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1997 Honda CivicProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 373 owner complaints about the 1997 Honda Civic, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 20V-026 the manufacturer reports only 4% of affected cars repaired.

47
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.1× the Civic median · #15 of 40 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Lowest repair rate 4%Owner complaints373111 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage90kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 30, 2022. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1997 Honda Civic has problems

373 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
Air bags14054
Vehicle speed control386
Visibility330
Electrical system303
Tires271
Power train253
Engine and engine cooling251
Service brakes, hydraulic226
Structure181
13 other systems537

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

2 recalls

1997 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.

4%repaired · 2022 Q3

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 20V-026 · Jan 17, 2020 · 1,439,841 vehicles · 63,210 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants.

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.

Mileage at failure

When do air bags problems start?

90kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 46 air bags complaints. 57% were reported before 100,000 miles.

Only 25% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
1under 30k miles26under 100k miles20100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Air bags

19 owners mentioned a cost

$500median

Middle half: $385 – $761

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

1997 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
NHTSA crash tests

1997 Honda Civic safety ratings

1997 Honda Civic 2-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1997 Honda Civic, and the recalls they led to.

  1. CONDENSER FAN MOTOR INOPERATIVESQ98012 · closed Nov 2, 1998
    No recall
In owners' words

What Civic owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The contact owns a 1997 Honda Civic. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V026000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact then received a notice that the parts were available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it…
Complaint 11458979 · Mar 30, 2022
GOOD DAY: ON 17 MARCH 2020, HONDA ADVISED ME THAT MY 1997 CIVIC IS INCLUDED IN NHTSA RECALL 20V-026, WHICH AFFECTS THE DRIVER FRONTAL AIRBAG MODULE. IN THE RECALL NOTICE, HONDA SAID THE REPAIR PARTS ARE UNAVAILABLE, AND PROMISED TO NOTIFY ME WHEN THE DEFECTIVE COMPONENTS BECOME AVAILABLE. MORE THAN…
Complaint 11361620 · Sep 28, 2020 · 212,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V026000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. HONDA OF GREELEY (4535 W. 29TH ST, GREELEY, CO 80634) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT YET AVAILABLE.…
Complaint 11355139 · Sep 15, 2020

Own a 1997 Civic?

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