2021 Honda Civic

Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues

Steering is the leading concern among 145 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 23rd highest complaint count among 26 Civic model years with reports.

Complaints by model year
  1. 145

Of the 2021 reports, 5 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 2 people were injured.

Primary concernSteering65 reports · 45% of complaints
Owner complaints145Filed with NHTSA
Recall relationship4 safety recallsNHTSA campaign records

What owners report most often

  1. Steering65
  2. Forward collision avoidance33
  3. Electrical system18
  4. Service brakes18
  5. Other or unspecified12
  6. Lane departure11
  7. Air bags9
  8. Vehicle speed control6

Recalls and investigations

  1. Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerMay 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.

    Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

    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.

    Campaign 26V332000 on NHTSA.gov

  2. Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerFeb 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.

    An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

    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.

    Campaign 24V064000 on NHTSA.gov

  3. Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpDec 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.

    Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

    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.

    Campaign 23V858000 on NHTSA.gov

  4. Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, master cylinderJun 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.

    Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.

    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.

    Campaign 23V458000 on NHTSA.gov

Representative owner complaints: vehicle speed control

6 reports, newest first. Show all

  1. Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Jun 20, 2026

    Cruise control does not disengage upon electronic parking brake being engaged while moving, causing the car to accelerate aggressively after the brake is released. While it does disengage after enough speed is lost, it should disengage immediately as it does when the brake pedal is tapped

  2. Service brakes, Hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Vehicle speed control, Jan 9, 2026

    The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving approximately 37 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine, master cylinder, and adaptive cruise control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake master cylinder, fuel pump, and ignition coils needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

  3. Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, May 22, 2023, crash, fire

    Driving down the highway about 70 mph and it started to rain so little that I had not even needed the wipers yet. Then out of nowhere with absolutely no warning what so ever the breaks locked up and the car began to slide and was completely unresponsive to any solution possible. The steering wheel was locked in place and the break peddle was so far to the floor I was not able to reach it. After colliding with the propane delivery truck which I was unable to see due to passanger side airbags which inflated unnecessarily with no passanger in the vehicle. After finally coming to a stop I was going to try and catch my breath while I gather my thoughts but unfortunately it was not possible due to the unimaginable amount of smoke that came from the driver airbag in the steering wheel. I jumped out not sure if it was on fire and assessed the situation and learned that the smoke was just coming from the steering wheel so I did my best to get it out. Which took bottles of water poured into the office steering wheel to stop the cap smoking.

  4. Vehicle speed control, May 11, 2022, crash

    was in reverse backing into parking spot. my foot was on the break; however, the car accelerated rapidly resulting in hitting a post. there were no warnings that registered took it to Honda and reported, they indicated they were not aware of this issue and did not run diagnostics as requested

  5. Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 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's VERY dangerous. Another issue happens when I'm driving in cruise control. Another car is in a turning lane, and my car will slow down abruptly. The car is in the NEXT lane, not in my lane, so having my car suddenly slow down is very dangerous as I can get rear ended. Again, this is dangerous.

  6. Vehicle speed control, Feb 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.