2021 Honda CIVIC: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
143 owner complaints analyzed
4 distinct recall campaigns
30,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2021 model year. Data snapshot: . 15 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Steering is the most frequently named component, appearing in 62 of 143 complaints (43.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Steering behavior | 65 | 45.5% |
| Braking behavior | 35 | 24.5% |
| Transmission and shifting | 6 | 4.2% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 6 | 4.2% |
| Fuel system concerns | 5 | 3.5% |
| Engine operation | 2 | 1.4% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Steering | 62 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 26 |
| Service Brakes | 17 |
| Electrical System | 16 |
| Unknown Or Other | 12 |
| Air Bags | 9 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | 9 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | 8 |
Steering: 62; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 26; Service Brakes: 17; Electrical System: 16; Unknown Or Other: 12; Air Bags: 9; Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control: 9; Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings: 8
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 7 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 3 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 2 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 2 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 7; 25,000 to 49,999: 3; 50,000 to 74,999: 2; 75,000 to 99,999: 2; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (7). 128 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 |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 19 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2024 | 34 |
| 2025 | 40 |
| 2026 | 28 |
2021: 5; 2022: 19; 2023: 17; 2024: 34; 2025: 40; 2026: 28
Pattern summary
Steering leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 65 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 35 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 6 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11400071 · 2021-03-10 (March 10, 2021)
HEADLIGHTS ARE TOO DIM, WITH POOR VISIBILITY AT NIGHT, EVEN WHEN THE FOG LIGHTS ARE ON. H ROAD NEEDS TO BE ILLUMINATED A LITTLE BIT MORE, OR EVEN HAVE A FURTHER BEAM. THE LED VERSION OF THE CIVIC HAS A EXCELLENT HEADLIGHT PATTERN/BRIGHTNESS. HOWEVER, LX, SPORT AND EX SHARE THE SAME DIM HEADLIGHTS AT NIGHT. THAT IS. A SAFETY ISSUE AND CAN CAUSE A CRASH, OR HIT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ILLUMINATED MORE.
Owner-reported narrative. 101 miles reported. Look up ODI 11400071 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11419733 · 2021-06-05 (June 5, 2021)
In first month of ownership, all four windows automatically opened after I parked the car and walked away. After some online investigation, I made an appointment with Honda Service Dept. and asked them to disable the remote window open feature. They said it could not be done. Then I found video on You Tube showing a Toyota technician enabling this option; if it can be enabled then it can also be DISABLED I would assume. Why is this disable remote window opening not available for my Honda Civic? The title of the You Tube video is 'Make Your T…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11419733 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11421697 · 2021-06-21 (June 21, 2021)
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated while making a left turn, they noticed the rearview camera in the center console does not show an image or no notification alert for blind sport warning when making a turn. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer who inspected the vehicle and inform the contact the failure experience on the vehicle is just the way the vehicle was manufactured and could not repair the issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was appro…
Owner-reported narrative. 400 miles reported. Look up ODI 11421697 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11435579 · 2021-10-05 (October 5, 2021)
My car has multiple electric problems and it has been trying to die on me since I bought the car and they dealership doesn’t want to look at it unless I mention Apple CarPlay.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11435579 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11440302 · 2021-11-13 (November 13, 2021)
2125 miles on this Type R, fresh off the show room floor. At low speed turning into the slight dip in my driveway, the suspension in Sports Mode flexed enough for the driver side tin rotor back plate at the driver front wheel to get caught on the lower control arm. Drove it to Honda, and yes, they confirmed that this had happened, that the thin tin plate had indeed become stuck on the LCA! Screeching like you cannot believe b/c when this happens, the top of the plate is flexed onto the top of the brake rotor and it goes metal to metal. Honda t…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11440302 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11450184 · 2022-02-03 (February 3, 2022)
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200.
Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 11450184 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11454186 · 2022-02-25 (February 25, 2022)
MANY times I've pressed the gas after a full stop and had the engine roar in response while the car only moved forward a few feet rather than at full speed. My life is in danger if I'm trying to make a turn across traffic when I have a space to do so and I CAN'T make the turn SAFELY because the car has "stalled" by not moving forward quickly after I let go of the brakes. It's a brand new car, and I took it to Honda. They said they couldn't replicate the incident. Since it happens sporadically, I have no idea what causes it but I DO know that it…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11454186 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11454439 · 2022-02-28 (February 28, 2022)
I was driving at 55 mph on a clear day with no vehicles or other obstacles in front of my car when the collision mitigation braking system (cmbs) activated and stopped the car suddenly.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11454439 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
4 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
23V458000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master Cylinder
Reported: 2023-06-29 (June 29, 2023)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
Consequence: Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.
NHTSA campaign record ↗23V858000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump
Reported: 2023-12-18 (December 18, 2023)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
NHTSA campaign record ↗24V064000 · Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger
Reported: 2024-02-01 (February 1, 2024)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Consequence: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
NHTSA campaign record ↗26V332000 · Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger
Reported: 2026-05-21 (May 21, 2026)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Consequence: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
NHTSA campaign record ↗