2021 Honda Civic
Gas Midsize car
The 2021 Honda Civic is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize car with 8 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Civic 4Dr, is EPA-rated at 36 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 156 complaints, most often about steering. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civic 4Dr | Gas | FWD | 1.5L 4-cyl turbo | 32 | 42 | 36 | $1,750 |
| Civic 5Dr | Gas | FWD | 1.5L 4-cyl turbo | 31 | 40 | 34 | $1,850 |
| Civic 4Dr | Gas | FWD | 1.5L 4-cyl turbo | 30 | 38 | 33 | $1,900 |
| Civic 4Dr | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 30 | 38 | 33 | $1,900 |
| Civic 4Dr | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 29 | 37 | 32 | $1,950 |
| Civic 5Dr | Gas | FWD | 1.5L 4-cyl turbo | 29 | 37 | 32 | $2,400 |
| Civic 5Dr | Gas | FWD | 1.5L 4-cyl turbo | 29 | 35 | 32 | $2,400 |
| Civic 5Dr | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 22 | 28 | 25 | $3,100 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (4)
Air Bags
highProblem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Air Bags
highProblem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
Fuel System, Gasoline
highProblem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
highProblem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
Risk: Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.
Owner complaints
156 complaints filed
7 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 3 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2021: 5 · 2022: 19 · 2023: 17 · 2024: 40 · 2025: 46 · 2026: 29
Most-cited components
- Steering — 64
- Forward Collision Avoidance — 43
- Electrical System — 20
- Service Brakes — 17
- Unknown Or Other — 12
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 10% |
| 5 HB FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 10% |
| 5 HB FWD | not rated | not rated | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 10% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning.
Compare the 2021 Civic with
Other Civic model years
2026 Civic
1 recalls · 27 complaints
C2025 Civic
2 recalls · 94 complaints
C2024 Civic
3 recalls · 139 complaints
D2023 Civic
5 recalls · 326 complaints
D2022 Civic
4 recalls · 957 complaints
D2020 Civic
5 recalls · 229 complaints
D2019 Civic
4 recalls · 442 complaints
F2018 Civic
6 recalls · 746 complaints
F2017 Civic
6 recalls · 596 complaints
F2016 Civic
5 recalls · 1,080 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 43356, 43056, 43355, 43358, 43357, 43055, 43057, 43643). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.