Buying One of These 5 Honda Civic Model Years Would Be an Expensive Mistake

24/7 Wall St. Insights

• The Honda Civic is one of the most popular compact cars in America, but knowing which model years to avoid can save you money down the line.
• Don’t buy the 2001 Honda Civic, which had a total of 27 recalls and serious airbag and transmission issues.
• The 2020 and 2021 model years rank as “must buys,” with the level of quality and reliability people expect from Honda.
• Also: 2 Dividend Legends to Hold Forever

Everyone loves a Honda – especially according to Kelley Blue Book’s 2024 Consumer Choice Awards. Honda was rated as the best overall EV/hybrid brand, the best performance brand, the best in-vehicle experience brand, the best value brand, the most trusted brand, and (as you might guess) the best overall brand. The vehicle brand ranks so highly with consumers because of its continued quality. As a result, Honda drivers often stay incredibly loyal to the brand. But is every Honda model worthy of recognition? (Check out millennials’ 15 favorite car brands, ranked.)

One of the most popular and well-owned compact cars manufactured by Honda is the Honda Civic. Consumers have been enjoying this Honda model for over 50 years at this point, and interest really hasn’t waned. So far, 149,973 Honda Civics have been sold in 2024. Honda may potentially be on a path to sell even more of this car model than in 2023. Consumers typically say that the Honda Civic is reliable and offers a smooth performance, making it a great car to have.

However, big sales can sometimes hide bad model years. The Honda Civic may be great, but not every model year is made equally. In fact, there have been some duds: years when the Honda Civic wasn’t the reliable superstar we like to think it’s always been. To identify which model years you should be driving, and which would be an expensive mistake, 24/7 Wall St. explored consumer reviews, looked at National Highway Transportation & Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints, and looked up sites like FIXD, CarComplaints, and CoPilot,. 

Here are 5 Honda Civic model years you should buy, and 5 to avoid completely:

Why We Need to Write About This

When you purchase a car, you need it to be reliable, whether you’re driving to work every day or just an occasional trip-taker. While some Honda Civic model years are known for extreme reliability and great performance, some might make it difficult for you to get where you need to go. It’s important to recognize the differences between model years, especially when you’re searching for a new vehicle – and the market is saturated with options. This information can help you to avoid headaches and costly fixes.

Avoid: 2001

With over 1,228 NHTSA complaints and 27 recalls, this is arguably the Honda Civic’s worst model year ever. The 2001 Honda Civic experienced severe issues with transmissions failing. When you consider it could cost upward of $2,000 or more to fix, you can see why 2001 is a year to avoid. 

Along with transmission issues, the 2001 Civic also had a serious problem with its front airbags. At least five deaths were reported from the front airbag not deploying properly. Perhaps the one bright side is that Honda initiated several recalls to fix this issue. The problem is that these recalls weren’t announced until 2014. 

Avoid: 2002

While 2002 saw a substantial drop in complaints, there were still close to 600 NHTSA complaints made. Unfortunately, transmission issues and airbag explosions remained at the top of the list of consumer problems. Honda just did not make significant changes this year. As a result, it’s hard to give the Civic any kind of recommendation for its 2002 model. 

This is further validated when you consider this year still had 24 recalls. It won’t come as any surprise to learn that seven recalls were tied to airbags either rupturing or exploding. Additionally, as FIXD points out, 2002 was one of the worst years for the Civic regarding engine troubles. According to their reporting, at least 50% of 2002 Honda Civics experienced engine issues. 

Avoid: 2006

Based on NHTSA complaints, 2006 was the second worst model year for the Honda Civic. Another 818 complaints were filed this year, with many of these issues related to the Civic’s hybrid model. The worst aspect of the 2006 model year was widely believed to be engine block-related. This sixth-generation Civic model had several engine issues and suffered heavily from interior wear and tear. 

Unfortunately, airbag issues remained unsettlingly present. It’s disappointing to learn that Honda had not yet fixed issues that started years earlier. While the car did receive strong safety scores from NHTSA and IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety), the potential for airbag explosions and rupturing led to later recalls. It’s easy to declare 2006 as a model year to avoid. 

Avoid: 2007

With another 763 NHTSA complaints in 2007, Honda clearly had not done enough work on addressing issues with the Civic. By this count, 2007 was the third-worst model year in Civic history. One of the major issues was that customers complained about uneven tire wear. With an average repair cost of $530 according to CarComplaints, many Honda Civic customers felt incredibly frustrated. 

