What 454 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Honda Civic Sedan

We were not injured. We fixed the problem before we did get hurt..message came up.. “Check airbag system”. We had t replace our driver’s side airbag at the cost of over $1,500.

NHTSA ODI 11747440

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side seat weight sensor failed to operate properly. The contact stated that while the front passenger’s seat was occupied, the air bag enabled warning light was flashing off and on. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V332000 (Air Bags). The dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that the failure was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11746744

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the alarm indicator sounded off intermittently without cause. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who informed the contact that the alarm was a factory-made system and then suggested pressing the key fob twice to stop the alarm from sounding off. The vehicle was not officially diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 167,842.

NHTSA ODI 11727191

I purchased a vehicle from a private seller on offer up. The seller stated the vehicle was clean title, he also stated the vehicle was low mileage with 112,000. When I got the vehicle the tire sensor was showing on the dash and the air bag sensor. After purchasing the vehicle I later found out the vehicle was salvage, and the mileage is also roughly 180,000 miles or more.

NHTSA ODI 11726572

My passenger airbag light is on and stays on.

NHTSA ODI 11722651

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated or stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. The “Check Emission Systems" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact then received notification from the Manufacturer for Honda Service Bulletin: 19-106. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where a PCM update was performed. Recently, the contact stated that the "Check Emission Systems" message returned, and the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The dealer was notified of the failure and provided the cost for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided with a case number. The contact was also informed that dealers were independently owned and could not be forced to repair the vehicle under the service bulletin. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 211,000.

NHTSA ODI 11712153

Component or system failure: The vehicle experienced failures involving the engine/ignition system, emissions system, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), and power steering. On July 14, 2025, warning messages appeared for “Check Emissions System,” “Check VSA System,” and “Check Power Steering System.” Diagnostics identified engine misfire code P0304 (Cylinder #4). On August 11, 2025, an authorized Honda dealership confirmed a seized spark plug and cylinder head damage, indicating an internal engine defect. The vehicle is currently with the selling dealership and available for inspection. Safety risk: Simultaneous failure warnings for emissions, VSA, and power steering created an unsafe driving condition. Impaired stability control and power steering increase the risk of loss of vehicle control during turning or emergency maneuvers. Confirmation of problem: Yes. Independent diagnostics confirmed the misfire. The selling dealer attempted repairs between July 22–25, 2025, but the same warnings returned. On August 8, 2025, the dealer admitted it lacked tools and software to diagnose or repair CNG vehicles. Honda later confirmed internal engine damage. Inspections: The vehicle was inspected by the selling dealer and an authorized Honda dealership. A third-party warranty administrator authorized a tear-down inspection. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by Honda Motor Co. or NHTSA. Prior warnings and recall concern: Warnings first appeared on July 14, 2025, about two weeks after purchase, and recurred despite repairs. The 2012 Honda Civic CNG has multiple recalls involving engine, fuel, and emissions systems, and these failures are consistent with known defect patterns, warranting further investigation.

NHTSA ODI 11708419

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally strong fuel odor detected. The contact pulled over and parked the vehicle, and became aware that there was fuel leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the fuel line needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 171,026.

NHTSA ODI 11695848

I have had this 2012 for a little over a year, within the past 6 months periodically the check air bag system warning lamp comes on if I make a sharp turn or move the steering wheel very fast. On the guage it says that the passenger side air bag is off..This issue just came out of no where, but generally the car runs great

NHTSA ODI 11687556

While driving, my 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid suddenly loses power and steering ability. The vehicle stalls and the steering wheel locks up, making it impossible to safely maneuver. This has happened multiple times, including in traffic, creating a serious risk of collision. When the failure occurs, warning lights illuminate on the dashboard, including the IMA light, anti-lock brake light, and others. In some cases, all dash lights flash before the car stalls. When scanned with an OBD tool, the vehicle shows power inverter-related fault codes. The symptoms are consistent with the IMA motor power inverter defect described in Honda Recall H98 (2012–2015 Civic Hybrid inverter recall). However, my VIN does not currently show as part of that recall. Despite this, the vehicle is clearly experiencing the same safety defect. This defect causes sudden loss of propulsion and steering assist, placing myself, passengers, and other drivers at serious risk. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

