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Pre-purchase inspection

Should you buy a used Honda Civic?

Whether a used Honda Civic is a good buy depends on the individual vehicle, not the model. Three checks matter before you pay: the NHTSA recall lookup by VIN for open recalls, the seller’s service and accident records, and an independent pre-purchase inspection of that specific vehicle. This page lists the most recent NHTSA recall campaigns for the Honda Civic and what an inspector checks.

As of NHTSA records retrieved 2026-08-27, NHTSA lists 18 recall campaigns for the Honda Civic, model years 2016–2024, most often listing fuel system and air bags. A recall applies to specific VIN ranges, variants, trims or build dates, so any individual vehicle may be affected by all, some, or none of them, and a campaign count is not a reliability ranking. The most recent campaign on file is 26V332000 (May 2026, air bags).

Which systems do Honda Civic recalls affect?

Recall campaigns by affected system, 2016–2024.

What are the most recent NHTSA recall campaigns for the Honda Civic?

Showing the 12 most recent of 18 campaigns, newest first, from NHTSA records. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The Honda Civic recall guide walks through the recent campaigns by system and what each means for a used buyer.

26V332000NHTSA report received May 2026Model years: 2016–2022

NHTSA campaign 26V332000: Honda Civic air bags recall

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.

Consequence: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge.

24V859000NHTSA report received November 2024Model years: 2023–2024

NHTSA campaign 24V859000: Honda Civic seats recall

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Honda Accord, Accord Hybrid, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Pilot, and 2024 HR-V, Acura Integra and Acura Integra Type S vehicles. The driver's seat cushion frame may not have been tightened properly, which can result in an unsecured seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 207, "Seating Systems."

Consequence: An unsecured driver's seat may not adequately restrain the driver during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Dealers will replace the driver's seat cushion frame, free of charge.

24V744000NHTSA report received October 2024Model years: 2022–2024

NHTSA campaign 24V744000: Honda Civic steering recall

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Acura Integra, Civic Type R, CR-V Hybrid, CR-V, HR-V, 2022-2025 Civic, Civic Hatchback, 2024-2025 Acura Integra Type S, 2025 CR-V Fuel Cell EV, Civic Hybrid, and Civic Hatchback Hybrid vehicles. The steering gearbox assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause excessive internal friction and lead to difficulty steering the vehicle.

Consequence: Difficulty steering can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Dealers will replace the worm gear spring and redistribute or add grease as necessary, free of charge.

24V064000NHTSA report received February 2024Model years: 2020–2022

NHTSA campaign 24V064000: Honda Civic air bags recall

Honda (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.

Consequence: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge.

23V858000NHTSA report received December 2023Model years: 2016–2021

NHTSA campaign 23V858000: Honda Civic fuel system recall

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.

Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge.

23V704000NHTSA report received October 2023Model years: 2022–2024

NHTSA campaign 23V704000: Honda Civic steering recall

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Civic 4-door and Civic 5-door vehicles that received a replacement power steering rack as part of a service repair. The steering rack may have been incorrectly assembled, which can allow the tire to chafe against the lower suspension or tie rod end, possibly resulting in tire damage.

Consequence: A damaged tire can fail and increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Dealers will inspect and replace the electric power steering rack, as necessary, free of charge.

23V458000NHTSA report received June 2023Model years: 2020–2021

NHTSA campaign 23V458000: Honda Civic service brakes recall

Honda (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.

Consequence: Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge.

23V430000NHTSA report received June 2023Model years: 2023

NHTSA campaign 23V430000: Honda Civic service brakes recall

Honda (America Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023 Civic, Acura RDX, Acura Integra, and 2022 Honda Accord vehicles. A ball valve in the vehicle stability assist (VSA) modulator may leak brake fluid, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the brake hold feature is engaged or an unexpected increase in brake pedal travel.

Consequence: Unintended vehicle movement or an unexpected increase in brake pedal travel can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Dealers will replace the VSA modulator, free of charge.

