2014 Honda Civic Owner Complaints

I bought a 2014 Honda Civic LX at a used car dealership. The day after I bought it, the passenger-side occupant position sensor came on. I returned the car, and they reset it. It came on again, was reset, and when it came on again, it was replaced. The new one came on again. This time I took it to my Honda dealer, and they reset it. It came on again, and I've been living with it since.I am concerned it might go off unexpectedly or worse, not go off in a crash. I see other years have this as a recall, but my car doesn't come up with a recall.

NHTSA ID

11745427

Incident

Sep 8, 2025

UNKNOWN component/system issue; entirety of vehicle is available for inspection. Problem has been reproduced by independent service center. Vehicle has been inspected by independent service center and local Honda dealership. No warning lamps/messages or stores codes. 1. Vehicle shakes at idle; periodically jerks and lurches when driving (RPMs, current gear are not relevant, no correlation). 2. When letting off the gas to “coast,” vehicle drops in speed abruptly as if the brakes are being applied which results in a “jolt.” The consequence is the vehicle essentially braking without signal; gas pedal must be engaged at all times unless intending to brake. 3. Vehicle hesitates significantly when accelerating. Even at >80% compression of the gas pedal, the speed of the vehicle will not increase. Only at full compression will the vehicle shift gears and begin to gain in speed yet accompanied by rough shuttering and loud, “airy” sounding rev. This is outside of the operational characteristics expected with the CVT transmission. Moderate to severe safety concern. Notes: Oil and transmission fluid have been drained and replaced at the dealership both less than 3k miles ago. Spark plugs and ignition coils have all been replaced with Honda parts less than 1k miles ago.

NHTSA ID

11744572

Incident

Jun 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2014 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, the vehicle lost power steering assist, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was towed to a dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure had previously occurred, and the vehicle was repaired by a dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

NHTSA ID

11742333

Incident

Aug 20, 2025

Mileage

200,000 mi

Very infrequently the airbag light would briefly come on (solid, never flashing). It would only happen when turning the wheel counter clockwise, typically the wheel did not need to be turned very far for this to occur. The light would always go back off and no codes were found. On the night of 12/26/2025, I was driving onto the interstate (turning the wheel counterclockwise) when suddenly the passenger side curtain and passenger seat airbags deployed. My hearing went out, my windows fogged up, and I became disoriented. My vehicle briefly left the roadway and swerved into the narrow shoulder before I slowed down to a near stop. I resumed driving as there were vehicles approaching from behind. The vehicle has no impact damage and has never been in an accident. The airbags had stickers dating back to 2014 from when the vehicle was manufactured. The vehicle is rarely driven now as it is a safety concern.

NHTSA ID

11738449

Incident

Dec 26, 2025

Rpm slighting rising at low mph and it hesitates/jerks a bit

NHTSA ID

11735152

Incident

Apr 23, 2026

My Honda civic 2014 has a notice coming often in dashboard saying "Check airbag system". This car do not have major accident (only sight bumper hit on year 2022 on backside) and airbag never went off . Now the dealer was saying I need to pay for airbag change costing about $2,000. I think this airbag is defective and need further investigation.

NHTSA ID

11734071

Incident

Apr 2, 2026

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID

11722399

Incident

Dec 10, 2025

Knocking sound from engine

NHTSA ID

11719533

Incident

Feb 20, 2026

The Situation: My vehicle has an open safety recall, NHTSA #15V-574 (Honda Recall JU2). This recall specifically warns that a software error causes high stress on the CVT drive pulley shaft, which can result in the shaft breaking during operation. Because this recall was never performed on my vehicle, the drive pulley shaft has now failed exactly as described, rendering the transmission useless. Legal Basis for Total Replacement: 1. Consequential Damage: The software update (the original recall remedy) was designed to prevent physical breakage. Since that remedy was not provided, the physical hardware has now failed. A software update cannot fix a broken shaft; therefore, a total replacement of the transmission is the only viable remedy for this safety defect. 2. Federal Law: Under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, manufacturers must provide a remedy for safety defects free of charge. Because the unaddressed defect led to the total failure of the transmission, Honda is obligated to cover the cost of the replacement.

