Owners have filed 454 safety complaints about the 2012 Honda Civic with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.
Complaints for this vehicle report 55 crashes, 5 fires, 41 injuries. No deaths have been reported.
Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2012 Honda Civic, here is how reports break down by system.
"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."
"I have had this 2012 for a little over a year, within the past 6 months periodically the check air bag system warning lamp comes on if I make a sharp turn or move the steering wheel very fast. On the guage it says that the passenger side air bag is off..This issue just came out of no where, but generally the car runs great"
Complaint filings for the 2012 Honda Civic over time:
Across the Honda Civic model years we track, the 2006 has the most complaints on file (1,402); the 2012 ranks 7 of 9.
3 recalls apply to some or all 2012 Honda Civic vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.
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.
HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 HONDA CIVIC VEHICLES. DURING ASSEMBLY, THE PROCESS REQUIRED TO SEAT THE DRIVERS SIDE DRIVESHAFT AND SET THE RETAINING CLIP WAS NOT COMPLETED. AS A RESULT, THE DRIVESHAFT MAY SEPARATE.
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.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →
NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.
As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 454 complaints about the 2012 Honda Civic with NHTSA. The most-reported system is airbags & restraints.
The 2012 Honda Civic has 3 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.
NHTSA gives the 2012 Honda Civic an overall crash rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.
All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.
Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.
This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.