UsedScore

2014 Honda Civic: Solid

Owners filed 141 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Honda Civic in its first five years on the road, about 43 for every 100,000 sold: 0.9× the rate of a typical Civic year. That's close to a typical year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the air bags (14% of complaints, median 14,000 miles).

Complaint index
0.9×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Civic year
Rank
6th of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
141
first five years; 43 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
2
campaigns
9th generation, 2012–2015 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2014 Honda Civic sedan (facelift)

Photo: 2014 Honda Civic sedan (facelift) · Ghostofakina, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Air bags14% · 20 complaints · median 14,000 miles
  2. Powertrain23% · 33 complaints · median 6,000 miles
  3. Wheels and tires20% · 28 complaints · median 5,000 miles
  4. Brakes9% · 12 complaints · median 25,000 miles
  5. Electrical15% · 21 complaints · median 29,000 miles
  6. Seats and belts4% · 6 complaints
  7. Speed control6% · 9 complaints · median 3,000 miles
  8. Steering4% · 5 complaints
  9. Engine9% · 13 complaints · median 11,000 miles
  10. Body and structure4% · 6 complaints

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 commonly report a persistent air bag warning light tied to inflator, module, or cable reel problems, with dealers sometimes unable to permanently fix it. Some owners in crashes describe the air bags failing to deploy, while a few describe unexpected deployment without a crash.

Warning signs:
Many describe the 'check air bag system' or air bag warning light coming on intermittently or staying on, sometimes with a seat belt that would not retract.
What shops did:
Dealers often diagnosed a faulty air bag inflator, module, or cable reel, sometimes replacing parts, though some owners report dealers found nothing wrong or the light returned after repair.
Mileage:
most between 30,000 and 85,000 miles, among 31 complaints that give it

“The display on my '14 civic showed "check air bag system". I took it to the dealer, they cleared the code to see if it came back.”

“The air bag warning light was intermittently illuminated on the instrument panel while driving at various speeds.”

Powertrain

Owners of this Civic report the CVT transmission jerking, stalling, or failing at various mileages, sometimes leaving them without power on the road. Repairs range from software updates to full transmission replacements, and several owners say their car was not covered under an existing recall.

Warning signs:
Many describe jerking, shuddering, stalling, whining or clunking noises, loss of acceleration, or warning lights before the transmission failed.
What shops did:
Dealers often replaced the transmission, pulley shaft, or performed a software update, though some could not duplicate the problem or said the vehicle was not covered.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 95,000 miles, among 56 complaints that give it

“It felt like we were in neutral and couldn't get any power”

“The vehicle made an abnormal clunking sound and lost motive power”

Wheels and tires

Owners of this Civic frequently describe a persistent tire pressure warning light that dealers reset or reprogram without lasting success, and several report tires suddenly blowing out or separating while driving. Some mention hearing about a related recall on tires.

Warning signs:
Many report the TPMS or 'check tire pressure' light illuminating repeatedly even when pressure checks out fine, sometimes preceded by noise, vibration, or wobbling before a tire failed.
What shops did:
Dealers often reset or reprogrammed the TPMS software, sometimes multiple times, with the light returning; some owners were told no problem was found or replaced tires themselves.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 45,000 miles, among 29 complaints that give it

“They have done 2 computer software upgrades, the first of which seemed to help for a few months, but then it came back on”

“I saw the tire completely exploded and was torn off the car, so I was basically riding on the rim”

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

Recalls (2)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 15V574000September 2015143,676 vehicles

    Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/TECM)

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Civic vehicles manufactured January 16, 2014, to November 6, 2014 and 2015 Fit vehicles manufactured March 12, 2014, to May 12, 2015. The software settings that control the transmission operation may result in damage to the transmission drive pulley shaft.

    Risk: If the transmission drive pulley shaft is damaged, it may break, and the vehicle may lose acceleration or the front wheels may lock up while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the transmission, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 14V109000March 20149,816 vehicles

    Tires: bead

    American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2014 Honda Civic LX vehicles manufactured November 26, 2013, through January 21, 2014. In the affected vehicles, during mounting of the tires, the tire bead may have gotten pinched between the assembly equipment and the steel wheel rims, resulting in damage to the tire.

    Risk: The tire damage could cause the tire to lose air, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace any damaged tire, 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 114 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2014 Civic. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • A18-043 · December 2018There is a clicking or grinding noise when making turns.
  • A18-059 · June 2018This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators.
  • A18-060 · June 2018This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators.
  • APaS03022018902 · March 2018Dealer message - American Honda (AHM) is investigating certain 2014-2015 Civic CVTs with a condition of the left axle seal leaking.
  • APaS01302018902 · January 2018Dealer message - American Honda (AHM) is investigating certain 2014-2015 Civic CVTs with a condition of the left axle seal leaking.
  • APaS11012017903 · November 2017Dealer message - American Honda (AHM) is investigating certain 2014-2015 Civic CVTs with a condition of the left axle seal leaking.
  • APaS10132017902 · October 2017Dealer message - American Honda (AHM) is investigating certain 2014-2015 Civic CVTs with a condition of the left axle seal leaking.
  • APaS09282017901 · September 2017Dealer message - American Honda (AHM) is investigating certain 2014-2015 Civic CVTs with a condition of the left axle seal leaking.

All 2014 Civic bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2014 Honda Civic reliable?
Owners filed 141 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Honda Civic in its first five years on the road, about 43 for every 100,000 sold: 0.9× the rate of a typical Civic year. That's close to a typical year. 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 2014 Civic problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the air bags (14%), the powertrain (transmission and drivetrain) (23%) and the wheels and tires (20%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2014 Honda Civic been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2014 Honda Civic, the most recent in September 2015 (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 2014 Honda Civic on NHTSA.gov · How we rate