Owners have filed 438 complaints
about the 2013 Honda Civic with NHTSA between 2013 and 2026.
The largest single group is the airbags.
Across this model's run it ranks 15 of 34 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 38
Against the median year of the Honda Civic. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 86
16.7% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 100
61% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
NHTSA files every complaint against a named sub-assembly, not just a
system. This is the difference between knowing it was "the engine" and
knowing which part of it — the list to hand a mechanic.
Body
2371.9%
Pressure Monitoring AND Regulating Systems
26.3%
Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System
26.3%
Speedometer/Odometer
13.1%
Driver Clockspring/Spiral Cassette
13.1%
Adaptive Cruise Control
13.1%
ABS Warning Light
13.1%
Accelerator Pedal
13.1%
When it fails
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
Under 1,000 miles
4517.2%
1,000 – 9,999 miles
3914.9%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
5521.0%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
4617.6%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
3513.4%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
2810.7%
100,000 – 149,999 miles
124.6%
150,000+ miles
20.8%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Feb 2013peak 17Aug 2026
NHTSA investigations into the 2013 Honda Civic
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.C...
EA19001Opened 19 Apr 2019Closed 19 Sep 2024AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
Electrical overstress
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW. The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mount...
Complaints that involved harm
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Arlington, TXCrash5 injured
AIR BAGS
A drunk driver hit my car along with six others, and my car spun into the highway wall and totaled the car with an impact probably 40 or 50 mph and airbags did not go off
NHTSA complaint #11718337 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Arlington, TXCrash5 injured
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
A drunk driver hit my car along with six others, and my car spun into the highway wall and totaled the car with an impact probably 40 or 50 mph and airbags did not go off
NHTSA complaint #11718337 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Arlington, TXCrash5 injured
SUSPENSION
A drunk driver hit my car along with six others, and my car spun into the highway wall and totaled the car with an impact probably 40 or 50 mph and airbags did not go off
NHTSA complaint #11718337 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 70,000 milesMiddleburgh, NYCrash2 injured
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the contact was rear-ended by another vehicle, which caused the contact to crash forward into another vehicle. The contact and their spouse were taken to a local emergency room to be evaluated. The contact and their spouse sustained multiple injuries, such as whiplash and back injuries. In addition, the contact's spouse sustained an arm injury. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
NHTSA complaint #11663184 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Garden Grove, CA1 injured
AIR BAGS
I stepped on brakes and airbags opened up on my steering wheels made me hit
NHTSA complaint #11658235 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Garden Grove, CA1 injured
STRUCTURE:BODY
I stepped on brakes and airbags opened up on my steering wheels made me hit
NHTSA complaint #11658235 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Marion, OH
AIR BAGS
Receiving an error message to check my air bag system. Did show - which shows two error codes B0001-13 and B0002-13. Both of which are related to the driver’s side air bag. Spoke to the local Honda dealership which advised me the this issue isn’t covered under a recall or extended warranty - BUT the same issue is covered for passenger side air bags. This MAKES no sense when it is a KNOWN issue - for Honda to not fix both sides of the air bags. My Honda Civic has around 36,000 miles on it.
NHTSA complaint #11756064 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hamilton Township, NJ
AIR BAGS
Air Bag light is on. Dealer said it it probably just a faulty relay switch and turned it off. It came back on. I'm listing the date as today, but this has been going on for over 5 years, no incident, but why is light on? I do not trust the airbag system.
NHTSA complaint #11750205 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Kansas City, MO
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The ABS misfired and locked my brakes without warning during normal driving. This was without pumping the brakes or any engagement of the brake system.
NHTSA complaint #11745914 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Kansas City, MO
SERVICE BRAKES
The ABS misfired and locked my brakes without warning during normal driving. This was without pumping the brakes or any engagement of the brake system.
NHTSA complaint #11745914 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 92,000 milesLinden, MI
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the driver’s side air bag warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the air bag inflater needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 92,000.
NHTSA complaint #11745722 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pomona, CA
POWER TRAIN
car inverter failure, 2013 civic hybrid inverter recall for said year but refuse to include in recall lemon
NHTSA complaint #11732997 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pomona, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
car inverter failure, 2013 civic hybrid inverter recall for said year but refuse to include in recall lemon
NHTSA complaint #11732997 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pomona, CA
ENGINE
car inverter failure, 2013 civic hybrid inverter recall for said year but refuse to include in recall lemon
NHTSA complaint #11732997 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pittsboro, NC
AIR BAGS
I bought a 2013 Honda Civic used off the first and only owner, got it at about 98,000 miles. A month later the check airbag system light came on. Brought it to the mechanic down the road from me and it threw a B0001-13 code - driver side airbags faulty. I ran my VIN and it looks like there are no recalls, although there is an investigation into airbag deflators for cars from this year. Really frustrated as I paid a lot of money of this car and was hoping to move to Arizona with it. Now I'm scared to take it down the block.
