UsedScore

2021 Honda Civic: Solid

Owners filed 119 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Honda Civic in its first five years on the road, about 45 for every 100,000 sold: 0.7× the rate of a typical Civic year. That's close to a typical year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the steering (39% of complaints, median 54,000 miles).

Complaint index
0.7×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Civic year
Rank
1st of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
119
first five years; 45 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. Steering39% · 46 complaints · median 54,000 miles
  2. Driver assistance28% · 33 complaints
  3. Brakes13% · 15 complaints
  4. Air bags9% · 11 complaints
  5. Electrical15% · 18 complaints
  6. Powertrain3% · 3 complaints
  7. Speed control3% · 4 complaints
  8. Engine3% · 4 complaints
  9. Fuel and propulsion3% · 4 complaints
  10. Wheels and tires3% · 3 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

Brakes

Many owners of this Civic report the car braking hard on its own, often on highways or in traffic with nothing ahead, which they describe as sudden and frightening. Dealers often say they cannot find a cause or duplicate the issue, leaving the behavior unresolved for some drivers.

Warning signs:
Owners often see a flashing "Brakes" warning on the dashboard or forward-collision alert just before or during the sudden braking, with no lights beforehand in some cases.
What shops did:
Dealers frequently could not find any diagnostic codes or replicate the problem, and in some cases performed no repair.

“my Civic's Collision Mitigation Braking System flashed "Brakes" on my heads up display and at the same time, it forcefully applied the brakes without me touching the brake pedal”

“There is no warning, the car suddenly starts to brake while in cruise control mode without any other cars being near”

Driver assistance

Many owners describe their Civic's driver-assist system suddenly braking or flashing brake warnings with no car or obstacle nearby, sometimes on highways at speed. Some also report the steering wheel sticking or feeling resistant, and dealers frequently couldn't reproduce or fix the issue.

Warning signs:
Many owners report a flashing 'BRAKE' message or dinging warning just before sudden braking, sometimes with dashboard lights for adaptive cruise control, stability control, or collision mitigation; some note steering wheel resistance at higher speeds.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not duplicate or diagnose the problem; a few replaced the steering gearbox or electronic power steering unit, or reset/reprogrammed the computer.

“my Civic's Collision Mitigation Braking System flashed "Brakes" on my heads up display and at the same time, it forcefully applied the brakes without me touching the brake pedal”

“The steering was resistant and sticks on the highway, causing jerking and overcorrection to control the vehicle.”

Steering

Owners of the 2021 Civic describe steering that sticks or binds, particularly on highways, then suddenly frees with a jerk that can cause overcorrection. Some had the steering rack or EPS gearbox replaced, while others found dealers unable to diagnose or fix the problem, often citing a recall that didn't cover their model year.

Warning signs:
Many report a sticky or stiff feeling when making small corrections or turns, which suddenly releases with a jerk causing overcorrection or swerving.
What shops did:
Some dealers replaced the steering rack or EPS gearbox under warranty, while others could not duplicate the issue or quoted costly out-of-warranty repairs.
Mileage:
most between 25,000 and 65,000 miles, among 8 complaints that give it

“Minor course corrections require excessive driver input and once the resistance is overcome, overcorrection results in undesired swerving of the vehicle.”

“Steering is stiff and difficult, constant corrections being made just trying to steer straight, steering wheel does not want to return to zero position after taking a curve.”

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 24V064000February 2024750,114 vehicles

    Air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.

    Risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can 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 23V458000June 2023124,077 vehicles

    Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.

    Risk: Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, 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 86 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2021 Civic. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • A21080A · October 2023Service News - If an Adaptive Cruise Control System Problem comes back on when the vehicle is driven in freezing conditions, inform the customer it is likely due to snow or ice buildup on the radar.
  • ATI&10052021904 · October 2021Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
  • ATI&09102021905 · September 2021Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
  • A21-068 · August 2021The ACC system error message comes on while driving when outside temperatures are low/near freezing.
  • ATI&08252021905 · August 2021Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
  • ATI&08092021905 · August 2021Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
  • ATI&07222021904 · July 2021Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
  • ATI&07072021908 · July 2021Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

All 2021 Civic bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2021 Honda Civic reliable?
Owners filed 119 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Honda Civic in its first five years on the road, about 45 for every 100,000 sold: 0.7× 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 2021 Civic problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the steering (39%), driver-assistance features and cameras (28%) and the brakes (13%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2021 Honda Civic been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2021 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 2021 Honda Civic on NHTSA.gov · How we rate