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1987 Honda CivicProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 39 owner complaints about the 1987 Honda Civic, most often about the seat belts. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.

89
CarFlaw IndexOne of the best years88% below the Civic median · #38 of 40 years by complaints
Safety recalls3Free fix at dealersOwner complaints3912 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem21Seat belts

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 13, 2008. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1987 Honda Civic has problems

39 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 belts215
Vehicle speed control42
Tires20
Suspension20
Fuel system, gasoline20
Service brakes, hydraulic20
Power train20
Visibility10
Seats10
2 other systems20

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

3 recalls

1987 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

Front: buckle assembly

Recall 95V-103 · May 24, 1995 · 3,700,000 vehicles

Risk. THE SAFETY BELTS WOULD NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO AN OCCUPANT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–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

1987 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
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1987 Honda Civic, and the recalls they led to.

  1. FUEL SYSTEM VENTINGEA89005 · closed Nov 30, 1989
    No recall
  2. SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILUREEA94035 · closed Jul 31, 1995
    Led to recall 95V-103
  3. SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILSPE94052 · closed Oct 27, 1994
    No recall
In owners' words

What Civic owners report

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

TAKATA SEAT BELT; NHTSA RECALL 95V103001; MARKLEY MOTORS IN FORT COLLINS, CO. OWNER UNSATISFIED W/CORRECTIVE ACTION BY THIS DEALERSHIP. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.
Complaint 977056 · Dec 26, 1995
RECALL # 95V103001, SEAT BELT BUCKLES; DEALER NOT ABLE TO CORRECT RECALL BECAUSE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. OWNER IS EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM WITH THE BELT BUCKLE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. DEALER NOT SURE WHEN PART WILL BECOME AVAILABLE. *AK
Complaint 822642 · Apr 21, 1998
RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE (#95V103001) IN THE MAIL. CALLED DEALER & SET UP APPOINTMENT. ON THE DAY OF THE APPOINTMENT, TOOK VEHICLE IN. AFTER WAITING FOR AWHILE, WAS INFORMED DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS FOR REPAIR & DID NOT KNOW WHEN THE PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE. *AK
Complaint 819158 · Oct 21, 1997

Own a 1987 Civic?

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