no report yet
Front: buckle assembly
Risk. THE SAFETY BELTS WOULD NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO AN OCCUPANT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
1990 Honda CivicProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 91 owner complaints about the 1990 Honda Civic, most often about the seat belts. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 28, 2019. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 1990 Honda Civic has problems
91 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
34Seat belts7 crash/fire/injury
18Electrical system2 crash/fire/injury
6Service brakes, hydraulic
6Visibility
6Engine and engine cooling
6Power train
5Structure
5Vehicle speed control
4Exterior lighting
1511 other systems6 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 34 | 7 |
| Electrical system | 18 | 2 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 6 | 3 |
| Visibility | 6 | 2 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 6 | 3 |
| Power train | 6 | 1 |
| Structure | 5 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 3 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 |
| 11 other systems | 15 | 6 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
1990 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
Power train: automatic transmission
Risk. VEHICLE COULD ROLL WHILE THE TRANSMISSION IS IN THE PARKPOSITION AND A CRASH COULD RESULT.
no report yet
Visibility: windshield
Risk. PAINT SEPARATION IN THE WINDSHIELD AREAS WOULD LEADTO NON-COMPLIANCE WITH FMVSS 212 RETENTION REQUIREMENTS.
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
1990 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
00000011195153539466991110981461351993053734353382871,0797034993503161,4041,2049163963981694563192933811,0836067504442391498862601278232
'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 1990 Honda Civic, and the recalls they led to.
- SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURELed to recall 95V-103
- STALLINGNo recall
- SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILSNo recall
In owners' words
What Civic owners report
Recent seat belts complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
THE FRONT SEAT SHOULDER LAP SEAT BELTS HAVE NOT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY FOR A LONG TIME ON BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE. THEY DO NOT RETRACT ALONG THE DOORS WHEN THE DOORS ARE OPENED AND CLOSED. ALSO, THE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT AND BEEP ARE NOW CONSTANTLY ON MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO FOCUS…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 HONDA CIVIC. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CONTACT NOTICED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT AND COULD NOT BE RETRACTED MANUALLY. THE SEAT BELT COULD NOT BE USED TO SECURE A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR…
THE SEAT BELTS ON MY 1990 HONDA CIVIC DO NOT WORK. I TOOK THEM TO THE HONDA DEALER IN ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND. THEY KEPT THE CAR 24 HOURS, THEN TOLD ME THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER RETRACTOR MOTORS. THEY CALLED IN A FEW DAYS AND TOLD ME TO BRING THE CAR BACK IN. THEY KEPT IT THREE DAYS, THEN RETURNED IT IN…
Own a 1990 Civic?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.