NHTSA complaint #11725498 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Arlington, TXCrash5 injured
AIR BAGS
A drunk driver hit my car along with six others, and my car spun into the highway wall and totaled the car with an impact probably 40 or 50 mph and airbags did not go off
NHTSA complaint #11718337 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Arlington, TXCrash5 injured
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
A drunk driver hit my car along with six others, and my car spun into the highway wall and totaled the car with an impact probably 40 or 50 mph and airbags did not go off
NHTSA complaint #11718337 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Arlington, TXCrash5 injured
SUSPENSION
A drunk driver hit my car along with six others, and my car spun into the highway wall and totaled the car with an impact probably 40 or 50 mph and airbags did not go off
NHTSA complaint #11718337 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Conway, SC
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I am writing to express my frustration and disappointment regarding the ongoing VSA/ABS module failure in my 2013 Honda Civic Si. This issue, common among Honda vehicles from 2013–2017, has caused significant stress, both financially and emotionally. The ABS module in my vehicle has malfunctioned, affecting the vehicle’s anti-lock braking and stability assist systems. This is a serious safety concern, as the failure could impair the car’s ability to brake effectively, especially in adverse driving conditions. The failure of this critical component puts my safety, and the safety of others, at risk.I took my car to two separate service centers, a certified Honda dealer and a Honda tuner shop, both of which confirmed the ABS module failure. They quoted over $2,200 for installation and reprogramming of a new module, which itself costs approximately $1,800. The car has had recurring ABS and VSA warning lights for several weeks prior to the issue becoming critical, and I was not informed by Honda about any recalls or known issues with the module. But this is common. As a loyal Honda customer, I am extremely disappointed that I have to shoulder the cost of what seems to be a widespread design flaw. I am requesting that Honda take responsibility for this issue and assist in covering the repair costs, as this is not an isolated problem but a defect in vehicles from this generation.
NHTSA complaint #11713974 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Conway, SC
SERVICE BRAKES
I am writing to express my frustration and disappointment regarding the ongoing VSA/ABS module failure in my 2013 Honda Civic Si. This issue, common among Honda vehicles from 2013–2017, has caused significant stress, both financially and emotionally. The ABS module in my vehicle has malfunctioned, affecting the vehicle’s anti-lock braking and stability assist systems. This is a serious safety concern, as the failure could impair the car’s ability to brake effectively, especially in adverse driving conditions. The failure of this critical component puts my safety, and the safety of others, at risk.I took my car to two separate service centers, a certified Honda dealer and a Honda tuner shop, both of which confirmed the ABS module failure. They quoted over $2,200 for installation and reprogramming of a new module, which itself costs approximately $1,800. The car has had recurring ABS and VSA warning lights for several weeks prior to the issue becoming critical, and I was not informed by Honda about any recalls or known issues with the module. But this is common. As a loyal Honda customer, I am extremely disappointed that I have to shoulder the cost of what seems to be a widespread design flaw. I am requesting that Honda take responsibility for this issue and assist in covering the repair costs, as this is not an isolated problem but a defect in vehicles from this generation.
NHTSA complaint #11713974 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 47,412 milesWest Allis, WI
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the driver’s side inflator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 47,412.
NHTSA complaint #11706507 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 Honda Civic. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 113,000. The contact paid for the vehicle in full, and when the Title arrived, it was later discovered that the mileage on the Title was 224,000. The contact reached out to the dealer. However, the dealer had not responded.
NHTSA complaint #11706099 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Jackson, MI
AIR BAGS
The light for the air bag came on. I have not been in an accident. But this is the car of my 16 year old daughter. I did some research it looks like once the light come on the air bags may not deploy if in an accident. It is a sensor problem. Thank goodness she has not been in an accident but this is definitely a concern.