Along with the problems with tire wear, 2007 Civic model owners complained about loose hubcaps. Add in exterior paint flaking off, and 2007 is an easy year to skip. While 2007 only had 9 recalls, many  were still related to airbag concerns.

Avoid: 2008 

While the 2008 Honda Civic had 650 NHTSA complaints, that’s still enough to recommend it as a year to skip. Ultimately, the issues with airbags continued again in 2008. However, engine problems were Honda’s biggest headache. With engine block issues continuing to be a major problem, a class action lawsuit was filed against Honda. Based on the VIN, Civic models between 2006 and 2009 might have been eligible to participate in the lawsuit. 

If this wasn’t enough to convince you to avoid 2008, CarComplaints labeled the 2008 Civic with its “Beware of the Clunker Award.” This was damaging to the vehicle’s reputation. On the bright side, safety remained high for the 2008 Civic, but that’s about the best thing you can say about this model year. 

Own: 2014

The 2014 Honda Civic definitely marks itself as one of the very best model years to own, with only a few hundred NHTSA complaints. Most importantly, you don’t have any airbag concerns this year. The same can be said with engine issues, or lack of. Both of these extremely problematic issues no longer exist. 

Better yet, when you look at J.D. Power, there is a whole lot of love for the 2014 Honda Civic. Along with outstanding quality and reliability, the driving experience also receives a “Great” score. Also great are the safety scores from IIHS which gave the Civic a “Top Safety Pick” rating. The NHTSA scores for the 2014 Civic are also really strong with four and five stars across the board. 

Own: 2018

Even though FIXD indicates the 2018 Civic’s reputation dropped slightly because of engine reliability, NHTSA complaints tell a different story. Less than 300 NHTSA reports indicate some overall trouble with steering and fuel systems, but no model year is ever going to be perfect. Even more notable is that J.D. Power gave the driving experience for the 2018 Civic one of its best scores ever. 

This means the combination of the Civic’s reliability, safety, and technology came together and made for a fantastic model year. When you factor in five stars almost across the board for safety from the NHTSA, you can see the improvements Honda has made over the 2014 model year. Perhaps most notable was that 2018 only has 5 recalls total, two of which are related to the aforementioned fuel systems. 

Own: 2019

Coming out strong in 2019, the Honda Civic hits a home run as far as J.D. Power is concerned. Yet another round of “Great” was received as a score for the Civic’s driving experience. One of the best additions to the Civic in years was introduced in 2019, which was a major reason to pick up this model. The inclusion of “Honda Sensing” adds a front-view camera that can detect objects in front of the vehicle. 

As a result, the 2019 Civic once again received outstanding safety ratings from both NHTSA and IIHS. At this point, the Civic was receiving five stars across the board for safety from NHTSA, which was a major reason to look hard at used 2019 models. Last but not least, 2019 only includes less than 200 NHTSA complaints, one of the lowest numbers the Civic has ever seen since its release. 

Own: 2020

With even fewer NHTSA complaints in 2020, the 2020 Honda Civic is a must-purchase if you’re searching for a car. Most 2020 model owners agree, as complaints this year were very limited. Best of all, the 2020 Civic only has one recall currently on record, which is a dramatic improvement from a decade prior. 

As the last year of the 10th-generation Civic, it’s no surprise that Honda worked out most bugs – and added an exterior refresh. This direction is also applicable for both J.D. Power and safety scores, all of which improved in 2020. If you can find a 2020 model with low mileage, grab it while you can! 

Own: 2021

Wondering if picking up a 2021 Honda Civic is a good idea? We’ll give that a resounding yes, as 2021 looked to be one of the best years ever for the Civic. Overall owner complaints are low, highlighted by the lack of NHTSA complaints. Less than 100 have been filed to date, one of the best the Civic has ever seen. 

Only three recalls have been assigned to the 2021 model year, which is another strong indicator that the 2021 Civic is living up to Honda’s reputation for outstanding reliability. J.D. Power gave the 2021 big scores for both quality and reliability as well as the driving experience. While a manual transmission was discontinued in 2021, it’s hard to find any other issues that would prevent a strong buy recommendation for this model year. 

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