2026 Honda Civic problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 31 owner complaints about the 2026 Honda Civic, or 31.0 per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.77, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 73 model-year 2026 vehicles we track, it ranks #55 of 73 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Honda models its rate is 57% lower; against other Compact cars it is 41% higher.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2025-09-17 and 2026-10-08. Median delay from incident to filing: 3 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2025) drew 54.8 complaints per year, more than this one.
The most common problem area is Steering (22.6% of complaints), followed by Engine (16.1%) and Brakes (12.9%). Steering complaints are 3.5 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 2 reports (6.5%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 2 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 3 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (100% of incidents). In the last 12 months 29 new complaints were filed, versus 2 in the 12 months before — up 1,350%.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles0.77
- vs. other Honda models0.43
- vs. other 2026 models1.24
- vs. other Compact cars1.41
- #55 of 73 · 2026Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Problem areas: Steering · Fuel system · Unspecified or other · Electrical · Engine · Driver-assist systems · Brakes · Body & structure · Airbags & seat belts · Transmission / powertrain · Wheels, tires & suspension
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 2
- Fires reported: 0
- Injuries: 2
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 3 months
What owners report
My car turned me into a light pole and was totaled and I was injured!
Brakes I wasn't able to stop when I got to the intersection. My emergency brake system never turned on and stop me from hitting the rear of the ambulance.
While using Adaptive Cruise Control set to the longest following distance on open roads with no vehicle ahead, the car suddenly applies the brakes as if detecting an obstacle. This also occurs when vehicles pass on two-lane roads.
The front tires on this vehicle have suffered premature wear and are already 50% worn out at only 11,000 miles. Certified Tire Technicians at Town Fair Tire inspected the vehicle during my routine tire rotation.
This car brakes at least once a week while using adaptive cruise control despite zero carsz people or anything at all being in front of me. It's extremely common and dangerous. Look on Honda forums on Facebook or I suspect anywhere else and you'll see.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2026 · Compact cars
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Mazda Mazda3 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.02 |
| 2026 Subaru Impreza | 1 | 1.0 | 0.02 |
| 2026 Hyundai Elantra | 3 | 3.0 | 0.07 |
| 2026 Volkswagen Jetta | 6 | 6.0 | 0.15 |
| 2026 Nissan Sentra | 17 | 17.0 | 0.42 |
| 2026 Honda Civic | 31 | 31.0 | 0.77 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.