Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2018 Honda Civic: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 598 safety complaints about the 2018 Honda Civic with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

598
Complaints
6
Recalls
5★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 26 crashes, 4 fires, 21 injuries, 1 death.

Key findings
  1. Steering leads the complaint list, cited in 224 of 598 complaints, followed by Fuel & propulsion.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 37 of the 598 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. Complaints peaked 6 years after the model year (223 filed in 2024) — a pattern consistent with wear-out failures rather than assembly defects.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2018 Honda Civic, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 598 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Steering
224
Fuel & propulsion
159
Other / unspecified
106
Electrical
51
Engine & cooling
50
Brakes & stability
27
Body & structure
25
Airbags & restraints
23

"The electric power steering (EPS) system failed/malfunctioned this past week. When going over 35 mph my steering wheel would become "knotchy/jerky" and lock up and be difficult to turn. As a result, I took it to Honda to which they stated my whole rack and pinion needed total replacement. No warning signs, messages, icons, or lights came on in my car."

Owner complaint filed August 2025 · Steering,Electrical System · NHTSA ODI 11678465

"Steering wheel gets really loose and very stiff at random while driving. I get power steering failure notifications on dash. I spoke with Honda dealership and was told my vehicle doesn’t belong to the recall. I have all the symptoms of the power steering recall issue."

Owner complaint filed July 2025 · Steering · NHTSA ODI 11673496

Complaints didn't fade — they kept coming

For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2018 Honda Civic inverts that curve — filings peaked in 2024, 6 years after the model year.

Complaints filed per year — 2018 Honda Civic
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
1
26
41
39
52
47
90
223
79
171819202122232425
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026). A late peak is the signature of wear-out failures: parts that don't fail until the vehicle has years and miles on it.

How the 2018 compares with other model years

Across the Honda Civic model years we track, the 2006 has the most complaints on file (1,402); the 2018 ranks 5 of 9.

Total complaints by model year — Honda Civic
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
1,402
1,204
916
395
396
454
1,078
591
2018
598
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 6 recalls

6 recalls apply to some or all 2018 Honda Civic vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Jun 201818V-421
Equipment:Other:Labels

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018 Honda Civic vehicles. The manufacturing date area of the certification labels may have random characters which can affect the owner's ability to determine if a safety recall includes their vehicle.

Sep 201818V-663
Steering:Electric Power Assist System

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Honda Civic and CR-V vehicles. The magnet that controls the torque sensor output signal for the electronic power steering system may not be properly secured, allowing the magnet to become dislodged. During a full lock turn, the dislodge…

Nov 201818V-817
Equipment:Other:Owners/Service/Other Manual

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Honda Civic Hatchback and Civic Type R vehicles. The owners guide in these vehicles may not have been included or if included, the owner's guide may not have been properly provided required information. As such, these vehicles fail to c…

May 202020V-314
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura NSX, 2019 Acura RDX, RLX and RLX Sport Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R and HR-V, 2019-2020 Insight and 2019 Fit vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Dec 202323V-858
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump

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, F…

May 202626V-332
Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger

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 …

Does your car have an open recall?

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 →

Crash-test ratings

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.

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★☆
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★★
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2018 Honda Civic have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 598 complaints about the 2018 Honda Civic with NHTSA. The most-reported system is steering.

How many recalls does the 2018 Honda Civic have?

The 2018 Honda Civic has 6 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2018 Honda Civic safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2018 Honda Civic an overall crash rating of 5 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.

Methodology & source

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.