Car · Honda problems

2012 Honda Civic problems

456 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Honda Civic. The most reported area is air bags (33% of them). NHTSA also lists 55 service bulletins and 4 recall campaigns.

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 41. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 456 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Air bags149 · 33%
• Steering74 · 16%
• Electrical system60 · 13%
• Power train (transmission and drive)49 · 11%
• Service brakes39 · 9%
• Speed control and throttle38 · 8%
• Engine and engine cooling36 · 8%
• Body and structure35 · 8%

15 smaller areas not shown (137 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 55 repair bulletins from Honda for the 2012 Honda Civic. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

1. A16032Received December 13, 2021

   Air bags

   2012 Civic Front Passenger's Air bag Inflator Collection.

2. A17-023Received October 3, 2019

   Power train (transmission and drive)

   Due to an improper PCM calibration, under certain conditions after starting the engine the PCM cannot properly adjust the air-fuel ratio.

3. A19-106Received October 3, 2019

   Due to an improper PCM calibration, after starting the engine the PCM cannot properly adjust the air-fuel ratio under certain conditions and the on-board emission-related diagnostic system may not...

4. ABOM09242019Received October 3, 2019

   Power train (transmission and drive)

   Today, September 24, 2019, American Honda is announcing a stop sale and emissions recall for certain 2012 Civic vehicles that may be releasing air pollutants that exceed applicable state and...

5. A19050BReceived May 30, 2019

   When removing and installing a cable reel, you need to keep both the cable reel and the steering angle sensor in position.

6. A18-139Received March 5, 2019

   This bulletin has been cancelled because the collection is now complete.

7. A13-097Received February 13, 2019

   Service bulletin - Clearance between the motor pinion and the plate hole causes the plate body to flex, which allows the gear to move up and jump off the motor teeth.

8. A18070Received September 4, 2018

   Engine and engine cooling

   Emission certification labels that were replaced on a small number of vehicles may have been replaced with a label listing incorrect information.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2012 Honda Civic. Recall repairs are free at a Honda dealer. The 3 to look at first:

1. 12V548000November 21, 2012

   Steering

   These vehicles were assembled with the incorrect steering column assembly.

2. 20V770000December 10, 2020

   Power train

   The drive shafts' protective coating may not have been applied properly during manufacturing, making it more susceptible to damage from road salt, or other contaminants, and potentially cause it to...

3. 12V256000June 4, 2012

   Power train

   During assembly, the process required to seat the driver’s side driveshaft and set the retaining clip was not completed.

See all 4 recalls for the 2012 Honda Civic, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Civic will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

Start with a diagnosis

• Diagnostic scan (check engine light)$55 to $250

Air bags 149 complaints · 33%

• Airbag clockspring replacement$230 to $670
• Airbag / occupant sensor replacement$220 to $750

Steering 74 complaints · 16%

• Tie rod end replacement (one side)$130 to $380
• Wheel alignment (four-wheel)$85 to $250

Electrical system 60 complaints · 13%

• Battery replacement$150 to $470
• Alternator replacement$360 to $930
• Starter replacement$280 to $740
• Battery cable replacement$100 to $340

Power train (transmission and drive) 49 complaints · 11%

• Transmission fluid service$140 to $480
• Transmission solenoid replacement$290 to $1,200
• Torque converter replacement$880 to $2,475
• Clutch replacement (manual transmission)$1,000 to $2,050

Check a quote you got

Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

By VIN By year, make and model

VIN (17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield or the driver door jamb)

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Look up this VIN

Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2012 Honda Civic: questions

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

Of the 456 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Honda Civic, 149 (33%) name air bags, and 74 (16%) name steering. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2012 Honda Civic reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 55 of the 456 complaints as involving a crash and 5 as involving a fire. They also reported 41 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2012 Honda Civic have?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2012 Honda Civic. Recall repairs are free at a Honda dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 55 repair bulletins for the 2012 Honda Civic.

More

• 2023 Civic problems
• 2022 Civic problems
• 2020 Civic problems
• 2019 Civic problems
• 2018 Civic problems
• 2017 Civic problems
• 2016 Civic problems
• 2015 Civic problems
• 2014 Civic problems
• 2010 Civic problems
• 2012 recalls
• All Honda recalls
• Honda problems by model
• Check-engine codes

Sources

• NHTSA complaint and technical service bulletin files, checked October 29, 2026
• NHTSA recalls

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.