RoadVitals

2013 Honda Civic Interior & seats Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Interior & seats reportsComplaints 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.
16
Latest Mar 19, 2025
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
5%
of 316 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
3

What this page shows

Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2013 Honda Civic submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 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.

Owner reports naming interior

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

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
Interior & seats
Filed Mar 9, 2019

THE LEATHER IN THE MIDDLE CONSOLE AND THE LEFT ARM REST ARE PULLED BACK FOR JUST RESTING THE ARM THERE.

NHTSA ID
11185547
Incident
Feb 14, 2014
Interior & seats
Filed Aug 12, 2018
1 injury reported

THE HONDA HEAD RESTRAIN IS UNCOMFORTABLE AND CAUSING A DISC BULGE IN MY NECK AT C-5/C-6. BASICALLY, THE HEAD RESTRAINT IS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THE HEAD FROM INJURY IN A READ-END COLLISION, HOWEVER I HAVE BEEN INJURED JUST BY SITTING IN THE SEAT. HONDA DOES NOT PROVIDE REPLACEMENT HEAD RESTRAIN OR ADJUSTABLE HEAD RESTRAINT, WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE DRIVER THE OPTION TO HAVE A VERTICAL INSTEAD OF FORWARD TILTED HEAD RESTRAINT/HEAD REST.

NHTSA ID
11119504
Incident
Jan 1, 2015
Mileage
60,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Mar 14, 2017

HEAD RESTRAINTS ARE EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE AND CAUSE BACK AND NECK PAIN. NO WAY TO ADJUST THE SEAT OF RESTRAINTS ENOUGH TO ALLEVIATE THE DISCOMFORT.

NHTSA ID
10965921
Incident
Mar 1, 2017
Interior & seats
Filed Feb 27, 2016

DRIVER'S SEAT IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. AFTER DRIVING ONLY A FEW MILES MY BACK AND LEGS BEGIN TO ACHE BECAUSE OF THE POOR SEAT CUSHION DESIGN, THE CONCAVE SEAT BACK WITHOUT ANY LUMBAR SUPPORT, AND THE FORWARD LEANING HEAD RESTRAINT THAT KEEPS ME FROM STRAIGHTENING MY BACK WHILE STILL MAINTAINING CONTACT WITH THE SEAT BACK. I'M TEMPTED TO REMOVE THE HEAD RESTRAINT TO REDUCE THE PAIN SOMEWHAT. NO MANUFACTURER OR DEALERSHIP REPAIRS HAVE BEEN REQUESTED BECAUSE HONDA APPARENTLY DOES NOT SEE THIS AS A PROBLEM THAT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY.

NHTSA ID
10838758
Incident
Sep 25, 2013
Mileage
100 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Dec 14, 2015

HEADREST TO FAR FORWARD, CAUSING NECK PAIN.

NHTSA ID
10810069
Incident
Dec 2, 2015
Mileage
20,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Sep 25, 2015

THE HEAD RESTRAINT AND SEAT ARE AWFUL. NECK IS SO FAR PUSHED FORWARD, IT GOES NUMB, GETS STIFF, TRAVELS TO THE REST OF BODY. GET INCREDIBLY DIZZY AFTER DRIVING. LEGS GET STIFF AND NUMB FROM NO LOWER LUMBAR SUPPORT. NEVER HAD ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE TO THIS ISSUE BEFORE PURCHASING CAR. I'M A TRAINER, LIVE A VERY ACTIVE LIFE. MY QUALITY OF LIFE HAS DECREASED DUE TO PAIN AND SUFFERING FROM THIS VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID
10777766
Incident
May 12, 2015
Mileage
29,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed May 27, 2015

EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS FRONT SEATS. CAN NOT ADJUST SEATS TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. SITTING IN THEM FOR MORE THAN 30 MINUTES CAUSES SEVERE LOWER BACK PAIN AND DISCOMFORT.

NHTSA ID
10721598
Incident
Mar 30, 2015
Mileage
21,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Mar 5, 2015
1 injury reported

THE HEAD RESTRAINT IS UNCOMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO CAUSE SEVER NECK PAIN/INJURY FOR ME. TO PROTECT FROM WHIP LASH THE DESIGN IS DONE IN WAY TO CAUSE INJURY TO NECK. THIS IS REALLY BAD, MANY ARE GOING TO END UP IN THERAPY OR ORTHOPEDICS DUE TO POOR DESIGN LIKE ME :-( *TR

NHTSA ID
10692234
Incident
Nov 11, 2014
Mileage
14,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Oct 30, 2014

THE REGULATIONS ON SEAT HEAD RESTS HAVE TO BE CHANGED. I LIKE TO SIT WITH MY SEAT BACK UP WHICH FORCES THE HEAD REST INTO THE BACK OF MY HEAD FORCING MY HEAD INTO A DOWNWARD POSITION. I ENDURED CONSTANT BACK PAIN BECAUSE OF THE CAR. I ENDED UP SELLING MY CIVIC SI BECAUSE IT WAS SO UNCOMFORTABLE AND BUYING AN OLDER VERSA. IF I HADN'T SOLD IT, I WOULD HAVE BENT THE ACTUAL BARS BACK PROBABLY AFFECTING THEIR STRENGTH. IN FACT, FOR A WHILE I HAD TO DRIVE WITH THE HEADREST TURNED AROUND JUST SO THE CAR WAS BEARABLE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10651520
Incident
Oct 30, 2014
Mileage
15,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Jun 29, 2014

I OWN A 2013 HONDA. I JUST FOUND THIS NHTSA WEBSITE TO REGISTER COMPLAINTS. WHEN I SIT IN A CAR, I SIT CORRECTLY, WITH THE SEAT FAIRLY UPRIGHT AND MY SHOULDERS AGAINST THE SEAT BACK. WHEN I DO THIS IN THE 2013 HONDA, AND ALL NEW CARS I HAVE SAT IN, MY HEAD IS FORCED FORWARD AND DOWN IN A VERY UNNATURAL, UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION. THE ONLY WAY I CAN LOOK AT THE ROD IS TO LIFT MY SHOULDERS OFF THE SEAT BACK, AND THEN MY ENTIRE UPPER BODY WEIGHT IS SUPPORTED BY MY NECK. THE PROBLEM IS THE HEADREST IS AT LEAST 1 INCH TOO FAR FORWARD. MY WIFE CANNOT SIT IN THE CAR FOR MORE THAT 30 MINUTES WITHOUT GETTING A HEADACHE. MY WIFE IS A PHYSIOTHERAPIST WITH 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE. HER COMMENT IS THAT THE HEADRESTS ARE FORCING US TO SIT IN ERGONOMICALLY INCORRECT POSITIONS. OLDER CARS HAD VERTICAL HEADRESTS THAT DID NOT CAUSE THIS PROBLEM. I UNDERSTAND THE NEW HEADREST POSITIONS ARE DUE TO NHTSA REGULATIONS PHASED IN 2009 TO PREVENT WHIPLASH. THE ONLY WAY I CAN DRIVE MY CAR NOW IS TO PULL THE HEADREST OUT AND PUT THEM IN BACKWARDS. THIS OBVIOUSLY RESULTS IN LESS WHIPLASH PROTECTION THAN EVEN THE OLD VERTICAL HEADRESTS FROM A WEB SEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THAT MANY OTHER CAR OWNERS ARE BEING FORCED TO DO THE SAME THING. NOW IN MANY NEW CARS YOU CANNOT REMOVE THE HEADREST TO TURN IT AROUND. BECAUSE OF THIS NHTSA RULING I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BUY A NEW CAR, AND THE CAR I DRIVE IS NOT SAFE IN THE CASE OF A REAR END COLLISION. (NOTE: I LIVE IN CANADA BUT AM AFFECTED BY THIS NHTSA RULING. THE ZIP CODE AND PHONE NUMBER BELOW ARE NOT VALID, AS ONLY US INFORMATION IS ALLOWED IN THESE FIELDS). *TR

NHTSA ID
10606747
Incident
Jun 20, 2014
Interior & seats
Filed May 25, 2014
1 injury reported

THE HEAD RESTRAINTS ON THIS MODEL OF CIVIC ( AND OTHER 2012-2014 ), POSSIBLY OTHER MODELS SUCH AS THE ACCORD ARE ANGLED SO FORWARD TO PREVENT WHIPLASH, TO THE ORDER OF -150MM. THESE PUSH THE HEAD OF THE DRIVER WAY FORWARD, FORCING INTO A POSTURE WHERE THE HEAD IS BENT FORWARD. TO AVOID THIS THE SEAT HAS TO BE RECLINED BACK, WHERE IN BACK HAS NO SUPPORT AND THE DRIVER IS BENT LIKE A "C" TRYING TO REACH THE STEERING. THIS HAS CAUSED SERVE BACK PROBLEMS, AND ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS WITH THE BACK, NECK AND SHOULDER. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM AND REPORTED BY MULTIPLE CUSTOMERS, YET HONDA DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS OR PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE OR SOLUTION. HONDA HAS MADE THIS TO LOOK THEIR SAFETY NUMBERS GOOD , TO COMPENSATE FOR OTHER WEEK AREAS , WHERE THE OVERALL SAFETY RATING INCREASES. HONDA'S ASIAN MODELS OF THE VERY SAME CARS, DON'T HAVE SUCH FORWARD FORCING HEAD RESTS. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVABLE FOR MORE THAN 30 MINUTES AT A STRETCH AND IT TAKES DAYS TO RECOVER ONCE THE PAIN SETS IN. TOOK THE CAR BACK THE DEALER, THEY SUGGESTED REMOVING THE HEADREST ALL TOGETHER OR TURNING IS BACK, WHERE THE DISTANCE IS AROUND +150MM, WHICH IS NOT GOOD IN PREVENTING A WHIPLASH AT ALL. THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSED HEALTH ISSUES, MULTIPLE DOCTOR VISITS, TIME LOST AND ASSOCIATED COSTS WITH THE DOCTORS VISITS AND TESTS. SAFETY IS GOOD, BUT THIS HAS GONE IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, TO PROTECT FROM WHIPLASH IS GOOD, BUT THIS DESIGN IS INDUCING PROBLEMS WITHOUT ANY ACCIDENTS. IT TAKES DAYS TO RECOVER ONCE THE PAIN SETS IN. URGE, SOMEONE PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AND FORCE THE MANUFACTURERS TO ADDRESS THE WHIPLASH SAFETY IN A RIGHT WAY, INSTEAD OF CUTTING CORNERS AND TAKING THE EASY WAY OUT, THERE BY AFFECTING THE HEALTH OF THE CONSUMERS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10593945
Incident
Oct 10, 2013
Mileage
300 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Nov 15, 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPRINGS IN THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER'S SIDE SEATS WERE PROTRUDING OUT FROM THE CUSHION OF THE SEATS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE SEATS WERE FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000.