21V215000NHTSA report received March 2021Model years: 2019–2020

NHTSA campaign 21V215000: Honda Civic fuel system recall

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge.

20V314000NHTSA report received May 2020Model years: 2018–2019

NHTSA campaign 20V314000: Honda Civic fuel system recall

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.

Consequence: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Honda will notify owners and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge.

18V817000NHTSA report received November 2018Model years: 2017–2018

NHTSA campaign 18V817000: Honda Civic equipment recall

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."

Consequence: If the information is missing or improper, it can increase the risk of injury or a crash.

Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the owners information kit, free of charge.

18V663000NHTSA report received September 2018Model years: 2017–2018

NHTSA campaign 18V663000: Honda Civic steering recall

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.

Consequence: The unintended steering input reduces vehicle maneuverability and increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gearbox assembly, free of charge.

What does a pre-purchase inspection cover on a used Honda Civic?

The same full inspection at every tier, at the seller’s location, with a photo-documented report:

Bronze $249 · Silver $349 · Gold $449. Compare Bronze, Silver and Gold. The core inspection is the same at each tier; Silver and Gold add instrumented measurements.

Similar used small cars

Other small cars to weigh against the Honda Civic. Recall counts cover different model-year spans and are not a reliability ranking.

What does a pre-purchase inspection not do?

How inspections work · Sample reports · Customer reviews, verbatim from Google

Common questions about buying a used Honda Civic

How many recalls does the Honda Civic have?

As of NHTSA records retrieved 2026-08-27, NHTSA lists 18 recall campaigns for the Honda Civic, model years 2016–2024. A recall applies to specific VIN ranges, variants, trims or build dates, so a particular vehicle may be affected by all, some, or none of them, and a campaign count is not a reliability ranking. Whether an open recall is a safety risk depends on the campaign, so read the NHTSA entry for the VIN. Each campaign below shows the remedy NHTSA records, which may be a dealer or service-center repair, an over-the-air software update, or, for some campaigns, a repurchase. This page details the most recent campaigns; the full record for any VIN is at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What should an inspector check on a used Honda Civic?

Beyond the standard pre-purchase checks, the recall history for this model concentrates in: fuel system, air bags, steering, equipment, service brakes, exterior lighting. An inspector documents the visible and operational condition of those systems without disassembly; internal parts, software-only issues and whether a recall remedy was performed are VIN-lookup questions, not inspection findings.

Can a pre-purchase inspection tell me whether a Honda Civic recall was done?

No. Whether a recall repair was performed is recorded against the VIN, so NHTSA's lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls (or the manufacturer's own) is the authoritative check. Run it before you travel. The inspection covers what a VIN lookup cannot: the physical condition of the vehicle in front of you.

Can you inspect a Honda Civic at a dealer, a private seller, or out of state?

Yes. The inspector usually travels to the vehicle at the seller's location — a dealer lot or a private seller — and you do not need to be there. Vehicle Inspectors dispatches an independent inspector within 50 miles of any US ZIP code, widening to 150 miles if needed; more remote locations are quoted case by case. You get a photo-documented PDF report in 24–48 hours.

How much does a Honda Civic pre-purchase inspection cost?

A pre-purchase inspection of a Honda Civic through Vehicle Inspectors: Bronze $249 · Silver $349 · Gold $449. Your card is saved at booking, not charged. A hold is placed when an inspector schedules, and you are charged after the inspection is completed. If no inspector accepts within 72 hours, the request auto-cancels and nothing is charged.

Where can I book a Honda Civic pre-purchase inspection?

Vehicle Inspectors matches buyers with independent inspectors nationwide. Local pages for cities with active inspectors:

Recall data from NHTSA recall records (NHTSA public recalls API), retrieved 2026-08-27. Vehicle Inspectors is not affiliated with Honda. A recall is not a defect finding on any individual vehicle.

Inspect that Honda Civic before you pay

A vetted independent inspector usually goes to the seller’s location and documents the actual condition. Bronze $249 · Silver $349 · Gold $449.

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