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1985 Honda CivicProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 15 owner complaints about the 1985 Honda Civic, most often about the seat belts. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls2Free fix at dealersOwner complaints159 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem5Seat belts

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 14, 2001. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1985 Honda Civic has problems

15 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Seat belts52
Fuel system, gasoline21
Engine and engine cooling20
Service brakes, hydraulic11
Suspension10
Tires10
Visibility10
Latches/locks/linkages11
Seats10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

1985 Honda Civic recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Visibility: windshield wiper/washer

Recall 88V-180 · Nov 18, 1988 · 360,198 vehicles

Risk. THIS COULD RESULT IN WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE AND WOULDAFFECT DRIVER VISIBILITY.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Honda.

Best & worst years

1985 vs. every other Civic year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Civic median. How we score

'73'74'75'76'77'78'79'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
In owners' words

What Civic owners report

Recent seat belts complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE CAME OPEN UPON IMPACT AND DRIVER HIT THE STEERING WHEEL WITH HER CHEST. *AK
Complaint 804904 · Nov 13, 1996

Own a 1985 Civic?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.