NHTSA ID

11706784

Incident

Dec 9, 2025

The contact owns a 2014 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission 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 135,000.

NHTSA ID

11705893

Incident

Dec 9, 2025

Mileage

135,000 mi

My car is BROKEN DOWN COMPLETELY. I take care of it extremely well! The transmission went. Out of no where. This needs to be apart of the recall for Transmission Software may Result in Pulley Damage. I’ve had to get the brakes and rotors completely replaced twice in a year and they need to be done AGAIN already. That’s not normal, for brakes to wear that fast. The electric seats do not work and there’s an issue electrically that the trunk keeps popping open I had to unplug it. The battery randomly kept draining over night for a period of a month, then started working regularly again. I want this car to be included in the recalls and I want assistance about my vehicle

NHTSA ID

11704866

Incident

Nov 26, 2025

The contact owns a 2014 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal clunking sound and lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle felt like the transmission was in neutral(N), and the front wheels were locked. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the message "Check Transmission" was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was undrivable and was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the pulley shaft and the drive belt were damaged. The mechanic determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V574000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 197,000.

NHTSA ID

11696651

Incident

Oct 16, 2025

Mileage

197,000 mi

Drive shaft front axel is rusted and broke in the middle, not by joint. I see there are recalls for this model, but not under my vin number. The way it broke is not how it would normally break. Which is giving me concern it is a faulty product from being built or if it was replaced due to a previous recall

NHTSA ID

11694452

Incident

Oct 15, 2025

Out of nowhere today started my car to go to work and it’s leaking fuel from the fuel pump area, only when it is running, pouring out fuel, I seen that some 2014 Honda Civic’s have a recall for fuel pump manufactured between January 2014 through November 2014 and mine was manufactured in February 2014 and I have this fuel pump leak issue, no recalls come up when I enter my VIN, but this has to be one of them, would only make sense.

NHTSA ID

11678963

Incident

Aug 6, 2025

Continental P 195/65 R 15. 89 H. The tire blew and the side wall on the outside on the passenger side front. It looks shredded on the side- not a normal blown tire look. We were in the right lane on a 3 lane highway so we were able to get off as soon as it blew. Our safety was at risk because we had to change tire on the side of a busy 3 lane highway and it was late on a sunday night so nothing was open to replace and had to drive 70 miles back home on a donut. It could've caused an accident. No known issues/warnings/messages/etc. I will never buy another Continental again.

NHTSA ID

11671487

Incident

Jul 6, 2025

While driving at high speed on the freeway at 65mph, my Honda Civic Hybrid experienced a sudden and complete electrical failure of the hybrid battery control module (IPU/MCM). This happened without any warning lamps, messages, or prior symptoms. The hybrid system instantly shut down, causing a dramatic loss of power and forcing me to pull off the road in high-speed traffic. This placed me and other drivers at serious risk of a high-speed collision due to the abrupt power loss and inability to accelerate. The failed component is still installed and available for inspection. The issue has since been diagnosed and confirmed by an independent hybrid specialist, who identified the malfunctioning IPU. I was told this exact failure is covered by Honda Service Bulletin 20-030, which extends the warranty for affected Civic Hybrids to 10 years or 150,000 miles, however, my VIN is not included, despite the failure being identical in nature. Honda has refused to provide any assistance, stating that only specific VINs are eligible, which I believe is misleading and unjust. This defect is clearly broader than the TSB acknowledges. The sudden failure of a critical propulsion system at high speed without warning is a major safety hazard and should not be limited by an arbitrarily narrow VIN list. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this issue and require Honda to expand the scope of TSB 20-030. This defect compromises driver safety and has caused me significant financial and emotional stress, not to mention the danger it poses to others on the road. This is not an isolated incident. Many other Honda Civic Hybrid owners have reported the exact same issue, sudden IPU failure, no warnings, dangerous loss of power, on public forums and complaint databases. The narrow VIN range in TSB 20-030 is artificially limited and fails to reflect the true scope of the defect.

