UsedScore

2012 Honda Civic: Use caution

Owners filed 222 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Honda Civic in its first five years on the road, about 76 for every 100,000 sold: 1.7× the rate of a typical Civic year. That's above average, so use caution.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the air bags (26% of complaints, median 18,000 miles).

Complaint index
1.7×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Civic year
Rank
12th of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
222
first five years; 76 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
4
campaigns
9th generation, 2012–2015 (first year of the generation; redesign years often run worse) · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2012 Honda Civic LX sedan

Photo: 2012 Honda Civic LX sedan · MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Air bags26% · 58 complaints · median 18,000 miles
  2. Brakes15% · 33 complaints · median 15,000 miles
  3. Speed control16% · 36 complaints · median 9,000 miles
  4. Body and structure8% · 18 complaints · median 18,000 miles
  5. Powertrain15% · 33 complaints · median 11,000 miles
  6. Engine10% · 23 complaints · median 15,000 miles
  7. Steering11% · 24 complaints · median 24,000 miles
  8. Electrical13% · 28 complaints · median 25,000 miles
  9. Seats and belts8% · 17 complaints · median 19,000 miles
  10. Fuel and propulsion8% · 17 complaints · median 14,000 miles

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Air bags

Owners describe the passenger air bag warning light frequently switching on and off, especially with lighter passengers, along with reports of air bags not deploying or deploying unexpectedly in low-speed events. Dealers often say nothing is wrong, though some replaced parts including sensors tied to Takata recalls.

Warning signs:
Many describe the passenger air bag warning light cycling on and off as the passenger shifts weight, sometimes dozens of times per trip, with no clear pattern tied to weight.
What shops did:
Dealers often ran diagnostics and told owners the system was operating as designed or found no fault, though some replaced sensors, seats, wiring harnesses, or air bag units, or performed Takata-related sensor replacements.
Mileage:
most between 10,000 and 80,000 miles, among 99 complaints that give it

“The passenger airbags will turn off and we receive a warning and after a few seconds or minutes the warning disappears”

Brakes

Owners of this Civic frequently report sudden brake failures, including pedals sinking to the floor and ABS/VSA warning lights, sometimes leading to collisions. Repairs often involved replacing brake modulators or pads, though some owners struggled to get dealers to acknowledge or fix the issue.

Warning signs:
Many report warning lights (ABS, VSA, power steering), grinding or burning smells, spongy or hard pedals, and clunking noises before brakes failed.
What shops did:
Dealers often replaced the ABS/VSA modulator, brake pads, rotors, or brake lines, though some found no fault or could not get replacement parts.
Mileage:
most between 10,000 and 55,000 miles, among 39 complaints that give it

“The vsa modulator got stuck and the vsa, ABS and power steering warning lights instantly turned on.”

Speed control

Owners describe their 2012 Civic suddenly accelerating on its own or surging in RPM, sometimes leading to crashes, while others report the car hesitating or failing to accelerate when needed. Dealers frequently couldn't reproduce the issue and called it normal, leaving many owners without a repair.

Warning signs:
Some report RPMs spiking or engine racing, a delay before the car responds, or the car lurching/rolling on hills before the failure occurred.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not duplicate or diagnose the problem and told owners the behavior was normal; some vehicles were not repaired.
Mileage:
most between 0 and 25,000 miles, among 34 complaints that give it

“The car continued to speed up as I pushed the brake. I pulled my foot back and reapplied the brake with no affect”

“Failed to accelerate from a stopped or idling position”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (4)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 20V770000December 2020248,358 vehicles

    Power train: driveline: driveshaft

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Acura ILX, 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid, and 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles with a manual transmission and 2009-2013 Honda Fit vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The drive shafts' protective coating may not have been applied properly during manufacturing, making it more susceptible to damage from road salt, or other contaminants, and potentially cause it to break.

    Risk: A broken drive shaft may cause a sudden loss of drive power. The vehicle could also roll away if the parking brake has not been applied before the vehicle has been exited. Either condition can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

    Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the drive shafts, replacing either the left or right drive shaft, if necessary, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 12V548000November 2012157 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: The steering column may not have proper energy absorbing characteristics, which could increase the risk of injury during a vehicle crash.

    Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the steering column, as necessary, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 12V256000June 201250,190 vehicles

    Power train: driveline: driveshaft

    Honda is recalling certain model year 2012 honda civic vehicles. During assembly, the process required to seat the driver’s side driveshaft and set the retaining clip was not completed. As a result, the driveshaft may separate.

    Risk: If this occurs, the vehicle will have a loss of drive power and may roll away if the parking brake has not been set when the gear selector has been placed in the “park” position, increasing the risk of crash or pedestrian injury.

    Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver's side driveshaft and install a new driveshaft as needed, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 11V288000May 20111,156 vehicles

    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 leak may occur.

    Risk: Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel feed line assembly free of charge.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Honda sent NHTSA 80 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2012 Civic. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • A18-139 · February 2019This bulletin has been cancelled because the collection is now complete.
  • A17-085 · July 20182012 and 2015 Civic Front Passenger Inflator Collection.
  • A18-059 · June 2018This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators.
  • A16-032 · June 2016this bulletin is cancelled because the collection is now complete.
  • AIR BAG INFLATOR · May 2016Dealer message - if the srs warning lamp is illuminated and a dtc 11-1x or 11-2x or a b0001-13 is stored in the srs main unit, replace the driver's airbag module.
  • A16032 · March 20162012 Civic Front Passenger's Air bag Inflator Collection.
  • Service Bulletin · March 2014A buzz or rattle is heard from the dash when the heater is on low to medium fan speed.
  • HSN-1305 · May 2013Honda: the engine shuts off, power on, but in accessory; never use conventional wheel & tire assemblies on pax vehicles; mil on after throttle body cleaning or replacement; s/m fix brake system…

All 2012 Civic bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2012 Honda Civic reliable?
Owners filed 222 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Honda Civic in its first five years on the road, about 76 for every 100,000 sold: 1.7× the rate of a typical Civic year. That's above average, so use caution. Ratings compare Civic years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2012 Civic problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the air bags (26%), the brakes (15%) and speed control (16%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2012 Honda Civic been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2012 Honda Civic, the most recent in December 2020 (power train). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Honda. The 2012 Honda Civic on NHTSA.gov · How we rate