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.
Of the 2021 reports, 5 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 2 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
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
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
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
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
145 reports, newest first.
Steering, Mar 6, 2026
My steering wheel becomes "sticky" when I am accelerating 40mph and up. It is hard to make minor corrections without potentially over correcting due to the stickiness.
Steering, Other or unspecified, Feb 14, 2026
Steering wheel seems to "stick" when positioned in the center and "unsticking" it requires extra effort causing the wheel to jerk free and making you overcorrect for what would be a minor lane adjustment. It causes you to zig zag back and forth in your lane as you try to correct each time the steering wheel stick. It has happened to me multiple times on multi hour drives on the highway and persists until the end of the drive. The vehicle has not been inspected yet by any professionals and the first signs of the sticking issue appeared several weeks ago beginning this winter.
Lane departure, Feb 3, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Lane Keep Steering Assist failed to function as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the steering wheel was sticking. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to two dealers, and the vehicle was diagnosed with steering rack assembly failure. The contact was informed that the steering rack assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 36,200.
Steering, Jan 24, 2026
Vehicle is experiencing sticky steering. Same as discovered in recall report 24V-744. A ton of 10th generation owners are experiencing the same exact problems. You have over 1,200 reports on record for the 10th generation years. Please do something about this, it would be easy to add additional years into the report and get Honda to fix these cars before more people get hurt.
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.
Steering, Dec 30, 2025
My car has sticky steering when making turns and has a difficult time making micro adjustments. This appears to be the same issue that there is a recall for but my VIN is not recalled. This is a huge safety issue as the steering is more difficult to control on the highways, turning on and off ramps, driving straight, etc. I find myself having to pull the wheel back to center to straighten it out after a turn and when making adjustments on the highway, the wheel jerks back and forth. Honda has refused to fix the issue since I am 9k miles out of warranty. The dealer diagnosed my issue as an internal failure of Honda's part and wants to charge me $5400 to replace their faulty steering rack. They refuse to cover this because I am out of warranty even though this is a safety issue and is the result of their faulty part.
Steering, Dec 24, 2025
Steering is sticking. Honda has recalls for this exact issue for but not for 2021. The steering wheel sticks left or right and has to be forced out of the direction. Same exact symptoms as the current steering recall.
Steering, Dec 9, 2025
I drive on the highway everyday to get to work and my steering makes it impossible to drive in a straight line it takes every bit of effort to remain in my lane and when I make a slight adjustment it reacts too much. It is unpredictable and it becomes obvious to drivers around me and makes me look like a bad/crazy driver. It becomes so overwhelming to drive to and from work that I don't want my car anymore. Please investigate this. It is a big safety issue for me and the people on the road. I pray something is done about this problem that me and so many other civic owners are experiencing.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 14, 2025
Nov 9th, 3:00pm, Fruitridge Rd 35 mph, driving with foot on the gas The safety brake feature overrode my ability to drive by forcefully coming to a complete stop while flashing 'brake' messege appeared on dashboard. No car, item or person was in front of me. The car behind me (who was also going around 35 mph) almost hit me and drove off angrily.
Seats, Other or unspecified, Nov 10, 2025
I have been calling my local dealership for over a year trying to get my car fixed due to the recall and the dealership keeps saying they do not have the parts and will call when they do.
Air bags, Oct 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Sep 7, 2025
The infotainment system in these vehicles is poor when using the navigation. Having the phone connected via wire will cause the phone and infotainment system to malfunction constantly causing restarts and making the mobile device extremely hot too the touch. The android auto function in the car loses connection and begins to cause the arrow marker to jump around on the map causing confusion, turn directions down wrong roads causing drivers to enter areas of no thruway due to a business being there. Researched this for 2 years and there is no current fix from HONDA other owners through REDDIT have the same issue and have been told by HONDA that nothing can be done to fix the hardware system.
Steering, Sep 2, 2025
When I’m turning, the steering wheel gets sticky/stuck in place. Whenever it unlocks, it’s usually a very jerky movement:
Electrical system, Aug 16, 2025
A recent Electric Power Steering (EPS) failure on my 2021 Honda Civic that resulted in a repair of the entire steering rack. I took my vehicle to Vandedrgriff dealership for routine maintenance, including tire replacement, alignment, oil change, and a multi-point inspection. The car passed all checks and was deemed safe to drive. However, immediately after leaving, the steering became sticky and difficult to control on the freeway — a serious safety risk. Upon returning the next day, I was informed of an internal EPS failure, with a repair estimate exceeding $4,584.30. I later discovered this failure involves a part number tied to a known Honda recall. Although my VIN is not currently part of the recall, the symptoms and overall failed part match exactly. The failure occurred immediately after authorized dealership service without warning. The EPS unit is associated with a known defect. The failure occurred just outside the 3-year warranty and before its time. An EPS is guranteed good over 100,00 miles. The issue created a dangerous situation on the road. Honda America Corporate has inspected the vehicle and refused to cover the repair because I am right outside of my warranty. I am a loyal Honda customer and trust in Honda's commitment for safety and customer satisfaction.