NHTSA ODI 11681998

I am reporting a serious safety concern with my 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid. What component or system failed and is it available for inspection? The hybrid drive system and regenerative braking system are malfunctioning. The hybrid battery recharging system including the MPI have failed, causing the vehicle to operate solely on the gasoline engine. This results in degraded braking performance due to the loss of regenerative braking. How was safety put at risk? When the hybrid system fails, braking performance is noticeably reduced, increasing stopping distances. This creates a high risk of collision, especially in sudden-stop situations or heavy traffic. Additionally, the sudden loss of hybrid power assistance can cause unsafe changes in vehicle acceleration and handling. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. The issue has been confirmed by Pearson Honda in Midlothian, Virginia. They state the MPI needs to be replaced and state my VIN is outside their "factory warranty extension". Multiple calls to Honda America state that I am responsible for all repairs and that this is not their problem and will not clarify how they decide what VIN's are included in the extension. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by others? The vehicle has been inspected by Pearson Honda in Midlothian, VA and documentation is available. It has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives at this time. Warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to failure? Yes. Warning lights for the hybrid system and/or IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) illuminate promptly as you start the vehicle. These first appeared last week ([XXX]) and have occurred multiple times since. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11680462

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle was turned off and the vehicle started to roll away. The vehicle was stopped, and the parking brake was engaged to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the front axle had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact also stated that while at a stop light, the vehicle vibrated, and the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle unexpectedly lunged forward. There was no warning light illuminated. An independent was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 156,000.

NHTSA ODI 11679118

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that before attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 116,000. Through a Carfax report, it was discovered that the mileage was 159,000.

NHTSA ODI 11667200

So according to Honda Service Bulletin 20-030, all honda civic 2012-2015 hybrids having IMA Motor Power Inverter (MPI) have to fixed. I have the SAME CAR, SAME MODEL, SAME YEAR AND SAME ERROR CODES AS THE SERVICE BULLETIN AND THIS IS SUCH A SERIOUS ELECTRICAL POWER INVERTER ISSUE. Yet HONDA IS denying to work on it, even though there is 15 years or 150,000 miles warranty for this specific issue and MY CAR HAS 95000 miles. Yet HONDA is trying to run away from fixing it by claiming the VIN number is not associating whereby MY CAR IS EXACT SAME AS THE MODEL, year and issue for the GIVEN SERVICE BULLETIN. This is complete absurd and consumer rights are being thrown away by Honda. I am very sure that my United States NHTSA, state consumer protection, federal trade commission, all are going to help me and make Honda pay for this. I have attached the service bulletin and here my error codes on the car: P1437 Motor Drive Module (MDM) Short Circuit POA78 Tmu-L Motor Power Inverter Module Internal Circuit Malfunction P15A5 Motor Current Sensor Circuit Malfunction Clear Confirmed & Pending Trouble Codes 2 Pending Trouble Codes POA78 Tmu-L Motor Power Inverter Module Internal Circuit Malfunction P15A5 Motor Current Sensor Circuit Malfunction Clear Confirmed & Pending Trouble Codes ^ ^ 2 Permanent Trouble Codes POA78 P15A5 Motor Current Sensor Circuit Malfunction Tmu-L Motor Power Inverter Module Internal Circuit Malfunction

NHTSA ODI 11664413

Paint defect. Paint faded and clouded on vehicle due to cheap paint used during manufacturing. I was never notified about the extended warranty. I contacted Honda and let them know, but was told the warranty ended. I financed my vehicle through American Honda for 5 years, and serviced my vehicle via Honda dealerships. Never did this come up as a possible repair that I could have fixed by them. I was told that Honda used a third party to contact owners.

NHTSA ODI 11664159

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 119,560, and the contact stated she looked at the title and took the vehicle to a mechanic to verify and noticed that the mileage was 193,099.

