2018 Honda Civic Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 51,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Since soon after purchasing the vehicle used (~28,000 miles) there is a very obvious ‘pop/click’ sound to the steering wheel and it will try to pull slightly to the left or right. This is most obvious when driving straight but also occurs when turning left or right. This ‘quick pulling’ to either direction can be dangerous (or at a…Owner complaint, filed 2026

My 2018 Honda Civic EX developed a steering problem that made the steering wheel difficult to turn. On [XXX], at approximately 67,219 miles, I brought the vehicle to J&L Auto & Tire Center in Nyack, New York, for evaluation. The repair facility documented the complaint as “hard time steering wheel” and recommended replacing the…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 51,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

My 1.5L turbo had the error message "Emissions System Problem" appear on the dash. When I went to AutoZone for them to run their diagnostic, it threw error code P219E which is indicative of a sticking-open fuel injector-pushing raw fuel through the engine and venting toxic vapors directly into my climate control system. Premature fuel…Owner complaint, filed 2026

My vehicle is currently experiencing severe performance defects that directly mimic the documented failures associated with the defective, improperly molded fuel pump impellers. Specifically, I have experienced the following symptoms: Engine Stalling: The vehicle has lost engine power or stalled unexpectedly while in motion, creating an…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 12,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

Infotainment screen stuck in software update mode. Rear camera and Heat - A/C - Defroster no longer visible. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Body Control Module failure. Car starts on its own in accessory mode, draining battery. Not able to start car. Very common issue. But could cause fire from battery.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 11,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

•I am an Indiana resident. •I purchased a vehicle from a private seller in Ohio (seller operates through an LLC) on 1/16/2026 •Fraudulent title activity was discovered by mechanic on 1/26/26 (taken to mechanic due to sudden and unexpected issues) •The purchase agreement and price ($9,000) were confirmed via text message; there was no…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The engine gasket failed, leaking coolant into Cylinder 3. This created misfires while the vehicle was driving, leading to unpredictable loss of power while driving. Eventually, the coolant purged unbeknownst to the driver and created overheating conditions while driving which could have led to complete engine failure on the road. This…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 12,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the parking brake was inadvertently applied for several seconds, jolting the vehicle forward. Additionally, the "Parking Brake Malfunction" message was displayed for a short time. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 93,000 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while her boyfriend was driving approximately at 35 MPH and approaching another vehicle, he depressed the brake pedal, but the brake pedal became soft, and the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The vehicle crashed into the rear of the other occupied vehicle. There was no warning…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 71,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 16,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

Today, an SRS warning message unexpectedly appeared on my vehicle’s dashboard. I drove the vehicle normally earlier in the morning without any warning lights, messages, or other symptoms. When I returned to my vehicle after work and started it, the SRS message appeared for the first time. There was no accident, collision, impact, or…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Car has the SRS light pop up from time to time. It will stay on for the whole drive and will sometimes go away after turning the car off and on again. It is intermittent. I has happened to my vehicle already 5-6 times.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 15,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (23).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

I am reporting a structural manufacturing issue on my 2018 Honda Civic. The vehicle is currently grounded at Caliber Collision in Ceres, CA. A certified structural facility (Caliber Collision) has documented that the factory sheet metal seams are splitting open in both front wheel wells and the center floor area directly under the…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The paint on my 2018 Honda Civic Hatchback (VIN: [XXX] , color Sonic Gray Pearl) is prematurely chipping and peeling on the driver-side mirror cover and door handle. This issue is identical to paint defects already acknowledged by Honda on other Civics and Accords, which were covered under extended warranties or settlements. Honda…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 43,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The evaporator core failure (leaking). It affects defrosting windshield causing visibility and safety issues. Diagnosed at dealership after condenser and compressor shaft seal extended warranty work completed. Evaporator core diagnosed 3 months after same dealership did warranty work.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Honda has known about an issue with their 2016-2020 vehicles where the evaporator stops working. They continued to use the same part for the AC and because the evaporator does not work any longer, the windshield doesn’t correctly defog and it obstructs my vision.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 20,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

My 2018 Honda Civic had caught on fire two days ago coming onto Florida’s turnpike car was running just fine had no signs of anything going wrong with it come to come on to the turnpike and what sounded like the engine blowing up so I pulled over top the hood and the engine is on fire so I got a grab something and put it out there won’t…Owner complaint, filed 2022

I took my car in to the honda dealership because my ac had stopped blowing cold air, rendering it useless to me because temps go up to 90 and above. The dealer told me that it was a faulty part but would not be covered under warranty (3yr/36000) as I was approximately 10000 miles over, even though I had bought the car new and had only…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 63,535 miles

Parts named most: Automatic emergency braking (8).

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was driving today and for no reason at all the cars anti collision system automatically braked hard and could have caused an accident if someone was driving behind me. There was no one, objects or vehicles around my car at the time that would cause it to happen.Owner complaint, filed 2025

When driving, if the sunlight is just right casting shadows in front of the car from trees, or while traveling down a divided highway passing 18 wheelers (mainly in the evening), the shadow created causes a false alarm on the collision avoidance system causing it to react by hard deceleration. This is also accompanied by the audible…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 14,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

Passenger seat dings and interior light comes on when making a left turn. It sounds like the seat belt alert even when the passengers and driver have their seat belts on. It also happens when rhe passenger shifts their weight. This is a distraction while driving.Owner complaint, filed 2025

My boyfriend has a Honda Civic 2018 EXL and on 11/07/2025 around noonish, I briefly turned on the passenger side seat warmer for approximately 15 minutes and received second degree burns/blisters on the back of my thighs from the seat. I knew something was wrong because I had to peel my thighs off the seat and my skin felt really flushed…Owner complaint, filed 2025

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

Driving at 70mph I got a low tire pressure alert followed shortly thereafter by the left rear tire separating entirely from the rim and started rolling down the highway as I pulled off the side of the road. Very nearly lost control of the vehicle.Owner complaint, filed 2023

While driving on highway going around a slight left bend in the road at 65mph, left rear tire sustained a sidewall blowout. Tires were inflated to spec by honda dealer after oil change a month prior to blowout. Tpms system did not display under inflation warning and there was no reason to suspect under inflation prior to blowout. Tire…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 38,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

On 05.02.2021, I was driving our CAR in Philadelphia, and stopped at red light. When I started driving in heavy stop and go traffic knowing I had to stop in 200 ft. brakes failed, brake pedal went to the floor and the car accelerated, emergency brakes didn’t start and Forward collision warning didn’t work. I hit the car in front of me.…Owner complaint, filed 2021

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the vehicle occasionally hesitated while accelerating. The failure has progressed over time. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 48,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

My steering wheel was sticking. At speeds above 45 it was much more noticeable. When I was driving in a strait line and had to move the steering slightly the steering wheel would stick. It would cause the car to pull to one side and when you adjust the wheel to in the opposite side it would do the same thing. You where driving in a…Owner complaint, filed 2025

The car had damage because in the carfax they gave me on the left side of the car the shock absorbers fail and I always had that problem also The moldings the first time I cleaned it also fell apart at the time to revere and turn to the right when it is going back it has such an annoying noiseOwner complaint, filed 2022