2013 Honda CIVIC problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
319 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
24,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2013 model year. Data snapshot: . 193 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 114 of 319 complaints (35.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 55 | 17.2% |
| Steering behavior | 46 | 14.4% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 15 | 4.7% |
| Transmission and shifting | 12 | 3.8% |
| Engine operation | 8 | 2.5% |
| Fuel system concerns | 7 | 2.2% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Air Bags | 114 |
| Steering | 38 |
| Service Brakes | 37 |
| Electrical System | 36 |
| Unknown Or Other | 29 |
| Structure:Body | 23 |
| Engine | 22 |
| Power Train | 22 |
Air Bags: 114; Steering: 38; Service Brakes: 37; Electrical System: 36; Unknown Or Other: 29; Structure:Body: 23; Engine: 22; Power Train: 22
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 98 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 35 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 28 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 20 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 9 |
| 150,000 and above | 3 |
Under 25,000: 98; 25,000 to 49,999: 35; 50,000 to 74,999: 28; 75,000 to 99,999: 20; 100,000 to 149,999: 9; 150,000 and above: 3
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (98). 126 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 22 |
| 2014 | 46 |
| 2015 | 32 |
| 2016 | 21 |
| 2017 | 30 |
| 2018 | 37 |
| 2019 | 22 |
| 2020 | 19 |
| 2021 | 19 |
| 2022 | 13 |
| 2023 | 21 |
| 2024 | 14 |
| 2025 | 12 |
| 2026 | 11 |
2013: 22; 2014: 46; 2015: 32; 2016: 21; 2017: 30; 2018: 37; 2019: 22; 2020: 19; 2021: 19; 2022: 13; 2023: 21; 2024: 14; 2025: 12; 2026: 11
Pattern summary
Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 55 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 46 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 15 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10496211 · 2013-02-02 (February 2, 2013)
I BOUGHT A NEW CAR AN DRIVING AT 245 MILES I FELT RUBBING FEEL WITH BRAKES TOOK CAR BACK TO HONDA SERVICE! HONDA ROAD TESTED VEHICLE AN CONFIRMED THERE WAS A PROBLEM, REMOVED PADS CLEANED AN REINSTALLED. RETURNED CAR SAME DAY, THIS WAS DONE AT 376 MILES. SAME ISSUE ON FEBRUARY 1,2013 2 WEEKS LATER TOOK CAR IN AN NOW THEY SAY THE CALIPERS ARE STICKING CAR HAS 600 MILES THEY ARE KEEPING IT FOR A WEEK DUE TO NOT HAVING THE PARTS. I DON'T FEEL SAFE, NEVER TOOK CAR ON FREEWAY DUE TO THIS ISSUE! WHAT CAN I DO? PURCHASED ON 12-19-2013. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 376 miles reported. Look up ODI 10496211 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10550289 · 2013-10-30 (October 30, 2013)
I SET THE SPEED, USING THE CRUISE CONTROL, AT 65 MPH OR 70 MPH. UPON ENCOUNTERING A HILL THE CAR WILL SLOW DOWN TO AS MUCH AS 60 OR 65. EVENTUALLY THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL KICK IN AND THE AUTO-THROTTLE WILL ACCELERATE THE CAR QUICKLY TO 5 MPH BEYOND THE SET SPEED. IF IT WERE SET AT 65, THE CAR MIGHT ACCELERATE TO 70; SET AT 70 IT MIGHT GO TO 75. ADDITIONALLY, WHEN I HIT THE BRAKE TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL, IT MAY TAKE A COUPLE OF SECONDS FOR THE THROTTLE TO DISENGAGE. SEVERAL TIMES CARS HAVE PASSED ME WHEN THE CAR AUTOMATICALLY SLOWED G…
Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10550289 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10531548 · 2013-07-24 (July 24, 2013)
I WAS DRIVING AT 30 MPH AND WANTED TO TURN LEFT WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL GOT STIFF , THE NOTICE ON THE DASH BOARD SAID: "CHECK THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM"AND I COULD NOT CONTROL THE WHEEL. I PANICKED AND TRIED HARD TO TURN THE WHEEL. I WAS ABLE TO TURN LEFT WITH A LOT OF DIFFICULTY AND I STOPPED THE CAR. I WAS TRULY TERRIFIED BY THIS INCIDENT AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THEY FOUND A CODE 71-01 MOTOR ANGLE SENSOR AND HE PERFORMED AN UPDATE. HE SAID THAT NOW IT WOULD BE FINE. I PICKED UP MY CAR THE NEXT DAY AND…
Owner-reported narrative. 4,158 miles reported. Look up ODI 10531548 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10536924 · 2013-08-23 (August 23, 2013)
I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK IN THE MORNING AND MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AS I WAS DRIVING. I TRIED TO PHYSICALLY GET THE STEERING WHEEL TO UNLOCK AS MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. I WAS UNABLE TO GET IT TO UNLOCK AND AN ACCIDENT HAPPENED AND I ENDED UP IN A DITCH WITH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 11,788 miles reported. Look up ODI 10536924 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10562981 · 2014-02-04 (February 4, 2014)
WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 72 MILES AN HOUR MY CAR ALL OF A SUDDEN LOST POWER. THE DASH WENT COMPLETELY BLACK AND MY ENGINE SHUT OFF. MY STEERING WAS EXTREMELY STIFF WITH LIMITED RANGE OF MOVEMENT, I FEEL THE POWER STEERING SHUT DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO DRIFT INTO THE OPEN LANE NEXT TO ME AND BRAKE TO A STOP ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART MY CAR AND IT STARTED ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT. CONTINUED TO DRIVE TO MY DESTINATION WITH NO FURTHER TROUBLE. I TOOK IT TO THE CLOSEST DEALERSHIP A FEW HOURS LATER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND …
Owner-reported narrative. 12,790 miles reported. Look up ODI 10562981 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10572889 · 2014-03-17 (March 17, 2014)
THIS IS MY SECOND 2013 CIVIC WITHIN A YEAR. MY FIRST ONE HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE IMID SCREEN AND RADIO. BASICALLY, THIS BECOMES AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE THAT AFFECTS THE REST OF THE VEHICLE. I ALSO LEARNED THAT THE HARD RESET THAT WAS DONE TO THE VEHICLE COULD'VE DID MORE HARM THAN GOOD. THE IMID WOULD FREEZE, LAG, BLACKOUT, THE BACKUP CAMERA WOULD STOP WORKING OCCASIONALLY, MY PHONE WOULDN'T PAIR OCCASIONALLY, I COULDN'T USE ANY OF THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS OR THE BUTTONS ON THE RADIO SOMETIMES EITHER. EVENTUALLY, MY ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING O…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10572889 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10638526 · 2014-09-23 (September 23, 2014)
ATTENTION TO ALL WHO READ & COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR 2013 HONDA CIVIC. GO TO YOUR INTERNET & SEARCH DRIVE BY WIRE. THEN YOU WILL KNOW WHY OUR CAR DRIVES SO AWFUL AND YES, ACCIDENT PRONE. OUR VEHICLES - NEWS FLASH - ARE MANUFACTURED WITH THE NEW (WELL, AROUND 2003-ISH) (NOT REAL SURE NOW) DRIVE BY WIRE. MY OLD 1997 HONDA CIVIC WOULD DRIVE THIS 2013 IN THE GROUND. IT'S NEW TECHNOLOGY. NO MORE DRIVE BY THROTTLE. IF YOU WANT YOUR POWER, EITHER GET A MANUAL TRANSMISSION OR GET AN OLD CAR. PEACE TO ALL WHO READ. (( I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WEIRD WITH T…
Owner-reported narrative. 13 miles reported. Look up ODI 10638526 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10639416 · 2014-09-26 (September 26, 2014)
WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55-60 MPH. WANTED TO PRESS "HAZARD WARNING BUTTON" AND BY ACCIDENT PRESSED THE "ENGINE START/STOP BUTTON". BECAUSE "HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS" DID NOT START FLASHING I AUTOMATICALLY PRESSED THE "ENGINE START/STOP BUTTON" SECOND TIME - THE ENGINE TURNED OFF. SINCE ENGINE WAS OFF BRAKES STOPPED WORKING AND POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING AS WELL. THERE IS NO WAY TO TURN ENGINE ON WHILE CAR WAS MOVING - AS YOU CAN DO IT ONLY WHEN THE TRANSMISSION ON "P" (PARKING) - AND YOU CANNOT SWITCH TRANSMISSION INTO "P" (MODE) WH…
Owner-reported narrative. 8,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10639416 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10549275 · 2013-10-23 (October 23, 2013)
SEVERE MOTION SICKNESS WHEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE; THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A "SMALL CAR" PROBLEM BUT IT WAS PERSISTENT ALL THE WAY TO CHICAGO AND BACK TO SAN FRANCISCO. BASICALLY, A ROLLER COASTER RIDE AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS AND SUSPECT THAT IT IS A FAULTY SUSPENSION DESIGN. ENGINE (WOULD STALL AND THEN QUICKLY ACCELERATE PROBLEM) AND DRIVER WIPED OUT AFTER ABOUT EIGHT THOUSAND MILES. THE SEAT DESIGN IS EXTREMELY POOR AND CAUSES PINCHED NERVES FOR PASSENGER AND DRIVER. MAYBE THE CAR IS JUST GOOD FOR LOCAL SHORT DRIVES AND THE YOUNGER CROWD...…
Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10549275 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10587283 · 2014-05-08 (May 8, 2014)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE COMING TO A STOP, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND A SLIGHT VIBRATION OCCURRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ONLY WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS OR COMING TO A STOP. THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER THEY WERE UNABLE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125. UPDATED 7/9/14*CN THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP A LOUD SLOSHING , BUMPING SOUND COULD BE HEARD EMITTING FROM THE GAS TANK…
Owner-reported narrative. 125 miles reported. Look up ODI 10587283 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10592927 · 2014-05-20 (May 20, 2014)
THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT EVIDENT DURING THE PRE-PURCHASE TEST DRIVE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE THE GAS TANK FULL. HOWEVER, UPON DRIVING THE VEHICLE OFF THE DEALER LOT POST PURCHASE, AND DURING THE ENTIRE SUBSEQUENT OWNERSHIP PERIOD, THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED RELATIVELY LOUD THUD / KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR/FUEL TANK AREA UPON STOPPING IN URBAN DRIVING CONDITIONS WITH GAS TANK FULL TO HALF EMPTY. THE SOUND WAS OF A SLOSHING LIQUID IN A CONTAINER (FUEL?), EVIDENT IN LOW SPEED BRAKING AND/OR GOING OVER SPEED BUMPS. THIS IS VERY ANNOYING AN…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10592927 at NHTSA ↗