, 2024
Filed Aug 30, 2024

Intelligent inverter unit need replace, there was a recall on Honda Civics with this problem. "But our civic was not on the recall list, which it should have been no reason was given why it was not, it fit all the recall criteria but was not recalled. Could have broken down on the highway in an unsafe area. Sterling Honda inspected the unit and said it needed to be replaced, which we did at a cost of $2500. Would like to know why it was not recalled. It fit all the recall criteras.

NHTSA ID
11611823
Incident
Jul 9, 2024
Airbags
Filed Aug 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed front driver's side air bag clock spring and inflator. The contact was informed that the front driver's side air bag clock spring and inflator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

NHTSA ID
11605901
Incident
Apr 1, 2024
Mileage
99,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jul 26, 2024

Recently purchased vehicle. When test driving airbag light did not light. Now airbag light goes on intermittently indicating fault in srs airbag protection system. Multiple owners of this vehicle have reported this problem on this make and model on internet.

NHTSA ID
11604633
Incident
Jul 26, 2024

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.

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