Reliable Auto DB

2018 Honda Civic reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2018 Honda Civic holds 739 complaints after 9 years, a rate of 36 per year. Civic years here cluster close together — the other years’ median is 37 complaints per year. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Front passenger seat weight sensor, Fuel pump, and Owner's manual.

Honda Civic sedan, 2016–2021 body
Photo by Dinkun Chen, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

739

Per year

36

Recalls

6

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (310 of 739), then Fuel system, gasoline (94) and Fuel and propulsion system (80). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 33,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 11,100 and 60,000 miles. Those filings include 26 that report a crash, 4 that report a fire, 17 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Civic has 592 complaints, 45 per year, and the 2019 has 429 complaints, 30 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Honda Civic. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (6)

Recall Front passenger seat weight sensor 2026-05-21 · NHTSA campaign 26V332000
Summary Honda (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.
Remedy Dealers 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.
Vehicles affected 98,892
Recall Fuel pump 2023-12-18 · NHTSA campaign 23V858000
Summary Honda (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.
Remedy Dealers 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.
Vehicles affected 2,490,460
Recall Fuel pump 2020-05-28 · NHTSA campaign 20V314000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura NSX, 2019 Acura RDX, RLX and RLX Sport Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R and HR-V, 2019-2020 Insight and 2019 Fit vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Remedy Honda will notify owners and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 22, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Vehicles affected 135,995
Recall Owner's manual 2018-11-16 · NHTSA campaign 18V817000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Honda Civic Hatchback and Civic Type R vehicles. The owners guide in these vehicles may not have been included or if included, the owner's guide may not have been properly provided required information. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the owners information kit, free of charge. The recall began January 9, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O3A.
Vehicles affected 7,016
Recall Electric power steering 2018-09-27 · NHTSA campaign 18V663000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Honda Civic and CR-V vehicles. The magnet that controls the torque sensor output signal for the electronic power steering system may not be properly secured, allowing the magnet to become dislodged. During a full lock turn, the dislodged magnet may cause steering assist to be applied in the opposite direction.
Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gearbox assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are C2N, P2O.
Vehicles affected 54
Recall Labels 2018-06-20 · NHTSA campaign 18V421000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018 Honda Civic vehicles. The manufacturing date area of the certification labels may have random characters which can affect the owner's ability to determine if a safety recall includes their vehicle.
Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the certification label, free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is U23.
Vehicles affected 13

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (739 total)

Steering
310
Fuel system, gasoline
94
Fuel and propulsion system
80
Electrical system
60
Engine
57
Air bags
22
Structure
19
Service brakes
18
Powertrain
14
Visibility and wipers
12
Wheels
10
Forward collision avoidance
8
Seats
8
Electronic stability control (ESC)
6
Visibility
6
Hydraulic brakes
5
Speed control
5
Lane departure
4
Suspension
4
Exterior lighting
3
Parking brake
3
Seat belts
3
Automatic emergency braking
2
Structure, body
2
Tires
2
Equipment
1
Steering rack
1
Warnings
1
Show 20 more Show less
Crash-flagged

26

Fire-flagged

4

Injury reports

17

Death reports

1

Of the 209 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 33,000 miles. The middle half fall between 11,100 and 60,000 miles.

Complaints filed per year

1201726201841201939202052202148202290202323020241172025952026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving and making turns on several occasions, the vehicle overcorrected. The contact stated that the steering wheel needed to be yanked while turning…"
    Steering · filed 2026-09-16
  • "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.…"
    Visibility and wipers · filed 2026-09-10
  • "I own a 2018 Honda Civic Sedan LX and am experiencing a steering problem where the steering wheel feels sticky and notchy instead of turning smoothly. The problem affects the steering and creates a potential safety…"
    Steering · filed 2026-09-05
  • "My vehicles evaporator is leaking and needs to be fully replaced along with the condenser. I replaced the condenser less than two years ago. My car has less than 50,000 miles. There are thousands of complaints of Honda…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-27
  • "On August 11, 2026, AutoNation Honda Lewisville confirmed that my A/C Condenser and Compressor Shaft Seal failed and required replacement under Honda’s extended warranty (Extension 6A5). However, they identified that…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-26

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Honda Civic 2 DR FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2018 Honda Civic 4 DR FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2018 Honda Civic 5 HB FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2018 Honda Civic Si 2 DR FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2018 Honda Civic Si 4 DR FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Civic 2-door 1.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 31 40 35 MPG $1850
Civic 2-door 2L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 28 39 32 MPG $2050
Civic 2-door 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 30 39 34 MPG $1900
Civic 2-door 1.5L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 30 41 35 MPG $1850
Civic 4-door 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 31 40 34 MPG $1900
Civic 4-door 2L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 28 40 32 MPG $2050
Civic 4-door 1.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 32 42 36 MPG $1800
Civic 4-door 1.5L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 31 42 35 MPG $1850
Civic 5-door 1.5L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 29 38 33 MPG $1950
Civic 5-door 1.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 31 40 34 MPG $1900
Civic 5-door Type R 2L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 22 28 25 MPG $3200
Civic 5-door Sport 1.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S7) Front-wheel drive 30 36 32 MPG $2500
Civic 5-door Sport 1.5L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 29 38 33 MPG $2400
Civic Si 2-door 1.5L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 28 38 32 MPG $2500
Civic Si 4-door 1.5L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 28 38 32 MPG $2500

Specs and fitment

10th generation, 2016–2021
Body styles Sedan, Coupe, Hatchback
Oil 0W-20 , 3.7 qt capacity
Tire size 215/55R16 (LX), 215/50R17 (EX/EX-L), 235/40R18 (Sport/Touring)

Known issues for this generation

The 1.5L turbocharged engine used in 2016-2018 Civics is affected by a well-documented oil dilution issue: unburned fuel from cold-start direct injection washes down the cylinder walls into the crankcase and mixes with the engine oil, most often on short trips in cold weather. Honda responded with engine control software updates (transmission and fuel injection modifications to warm the engine faster), a drain plug washer replacement, and extended the powertrain warranty to six years from original purchase with no mileage limit. Honda Canada issued the campaign as Service Campaign N60 in November 2018, and American Honda extended the update and the six-year warranty coverage nationwide in the US in May 2019.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Honda Civic Next year 2019 Honda Civic See every Honda Civic model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Honda Civic reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2018 Honda Civic holds 739 complaints after 9 years, a rate of 36 per year. Civic years here cluster close together — the other years’ median is 37 complaints per year. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Front passenger seat weight sensor, Fuel pump, and Owner's manual.

What are common problems with a 2018 Honda Civic?

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (310 of 739), then Fuel system, gasoline (94) and Fuel and propulsion system (80). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 33,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 11,100 and 60,000 miles. Those filings include 26 that report a crash, 4 that report a fire, 17 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Is the 2018 Honda Civic more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Civic has 592 complaints, 45 per year, and the 2019 has 429 complaints, 30 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Honda Civic been recalled?

The 2018 Honda Civic has 6 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Honda Civic?

Owners have filed 739 complaints about the 2018 Honda Civic with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Honda Civic get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Honda Civic is 32.9 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2020 Honda Civic?

10th generation (2016-2021).

Does the Honda Civic have oil dilution problems?

1.5L turbo engines in 2016-2018 Civics were affected; Honda issued a software fix and extended the powertrain warranty to six years.