NHTSA complaint #11703402 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Franklin, VA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I was driving 35 MPH toward a busy intersection when I lost my brakes and power. A service message “IMA CHECK SYSTEMS” light lit up on the dash. I lost brakes and power while entering an intersection putting myself and other drivers in danger of an accident narrowly missing a container truck. The car shut off with my front end in the intersection. I was able to restart the car and drive it to the nearest garage. They connected the code machine to the vehicle showing “P1437.” I then had my car towed to the nearest Honda dealership. They told me my VIN was not listed under service bulletin 20-030 even though my car fit all of the parameters and showed the same code(s). After giving me a quote of $1900+ to fix the issue, they are claiming to have fixed the problem but I am questioning if the real issues were fixed and if I am responsible for any costs.
NHTSA complaint #11701597 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Franklin, VA
ENGINE
I was driving 35 MPH toward a busy intersection when I lost my brakes and power. A service message “IMA CHECK SYSTEMS” light lit up on the dash. I lost brakes and power while entering an intersection putting myself and other drivers in danger of an accident narrowly missing a container truck. The car shut off with my front end in the intersection. I was able to restart the car and drive it to the nearest garage. They connected the code machine to the vehicle showing “P1437.” I then had my car towed to the nearest Honda dealership. They told me my VIN was not listed under service bulletin 20-030 even though my car fit all of the parameters and showed the same code(s). After giving me a quote of $1900+ to fix the issue, they are claiming to have fixed the problem but I am questioning if the real issues were fixed and if I am responsible for any costs.
NHTSA complaint #11701597 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Franklin, VA
SERVICE BRAKES
I was driving 35 MPH toward a busy intersection when I lost my brakes and power. A service message “IMA CHECK SYSTEMS” light lit up on the dash. I lost brakes and power while entering an intersection putting myself and other drivers in danger of an accident narrowly missing a container truck. The car shut off with my front end in the intersection. I was able to restart the car and drive it to the nearest garage. They connected the code machine to the vehicle showing “P1437.” I then had my car towed to the nearest Honda dealership. They told me my VIN was not listed under service bulletin 20-030 even though my car fit all of the parameters and showed the same code(s). After giving me a quote of $1900+ to fix the issue, they are claiming to have fixed the problem but I am questioning if the real issues were fixed and if I am responsible for any costs.
NHTSA complaint #11701597 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Chesapeake Beach, MD
WHEELS
The lugnuts on the driver’s side front wheel must have become loose somehow. I was driving along and noticed a strange thumping sound. Before I could pull over the wheel became detached and was rolling away. I pulled off safely and called a tow truck. The tires were last rotated by Annapolis Honda 6 months prior to the date of the accident (11.4.25). The damage estimate – the front brakes and rotors need to be replaced. Also body damage to the front left quarter-panel and front bumper. Likely at least $4,000 in total costs. There were no warning lights, the vehicle was repaired at AAA car care center in Annapolis, MD and Caliber Collision in Edgewater, MD.
NHTSA complaint #11698321 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fayetteville, GA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The hybrid motor DC to DC convert failed. When this fails it stops providing 12 V power to the rest of the vehicle resulting in multiple systems stopping or working very slowly. This vehicle does not have a traditional alternator. There was a TSB and an extended warranty offered to some models, but not all included in the VIN range for this vehicle. The vehicle was scanned and pulls the same codes as the TSB notes as the issue.
NHTSA complaint #11688991 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fayetteville, GA
ENGINE
The hybrid motor DC to DC convert failed. When this fails it stops providing 12 V power to the rest of the vehicle resulting in multiple systems stopping or working very slowly. This vehicle does not have a traditional alternator. There was a TSB and an extended warranty offered to some models, but not all included in the VIN range for this vehicle. The vehicle was scanned and pulls the same codes as the TSB notes as the issue.
NHTSA complaint #11688991 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fayetteville, GA
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The hybrid motor DC to DC convert failed. When this fails it stops providing 12 V power to the rest of the vehicle resulting in multiple systems stopping or working very slowly. This vehicle does not have a traditional alternator. There was a TSB and an extended warranty offered to some models, but not all included in the VIN range for this vehicle. The vehicle was scanned and pulls the same codes as the TSB notes as the issue.
NHTSA complaint #11688991 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Kirkwood, MO
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:ABS WARNING LIGHT
Several warning lights on the dashboard illuminated: powersteering warning, ABS system warning, VSA warning. We had to pay almost $300 for dealer diagnostics which advised our ABS VSA module must be replaced, reprogrammed and brake fluid bleed otherwise our ABS brake system would fail. There are hundreds of similar complaints on-line of Honda owners with the exact issue costing over $3000 to make the repair. It will cost us almost $2600 for the repair. This appears to be a defect in Honda's VSA Module circuitboard across several models (Accord, Civic).
NHTSA complaint #11688767 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.