2012 Honda Civic problems, complaints & recalls

2012 Honda Civic recalls (3)

• Recall 12V548000Nov 21, 2012157 vehicles
  STEERING:COLUMN

  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.

  Risk: The steering column may not have proper energy absorbing characteristics, which could increase the risk of injury during a vehicle crash.

  Remedy: 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 1-800-999-1009.

• Recall 12V256000Jun 4, 201250,190 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

  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.

  Risk: 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 of crash or pedestrian injury.

  Remedy: 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 Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.

• Recall 11V288000May 18, 20111,156 vehicles
  FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

  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 misaligned, a small fuel leak may occur.

  Risk: Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.

  Remedy: 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.

NHTSA defect investigations

• EA21002Opened Sep 17, 2021Open

  Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  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 Apr 19, 2019Closed Sep 19, 2024led to recall 20V024

  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…

Recent 2012 Honda Civic complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Sep 18, 2026TXBrakes

   Failed braking after repairing 9/14/26, Sun Auto did not bleed my brakes after installing front pads and rear shoes. When I brought this to the Service writer's attention on 9/18/26 his response was that I did not purchase the brake fluid service. Yes an independent Brake shop inspected and resolved the issue.

   NHTSA complaint #11765427 · source
2. Filed Jun 30, 2026SCAirbags

   We were not injured. We fixed the problem before we did get hurt..message came up.. “Check airbag system”. We had t replace our driver’s side airbag at the cost of over $1,500.

   NHTSA complaint #11747440 · source
3. Filed Jun 26, 2026WAAirbags

   The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side seat weight sensor failed to operate properly. The contact stated that while the front passenger’s seat was occupied, the air bag enabled warning light was flashing off and on. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V332000 (Air Bags). The dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that the failure was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer…

   NHTSA complaint #11746744 · source
4. Filed Mar 26, 2026167,842 miMAElectrical System

   The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the alarm indicator sounded off intermittently without cause. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who informed the contact that the alarm was a factory-made system and then suggested pressing the key fob twice to stop the alarm from sounding off. The vehicle was not officially diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 167,842.

   NHTSA complaint #11727191 · source
5. Filed Mar 23, 2026CAAirbagsBody & StructureOther / Unknown

   I purchased a vehicle from a private seller on offer up. The seller stated the vehicle was clean title, he also stated the vehicle was low mileage with 112,000. When I got the vehicle the tire sensor was showing on the dash and the air bag sensor. After purchasing the vehicle I later found out the vehicle was salvage, and the mileage is also roughly 180,000 miles or more.

   NHTSA complaint #11726572 · source
6. Filed Jan 20, 2026211,000 miCATransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated or stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. The “Check Emission Systems" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact then received notification from the Manufacturer for Honda Service Bulletin: 19-106. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where a PCM update was performed. Recently, the contact stated that the "Check Emission Systems"…

   NHTSA complaint #11712153 · source
7. Filed Jan 2, 2026CAEngineSteeringTransmission & Drivetrain

   Component or system failure: The vehicle experienced failures involving the engine/ignition system, emissions system, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), and power steering. On July 14, 2025, warning messages appeared for “Check Emissions System,” “Check VSA System,” and “Check Power Steering System.” Diagnostics identified engine misfire code P0304 (Cylinder #4). On August 11, 2025, an authorized Honda dealership confirmed a seized spark plug and cylinder head damage,…

   NHTSA complaint #11708419 · source
8. Filed Oct 27, 2025171,026 miALFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion

   The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally strong fuel odor detected. The contact pulled over and parked the vehicle, and became aware that there was fuel leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the fuel line needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was…

   NHTSA complaint #11695848 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 10, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology