repaired · 2020 Q4
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
2001 Honda CivicProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 1,079 owner complaints about the 2001 Honda Civic, most often about the power train. It is covered by 14 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-499 the manufacturer reports only 22% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 21, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2001 Honda Civic has problems
1,079 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
403Power train7 crash/fire/injury
310Air bags122 crash/fire/injury
64Engine and engine cooling
62Exterior lighting
59Electrical system
52Suspension
41Seat belts
37Service brakes, hydraulic
31Fuel system, gasoline
22319 other systems45 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 403 | 7 |
| Air bags | 310 | 122 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 64 | 4 |
| Exterior lighting | 62 | 4 |
| Electrical system | 59 | 14 |
| Suspension | 52 | 5 |
| Seat belts | 41 | 10 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 37 | 7 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 31 | 3 |
| 19 other systems | 223 | 45 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
14 recalls
2001 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.
repaired · 2020 Q4
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2020 Q3
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other…
repaired · 2019 Q3
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Show 10 more recalls
repaired · 2017 Q4
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the passenger…
repaired · 2017 Q4
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other…
repaired · 2016 Q1
Air bags
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…
no report yet
Storage: tank assembly
Risk. THIS COULD RESULT IN A TANK RUPTURE, EXPLOSION, AND EJECTION OF THE TANK FROM THE VEHICLE.
no report yet
Exterior lighting: headlights
Risk. AN UNEXPECTED LOSS OF LOW BEAMS COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
no report yet
Front: buckle assembly
Risk. THE REAR SEAT BELTS WILL WORK PROPERLY AND PROVIDE PROTECTION IN A CRASH, BUT THE OWNER MAY EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY UNFASTENING THE BELT AFTER THE CRASH.
no report yet
Front: buckle assembly
Risk. THE REAR SEAT BELTS WILL WORK PROPERLY AND PROVIDE PROTECTION IN A CRASH, BUT THE OWNER MAY EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY UNFASTENING THE BELT AFTER THE CRASH.
no report yet
Engine and engine cooling: engine
Risk. IF THE PLASTIC PIECE LODGES IN THE THROTTLE BODY, THE THROTTLE COULD STICK IN A PARTIALLY OPEN POSITION.
no report yet
Tank assembly: filler pipe and cap
Risk. IN A COLLISION, THE TUBE COULD DISCONNECT FROM THE FUEL TANK, RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKAGE.
no report yet
Delivery: fuel pump
Risk. IF THE PUMP STOPS WORKING, THE ENGINE WILL STALL WITHOUT WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
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 power train problems start?
98kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 356 power train complaints. 51% were reported before 100,000 miles.
14under 30k miles182under 100k miles174100k 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.
Power train
70 owners mentioned a cost$2,676median
Middle half: $2,000 – $3,000
Air bags
22 owners mentioned a cost$617median
Middle half: $325 – $800
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
2001 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
NHTSA crash tests
2001 Honda Civic safety ratings
2001 Honda Civic 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
4 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2001 Honda Civic, and the recalls they led to.
- Air Bag Inflator RuptureLed to recall 14V-668
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen
- Air Bag Inflator RuptureLed to recall 14V-700
- RUPTURING DRIVER'S AIR BAG INFLATORSNo recall
In owners' words
What Civic owners report
Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
I recently bought a 2001 honda civic, 5speed. It was driving fine, until it suddenly started making grinding or weird noises. I couldn't shift and now the gears are locked up. It happened suddenly after no problems.
2001 Honda Civic stopped moving in the middle of the road. While in the middle of driving vehicle lost power but remained running. A whining noise was observed which turned out to be the transmission pump. The vehicle would not go into forward or reverse and I was left stranded in the middle of the…
I RECEIVED A 2001 HONDA CIVIC LX FROM MY DAD AS A GIFT AROUND THE END OF APRIL, 2018. WHICH HE HAD SPENT ABOUT 2000 IN THE MOTOR BEFORE GIVING IT TO ME. THE ISSUES OCCURRED WITH THE CAR OVER HEATING RIGHT WHEN WE LANDED INTO LAS VEGAS WHICH WE WERE COMING FROM SAN DIMAS CALIFORNIA, IT TOOK ABOUT…
Own a 2001 Civic?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.