1,134 of the
20,273 complaints filed about the Honda Civic
are about the glass, mirrors and wipers —
6% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2006.
1,134
Complaints
6%
Share of all complaints
16
Crashes
1
Fires
Windows, Mirrors & Wipers complaints by model year
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the compressor shaft failed, and the shaft seal caused further damage to the compressor and caused an additional failure. The contact associated the failure with Technical Service Bulletin: 23-039. The dealer was contacted and diagnosed the vehicle with compressor failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the warranty only covered the shaft seal and not the compressor. The failure mileage was approximately 166,000.
NHTSA complaint #11758273 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rear window wiper failed to operate when transmission put in reverse. Should have operated automatically. Rear window wiper failed to respond to switch position when selected to on. Scan tool shows body control module receiving switch input but no output to wiper motor. Rear window washer comes on without switch being moved to on position when car is turned on and will not turn off unless car is turned off or fuse is pulled. Unable to control wiper washer system. No warning lights noted and no faults found during scanning. There has been recalls on other model's of this year and brand of car for defective body control module. Rear wiper motor and switch stalk were replaced with known good parts, no fix.
NHTSA complaint #11757930 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Honda has known about an issue with their 2016-2020 vehicles where the evaporator stops working. They continued to use the same part for the AC and because the evaporator does not work any longer, the windshield doesn’t correctly defog and it obstructs my vision.
NHTSA complaint #11756214 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
So my 2018 Honda Civic has been affected by the known AC condenser leaks and compressor shaft seal leaks, that Honda has provided an extended warranty for. However they have also found a massive leak at the evaporator. To which Honda has not provided an extended warranty for. This is a huge concern because I am unable to defog my windows without AC and makes it very difficult to see while driving in conditions that my window my fog up. I have not been in an accident currently, but I see this as a massive problem for myself and other Honda owners. Customer service has just formally denied my claim for a curtesy repair for the evaporator. It is very disheartening and Honda should be held responsible.
NHTSA complaint #11753377 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while purchasing the vehicle, the contact became aware that the A/C was inoperable. Before purchasing the vehicle, the contact asked the dealer to replace the A/C condenser, and the component was replaced. The contact stated that three years later, the A/C compressor was replaced again, but the shaft seal was not replaced. The contact stated that on June 30, the evaporator failed, causing fumes to enter the A/C and there was bacteria trapped due to oil leaks from the shaft seal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with the failure of the evaporator, causing the oil from the shaft seal to leak into the evaporator. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,500.
NHTSA complaint #11753040 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while purchasing the vehicle, the contact became aware that the A/C was inoperable. Before purchasing the vehicle, the contact asked the dealer to replace the A/C condenser, and the component was replaced. The contact stated that three years later, the A/C compressor was replaced again, but the shaft seal was not replaced. The contact stated that on June 30, the evaporator failed, causing fumes to enter the A/C and there was bacteria trapped due to oil leaks from the shaft seal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with the failure of the evaporator, causing the oil from the shaft seal to leak into the evaporator. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,500.
NHTSA complaint #11753040 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In June 2026, the HVAC system in my 2019 Honda Civic 2.0L failed because the evaporator core developed a premature leak or crack. AutoNation Honda O’Hare inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the evaporator core as the failed component. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This failure creates a serious visibility hazard. During rain and humid conditions, the windshield and side windows fog rapidly. Because the air-conditioning system can no longer adequately remove moisture from the cabin air, the defrost and defog functions do not clear the glass effectively. This can severely obstruct my view of the road, nearby vehicles, pedestrians, and other hazards while driving. I have also noticed a persistent chemical odor coming from the vents. Because the evaporator core is located inside the HVAC housing, I am concerned that refrigerant, compressor oil, or other HVAC residue may be entering the passenger compartment. This creates a potential exposure concern, especially when the vehicle is operated with the windows closed. I received no specific dashboard warning that the evaporator core was failing. The first noticeable symptoms were reduced cooling, ineffective windshield defogging, and the chemical odor from the vents. Honda has extended warranty coverage for certain air-conditioning condenser and compressor failures affecting this generation of Civic, but it does not cover the evaporator core. I contacted Honda and requested goodwill assistance with the costly repair. Honda refused to provide any goodwill discount despite the known pattern of air-conditioning failures and the safety consequences of losing effective windshield dehumidification. I request that NHTSA investigate evaporator-core failures in 10th-generation Honda Civics and determine whether a safety recall or expanded manufacturer remedy is warranted.
NHTSA complaint #11752656 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I reported this issue to insurance. The facts are that when I was watching a family member’s toddler, I went to my vehicle to grab a stack of papers. While holding her, I reached in and grabbed the papers sitting directly on the back seat of the coupe vehicle (I.e., easy to reach). Upon grabbing the papers in one hand and holding her on my left hip, I shut the drivers side door and began walking toward the home. Immediately, I heard an odd sound like a rustle or possibly an animal scurrying. I looked around confused because I hadn’t seen anything and it wasn’t too dark. Then I looked closer and the entirety of my back windshield was shattered into a billion pieces leaking into my back seats and onto the car seat placed there for when I frequently pick up the toddler. I can’t help but think of what would’ve happened if she was in her car seat and the glass shards (which were many, sharp and permeating through each crevice and likely will remain until somehow discovered or hurting someone) would’ve fell there. Many honda owners experienced this issue of combustion in the rear windshield. It’s not safe or right. A recall should be made.
NHTSA complaint #11747930 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The windshield wiper design and wiper fluid nozzle make visibility worse. The nozzle doesn’t spray until the wiper is at the top of the windshield amd sprays the fluid off the side of the car instead of onto the windshield for the wipers to clear. The little bit that does hit the windshield is enough to smear any smudge or bug right in front of drivers face making them extremely dangerous.
