Honda Civic visibility and wiper problems, 2016–2026
106 of the 4,836 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Honda Civic 2016–2026 name the wipers, glass and mirrors (NHTSA’s “Visibility/Wiper” heading — windshields, wipers, washers, mirrors and defrosters). The loudest years: 2016 (67), 2017 (39). Filed under the same heading across these years: 3 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure is a linked federal record; none is a failure rate, none a repair cost, and none a verdict on one car.
Honda Civic visibility and wiper problems by model year
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsOne row per model year on file, newest first. A year marked in depth has its own page: the complaints, the owners’ words and every document under this heading for that year.
| Model year | Complaints naming the wipers, glass and mirrors | Share of the year’s | Typically at | On file under the heading | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | — | — | 9 TSBs | the year → |
| 2025 | 0 | — | — | 44 TSBs | the year → |
| 2024 | 0 | — | — | 45 TSBs | the year → |
| 2023 | 0 | — | — | 22 TSBs | the year → |
| 2022 | 0 | — | — | 40 TSBs | the year → |
| 2021 | 0 | — | — | 34 TSBs | the year → |
| 2020 | 0 | — | — | 53 TSBs | the year → |
| 2019 | 0 | — | — | 53 TSBs | the year → |
| 2018 | 0 | — | — | 64 TSBs | the year → |
| 2017 | 39 | 6% | 21k | 66 TSBs | the year → |
| 2016 in depth | 67 | 6% | 30k | 42 TSBs | the record → |
Two things the counts carry that are not the car: how many of each year were sold, and how long each has been on the road — an older year out-counts a newer one before anything is wrong with it. The share column is the honest comparison across years: what part of that year’s complaints named the wipers, glass and mirrors. Nothing here is a rate.
When the visibility and wiper complaints were filed, and at what mileage
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled per calendar year, every model year together: 2016: 21 · 2017: 8 · 2018: 14 · 2019: 8 · 2020: 20 · 2021: 7 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 6 · 2024: 4 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 13
Across the model years, half of the 80 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the visibility and wiper problem between 10,000 and 49,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the wipers, glass and mirrors, from the model years with the most to say. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Black box holding 3rd brake light is falling and blocking the rear view . It is down by 3 inches and thre's limited visivility when looking at the rear of the car as this box is blocking the view. West covina norm reeves don't have anymore option to fix this problem.
Third brake light cover will not stay up. This causes a visibility issue when driving at night or in rain, as the reflection from the red light covers the entire back window and reflects in the side mirrors. You cannot see. It does not matter if the temp is hot or not.
Since I have purchased my vehicle back in 2017 everything was running smooth with the A/C until one day one side of my center air vents was blowing hot air when the A/C was turned on. Then I kept hearing a hissing sound (like gasses escaping or boiling water) coming from the bottom of my dash on the front passenger side.
2017 Honda Civic with 23,400 miles A/C once again stopped working. System was checked by Honda and re-charged under warranty but A/C is not working again. This created a dangerous driving scenario in which the front window would not defrost during a heavy rainstorm
What is on file about the wipers, glass and mirrors, across the years
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications3 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading, any model year
- Aug 21, 2026
- Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2024-2026 Civics and HR-Vs with a customer complaint of the A/C not blowing cold air and the technician finding the A/C compressor to be seized. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to inspect the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
- Aug 11, 2026
- Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2024-2026 Civics and HR-Vs with a customer complaint of the A/C not blowing cold air and the technician finding the A/C compressor to be seized. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to inspect the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
- Jul 21, 2026
- Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2024-2026 Civics, CR-Vs and HR-Vs with a customer complaint of the A/C not blowing cold air and the technician finding the A/C compressor to be seized. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to inspect the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
Every one filed under the heading is listed. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Other systems with a record on the Honda Civic
Source: the same files- steering problems
- automatic emergency braking problems
- fuel system problems
- electrical problems
- engine problems
Every system, every model year: Honda Civic problems by year →
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsWhich Honda Civic years have the most visibility and wiper complaints?
2016, 67; 2017, 39. Raw counts, and an older year has had longer to collect them; by share of each year's own complaints the loudest is the 2017 (6%).
Is there a recall for the wipers, glass and mirrors on the Honda Civic?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading on any of these model years. A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do visibility and wiper problems show up on the Honda Civic?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 26,000 miles across the model years; half of them between 10,000 and 49,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Visibility/Wiper" heading cover?
Windshields, wipers, washers, mirrors and defrosters. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.