YearToAvoid

2012 Honda Civic Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

67/100

#6 most-complained of 16 Civic years

The 2012 Honda Civic has a complaint index of 67, ranking 6th worst out of 16 model years, with a Caution verdict. Airbags are the top problem area, cited in 149 complaints (33% share), with 3 recalls affecting steering, driveshaft, and fuel feed line components.

Complaints
455
Recalls
3
Crashes / fires
55 / 5
Injuries / deaths
41 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
31
28 city / 38 hwy

Top 2012 Honda Civic problems

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

  1. Airbags149 (33%)
  2. Steering74 (16%)
  3. Engine68 (15%)
  4. Electrical System64 (14%)
  5. Transmission & Powertrain49 (11%)
  6. Structure & Body48 (11%)
  7. Brakes47 (10%)
  8. Other35 (8%)
  9. Fuel System25 (5%)
  10. Suspension, Wheels & Tires17 (4%)

What owners report

  • Owners report airbags failing to deploy during moderate-speed frontal or side-impact collisions.
  • Some owners describe airbags deploying at low speeds, such as 5-7 mph, causing rib and sternum injuries.
  • Brake pedals reportedly traveled to the floorboard without stopping the vehicle, leading to rear-end collisions.
  • Owners describe the vehicle lunging forward unexpectedly while parking, with airbags failing to deploy on impact.
  • Some drivers report ABS brakes not engaging properly during hard braking, resulting in rear-end collisions.
  • One owner reported the parked vehicle rolling backward on an incline despite being left in gear.
2012 Honda Civic complaints: complaints filed per quarter242011 Q22013 Q22015 Q22017 Q22019 Q22021 Q22023 Q22025 Q2
601 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2011 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2017 Q4 (24).

2012 Honda Civic recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 12V548000Nov 21, 2012Steering157 vehicles

    Steering:column

    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: 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.

  2. NHTSA 12V256000Jun 4, 2012Transmission & Powertrain50,190 vehicles

    Power train:driveline:driveshaft

    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.

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

  3. NHTSA 11V288000May 18, 2011Fuel System1,156 vehicles

    Fuel system, other:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

2012 Honda Civic fuel economy and fuel cost

City
28 MPG
Highway
38 MPG
Combined
31 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,100
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.

2012 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
2014Best20291231.5

All Honda Civic years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Honda Civic reliable?
NHTSA data gives the 2012 Civic a complaint index of 67, ranking 6th worst among 16 model years of the Civic. It carries a Caution verdict relative to other Civic years, driven mainly by airbag complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the 2012 Honda Civic?
Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 149 complaints, or 33% of all complaints for this year. The median mileage at failure across all issues is 30,150 miles.
Does the 2012 Honda Civic have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2012 Civic, covering a steering column assembly issue, a driveshaft retaining clip problem, and a fuel feed line O-ring misalignment. None of these are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2012 Civic compare to other Civic years?
The 2012 Civic's complaint index of 67 is better than 2016 (93), 2018 (80), and 2022 (100), which are all rated Avoid, but worse than 2011 (7) and 2014 (20), which are rated Best.

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.