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1998 Honda CivicProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 435 owner complaints about the 1998 Honda Civic, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 20V-026 the manufacturer reports only 4% of affected cars repaired.

43
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.3× the Civic median · #12 of 40 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 4%Owner complaints435128 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage140kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 23, 2023. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1998 Honda Civic has problems

435 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 bags9667
Electrical system884
Engine and engine cooling532
Power train491
Vehicle speed control297
Structure264
Visibility230
Tires182
Seat belts102
16 other systems709

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

4 recalls

1998 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 →

–no report yet

Storage: tank assembly

Recall 07V-512 · Nov 1, 2007 · 6,545 vehicles

Risk. THIS COULD RESULT IN A TANK RUPTURE, EXPLOSION, AND EJECTION OF THE TANK FROM THE VEHICLE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Ignition: switch

Recall 02V-120 · May 16, 2002 · 1,000,000 vehicles

Risk. WORN CONTACTS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

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

1998 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

1998 Honda Civic safety ratings

1998 Honda Civic 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

1998 Honda Civic frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1998 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.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1998 HONDA CIVIC COUPE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, WHEN SHE CRASHED INTO A TRUCK. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A FRACTURED COLLARBONE, LEFT KNEE AND RIGHT SHOULDER WAS BRUISED. THE CONTACT DID SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR HER COLLARBONE.…
Complaint 11384123 · Dec 18, 2020
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V026000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL…
Complaint 11363251 · Oct 7, 2020
WE WERE ON A CITY STREET, APPROACHED AN UNKNOWN DIP IN THE ROAD. THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, THE HEADLINER IS SHREDDED. THERE IS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE BUMPER, FENDERS OR HOOD. THE SRS SYSTEM LIGHT IS ON. THE DOOR LOCKS WON'T WORK FROM THE FOB. THE SEATBELTS DO APPEAR TO BE FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. I…
Complaint 11354740 · Sep 13, 2020 · 150,000 miles

Own a 1998 Civic?

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