NHTSA ODI 11659725

It has happened more than once since 3 years ago. If I’m running my AC in the car, when I accelerate the car will skip/jump. It’s extremely expensive to repair and the problem isn’t even getting fixed. I basically can’t run my AC if it’s hot outside

NHTSA ODI 11658732

Esp code1.33-06 while driving car I suddenly lose of power steering making it difficult to control vehicle

NHTSA ODI 11658556

This is a serious matter that needs to be evaluated as it is a potentially fatal safety issue for human drivers of 2012 Honda Civic. This email needs to be sent please to the Department of Transportation and the National Transportation Safety Board for evaluation of extension of recall: meaning other 2012 Honda Civic vehicles that have the same type or similar area of issues as the two above stated recalls and from the same manufacturer as the 2012 Honda Civic vehicles but whose VIN were not included in the group of VIN numbers in the original recalls) a. 2019 - control arm bushings cracked - cause: leaking - front lower arm compliance bushings, both replaced by Honda( documention available upon request) b. 2019- right front tire shred and upon inspection by Goodyear no nail or issue could be found for the one right front tire shredding. (documentation and images available upon request) c. 2022- right front tire shreds while driving and upon inspection by Goodyear no nail or issue could be found for the right front tire behavior. (documentation and images available upon request) d. 2024-right front control arm mount and right control arm failure while driving causing the vehicle to be a total loss including from collateral damage. It happened at a low speed but if it happened at a higher speed it would have been potentially fatal. Corporate American Honda made aware and Corporate American Honda made aware this is to be reported to the Department of Transportation and Corporate American Honda response was that they were taking no action to the situation of the request for evaluation of extension of recall, besides just collecting the information I was reporting to them due per Corporate American Honda to it potentially costing Corporate Honda money and that they American Corporate Honda were willing to wait the couple of months that it could potentially take for the Department of Transportation to evaluate. Police report was taken, but I do not have a copy.

NHTSA ODI 11656345

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while attempting to repair the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was an independent dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 71,00 and at the time of replacing the instrument panel, it was discovered that the mileage was 190,000.

NHTSA ODI 11655244

ABS/VSA module faulty. Upon internet research it seems to be a very common problem among owners of this vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11640980

I was 3 hrs away from home and I started my vehicle and the air bag light began flashing and beeping. The light was on the message board that indicates my speed, clock, fuel, etc. it basically is the information center for the car. I pushed the information button on the steering wheel to clear it but it kept blinking and flashing the entire way home. I also turned off the engine and restarted it but no luck with that either. It was a very distracting experience having to drive 3 hours like this. I made an appointment with my mechanic and he diagnosed it as the Occupant Passenger Detection Sensor. This will cost $800.00 to repair. The car is not drive able in this condition because of the safety of the air bag. I looked up recalls but it seems my car has none.

NHTSA ODI 11622097

When my car reaches speeds above 60mph the steering is difficult to control (a lot of Play in the steering wheel). I took my vehicle in to a Monrovia, CA Honda Dealer in May 2024 to fix the issue. The dealer replaced the bushings but did not fix the steering issue. This vehicle feels dangerous. I noticed on the internet there are a lot of mechanics talking about steering issues in the model years that my car is under. I am frustrated that the Honda dealers don’t seem to want to fix this issue. I’ve already paid a great deal of money in up keep and the problem has not been corrected. I have had no warning lamps or signs of leaks just a lot of play in the steering wheel and lack of control.I don’t feel safe on the highway in this vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11621855

Driving around town, I stopped our 2012 Honda Civic at a stoplight. The brake pedal vibrated from the ABS modulator, then went all the way to the floor. I had the brake system checked at a workshop, bled the brake lines, and the same situation repeated. It was recommended I replace the brake modulator and brake pump. I called our Honda dealer and the brake pump is on hard backorder with no indication of when or if it will be available. A check of junkyards showed very few of these pumps potentially available, indicating demand is very strong. Many of the Civics in the junkyards we saw were totalled due to front end collissions. Perhaps they discovered the brake issue too late? The car is not driveable. After reviewing forums and [XXX] there were many reports of brake problems with 2012 - 13 Honda Civics. I believe this warrants a close look. Brakes are the most important part of any motor vehicle in my opinion, and until there is a remedy my car will sit as a 3,000 lb paperweight. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11620669

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11619161