2012 Honda Civic: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 454 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 3 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
454
Complaints
3
Recalls
55
Crash reports
5
Fire reports
41
Injuries
127.3
Severity index
Severity index 127.3 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 129 2012 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2012 Honda Civic ranks 14 of 129 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 89% of its model-year peers. See the full 2012 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 149 | 32.8% |
| STEERING | 74 | 16.3% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 59 | 13.0% |
| POWER TRAIN | 49 | 10.8% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 38 | 8.4% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 38 | 8.4% |
| STRUCTURE | 35 | 7.7% |
| ENGINE | 32 | 7.0% |
The single most-reported system is AIR BAGS, cited in 149 of 454 complaints (32.8%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 9 |
| 2012 | 44 |
| 2013 | 46 |
| 2014 | 44 |
| 2015 | 49 |
| 2016 | 30 |
| 2017 | 35 |
| 2018 | 43 |
| 2019 | 40 |
| 2020 | 30 |
| 2021 | 21 |
| 2022 | 10 |
| 2023 | 16 |
| 2024 | 16 |
| 2025 | 14 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 7 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12V548000 | 21/11/2012 | STEERING:COLUMN | Honda is recalling certain model year 2012 Civic passenger vehicles, manufactured from October 26, 2012, through October 30, 2012. These vehicles were assembled with the incorrect steering column assembly. |
| 11V288000 | 18/05/2011 | FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CIVIC 2-DOOR AND 4-DOOR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 21, 2011, THROUGH MAY 2, 2011. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT AN O-RING, WHICH SEALS A CONNECTION IN THE FUEL FEED LINE, IS MISALIGNED. IF THE O-RING IS MISALIGNED, A SMALL FUEL LEA |
| 12V256000 | 04/06/2012 | POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT | HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 HONDA CIVIC VEHICLES. DURING ASSEMBLY, THE PROCESS REQUIRED TO SEAT THE DRIVERS SIDE DRIVESHAFT AND SET THE RETAINING CLIP WAS NOT COMPLETED. AS A RESULT, THE DRIVESHAFT MAY SEPARATE. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.