NHTSA complaint #11745404 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The A/C failed completely, blowing hot air (80+°F) in extreme Phoenix heat. The issue recurred identically after a dealer misdiagnosis and gas recharge last year. A formal inspection by Showcase Honda on May 28, 2026 (RO# 838832), confirmed a dual leak: the A/C Compressor Shaft Seal (under warranty extension) and the A/C Evaporator Core were leaking refrigerant simultaneously. Due to severe local heat waves, repairs were completed at the dealer on June 15, 2026. Invoices are available upon request. This defect severely risks vehicle safety. Driving in Arizona's 100+°F heat without A/C causes immediate heat exhaustion for passengers. Also, losing the defroster causes sudden windshield fogging during humidity shifts, creating a blind visibility hazard. No warning lamps preceded the failure. Crucially, the 10-year warranty extension is rapidly expiring for early 10th-gen Civic owners, leaving us unprotected. NHTSA must mandate Honda to extend the compressor/condenser warranty to a LIFETIME warranty. Furthermore, because the Evaporator Core inherently fails at the exact same time due to the same loop defect, Honda must expand coverage to include the Evaporator Core as a fully covered component. Partial coverage is a widespread safety hazard and a financial injustice for consumers.
NHTSA complaint #11745135 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle has experienced a complete failure of the A/C condenser unit due to refrigerant leaks originating from manufacturing defects in the tube walls. This matches the exact physical failure described in Honda Service Bulletin TSB #19-091. However, the manufacturer is refusing coverage because this specific VIN falls just outside their current arbitrary cutoff list. This component failure directly impacts vehicle safety by disabling the vehicle's capability to dehumidify the cabin and clear a heavily fogged windshield during sudden humidity or temperature changes, causing an immediate visibility hazard.
NHTSA complaint #11740234 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The windshield wiper fluid is built into the wipers. The fluid sprays at the edge of my windshield, thus not spraying the windshield at all, and all fluid is lost. My windshield gets smeared worse than it was prior to tuening the fluid on and not cleaned at all. This presents a huge safety issue during the winter months when the windshield gets heavily soiled from sand on the road. Finding somewhere safe enough to pull over, and having Windex on hand will be necessary to keep visibility possible due to the unsafe design of the wiper fluid wipers. It also creates a safety issue when the sun is shining through the front windshield and visibility due to the smeared, dirty windshield. Honda said they ate not defective, it is how they were designed. This design is defective amd causes a large safety hazard.
NHTSA complaint #11740273 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The rear window shattered while driving. I had turned on my rear window defroster to help clear the window of fog. Several minutes later there was a loud pop, and I saw a hole in the lower left corner of the window under the spoiler, and the rest of the glass was cracked. I pulled over to see if something had hit the window, and there was no evidence of that happening.
NHTSA complaint #11738376 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sunroof glass suddenly shattered while driving with no impact. Very scary and Honda said it could be thousands to fix it. They say this has never happened before at their dealership and they've never heard of it happening.
NHTSA complaint #11734619 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact's father owns a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the A/C unit was blowing warm air while activated. Due to the failure, the defroster system failed to clear the glass as intended. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the mechanic discovered that the A/C compressor shaft seal and the A/C evaporator were inoperable. The mechanic also discovered that flammable gas was leaking from the A/C evaporator system into the cabin of the vehicle. The contact was informed that the A/C compressor shaft seal was covered under warranty; however, the A/C evaporator was not covered. The dealer submitted a Goodwill request to the manufacturer, and the manufacturer agreed to cover 75% of the cost of the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact opened a Goodwill request for assistance; however, the manufacturer denied the request. The contact was provided with a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.
NHTSA complaint #11729997 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact's father owns a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the A/C unit was blowing warm air while activated. Due to the failure, the defroster system failed to clear the glass as intended. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the mechanic discovered that the A/C compressor shaft seal and the A/C evaporator were inoperable. The mechanic also discovered that flammable gas was leaking from the A/C evaporator system into the cabin of the vehicle. The contact was informed that the A/C compressor shaft seal was covered under warranty; however, the A/C evaporator was not covered. The dealer submitted a Goodwill request to the manufacturer, and the manufacturer agreed to cover 75% of the cost of the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact opened a Goodwill request for assistance; however, the manufacturer denied the request. The contact was provided with a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.
NHTSA complaint #11729997 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
What component or system failed: The entire Air Conditioning system, specifically the AC Compressor, Condenser, and Evaporator, failed catastrophically. The authorized Honda dealer diagnosed it as "Black Death," meaning the AC compressor internally shattered, sending metal shrapnel and contaminated oil throughout all AC lines and components. How was your safety put at risk: This failure is a SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD. Because the AC compressor is dead, the windshield defroster/defogger system no longer functions. During rain or changes in temperature/humidity, the inside of the windshield fogs up instantly and cannot be cleared. This causes a sudden and complete loss of driver visibility, creating a high risk of a fatal crash on the highway. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed: Yes. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Honda dealership. The technician confirmed the catastrophic failure ("Black Death") and stated the entire system needs to be replaced. Previous history & Manufacturer response: Honda has known defects with the 2016 Civic AC system (Warranty Extensions 19-091 & 23-039). The condenser was previously replaced under warranty in 2023. Now, the defective compressor shaft seal has led to the complete destruction of the system. Despite this being a known defect that causes secondary damage to the entire system, Honda Corporate has refused to cover the repair costs for the collateral damage (evaporator and lines). The parts are currently on the vehicle and available for inspection. Were there warning lamps: There were no warning lights on the dashboard prior to the failure. The only symptom was the AC suddenly blowing hot air and the immediate loss of the defogging capability.
NHTSA complaint #11729673 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.