Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2012 Honda Civic
NHTSA data on file today
The 2012 Honda Civic has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 456 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
NCAP overall rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars, averaged across 2 NHTSA-tested trims.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #12V548000 Incorrect Steering Column Installed NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #12V256000 LEFT (DRIVER'S SIDE) DRIVESHAFT NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #11V288000 FUEL FEED LINE NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Air Bags 149 complaints
- Steering 74 complaints
- Electrical System 60 complaints
- Power Train 49 complaints
- Vehicle Speed Control 38 complaints
- Service Brakes 35 complaints
Of the 456 complaints on file, 55 report a crash and 5 a fire; across all 456 complaints, owners report 41 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $5,000–$12,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2012 Honda Civic has average reliability, as supported by moderate owner complaints and three recall campaigns. While some issues like the airbags and steering are noted, the complaint frequency isn't excessively high compared to some peers, indicating a balanced cost outlook.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| air bags | Unknown | $500–$1,500 | common |
| steering | Unknown | $300–$1,000 | occasional |
| electrical system | Unknown | $150–$800 | occasional |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil and filter changes
- Brake inspections and replacements
- Tire rotations and alignments
- Transmission fluid changes
- Coolant flushes
- Spark plug replacements
- Battery checks and replacements
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Warning lights on the dash
- Unusual steering noises
- Sudden loss of power
- Intermittent electrical failures
- Reduced braking performance
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2012 Honda Civic at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.