2011 Honda Civic Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2011 Honda Civic carries a Caution verdict, capped by 9 recall campaigns requiring a dealer visit despite a complaint index of 5. NHTSA lists 168 complaints, 22 crashes, 5 fires and 20 injuries, with Airbags as the top problem area at 30% of complaints.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 5/100
- #20 of 21 Civic years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 168
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 9
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 22
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 5
- Injuries
- 20
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- 3 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 28.5
- 24.5 city / 34.5 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 20 / 0
Top 2011 Honda Civic problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags51 (30%)
- Brakes33 (20%)
- Other21 (13%)
- Visibility & Wipers21 (13%)
- Engine20 (12%)
- Structure & Body18 (11%)
- Electrical System17 (10%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires10 (6%)
- Fuel System7 (4%)
- Seat Belts7 (4%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Passenger frontal airbag inflator issues tied to recalled parts, sometimes noted at very low mileage after a rear-end or side impact.
- Airbags failed to deploy or deployed unexpectedly during moderate-speed collisions, in some cases causing injury.
- Brakes reportedly failed to respond or locked up unexpectedly during highway driving, leading to loss of control.
- Electrical system failures were described as the instrument cluster, speedometer, and gas gauge going dead shortly after purchase.
- One owner reported unintended acceleration in a parking garage while pressing the brakes.
- A fuel system complaint described a fire linked to a recalled fuel valve following a rollover crash.
2011 Honda Civic recalls
9 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.
2011 Honda Civic fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 24.5 MPG
- Highway
- 34.5 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.
2011 compared with other Civic years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2011 Honda Civic reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2011 Civic a complaint index of 5, one of the lower figures among Civic model years, but its verdict is capped at Caution because of 9 recall campaigns requiring a dealer visit.
- What is the main problem with the 2011 Honda Civic?
- Airbags are the top problem area, making up 30% of complaints (51 of 168), with a median failure mileage of 65,000 miles and 17 crashes linked to this area.
- Does the 2011 Honda Civic have a recall?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the 2011 Civic, most involving passenger frontal airbag inflators that dealers must inspect or replace.
- How does the 2011 Civic compare to other Civic years?
- The 2011 Civic ranks 20th worst out of 21 model years with data, meaning most other Civic years have higher complaint indexes; years like 2013, 2014, 2020, and 2021 rate Best.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2011 Honda Civic?
- EPA rates the 2011 Civic at 28.5 mpg combined (24.5 city / 34.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,250.