UsedScore

2019 Honda Civic: Solid

Owners filed 157 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Honda Civic in its first five years on the road, about 48 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 brakes (13% of complaints, median 9,000 miles).

Complaint index
0.9×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Civic year
Rank
4th of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
157
first five years; 48 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
4
campaigns
10th generation, 2016–2021 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2019 Honda Civic LX sedan (facelift)

Photo: 2019 Honda Civic LX sedan (facelift) · MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Brakes13% · 21 complaints · median 9,000 miles
  2. Fuel and propulsion19% · 30 complaints · median 14,000 miles
  3. Driver assistance15% · 24 complaints · median 13,000 miles
  4. Electrical14% · 22 complaints · median 7,000 miles
  5. Air bags4% · 7 complaints
  6. Engine11% · 17 complaints · median 7,000 miles
  7. Steering11% · 17 complaints · median 15,000 miles
  8. Body and structure6% · 10 complaints
  9. Visibility3% · 5 complaints
  10. Wheels and tires6% · 9 complaints · median 8,000 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

Brakes

Owners of this Civic often describe the car braking hard and unexpectedly on its own, sometimes nearly causing a crash, while a few say the brakes failed to stop the car at all. Dealers sometimes find and fix a part, but many owners say no problem could be found.

Warning signs:
Many mention a dash "BRAKE" warning or flashing brake light, a screeching or grinding noise, or the pedal suddenly feeling hard before the sudden stop.
What shops did:
Some owners say dealers found an ABS modulator problem or replaced brake pads, while others report the shop found no fault codes and could not diagnose the issue.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 15,000 miles, among 18 complaints that give it

“the brakes felt weird a bit hard, and suddenly would not brake for few seconds”

“Put my foot on the brake and got nothing at all the brake was hard as a rock”

Driver assistance

Owners describe their Civic's driver-assistance features, especially automatic emergency braking, engaging suddenly with no car or obstacle nearby, causing hard stops in traffic. Some also report the steering sticking or locking momentarily, and dealers frequently struggle to diagnose or permanently fix either problem.

Warning signs:
Many note a beeping alert or flashing dash warning ('BRAKE' or collision message) just before sudden braking, and some report a grinding or sticking noise in the steering before it catches.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not find a fault code or reproduce the issue; some replaced a battery or recentered the radar sensor without resolving it, and others quoted costly steering rack or radar replacements.
Mileage:
most between 10,000 and 30,000 miles, among 11 complaints that give it

“The collision warning system beeped and flashed the warning on the dash. At the same time the system engaged the brakes momentarily before disengaging.”

“my car slammed on the brakes automatically and I was going 45 mph and the seat belts locked up, while my car dived forward.”

Fuel and propulsion

Owners describe their Civic's fuel pump failing, leading to stalling, loss of power, or trouble starting, sometimes while driving on highways or making turns. Many say a recall covers the issue but that replacement parts were long unavailable, leaving them driving an unrepaired vehicle for months.

Warning signs:
Many report hesitation, jerking, sputtering, rough idling, warning lights (check engine, emissions, or various dashboard alerts), fuel odor, or a fuel gauge reading incorrectly before the stall.
What shops did:
Dealers often diagnosed a faulty fuel pump but many owners report the replacement part was unavailable for months, leaving the vehicle unrepaired; some had the pump replaced successfully.
Mileage:
most between 25,000 and 60,000 miles, among 34 complaints that give it

“the vehicle briefly hesitated, lost motive power, and almost stalled”

“the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with fuel pump module failure”

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 26V332000May 202698,892 vehicles

    Air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

    Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 23V858000December 20232,490,460 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

    Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 21V215000March 2021624,552 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

    Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 20V314000May 2020135,995 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura NSX, 2019 Acura RDX, RLX and RLX Sport Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R and HR-V, 2019-2020 Insight and 2019 Fit vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

    Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Honda will notify owners and dealers will replace the fuel pump 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 211 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2019 Civic. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • ATI&08062024906 · August 2024Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
  • ATI&07222024906 · July 2024Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
  • ATI&07052024901 · July 2024Dealer Message - Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
  • ATI&06032024903 · June 2024Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
  • ATI&05032024907 · May 2024Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
  • ATI&04152024903 · April 2024Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
  • ATI&03262024903 · March 2024Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
  • ATI&03102024901 · March 2024Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

All 2019 Civic bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2019 Honda Civic reliable?
Owners filed 157 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Honda Civic in its first five years on the road, about 48 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 2019 Civic problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the brakes (13%), the fuel or propulsion system (19%) and driver-assistance features and cameras (15%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2019 Honda Civic been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2019 Honda Civic, the most recent in May 2026 (air bags). 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 2019 Honda Civic on NHTSA.gov · How we rate