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2023 Honda Civic Powertrain (other) Problems

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

Data refreshed

Powertrain (other) 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.
8
Latest Oct 28, 2026
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.
3%
of 260 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.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2023 Honda Civic submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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 powertrain

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

Powertrain (other)
Filed Oct 28, 2026

Premature clutch failure. No longer available for inspection as the car has since been repaired. Safety of myself and family put at risk due to clutch failure/slippage as car was unable to hold a gear resulting in the inability to accelerate properly. Additionally, safety of others was put at risk as the failure to hold a gear resulted in car not accelerating properly potentially resulting in a rear end collision. Problem was confirmed by dealer and independent repair shop. Vehicle was inspected at a certified honda dealership and required repair. Due to the estimated cost of the repair through the dealership ($7995), car was repaired through an outside mechanic. There were no warning laps, messages, or symptoms prior to the failure that first appeared on or around 9/14/2026

NHTSA ID
11774186
Incident
Sep 14, 2026
ElectricalPowertrain (other)
Filed Oct 15, 2026

I was driving and out of nowhere steering wheel locked on me it feels really heavy basically my car suffered a complete loss of power steering due to internal mechanical gear binding matching Campaign 24V-744 [7b0d] but Honda is refusing to fix it because your VIN was left off the initial recall list

NHTSA ID
11771385
Incident
Oct 15, 2026
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 29, 2026

The headgasket failed prematurely at 76,000 miles causing coolant to begin leaking out of the vehicle. The safety of myself and others is put at risk because a head gasket blowing caused the car to lose power on the way home from work which has caused me to have to slow down and not be able to start again. This causes other vehicles to have to break or go around me on the highway. The car is a 2023 Honda Civic. This premature head gasket failure is a known issue. The warnings appeared at 5PM when I was leaving work as soon as I started the car. Every light in the car went off. The vehicle was brought to the Honda Dealership in Lawrence, KS. They showed that the head gasket blew. The Vehicle is available for inspection upon request at the Honda Dealership in Lawrence, Kansas.

NHTSA ID
11734647
Incident
Apr 13, 2026
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Mar 31, 2026

Clutch began to slip at 20,000 miles. This caused unrepairable damage to the flywheel. This put my safety at risk as clutches wearing out could cause the car to slip out of gear and/or damage the maneuverability of the vehicle. This problem was fixed by the dealer, but they blamed me for the damage and claimed clutch is a wear component. I was charged $3,000 for the clutch and an additional $2,000 for the flywheel. I have seen many reports online of people with the same car (2023 Civic Sport Touring Manual) with the same issues. All people have been ignored by Honda corporate, citing user error. This has not been inspected by the manufacturerer as I am aware No messages of the problem, other than the cruise control stopping under load.

NHTSA ID
11728288
Incident
Jan 9, 2026
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 17, 2025

I am the owner of a 2023 Honda Civic Sport equipped with a CVT transmission (Honda M-CVT). While the transmission has not yet failed outright, I am reporting a serious safety and consumer risk created by the design and business model surrounding these units. Honda CVTs are sealed, non-serviceable by design. Dealerships and third parties are unable to replace individual internal components or inspect wear inside the CVT without replacing the entire unit. The fact that Honda refuses to sell parts for these CVTs essentially makes them disposable powertrains. This creates a dangerous precedent ans owners cannot plan for long-term ownership or safety. CVTs in these cars often fail outside of warranty with no prior warning, and consumers are left without options other than full replacement, which many cannot afford. I am reporting this as a safety issue because when these CVTs degrade, they: Hesitate when accelerating from a stop (which has happened to me) Cause unpredictable power delivery Create unsafe situations during merging or turning Honda’s refusal to allow proactive service or repair (such as belt inspection or internal cleaning) forces owners to operate on faith, which is not acceptable for a mission-critical safety component like a transmission. This is compounded by the fact that these CVTs are installed across Honda’s most affordable trims, affecting working-class people disproportionately. Dealerships confirm no individual repair options exist. The issue is “normal” until failure. Transmission fluid changes are the only service allowed. Occasional hesitation and inconsistent acceleration. No dashboard warning lights have been triggered. This is a case of planned obsolescence leading to unavoidable safety risk. This design forces cars to enter the used market with a major mechanical failure already ticking down. This is a case of planned obsolescence leading to unavoidable safety risk.

NHTSA ID
11674373
Incident
Jul 17, 2025
AirbagsPowertrain (other)
Filed Feb 14, 2025
Crash reported1 injury reported

The contact owns a 2023 Honda Civic Hatchback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V744000 (STEERING). The contact stated that while driving at 75 MPH, the driver-side air bag deployed on its own without a crash or impact with an object. As a result, the driver lost visibility and control of the vehicle, resulting in a crash with another vehicle. The contact's vehicle veered into oncoming traffic. The contact was unsure whether there was a warning light illuminated. The paramedics were called, and the contact was transported to the hospital. The contact suffered injuries to the stomach. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing yard. The insurance company was notified and is pending an investigation. Weeks before the accident, the contact notified the manufacturer to report issues with the vehicle. The manufacturer advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer to have it inspected. The dealer rotated the tires and changed the oil. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,200.

NHTSA ID
11642791
Incident
Dec 14, 2023
Mileage
1,200 mi
Other / unspecifiedPowertrain (other)Steering
Filed Jan 7, 2024

I have a steering wheel that sticks at highway speeds around 50-70 mph while driving straight, my steering wheel sticks. The honda dealership says it's fine. I believe they greased something during my recall inspection that made my steering not as noticeable. He said everyone has sticky steering but that honda has no fix. My tires are balding at an extreme rate and very uneven wear. I have been arguing with the dealership and have given up. I also have a valve cover that is leaking oil. My car has 35k miles

NHTSA ID
11563995
Incident
Dec 1, 2023
BrakesPowertrain (other)Suspension
Filed Oct 30, 2023

UNKNOWN

NHTSA ID
11552686
Incident
Oct 14, 2023

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .