YearToAvoid

2011 Honda Civic Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Best

Complaint Index

7/100

#15 most-complained of 16 Civic years

The 2011 Honda Civic ranks 15th out of 16 model years with a complaint index of 7 and is rated "Best" among Civic years. It has 168 complaints, 9 recalls, and no reported deaths, with airbags as the top problem area.

Complaints
168
Recalls
9
Crashes / fires
22 / 5
Injuries / deaths
20 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
3 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
28.5
24.5 city / 34.5 hwy

Top 2011 Honda Civic problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags51 (30%)
  2. Brakes33 (20%)
  3. Other21 (13%)
  4. Visibility & Wipers21 (13%)
  5. Engine20 (12%)
  6. Structure & Body18 (11%)
  7. Electrical System17 (10%)
  8. Suspension, Wheels & Tires10 (6%)
  9. Fuel System7 (4%)
  10. Seat Belts7 (4%)

What owners report

  • Passenger frontal airbags fail to deploy during crashes, sometimes at highway speeds.
  • Brake pedal reportedly goes to the floor with no stopping power, leading to loss of control in traffic.
  • Instrument panel lights flicker followed by smoke and a burning plastic smell from the dashboard wiring.
  • Engine compartment produces smoke or fire while driving at low speed, in some cases after unexpected RPM increases.
  • A recalled fuel valve is linked to a fire following a rollover crash.
  • Smoke and popping sounds come from a front air vent before the vehicle catches fire.
2011 Honda Civic complaints: complaints filed per quarter142011 Q12012 Q32014 Q12015 Q32017 Q12018 Q32020 Q22025 Q2
213 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2011 Q1 to 2026 Q1; peak 2016 Q3 (14).

2011 Honda Civic recalls

9 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

See all 9 recalls for the 2011 Honda Civic →

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

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Avoid87396828.5
2011Best7168928.5
2012Caution67455331
2013Good27319031

All Honda Civic years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2011 Honda Civic reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2011 Civic ranks 15th of 16 model years with a complaint index of 7, the second-lowest among all Civic years, and carries a "Best" verdict relative to other Civic years.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Honda Civic?
Airbags are the top problem area, making up 30% of complaints (51 complaints, 17 crashes), followed by brakes at 20% (33 complaints) and visibility/wipers at 13% (21 complaints).
Does the 2011 Honda Civic have an airbag recall?
Yes. NHTSA lists multiple airbag recalls covering the 2011 Civic, including campaigns 19V502000, 19V378000, 18V268000, 18V042000, 17V545000, 17V030000, and 16V346000, all related to passenger frontal airbag inflators or modules.
How does the 2011 Civic compare to other model years?
The 2011 Civic's complaint index of 7 is far lower than the 2016 (93), 2022 (100), 2010 (87), and 2018 (80) model years, which NHTSA data rates "Avoid."
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 annual fuel cost of $2,250.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.