Steering, Aug 9, 2025
While driving at interstate speeds and turning left into a curve the steering wheel sticks and you have to forcibly pull it back to drive straight jerking the vehicle dangerously. Possibly a known steering rack issue.
Steering, Aug 4, 2025
At higher speeds the steering wheel sticks, this make making minor corrections to stay within the lane difficult, subsequently causing the vehicle to swerve while making these adjustments.
Steering, Jul 20, 2025
The component that has failed is my electric power steering motor. Yes, it is available for inspection upon request. While driving, the steering wheel should turn in a fluid motion, without requiring much force to turn the wheel. When i turn my wheel, it sometimes will get stuck mid turning. Another time when this happens is when i am driving in a straight line. Making the micro adjustments to stay straight in between the lines. The steering wheel will catch, and i will have to exert additional force to get the wheel unstuck. Obviously, this has caused safety issues, as sometimes the strength to overcome the wheel being stuck will cause me to oversteer. This has also been found to be a problem on some 2022 and 2023 year Civics. There is already a recall for this problem, but not for my year civic. It does greatly lower my safety while driving, when i should never be uncomfortable in my own car. The problem has been confirmed by my own mechanic, and by Honda. It has been inspected by my own mechanic as well. There were no indications on the dash to warn me the motor was going to fault. I do not remember the exact date it happened, but sometime last week when i took my car in to have the CV joints replaced. The problem has steadily gotten worse since then.
Electrical system, Jul 16, 2025
With my steering wheel, when turning, the wheel will sometimes get “sticky”. Making it so I have to use extra force to get he wheel “unstuck”. Took it to my mechanic, they found a recall for the ‘22-‘23 year model civics for this same problem. The electric steering motor can sometimes fault and cause the wheel to get stuck while turning.This was not for the ‘21 year. I called my dealership, they said there was nothing I could do as there is no recall for my vin, although I’m having the exact same problem as the ‘22-‘23 models. He recommended I can the Honda 1-800 number. Pretty much got told the same thing. I was looking to get a goodwill extension, he said that would not apply due to Honda warranties. Next best thing was for me to be here filing a complaint.
Tires, Jul 14, 2025
23540 r Tire sidewall separated and burned up while traveling on the highway.
Steering, Jul 7, 2025
Steering has progressively become more "sticky", hitching around 12 o' clock. It gets worse at higher speeds and makes it difficult to drive in straight line, and I end up bouncing back and forth between lane lines when driving on highway.
Seats, Jul 7, 2025
I was informed of a recall notice for my vehicle in the summer months of 2024 (approximately). I took my vehicle to the Culver City Honda dealership in Los Angeles to address this, however they informed me that the issue was not critical and that they did not have the parts. Hence, the recall notice has still not been addressed. I recently (June 2025) imported this vehicle to Canada and I am unable to proceed with the import procedure because of this outstanding recall notice.
Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 29, 2025
Our battery died in April 2025. We've had this car since October 2021 with only 8 miles on it. We've replaced: The PCV valve The PCV valve tube The MAF sensor The sparks plugs 3 times which was $90 each time Replaced our battery 2 times since April 2025 3 oil changes And finally replacing our entire fuel injector system with the hard fuel line. And replacing the battery the first time is what revealed all these issues because we kept getting codes on our obd-ii scanner of P0172, U0038 and U0100. Honda told us once the fuel injectors were replaced then our car would be fixed but that is not the case. The car can't travel further then 5 minutes before the spark plus burn. We replaced the spark plugs on Sunday morning and we went to the store and they were charred after that drive same day.
Steering, Jun 28, 2025
Steering of the car at highway speeds is impaired. The steering becomes sticky and hard to control, both hands need to be tightly gripping the steering wheel in order to keep the car under control as it comes and goes and one cannot anticipate the reaction of the car. Steering should be smooth and not jerky, this creates an exhausting and unsafe occurrence. I have taken the car to two different Honda dealers, the one where I purchased the vehicle and a larger well known dealer an hour and a half from my home. Attached is the most recent inspection report and cost breakdown. Roush Honda offered to contact Honda directly regarding this inspection, issue and recommendation. There were no warning lamps or messages. This issue started a little over 30 days ago. It has taken some time to get it into the two different Honda locations to get an inspection.
Steering, Jun 18, 2025
STICKY STEERING LIKE THE 2022 RECALLS
Steering, Jun 18, 2025
steering sticks and requires extra effort to start movement but then moves with normal effort. there is a recall for this on ‘22 cars but not my ‘21, sadly