2012 Honda Civic recalls and problems

The 2012 Honda Civic has 3 recalls and 456 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is air bags.

2012 Honda Civic
Photo: 2012 Honda Civic by Mariordo (Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
How the 2012 compares
Fewest complaintsMost complaints

High complaint count among 27 Civic model years — 11th most.

3recalls
456complaints
55crashes
5fires
41injuries
30,150median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.
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3 recalls

Steering

Nov 21, 2012 · NHTSA campaign 12V548000 · 157 vehicles

Problem: Honda is recalling certain model year 2012 Civic passenger vehicles, manufactured from October 26, 2012, through October 30, 2012. These vehicles were assembled with the incorrect steering column assembly.

Risk: The steering column may not have proper energy absorbing characteristics, which could increase the risk of injury during a vehicle crash.

Remedy & notes

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the steering column, as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on December 10, 2012. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.

Honda's campaign recall number is S69.Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Power Train

Jun 4, 2012 · NHTSA campaign 12V256000 · 50,190 vehicles

Problem: Honda is recalling certain model year 2012 Honda civic vehicles. During assembly, the process required to seat the driverâ’s side driveshaft and set the retaining clip was not completed. As a result, the driveshaft May separate.

Original NHTSA wording

HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 HONDA CIVIC VEHICLES. DURING ASSEMBLY, THE PROCESS REQUIRED TO SEAT THE DRIVER’S SIDE DRIVESHAFT AND SET THE RETAINING CLIP WAS NOT COMPLETED. AS A RESULT, THE DRIVESHAFT MAY SEPARATE.

Risk: If this occurs, the vehicle will have a loss of drive power and May roll away if the parking brake has not been set when the gear selector has been placed in the â“park┠position, increasing the risk of crash or pedestrian injury.

Original NHTSA wording

IF THIS OCCURS, THE VEHICLE WILL HAVE A LOSS OF DRIVE POWER AND MAY ROLL AWAY IF THE PARKING BRAKE HAS NOT BEEN SET WHEN THE GEAR SELECTOR HAS BEEN PLACED IN THE “PARK” POSITION, INCREASING THE RISK OF CRASH OR PEDESTRIAN INJURY.

Remedy & notes

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver's side driveshaft and install a new driveshaft as needed, free of charge. The safety recall began on June 21. 2012. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.

Honda's recall campaign number is S40.customers May contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

Fuel System

May 18, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V288000 · 1,156 vehicles

Problem: Honda is recalling certain model year 2012 civic 2-DOOR and 4-DOOR vehicles manufactured from April 21, 2011, through May 2, 2011. There is a possibility that an o-ring, which seals a connection in the fuel feed line, is misaligned. If the o-ring is misaligned, a small fuel leak May occur.

Original NHTSA wording

HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CIVIC 2-DOOR AND 4-DOOR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 21, 2011, THROUGH MAY 2, 2011. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT AN O-RING, WHICH SEALS A CONNECTION IN THE FUEL FEED LINE, IS MISALIGNED. IF THE O-RING IS MISALIGNED, A SMALL FUEL LEAK MAY OCCUR.

Risk: Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.

Original NHTSA wording

FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy & notes

Dealers will replace the fuel feed line assembly free of charge. The safety recall began on May 27, 2011. Owners May contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.

Honda's safety recall no. R79.owners May also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to <a href=http://www.safercar.gov>http://www.safercar.gov</a> .

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

What owners complain about

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.

Complaints by year filed

2011: 9 complaints20112012: 44 complaints2013: 46 complaints20132014: 44 complaints2015: 49 complaints2015492016: 30 complaints2017: 35 complaints20172018: 43 complaints2019: 40 complaints20192020: 30 complaints2021: 21 complaints20212022: 10 complaints2023: 16 complaints20232024: 16 complaints2025: 14 complaints20252026: 9 complaints20269

NHTSA investigations

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
Summary

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been n…

Electrical overstress

EA19001 · opened Apr 19, 2019 · closed Sep 19, 2024 · led to recall 20V024
Summary

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect.  During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications.  The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V-668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU.  In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment.  FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle.  Other FCA vehicles…

2012 vs. other Honda Civic years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2012. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2012 Honda Civic have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns covering the 2012 Honda Civic, the latest from Nov 21, 2012 (steering). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Honda Civic?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention air bags (149), steering (74), electrical system (60). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.