NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 329 owner complaints for the 2023 Honda Civic.
Head gasket: warranty extended, not recalled. Honda covers the cylinder head gasket of the 2023 Civic 1.5-liter turbo and Civic Si for 10 years from the original date of purchase or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first (bulletins 26-010 and 26-011). 2 of the 329 complaints to NHTSA about the 2023 Civic mention a head gasket. Every car in Honda's head gasket warranty extension, and what the dealer does
Recalled components: seats, steering, and brakes. Most-described problem: steering rack problems such as sticking, play or pulling (115 complaints, 35%). Most-reported area: steering (256 complaints, 78%; median mileage when it happened: 10,000).
One of the Civic years to avoid
The 2023 drew 298 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 122 for a typical Civic year: 2.4 times as many.
Years to avoid: 2016, 2022, and 2023; best years: 2019 and 2021. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
The driver's seat cushion frame may not have been tightened properly, which can result in an unsecured seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 207, "Seating Systems."
Risk: An unsecured driver's seat may not adequately restrain the driver during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's seat cushion frame, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 6, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Honda Accord, Accord Hybrid, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Pilot, and 2024 HR-V, Acura Integra and Acura Integra Type S vehicles.
The steering gearbox assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause excessive internal friction and lead to difficulty steering the vehicle.
Risk: Difficulty steering can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the worm gear spring and redistribute or add grease as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2024. Owners may contact Honda Customer Service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are SJS, MJU, QJT and VJV.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Acura Integra, Civic Type R, CR-V Hybrid, CR-V,HR-V,2022-2025 Civic, Civic Hatchback, 2024-2025 Acura Integra Type S, 2025 CR-V Fuel Cell EV, Civic Hybrid, and Civic Hatchback Hybrid vehicles.
The steering rack may have been incorrectly assembled, which can allow the tire to chafe against the lower suspension or tie rod end, possibly resulting in tire damage.
Risk: A damaged tire can fail and increase the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the electric power steering rack, as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 16, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is YFW.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Civic 4-door and Civic 5-door vehicles that received a replacement power steering rack as part of a service repair.
NHTSA listing: CIVIC. Honda campaign YFW.
Brakes
Jun 15, 2023
antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip · control unit/module
A ball valve in the vehicle stability assist (VSA) modulator may leak brake fluid, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the brake hold feature is engaged or an unexpected increase in brake pedal travel.
Risk: Unintended vehicle movement or an unexpected increase in brake pedal travel can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the VSA modulator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are OEJ, XEK, AEY, XEX and OEW.
Honda (America Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023 Civic, Acura RDX, Acura Integra, and 2022 Honda Accord 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 has opened 2 investigations that name the 2023 Honda Civic; both are closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
Momentary increased steering effort
Engineering analysis EA23003Closed Jan 28, 2025 (opened Nov 29, 2023)
On November 29, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Engineering Analysis (EA23003) to assess allegations of momentary increase in steering effort in model years (MY) 2022-2023 Honda Civic, 2023MY… NHTSA's full summary
NHTSA ties this investigation to recall 24V-744, listed above.
Preliminary evaluation PE23005Closed Nov 30, 2023 (opened Mar 17, 2023)
On March 17, 2023, The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE23-005) to access the alleged defect of momentary increase in steering effort in model years (MY) 2022 and 2023 Honda Civic… NHTSA's full summary
A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 329 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 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 pulling115 · 35%
Power steering problems or locked steering28 · 9%
Driver-assist errors or blocked-sensor messages8 · 2%
Median 10,000 miles at failure, from 21 reports with mileage
Lane departure systems25 · 8%
Most named: assist (21); warning (10)
Electrical system19 · 6%
Forward collision avoidance17 · 5%
Most named: automatic emergency braking (10); warnings (9)
Brakes14 · 4%
Engine10 · 3%
Air bags8 · 2%
Unknown or other17 · 5%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Honda Civic recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2023 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 2023 drew 298.
Owner complaints
2023: 329 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
2023: 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 329 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2023 Honda Civic, the problems described most are steering rack problems such as sticking, play or pulling (115), power steering problems or locked steering (28), and driver-assist errors or blocked-sensor messages (8). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2023 Honda Civic safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2023 Honda Civic earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2023 Honda Civic?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2023 Honda Civic. It lists 2 closed ones; the most recent closed on Jan 28, 2025.
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, CIVIC SI.
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.