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2021 Honda Civic

Gas
Midsize Cars
8 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
D
Safety Signal
68 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns4
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA156
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA36 mpg
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2021 Honda Civic is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize car with 8 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Civic 4Dr, is EPA-rated at 36 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 156 complaints, most often about the steering. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Civic 4DrGasFWD1.5L 4-cyl turbo324236$1,750
Civic 5DrGasFWD1.5L 4-cyl turbo314034$1,850
Civic 4DrGasFWD1.5L 4-cyl turbo303833$1,900
Civic 4DrGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl303833$1,900
Civic 4DrGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl293732$1,950
Civic 5DrGasFWD1.5L 4-cyl turbo293732$2,400
Civic 5DrGasFWD1.5L 4-cyl turbo293532$2,400
Civic 5DrGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo222825$3,100

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 43356, 43056, 43355, 43358, 43357, 43055, 43057, 43643.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2021 Honda Civic is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Air Bags

Refer to Comments
98,892 vehicles
ProblemHonda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.RiskAir bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.FixDealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
NHTSA campaign 26V332000reported May 21, 2026Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
▲high

Air Bags

XHP, VHQ
750,114 vehicles
ProblemHonda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.RiskAn air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.FixDealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
NHTSA campaign 24V064000reported Feb 1, 2024Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

KGC, KGD
2,490,460 vehicles
ProblemHonda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.RiskFuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
NHTSA campaign 23V858000reported Dec 18, 2023Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

VEU, AEV, ZET
124,077 vehicles
ProblemHonda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.RiskBrake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.FixDealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.
NHTSA campaign 23V458000reported Jun 29, 2023Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
156complaints filed

7 involved a crash · 3 a fire · 3 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2021: 5 · 2022: 19 · 2023: 17 · 2024: 40 · 2025: 46 · 2026: 29

Most-cited components

Steering64
Forward Collision Avoidance43
Electrical System20
Service Brakes17
Unspecified12
Lane Departure12

What owners describe

“While operating my 2021 Honda Civic Type R (VIN: [XXX] ) in high-ambient temperatures (approximately 95°F), the vehicle experienced a sudden and total loss of motive power during acceleration while exiting a busy intersection. This resulted in an immediate engine stall in the path of oncoming traffic, creating a sever…”Mar 25, 2026 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report
“Misfire in cylinder 4 led to head gasket failure. The problem was diagnosed at the dealership, and there is an active TSB for this issue - however my vehicle is not covered.”Dec 4, 2025 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic Hatchback. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Several local dealers were contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for th…”Aug 12, 2025 · Air Bags · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★10%
5 HB FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★10%
5 HB FWDnot ratednot rated★★★★★★★★★★10%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning.

Compare the 2021 Civic with

2021 Toyota Camry →2021 Tesla Model 3 →2021 Hyundai Elantra →2021 Nissan Sentra →2021 Nissan Altima →2021 Polestar 2 →

Other Civic model years

A

2026 Honda Civic

1 recalls · 27 complaints

C

2025 Honda Civic

2 recalls · 94 complaints

C

2024 Honda Civic

3 recalls · 139 complaints

D

2023 Honda Civic

5 recalls · 326 complaints

D

2022 Honda Civic

4 recalls · 957 complaints

D

2020 Honda Civic

5 recalls · 229 complaints

D

2019 Honda Civic

4 recalls · 442 complaints

F

2018 Honda Civic

6 recalls · 746 complaints

F

2017 Honda Civic

6 recalls · 596 complaints

F

2016 Honda Civic

5 recalls · 1,080 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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