The Lemon IndexHonda Civic.
The best Honda Civic years are 2011, 2013, 2015. Years to avoid: 2022, 2006, 2007. Across 2010-2022, it has a Lemon Index of 67, where 100 is the average car and lower is better.
Reliability by year, 2000 to 2025.
Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.
Scores before 2010 are rough: fewer owners filed complaints back then.
YouTube rank: we read 2,162 YouTube videos about the Honda Civic, 1973 to 2026, and ranked every year by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. YouTube's favorite: 2026. Old cars rank lower partly because most of their videos are repair and restoration videos. A gray dot means too few videos to rank.
Best years to buy
2011.
Compare the Honda Civic.
vs Toyota Camry · vs Toyota Corolla · vs Honda Accord · vs Nissan Altima · vs Ford Fusion · vs Hyundai Elantra · vs Chevrolet Malibu · vs Hyundai Sonata
Quick answers.
Is the Honda Civic a good car?
Yes, it draws fewer complaints than the average car, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2010-2022: Lemon Index 67; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: the best is 2011 and the worst is 2022.
What are the best Honda Civic years to buy?
By owner complaints per car sold: 2011, 2013, 2015.
What Honda Civic years should you stay away from?
The years with the most complaints per car sold: 2022, 2006, 2007.
How many recalls does the Honda Civic have?
228 safety recalls across the 26 model years we track. Most: 2001 (27), 2002 (24), 2003 (24). Each year's page lists them.
What are the most common Honda Civic problems?
Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name steering, airbags and electrical most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.
Every year in one table
| Year | Index | Compared with average | Complaints | Top complaint | Recalls | Crash test | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 39 | 2.6× fewer complaints than average | 140 | airbags (27%) | 18 | — | 27–33 |
| 2001 | 92 | about average | 322 | airbags (30%) | 27 | — | 28–34 |
| 2002 | 59 | 1.7× fewer complaints than average | 190 | airbags (31%) | 24 | — | 28–34 |
| 2003 | 55 | 1.8× fewer complaints than average | 136 | airbags (17%) | 24 | — | 28–41 |
| 2004 | 35 | 2.9× fewer complaints than average | 91 | airbags (25%) | 15 | — | 28–41 |
| 2005 | 40 | 2.5× fewer complaints than average | 86 | airbags (24%) | 15 | — | 28–41 |
| 2006 | 202 | 2× the average car's complaints | 445 | suspension (23%) | 15 | — | 23–42 |
| 2007 | 184 | 1.8× the average car's complaints | 539 | suspension (26%) | 9 | — | 23–42 |
| 2008 | 108 | about average | 362 | visibility (26%) | 7 | — | 24–42 |
| 2009 | 81 | 1.2× fewer complaints than average | 174 | electrical (18%) | 8 | — | 24–42 |
| 2010 | 44 | 2.3× fewer complaints than average | 131 | brakes (29%) | 8 | — | 24–42 |
| 2011 | 25 | 4× fewer complaints than average | 70 | brakes (27%) | 9 | ★★★☆☆ | 24–41 |
| 2012 | 57 | 1.8× fewer complaints than average | 197 | airbags (26%) | 3 | ★★★★★ | 25–44 |
| 2013 | 31 | 3.2× fewer complaints than average | 125 | steering (12%) | 0 | ★★★★★ | 25–44 |
| 2014 | 33 | 3× fewer complaints than average | 119 | transmission & drivetrain (27%) | 2 | ★★★★★ | 25–44 |
| 2015 | 32 | 3.1× fewer complaints than average | 106 | airbags (19%) | 1 | ★★★★★ | 25–44 |
| 2016 | 106 | about average | 389 | electrical (18%) | 5 | ★★★★★ | 30–35 |
| 2017 | 51 | 2× fewer complaints than average | 204 | electrical (25%) | 6 | ★★★★★ | 25–36 |
| 2018 | 46 | 2.2× fewer complaints than average | 159 | engine (17%) | 6 | ★★★★★ | 25–36 |
| 2019 | 35 | 2.9× fewer complaints than average | 115 | automatic emergency braking (16%) | 4 | ★★★★★ | 25–36 |
| 2020 | 40 | 2.5× fewer complaints than average | 101 | transmission & drivetrain (21%) | 5 | ★★★★★ | 25–36 |
| 2021 | 32 | 3.1× fewer complaints than average | 81 | automatic emergency braking (44%) | 4 | ★★★★★ | 25–36 |
| 2022 | 437 | 4.4× the average car's complaints | 926 | steering (85%) | 4 | ★★★★★ | 32–36 |
| 2023 | 140 | 1.4× the average car's complaints | 332 | steering (77%) | 4 | ★★★★★ | 32–36 |
| 2024 | 64 | 1.6× fewer complaints than average | 133 | steering (50%) | 3 | ★★★★★ | 32–36 |
| 2025 | 64 | 1.6× fewer complaints than average | 94 | steering (41%) | 2 | ★★★★★ | 24–49 |
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the government within 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average, lower is better. How it works
Updated
Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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