Owners have filed 485 complaints
about the 2015 Honda Civic with NHTSA between 2015 and 2026.
The largest single group is the transmission & drivetrain.
Across this model's run it ranks 14 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 — 42
Against the median year of the Honda Civic. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 98
19% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 72
42% 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
1562.5%
Speedometer/Odometer
28.3%
Door
28.3%
Actuators/Solenoids
14.2%
Warning
14.2%
Automatic Emergency Braking
14.2%
Driver Clockspring/Spiral Cassette
14.2%
Warnings
14.2%
When it fails
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
Under 1,000 miles
3011.6%
1,000 – 9,999 miles
3112.0%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
3112.0%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
4316.6%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
4316.6%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
4115.8%
100,000 – 149,999 miles
2911.2%
150,000+ miles
114.2%
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.
Jan 2015peak 13May 2026
NHTSA investigations into the 2015 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...
Recalls on the 2015 Honda Civic
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
United States — NHTSA
15V574000
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.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
at 127,987 milesOntario, CACrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Civic Sedan. The contact stated while stopped at red light , another crashed into the read end of her vehicle. The contact stated that no air bags were deployed. The contact stated that she sustained whiplash and injuries to the right rib and mild concession. No medical attention was required. The contact mention she able to drive the emergency room from the scene. The contact stated that a police report was hot filed. The vehicle was driven to a collision center. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 127,897.
NHTSA complaint #11737592 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Woodstock, GACrash
AIR BAGS
The ABS system failed and the car crashed and when the ABS system failed the airbag light came on but airbags did not deploy in significant front end collision
NHTSA complaint #11737262 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Woodstock, GACrash
SERVICE BRAKES
The ABS system failed and the car crashed and when the ABS system failed the airbag light came on but airbags did not deploy in significant front end collision
NHTSA complaint #11737262 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Boston, MACrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
I was in a car accident, I rear ended a vehicle. The other vehicle was stopped, I did not break at all and ran into them. My airbags did not deploy & there was substantial damage to my vehicle (deemed totaled by insurance assessor). My safety was put at risk as I sustained whiplash (whiplash resulted in neck pain day(s) following and bruising on my upper legs. When the assessor reached out to me, he stated that the air bags should have deployed and seemed to be a malfunction.
NHTSA complaint #11697062 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bloomington Springs, TNCrash
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The vehicle loses acceleration while driving slows it down making it dangerous on roads for crash and when it shifts gears it jerks the car
NHTSA complaint #11527680 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bloomington, INCrash
POWER TRAIN
Failure of transmission control module Description fits exact diagnosis in recall. Check transmission light on at 45,000 miles. Andy Mohr wants money to inspect it. I an more than willing to if they will inspect it for free but it is not drivable. If they would come pick it up I would be happy to let them drive it all they want. The problem came with no warning on the Highway. car wouldn’t no longer switch to second gear. Purchased at Andy Mohr Honda in Bloomington at 17,000 miles off lease from some someone who barely drove it. Certified Preowned by Honda. Paid in full, feel ripped off. Yes, available for inspection on request No warning: transmission complete failure 2015 Silver Honda Civic Has been discussed with mechanics at Curry Buick in.Bloomington as well as our Winslow marathon which has great mechanics, they told me to contact you. The issue according to the NTHSB is the “TCM” or transmission control module. resulting in cars wheels locking up, or spinning out of control and not changing gears (this is what happened to me and repeated itself when I waited a week and tried driving around my neighborhood ) the issue is supposed to result in transmission and Powertrain failure, making engine wanting to redline very easily. I’m lucky I didn’t burn my engine up. I didn’t purchase a car in 2018 at 17,000 miles and expect the transmission to fall out at 45,000 miles. That’s unacceptable and I was never notified, and Andy mohr purports that my vehicle was either serviced or software changed resulting in no issue, however a transmission dying at 45,000 mi on a Honda Civic is not right and I suspect Honda notified the previous lessee and they did not service the car or had it improperly serviced. Otherwise I see no reason to have a car fall apart at 45,000 miles. I drive like grandma.
NHTSA complaint #11514998 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Brunswick, GA
STRUCTURE:BODY
The component that failed is the paint on my Honda Civic. It is white and peeling/flaking under normal use. It has been occurring for a long time and is coming off of my whole car. It is causing safety issues by being exposed to the lead paint dust and chips which will cause future health problems. It is exposing bare metal to rust on my car. The white paint is continuing to peel and is a heavy concern.
NHTSA complaint #11741150 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 127,987 milesOntario, CACrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Civic Sedan. The contact stated while stopped at red light , another crashed into the read end of her vehicle. The contact stated that no air bags were deployed. The contact stated that she sustained whiplash and injuries to the right rib and mild concession. No medical attention was required. The contact mention she able to drive the emergency room from the scene. The contact stated that a police report was hot filed. The vehicle was driven to a collision center. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 127,897.
NHTSA complaint #11737592 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Woodstock, GACrash
AIR BAGS
The ABS system failed and the car crashed and when the ABS system failed the airbag light came on but airbags did not deploy in significant front end collision
NHTSA complaint #11737262 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Woodstock, GACrash
SERVICE BRAKES
The ABS system failed and the car crashed and when the ABS system failed the airbag light came on but airbags did not deploy in significant front end collision
NHTSA complaint #11737262 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lebanon, TN
AIR BAGS
I had purchased the vehicle from a private seller. It had an SRS light on at the time I purchased it. The code reader indicated high resistance to the driver airbag. While trying to change the clock spring, I removed the drivers airbag from the steering wheel and found that the wires to the airbag were cut and the wires from the harness were connected to two black blocks. A google search said that these blocks were most likely emulators. I don’t know for sure but they were certainly put there intentionally by someone and my airbag was entirely disconnected except for the green ground wire.
NHTSA complaint #11729129 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 131,603 milesBartlett, IL
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and parked the vehicle. Upon shifting to drive(D) or to reverse(R), the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V574000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 131,603.
NHTSA complaint #11725339 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
LAS Vegas, NV
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle battery drains while vehicle not in use. Have replaced the battery twice, and replaced alternator. Problem persists. When this began, it coincided with the car's door lock feature unlocking the vehicle upon approach, within about five feet, without pressing the fob. Also, if locking the vehicle if not about five feet away, it will lock and immediately unlock itself. I've seen many owners posting about identical issues, and no one seems to know how to fix the problem.
NHTSA complaint #11725331 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Odometer Fraud. The contact owns a 2015 Honda Civic. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 63,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 248,000.
NHTSA complaint #11722550 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Thomasville, PA
STEERING
My steering computer is bad. The steering wheel goes the opposite way. I’ve taken it to the dealership and they’re saying that the computer software and the whole computer needs to be replaced and affects how the way the car steers and is aligned.
NHTSA complaint #11713062 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Thomasville, PA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My steering computer is bad. The steering wheel goes the opposite way. I’ve taken it to the dealership and they’re saying that the computer software and the whole computer needs to be replaced and affects how the way the car steers and is aligned.
NHTSA complaint #11713062 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Napa, CA
POWER TRAIN
Transmission drive belt snapped while driving. Took it to Honda dealer to diagnose, they found it to be the drive belt that snapped in the cvt transmission. There was a recall involving the same year make and model (2015 honda civic) however my car wasn't part of the recall even though this is a known problem with cars excluded from this recall. Cars included in the recall recieved software updates to decrease the tension to the belt, which can cause it to snap under stress. My car wasn't included in this software update and I believe that is a mistake. Honda denied us coverage because we weren't "loyal enough" despite driving mostly only Honda vehicles for my entire life. As for safety concern I was nearly stopped when it snapped so I was able to pull over, so it wasn't a safety concern in my instance atleast. Dealer took pictures of the transmission fluid pan and found metal debris from the metal drive belt that snapped. I just wonder if my car was included in this recall for the software update if it would still be driving today. There were no lights or signs of warning it just snapped unexpectedly. I have always changed the cvt fluid with Honda genuine fluid and don't believe maintenence to be a problem. More the fact that this should have been included in a recall this was a very bad year for Honda and the cvt transmission from what I am now realizing from research
NHTSA complaint #11712924 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lebanon, OH
POWER TRAIN
No warning lights or symptoms prior to issue. Driving on the highway and vehicle suddenly started revving like it was in neutral, failing to accelerate, then died on the side of the highway.
NHTSA complaint #11706224 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2015 Honda Civic. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after purchasing the vehicle. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was approximately 76,000. It was later discovered that the mileage on the title was 193,000. The contact became aware of fraud after receiving a letter from the State that their records indicated that the mileage was 193,000 when the vehicle was registered in Kentucky. The vehicle was registered in Kentucky in February 2025.
NHTSA complaint #11703816 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Norristown, PA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The transmission blew, despite only having 90,000 miles
NHTSA complaint #11701329 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rockaway, NJ
POWER TRAIN
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Answer: The transmission is slipping or malfunctioning when driving the car, specifically when accelerating. Yes, it is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Answer: When the transmission slips or malfunctions, the acceleration of the car doesn't act as it should. For example, when waiting to join a flow of vehicle traffic, or when waiting to cross a busy intersection, the delay in acceleration or the slipping of the transmission is increasing the risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or causing my vehicle to block other vehicles. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Answer: Yes. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Answer: No. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Answer: No. Additional information: I spoke with Honda in 2023 to see if there was a recall related to my CVT transmission. They took my information, but advised there was no recall. I had a similar conversation with them in 2024 because it seemed to be getting worse, but there still was no recall. Now in 2025, it still feels like it's getting worse and making it feel unsafe to drive the car.
NHTSA complaint #11699290 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 130,000 milesLebanon, NH
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle suddenly came to a stop. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 35 MPH, and the contact pulled over. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a transmission center, and it was determined that the failure was linked to the CVT and pulley system. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
NHTSA complaint #11697434 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 130,000 milesLebanon, NH
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle suddenly came to a stop. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 35 MPH, and the contact pulled over. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a transmission center, and it was determined that the failure was linked to the CVT and pulley system. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
NHTSA complaint #11697434 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 130,000 milesLebanon, NH
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle suddenly came to a stop. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 35 MPH, and the contact pulled over. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a transmission center, and it was determined that the failure was linked to the CVT and pulley system. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
NHTSA complaint #11697434 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Boston, MACrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
I was in a car accident, I rear ended a vehicle. The other vehicle was stopped, I did not break at all and ran into them. My airbags did not deploy & there was substantial damage to my vehicle (deemed totaled by insurance assessor). My safety was put at risk as I sustained whiplash (whiplash resulted in neck pain day(s) following and bruising on my upper legs. When the assessor reached out to me, he stated that the air bags should have deployed and seemed to be a malfunction.
NHTSA complaint #11697062 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Upper Sandusky, OH
POWER TRAIN
Exact problem was recalled for same year for 143,000 vehicles but my VIN was not in the recall. I was diving and vehicle made a loud noise and all the sudden stopped accelerating. It was like my car was in neutral. Put my car in park when I stopped and car started rolling backwards like it wasn’t in park. It finally went into park and I shut car off and restarted tried putting in drive again. It made a loud grinding noise and would not go in drive still acted like in neutral. Had to have car towed from scene. Looked up transmission issues and saw there was a recall for this exact issue.
NHTSA complaint #11691976 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Madison, WI
WHEELS
The salespeople are very unprofessional and don’t take the wellbeing and safety of their customers or the surrounding public seriously. My husband and I went to Stark to test drive a couple of their cars. The first car that we test drove the Honda Civic should have been properly repaired first before ever being placed on the lot. To even get the parking brake lowered, my husband had to disassemble the plastic manifold, second the car was lowered to the point where it scraped the road whenever we were turning on an incline, finally there was some mechanical issue with the gear shift where we weren’t able to reverse. When we got back from the test drive the salesperson explained to us that they knew of this issue and that there’s a trick to it. This trick wasn’t mentioned to us at the start of the test drive, nor did the salesperson go with us to explain it to us on the road. This is very dangerous, what if there was an emergency and we needed to reverse. Not knowing this trick not only puts our lives in danger but also all the other drivers in the area. I’m not a car person, but even I know that a car should be able to go forwards and backwards.
NHTSA complaint #11685958 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Madison, WI
SUSPENSION
The salespeople are very unprofessional and don’t take the wellbeing and safety of their customers or the surrounding public seriously. My husband and I went to Stark to test drive a couple of their cars. The first car that we test drove the Honda Civic should have been properly repaired first before ever being placed on the lot. To even get the parking brake lowered, my husband had to disassemble the plastic manifold, second the car was lowered to the point where it scraped the road whenever we were turning on an incline, finally there was some mechanical issue with the gear shift where we weren’t able to reverse. When we got back from the test drive the salesperson explained to us that they knew of this issue and that there’s a trick to it. This trick wasn’t mentioned to us at the start of the test drive, nor did the salesperson go with us to explain it to us on the road. This is very dangerous, what if there was an emergency and we needed to reverse. Not knowing this trick not only puts our lives in danger but also all the other drivers in the area. I’m not a car person, but even I know that a car should be able to go forwards and backwards.
NHTSA complaint #11685958 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Madison, WI
SERVICE BRAKES
The salespeople are very unprofessional and don’t take the wellbeing and safety of their customers or the surrounding public seriously. My husband and I went to Stark to test drive a couple of their cars. The first car that we test drove the Honda Civic should have been properly repaired first before ever being placed on the lot. To even get the parking brake lowered, my husband had to disassemble the plastic manifold, second the car was lowered to the point where it scraped the road whenever we were turning on an incline, finally there was some mechanical issue with the gear shift where we weren’t able to reverse. When we got back from the test drive the salesperson explained to us that they knew of this issue and that there’s a trick to it. This trick wasn’t mentioned to us at the start of the test drive, nor did the salesperson go with us to explain it to us on the road. This is very dangerous, what if there was an emergency and we needed to reverse. Not knowing this trick not only puts our lives in danger but also all the other drivers in the area. I’m not a car person, but even I know that a car should be able to go forwards and backwards.
NHTSA complaint #11685958 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Orange, CA
STEERING
On on my dashboard due to a faulty malfunction in my ABS module that can only be done at Honda dealership and has to be removed only by Honda and sent off for Honda to rebuild and then sent back for them only to replace Seems ridiculous to pay $3000 for this when it's all over the Internet that this is an issue this is a computer issue this is ridiculous that this isn't there is no recall for this for this for this Honda issue it's all over Youtube this is the number one issue that's going around
NHTSA complaint #11674140 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Orange, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On on my dashboard due to a faulty malfunction in my ABS module that can only be done at Honda dealership and has to be removed only by Honda and sent off for Honda to rebuild and then sent back for them only to replace Seems ridiculous to pay $3000 for this when it's all over the Internet that this is an issue this is a computer issue this is ridiculous that this isn't there is no recall for this for this for this Honda issue it's all over Youtube this is the number one issue that's going around
NHTSA complaint #11674140 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.