NHTSA ID
10552419
Incident
Nov 15, 2013
Mileage
1,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Oct 26, 2013

THE HEAD RESTRAINTS ON THE 2013 HONDA CIVIC EX ARE ANGLED SO SHARPLY THAT THEY CAUSE NECK PAIN AND ARE A SEVERE DISTRACTION WHILE DRIVING. THE IMMEDIATE SOLUTION IS TO TURN THEM AROUND, WHICH RENDER THEM MUCH LESS EFFECTIVE, THUS CREATING A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE (BUT THAT'S WHAT JUST ABOUT EVERYONE I TALKED TO SUGGESTED AND/OR HAS ALREADY DONE.) THE OTHER SOLUTION IS TO HAVE THEM MODIFIED, WHICH IS ANOTHER SAFETY ISSUE. MY CALCULATION IS THAT THEY NEED TO BE TILTED BACK AT LEAST 15 DEGREES, BUT MOST LIKELY 20. *TR

NHTSA ID
10549639
Incident
Oct 26, 2013
Mileage
750 mi
EngineInterior & seatsSuspension
Filed Oct 23, 2013

SEVERE MOTION SICKNESS WHEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE; THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A "SMALL CAR" PROBLEM BUT IT WAS PERSISTENT ALL THE WAY TO CHICAGO AND BACK TO SAN FRANCISCO. BASICALLY, A ROLLER COASTER RIDE AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS AND SUSPECT THAT IT IS A FAULTY SUSPENSION DESIGN. ENGINE (WOULD STALL AND THEN QUICKLY ACCELERATE PROBLEM) AND DRIVER WIPED OUT AFTER ABOUT EIGHT THOUSAND MILES. THE SEAT DESIGN IS EXTREMELY POOR AND CAUSES PINCHED NERVES FOR PASSENGER AND DRIVER. MAYBE THE CAR IS JUST GOOD FOR LOCAL SHORT DRIVES AND THE YOUNGER CROWD...WAS SUPPOSED TO GET MY OLD, TRADE-IN VEHICLE BACK BUT HONDA SERVICE RAN OFF WITH THE CAR AND I SOLD IT ON EBAY/PAYPAL BUT GOT ENTANGLED IN MORE FRAUD (VARIOUS LOAN FRAUDS BY HONDA AND THEN THE EBAY BUYER RAN A SCAM AND NEVER PAID FOR THE CAR ACCORDING TO PAYPAL). SO, THEN THE CAR GOT STOLEN BY THE SCAM LOAN COMPANY ASSOCIATED WITH HONDA...A TOTAL BAD EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS DEFECTIVE CAR DESIGN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10549275
Incident
Sep 13, 2013
Mileage
5,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Aug 29, 2013

THE HEADRESTS ON THIS CAR ARE SUCH THAT THEY PUSH DOWN THE HEADS OF BOTH DRIVERS ! THEY LEAN FORWARD MUCH TOO MUCH ! WE ARE 5'6" TALL AND 4'11" TALL. THEY WOULD BE MUCH BETTER IF THEY WERE JUST FLAT RATHER THAN CANTED FORWARD. VERY POOR DESIGN. THEY DON'T PROTECT "ANYTHING" IF THEY ARE TURNED AROUND SO THAT ONE CAN ACTUALLY DRIVE THE CAR !!!

NHTSA ID
10537926
Incident
Aug 29, 2013

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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Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .