Honda Civic 2012–2015 problems by year and mileage
9th generation · FB (sedan) / FG3-FG4 (coupe)
NHTSA data through 24 September 20261,491 complaints, 924 with mileageMethod
Which year is yours? Tap it to see what breaks on it.
The 2012 Honda Civic
Close- Median failure report
- 30,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 473
- Recalls naming this year
- 4
Most reported on the 2012
- Airbag system153 reports · median 32,000 mi
- Steering74 reports · median 60,000 mi
- Electrical system63 reports · median 44,000 mi
4 recall campaigns name the 2012: Power train — driveline; Steering — column; Fuel system, other — delivery. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2013 Honda Civic
Close- Median failure report
- 24,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 329
- Recalls naming this year
- 0
Most reported on the 2013
- Airbag system116 reports · median 60,000 mi
- Electrical system41 reports
- Steering39 reports
The 2014 Honda Civic
Close- Median failure report
- 34,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 296
- Recalls naming this year
- 2
Most reported on the 2014
- Transmission and driveline99 reports · median 42,000 mi
- Airbag system59 reports · median 58,000 mi
- Electrical system38 reports
2 recall campaigns name the 2014: Power train — automatic transmission; Tires — bead. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2015 Honda Civic
Close- Median failure report
- 50,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 393
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
At least 40% of the complaints about the 2015 were filed after 2020, and most complaints filed since then carry no odometer reading. The median here rests on the earlier reports and likely understates the mileage these failures happen at.
Most reported on the 2015
- Transmission and driveline180 reports · median 84,000 mi
- Airbag system59 reports · median 43,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise59 reports
1 recall campaign names the 2015: Power train — automatic transmission. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
Each tile shows the median mileage at which that model year’s failures were reported. † marks a year whose median likely understates the mileage: much of its reporting came after 2020, when most complaints stopped recording an odometer reading. The 2015 reports latest and the 2013 earliest, but part of that gap is age: the 2013 has had 2 more years on the road to accumulate mileage.
The short answer
“Is the 2012–2015 Honda Civic reliable?”
- Median of reported failures
- 35,000 mi
- 90% of reports came by
- 110,000 mi
- Reports with mileage
- 924
- Recalls
- 6
Most reported
- Airbag system26.0% of complaints · median 47,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline23.8% of complaints · median 62,000 mi
- Electrical system11.4% of complaints · median 37,000 mi
Documented problems
- Transmission (cvt)2014–2015
- Air Conditioning2012–2015
- Airbags (takata Inflator)2012–2015
- Hybrid Battery (ima)2012–2015
Owners filed 1,491 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012–2015 Honda Civic; the airbag system leads with 26% of them, and half of the 924 that record an odometer reading came by 35,000 miles. A count like this can’t rate reliability on its own: NHTSA records what owners chose to report, not how many of each car were sold.
28% of complaints that record mileage fall within the first 12,000 miles, against 6.3 reports per 1,000 miles between 20,000 and 80,000. Failures clustered that early usually indicate a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear.
Before-you-buy checklist ↓At your mileage ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
How many miles does a 2012–2015 Honda Civic last?
Complaint records can’t measure how long a car lasts; they show when reported failures happened. On the 2012–2015 Honda Civic, half of the 924 complaints that record an odometer reading were filed by 35,000 miles and 90% by 110,000 miles.
28 reports came in past 150,000 miles and 7 past 200,000 — each one proof that a Civic reached that mileage, not that it failed there.
Figure 1 · Honda Civic 2012–2015 · 924 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 235 complaints.
- First 12,000 miles — 28% of all failures
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 7 complaints (0.8%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 600
- 25%
- 9,230
- Median
- 35,000
- 75%
- 74,000
- 90%
- 110,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 235 | 25.4% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 109 | 11.8% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 81 | 8.8% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 76 | 8.2% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 62 | 6.7% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 48 | 5.2% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 56 | 6.1% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 53 | 5.7% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 51 | 5.5% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 36 | 3.9% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 21 | 2.3% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 17 | 1.8% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 23 | 2.5% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 21 | 2.3% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 7 | 0.8% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 8 | 0.9% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 3 | 0.3% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 3 | 0.3% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 1 | 0.1% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 6 | 0.6% |
| 200,000+ | 7 | 0.8% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Common Civic problems, and when they happen
Figure 2 · Honda Civic 2012–2015
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Brakes107 reports18,0008,000–48,000Brakes: 107 reports, median 18,000 miles, middle half 8,000 to 48,000 miles.
- Engine117 reports20,0002,000–64,000Engine: 117 reports, median 20,000 miles, middle half 2,000 to 64,000 miles.
- Electrical system170 reports37,00013,000–71,000Electrical system: 170 reports, median 37,000 miles, middle half 13,000 to 71,000 miles.
- Problems owners could not categorise162 reports38,00014,000–78,000Problems owners could not categorise: 162 reports, median 38,000 miles, middle half 14,000 to 78,000 miles.
- Airbag system387 reports47,00019,000–80,000Airbag system: 387 reports, median 47,000 miles, middle half 19,000 to 80,000 miles.
- Steering150 reports48,00016,000–76,000Steering: 150 reports, median 48,000 miles, middle half 16,000 to 76,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline355 reports62,00012,000–96,000Transmission and driveline: 355 reports, median 62,000 miles, middle half 12,000 to 96,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
All systems in a table
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag system | 387 | 26.0% | 47,000 | 19,000–80,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 355 | 23.8% | 62,000 | 12,000–96,000 |
| Electrical system | 170 | 11.4% | 37,000 | 13,000–71,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 162 | 10.9% | 38,000 | 14,000–78,000 |
| Steering | 150 | 10.1% | 48,000 | 16,000–76,000 |
| Engine | 117 | 7.8% | 20,000 | 2,000–64,000 |
| Brakes | 107 | 7.2% | 18,000 | 8,000–48,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 89 | 6.0% | 10,000 | 967–33,000 |
| Body structure | 84 | 5.6% | 25,000 | 3,500–57,000 |
| Fuel and propulsion system | 54 | 3.6% | 20,000 | 2,000–30,000 |
System by system, in words
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 35,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The airbag system accounts for 26.0% of complaints (387 reports, 224 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 47,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 19,000 and 80,000 miles.
A single system taking 26.0% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 23.8% of complaints (355 reports, 198 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 62,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 12,000 and 96,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 11.4% of complaints (170 reports, 103 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 37,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 13,000 and 71,000 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 10.9% of complaints (162 reports, 73 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 38,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 14,000 and 78,000 miles.
The steering accounts for 10.1% of complaints (150 reports, 101 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 48,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 16,000 and 76,000 miles.
The engine accounts for 7.8% of complaints (117 reports, 76 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 20,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,000 and 64,000 miles.
Known problems with the 2012–2015 Civic
Transmission (cvt) 2014–2015
Start-clutch judder and shudder on light acceleration after the 2014 switch from the 5-speed automatic to a CVT on the 1.8L; addressed by control software updates and fluid service. Note this defect cannot exist on 2012-2013 cars, which used a conventional automatic.
Air Conditioning 2012–2015
A/C condenser refrigerant leaks causing loss of cooling; a high-volume complaint across the generation.
Airbags (takata Inflator) 2012–2015
Takata inflator recall population continues through this generation.
Hybrid Battery (ima) 2012–2015
IMA battery degradation on the Civic Hybrid, same failure mechanism as the prior generation.
Before you buy a 2012–2015 Civic: the 3-minute check
Generated from 924 mileage-tagged complaints, 6 recall campaigns, 4 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 6 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Ask for throttle and speed control repair records. Reports on this area come at a median of 10,000 miles — on any car this age it already happened or never will; the question is whether it was fixed under warranty.
- Check transmission (CVT) on 2014–2015 cars. Start-clutch judder and shudder on light acceleration after the 2014 switch from the 5-speed automatic to a CVT on the 1.8L; addressed by control software updates and fluid service. Note this defect cannot exist on…
- Check air conditioning on 2012–2015 cars. A/C condenser refrigerant leaks causing loss of cooling; a high-volume complaint across the generation.
- Check airbags (takata inflator) on 2012–2015 cars. Takata inflator recall population continues through this generation.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 28% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.
On inspection, the airbag system and the transmission and driveline are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The airbag system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 47,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Civic problems by mileage: where your car sits
Type your odometer reading, or read the common mileages in the table. Your marker lands on the timing chart above and on the curve below.
| System | Middle half of reports, mi | At 60k mi66% below | At 90k mi83% below | At 120k mi91% below | At 150k mi97% below | At 200k mi99% below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag system | 19,000–80,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Transmission and driveline | 12,000–96,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Electrical system | 13,000–71,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 14,000–78,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Steering | 16,000–76,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Engine | 2,000–64,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Brakes | 8,000–48,000 | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
Figure 3 · Honda Civic 2012–2015 · 924 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 66% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 83% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 91% of reports below
- 150,000 mi — 97% of reports below
- 200,000 mi — 99% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it above
The staircase tops out at 99%: the remaining 0.8% of reports (7) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
2012–2015 Honda Civic recalls (6)
NHTSA records 6 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the transmission and driveline (3), the tyres (1), the steering (1). Several campaigns against one area can mean a remedy that did not hold, or separate defects in parts filed under the same heading; the summaries below name each defect.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Dec 2020 · 2012 · Power TrainA broken drive shaft may cause a sudden loss of drive power.
The defect. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Acura ILX, 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid, and 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles with a manual transmission and 2009-2013 Honda Fit vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in…
What can happen. A broken drive shaft may cause a sudden loss of drive power. The vehicle could also roll away if the parking brake has not been applied before the vehicle has been exited. Either condition can…
The free fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the drive shafts, replacing either the left or right drive shaft, if necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk with an…
Sep 2015 · 2014–2015 · Power TrainIf the transmission drive pulley shaft is damaged, it may break, and the vehicle may lose acceleration or the…
The defect. 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…
What can happen. 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.
The free fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the transmission, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin October 30, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at…
Mar 2014 · 2014 · TiresThe tire damage could cause the tire to lose air, increasing the risk of a crash.
The defect. American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2014 Honda Civic LX vehicles manufactured November 26, 2013, through January 21, 2014. In the affected vehicles, during mounting of the tires, the tire bead may have gotten pinched between…
What can happen. The tire damage could cause the tire to lose air, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace any damaged tire, free of charge. The recall began on April 15, 2014. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009. Honda's number for…
Nov 2012 · 2012 · SteeringThe steering column may not have proper energy absorbing characteristics, which could increase the risk of…
The defect. Honda is recalling certain model year 2012 Civic passenger vehicles, manufactured from October 26, 2012, through October 30, 2012. These vehicles were assembled with the incorrect steering column assembly.
What can happen. The steering column may not have proper energy absorbing characteristics, which could increase the risk of injury during a vehicle crash.
The free fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the steering column, as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on December 10, 2012. Owners may contact Honda at…
Jun 2012 · 2012 · Power TrainIf this occurs, the vehicle will have a loss of drive power and may roll away if the parking brake has not…
The defect. Honda is recalling certain model year 2012 Honda Civic vehicles. During assembly, the process required to seat the driver’s side driveshaft and set the retaining clip was not completed. As a result, the driveshaft may separate.
What can happen. If this occurs, the vehicle will have a loss of drive power and may roll away if the parking brake has not been set when the gear selector has been placed in the “park” position, increasing the risk…
The free fix. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver's side driveshaft and install a new driveshaft as needed, free of charge. The safety recall began on June 21. 2012. Owners may contact…
May 2011 · 2012 · Fuel System, OtherFuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
The defect. Honda is recalling certain model year 2012 Civic 2-door and 4-door vehicles manufactured from april 21, 2011, through may 2, 2011. There is a possibility that an o-ring, which seals a connection in the fuel feed line, is misaligned. If the o-ring is…
What can happen. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
The free fix. Dealers will replace the fuel feed line assembly free of charge. The safety recall began on may 27, 2011. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Crashes, fires and injuries owners reported
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 1,491 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 155 (10.4%)
- Fires
- 12
- Injury reports
- 93
- Fatality reports
- 0
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Civic problems by model year
The 2012 drew the most complaints of this generation, 473, most of them about the airbag system, and the 2014 the fewest, 296. A typical year drew about 361.
| Year | Complaints | With mileage | Median miles | Most reported | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 473 | 333 | 30,000 | Airbag system (153) | 4 |
| 2013 | 329 | 201 | 24,000 | Airbag system (116) | 0 |
| 2014 | 296 | 178 | 34,000 | Transmission and driveline (99) | 2 |
| 2015 | 393 | 212 | 50,000† | Transmission and driveline (180) | 1 |
What Civic owners reported
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Civic. The contact had experienced intermittent power steering assist failure, causing the steering wheel to lock up while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that after the failure, the vehicle failed to restart, and the "Air Bag" warning light illuminated. The vehicle has been…
2015 · 50,000 miles · Airbag system
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA…
2015 · 147,000 miles · Transmission and driveline
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…
2013 · 92,000 miles · Airbag system
The contact owns a 2014 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, the vehicle lost power steering assist, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was towed to a dealer; however, the vehicle was not…
2014 · 200,000 miles · Steering
Built from 924 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-09-26 · open data · how it is built
Other Civic generations
- Civic 1996–2000 504 reports with mileage, most about the airbag system
- Civic 2001–2005 2,109 reports with mileage, most about the airbag system
- Civic 2006–2011 3,503 reports with mileage, most about the airbag system
- Civic 2016–2021 1,117 reports with mileage, most about the steering
- Civic 2022–2025 118 reports with mileage, most about the steering