NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 151 owner complaints for the 2021 Honda Civic.
Head gasket: warranty extended, not recalled. Honda covers the cylinder head gasket of the 2021 Civic 1.5-liter turbo for 10 years from the original date of purchase or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first (bulletins 26-008 and 26-009). None of the 151 complaints to NHTSA about the 2021 Civic mentions a head gasket. Every car in Honda's head gasket warranty extension, and what the dealer does
Recalled components: air bags, fuel system, and brakes. Most-described problem: steering rack problems such as sticking, play or pulling (36 complaints, 24%). Most-reported area: steering (68 complaints, 45%).
One of the best Civic years by owner complaints
The 2021 drew 41 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 122 for a typical Civic year since 2016. No open NHTSA investigation names it, and it has no recall telling owners not to drive or to park outside.
Years to avoid: 2016, 2022, and 2023; best years: 2019 and 2021. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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, 2020-2021CR-V,CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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.
Risk: Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2021 Honda Civic.
What owners report
Owners have filed 151 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Civic. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Steering rack problems: sticking, play or pulling36 · 24%
Power steering problems or locked steering10 · 7%
Phantom braking or false collision alerts6 · 4%
Driver-assist errors or blocked-sensor messages6 · 4%
Stalling or shutting off3 · 2%
Several warning lights at once3 · 2%
Cruise control problems3 · 2%
Suspension parts (struts, ball joints, control arms)3 · 2%
Most named: automatic emergency braking (26); adaptive cruise control (9)
Brakes18 · 12%
Electrical system18 · 12%
Air bags11 · 7%
Lane departure systems11 · 7%
Most named: assist (5); lane keep, steering assist (3)
Speed control6 · 4%
Unknown or other13 · 9%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Honda Civic recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2021 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2022 Civic drew the most (874) and the 2021 drew 41.
Owner complaints
2021: 151 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Honda Civic
Model year
Complaints
2010
414
2011
172
2012
474
2013
329
2014
298
2015
394
2016
1,084
2017
609
2018
754
2019
455
2020
243
2021
151
2022
962
2023
329
2024
144
2025
109
2026
32
Safety recalls
2021: 4 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Honda Civic
Model year
Recalls
2010
8
2011
9
2012
4
2013
0
2014
2
2015
1
2016
5
2017
6
2018
6
2019
4
2020
5
2021
4
2022
4
2023
4
2024
3
2025
2
2026
1
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 151 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Honda Civic, the problems described most are steering rack problems such as sticking, play or pulling (36), power steering problems or locked steering (10), and phantom braking or false collision alerts (6). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2021 Honda Civic safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 Honda Civic earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2021 Honda Civic?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2021 Honda Civic.
How do I check if my Civic has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Honda dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: CIVIC, CIVIC HATCHBACK.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.