NHTSA ID

11668518

Incident

May 22, 2025

In a Honda CVT when the filter becomes clogged, pressure will build and the fill cap will come off the transmission on its own to relieve the pressure. There is no warning indication system to tell you when it happens but it seems to be a persistent issue in their CVTs. after the cap blows off fluid will start leaking on the casing and dirt and other contaminates will make their way into the transmission. This poses a massive safety issue as it can cause the transmission to lock up. When going to use professional service websites such as pro-demand and all data Honda gives no information about this issue or even how to fix it.

NHTSA ID

11663925

Incident

May 29, 2025

About a year ago, the transmission failed costing us nearly $5000 to fix it. This incident happened approximately April of 2022, no warning signs at all. Now, the airbag deployed while merging onto the freeway without any impact which was the scariest thing. I’m very concerned there are other issues. There were no warning signs on both incidents.

NHTSA ID

11640356

Incident

Feb 1, 2025

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID

11639610

Incident

Jan 1, 2025

November 1,2024, as I was about to pull into traffic at an intersection my car would not let me accelerate. The engine was still on but I could not use the gas. I could steer. Luckily I was on an incline where I could coast down the hill and turn into a Lowe's parking lot to wait for a tow truck. It turns out my axle broke. They said there was no damage other than a rubber gasket rotted. There was no warning whatsoever. No unusual sounds or anything else. The car was running perfect for about about a half an hour hour that morning before this happened. My car has just over 50,000 miles on it. There was no other damage to the axle – I had not ran over anything or damaged it in any other way. It was just the rubber gasket according to the Honda dealer. I paid almost $800 for the repair – with a coupon!

NHTSA ID

11630786

Incident

Nov 1, 2024

The transmission does not shift good at city speeds. It is jerky/grabby and It is prematurely wearing fluid down (burnt with only 19k since last change) It is miserable to drive due to the constant grabbing and releasing when you coast then apply gas. I fear it will lock up or fail which could lead to an accident.

NHTSA ID

11625798

Incident

Nov 17, 2024

My 2014 Honda Civic LX was leaking fluid. Took it as soon as possible to a shop to get it inspected. On the drive there the car was revving but not accelerating, the shop told me transmission filler cap had popped off and was laying next to the hole and to take it to a transmission shop. Towed it to a transmission shop where they reproduced the accelerating issue and also found excessive metal in the transmission fluid to the point a magnet could stick on the aluminum transmission pan. They believe it was due to high pressure in the CVT that pushed the cap out and then caused the sensor to leak as well. They recommended to completely replace the whole transmission because of so much internal damage to the transmission and to not drive it. They said the rest of the car was in perfect condition, nothing wrong with the engine, oil, etc. only the transmission.

NHTSA ID

11625607

Incident

Nov 3, 2024

While driving down a busy freeway, the CVT transmission failed. I was able to coast a little ways, but was unable to find a safe place to clear the road and traffic. I immediately called 911 for state trooper assistance to keep me from being rear-ended. I had no warning or Caution light on the dash until after the transmission failed. After the failure, I got the check transmission advisory on the dashboard. The Honda dealership confirmed it was a transmission failure.

NHTSA ID

11620447

Incident

Sep 3, 2024

Vehicle dashboard indicated that Airbag intermediately had issues and service was needed. Vehicle taken to dealership and had to have failing airbag replaced.

NHTSA ID

11608572

Incident

Aug 1, 2024

While driving the vehicle locked up and I was not able to accelerate, during mid rush traffic , had to pull over and vehicle was leaking trans fluid the area where is first locked up. Having towed to Hugh White Honda in Columbus Ohio Georgesville Road

NHTSA ID

11608238

Incident

Aug 13, 2024