UsedScore

2026 Honda Civic: Too new to judge

The 2026 Honda Civic has been on the road for 13 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 32 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 1.7× the rate other Civic years drew in their first 13 months, per vehicle sold.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is driver-assistance features and cameras (31% of complaints).

Complaint index
1.7×
partial: first 13 months
Rank
Not ranked
rated after five years
Complaints
32
in 13 months so far
Recalls
1
campaign
11th generation, 2022–today · Updated November 9, 2026 · How we rate
2025 Honda Civic Hybrid Sport Touring sedan (facelift)

Photo: 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid Sport Touring sedan (facelift) · Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Driver assistance31% · 10 complaints
  2. Steering22% · 7 complaints
  3. Brakes16% · 5 complaints
  4. Seats and belts3% · 1 complaints
  5. Engine16% · 5 complaints
  6. Electrical16% · 5 complaints
  7. Air bags6% · 2 complaints
  8. Fuel and propulsion6% · 2 complaints
  9. Powertrain6% · 2 complaints
  10. Suspension6% · 2 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

Driver assistance

Many owners report the 2026 Civic braking suddenly on its own with nothing ahead, sometimes at highway speed, and some say cars behind nearly hit them. A few describe collisions, including one where a warning system did not alert them.

Warning signs:
Some owners saw a brake light or a message that the camera view was obscured, and report sudden hard braking on highways, under bridges, in rain, in shadow, or when vehicles passed.
What shops did:
One owner says the dealer found nothing wrong when the car was checked, and another says it hasn't recurred to show the dealer; most others describe no repair.

“The car senses a car in front and slams on its brakes but there is nothing in front of the car.”

“the car suddenly applies the brakes as if detecting an obstacle. This also occurs when vehicles pass on two-lane roads.”

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

Recalls (1)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 24V744000October 20241,693,199 vehicles

    Steering

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Acura Integra, Civic Type R, CR-V Hybrid, CR-V, HR-V, 2022-2025 Civic, Civic Hatchback, 2024-2025 Acura Integra Type S, 2025 CR-V Fuel Cell EV, Civic Hybrid, and Civic Hatchback Hybrid vehicles. The steering gearbox assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause excessive internal friction and lead to difficulty steering the vehicle.

    Risk: Difficulty steering can increase the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the worm gear spring and redistribute or add grease 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 44 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2026 Civic. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • ONL6KP10272026 · October 2026Owner Notification Letter - The current Power Control Unit (PCU) radiator guard may not provide adequate protection.
  • A26-010 · September 2026Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may cause vehicles to experience overheating, coolant loss, and/or misfire.
  • A26-012 · August 2026Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may cause vehicles to experience overheating, coolant loss, misfire and/or DTCs P0300 thru P0304 stored.
  • AEBM08262026901 · August 2026Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may cause vehicles to experience overheating, coolant loss, misfire, and/or DTCs P0300 through P0304 stored.
  • ATI&08212026902 · August 2026Honda is looking for 2024-2026 Civics and HR-Vs with a customer complaint of the A/C not blowing cold air and the technician finding the A/C compressor to be seized.
  • ATI&08202026903 · August 2026Honda is looking for 2025-2026 Civic 2.0Ls with a customer complaint of engine stalling or loss of power.
  • A26-089 · August 2026To better manage engine temperatures, a PGM-FI update has been developed to optimize electric water pump operation.
  • AEBM07242026902 · July 2026To help improve engine temperatures, a software update has been developed for the electric water pump to optimize its operation.

All 2026 Civic bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2026 Honda Civic reliable?
The 2026 Honda Civic has been on the road for 13 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 32 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 1.7× the rate other Civic years drew in their first 13 months, per vehicle sold. 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 2026 Civic problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve driver-assistance features and cameras (31%), the steering (22%) and the brakes (16%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2026 Honda Civic been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2026 Honda Civic, the most recent in October 2024 (steering). 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 November 9, 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 2026 Honda Civic on NHTSA.gov · How we rate