2010 Honda Civic Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
87/100
#3 most-complained of 16 Civic years
The 2010 Honda Civic ranks 3rd worst of 16 model years, with a Complaint Index of 87, 396 complaints, and 8 recalls. Airbags and brakes each account for 24% of complaints, and NHTSA data supports an Avoid verdict relative to other Civic years.
- Complaints
- 396
- Recalls
- 8
- Crashes / fires
- 31 / 5
- Injuries / deaths
- 32 / 47
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 28.5
- 24.5 city / 35 hwy
Top 2010 Honda Civic problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags96 (24%)
- Brakes94 (24%)
- Visibility & Wipers52 (13%)
- Structure & Body49 (12%)
- Engine41 (10%)
- Other41 (10%)
- Electrical System27 (7%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires27 (7%)
- Steering19 (5%)
- Transmission & Powertrain12 (3%)
What owners report
- Owners report frontal airbags failing to deploy in moderate-speed collisions, including impacts around 25-30 mph.
- Some describe airbags deploying without any impact, such as a driver-side curtain airbag firing at 20 mph and causing loss of control.
- Steering has been reported to bind or resist turning suddenly while cornering at highway speeds, leading to loss of control.
- Owners describe a powdery substance spewing from a deployed passenger airbag instead of proper inflation.
- One owner reported unpredictable engine revving and unintended acceleration at low mileage, causing a minor collision.
- An electrical fire was reported igniting near the hybrid battery while the vehicle was parked and unused for two days.
2010 Honda Civic recalls
8 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 19V502000Jun 27, 2019Airbags9,555 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-2014 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are F5F and Q5E.
- NHTSA 19V378000May 16, 2019Airbags19,138 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The front passenger air bag inflator may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.
Risk: An incorrectly installed air bag inflator may not properly deploy the passenger frontal air bag in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator installation and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M4O, P4R, T4Q, and W4P.
- NHTSA 18V661000Sep 27, 2018Airbags1,355,406 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, California, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Honda is also recalling certain 2011-2013 Acura TSX, TSX Wagon and ZDX, Honda Crosstour, Insight, Fit and Pilot vehicles, 2011-2012 Honda Accord and 2011 Honda Civic NGV, Civic, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Lastly, Honda is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX and ZDX, Honda Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot, 2011-2013 TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord and 2010-2011 Honda Civic NGV, Civic, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag air bag inflators assembled as part of the frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to higher absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M2J and S2K.
2010 Honda Civic fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 24.5 MPG
- Highway
- 35 MPG
- Combined
- 28.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,250
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2010 compared with other Civic years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2010 Honda Civic reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2010 Civic a Complaint Index of 87 and an Avoid verdict, ranking it 3rd worst among 16 Civic model years. Airbags and brakes are the top reported problem areas.
- What are the most common problems with the 2010 Honda Civic?
- NHTSA lists 396 complaints for the 2010 Civic, with Airbags making up 24% (96 complaints) and Brakes also 24% (94 complaints). Visibility & Wipers and Structure & Body follow at 13% and 12%.
- Does the 2010 Honda Civic have an airbag recall?
- Yes. NHTSA lists 8 recalls tied to the 2010 Civic, and every one listed involves the Airbags component, mostly Takata inflator replacements dating from 2016 through 2019.
- At what mileage do 2010 Civic airbags fail?
- NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage of 72,000 for Airbags-related complaints on the 2010 Civic, compared to 19,950 median miles for Brakes complaints.
- How does the 2010 Civic compare to other years?
- The 2010 Civic's Complaint Index of 87 is far above the best year, 2021, which sits at 0, and close to 2016's 93 and 2022's 100, which are also rated Avoid.