2021 Honda Civic Problems

2021 Honda Civic problems owners report most

2021 Honda Civic problems are documented in public: owners have filed 145 complaints with NHTSA, the earliest in 2021 and the most recent in 2026. Sorting those by the component the filer named puts the steering clearly first, at 65 of the 145 complaints, 45 per cent of everything filed.

A complaint is not a repair bill and not a defect finding. It is one owner telling the regulator something went wrong. What makes the count useful is the concentration: when one component takes 45 per cent of everything filed on a car, the pattern is doing more than chance.

Against the 2020 car, this model year has drawn 36 per cent fewer complaints (145 against 227). The 2020 car was led by its something the filer did not categorise instead, so the pattern shifted between the two years.

Of those complaints, 5 describe a crash and 2 describe a fire. Filers reported 2 injuries.

Recalls on the 2021 Honda Civic

A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator found a safety defect, and the repair is free at a franchised dealer however old the car is. There are 4 recalls on this model year. Your own car may be covered by some, all or none of them, so check the VIN rather than the model.

In owners own words

These are complaints filed about the steering, quoted as written. They are one persons account rather than a diagnosis, and they are here because a symptom described by a driver is easier to recognise than a component name.

Honda uses a soy-based insulation on the wires in its new cars. We have a brand new, less than 4,000 miles, Honda Civic. I recently went out to start it in the morning and received warning lights on virtually ALL of the systems you list. Why? Apparently rabbits are attracted to the soy-based insulation and will chew it. Honda knows about this problem -- they have had class action lawsuits filed against them already because THOUSANDS of consumers have had their Hondas disabled when rodents chewed the insulation on the wiring harnesses. I had to have the Honda towed into the dealership her

Issue Description: -While traveling in a straight line, particularly at speeds above 45 mph, the steering wheel exhibits a sticky behavior. If left untouched for a few seconds, the wheel becomes difficult to turn, requiring significant force to break it free from the straight line. This resistance is felt both while driving straight and during turns, resulting in noticeable sticking and jerking. Details: -Lane keep assist and driver assist features are turned off. -When driving straight and not touching the wheel for a few seconds, attempting to make a minor correction causes the wheel to st

On September 17, 2026 at approximately 8:00 a.m. I was driving my 2021 Honda civic Lx with my children in the vehicle when multiple warning lights and system malfunction messages suddenly appeared on the dash board. The vehicle appeared to experience an electrical malfunction/ reset while still driving and I suddenly lost normal power- steering assistance. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn and control while the vehicle was moving.I was able to call for assistance and when jumper cables were hooked on to battery underneath the vehicles hood the vehicle engine was able to res

Every component, by complaint count

The full breakdown of what owners named when they filed. Components below the top ten are grouped out of this table.

What parts cost for the 2021 Honda Civic

Prices read from one AutoZone store for this exact year, make and model, covering 8 kinds of part and 207 products. AutoZone year, make and model catalog prices. Engine, trim, transmission and VIN fitment are not confirmed. They are what the shelf said on the day, not a quote.

The cheapest way to keep it serviced

Taking the lowest listed price in each routine maintenance category, the filters, plugs and wipers for this car come to $61.15 in parts. That is parts alone, before labour, tax and the oil itself, and it assumes the cheapest option fits your engine.

Battery. 16 products listed, from the Econocraft Group Size 51R Battery 51R-E at $99.99 up to the OPTIMA Yellow Top Group Size 47 / H5 Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) Battery DH5 at $359.99. A refundable core deposit of $22.00 is charged on top and returned with the old part. AutoZone's own labels account for 10 of them, starting at $99.99.

Brake rotors. 29 products listed, from the PowerStop Disc Brake Rotor JBR1728SCR at $29.99 up to the Duralast Composite Disc Brake Rotor 74052DLC at $488.99. AutoZone's own labels account for 6 of them, starting at $66.99.

Brake pads. 60 products listed, from the PowerStop Z16 Evolution Ceramic Performance Brake Pads 16-1878 at $26.49 up to the PowerStop Track Day Semi-Metallic Carbon Fiber High Performance Brake Pads PST-1001B at $147.99. AutoZone's own labels account for 13 of them, starting at $36.99.

Fitment is by year, make and model only. Engine, trim and transmission were not selected, so confirm the part number against your own car before buying. Prices change and vary by store.

How other model years compare

The same nameplate across the years we hold. Complaint counts fall naturally for newer cars because fewer of them have been on the road for long, so read the column as a rough signal rather than a ranking. In this set the 2016 Honda Civic has drawn the most complaints and the 2021 Honda Civic the fewest.

What to check on the steering

Steering reports describe the wheel going heavy or sticky at speed, pulling to one side, or a loose feeling where the car wanders and needs constant correction. Several describe the effort changing mid-drive rather than being wrong from the start.

Buying a used 2021 Civic

Take it on a road where you reach a steady highway speed and hold it there. Most of these complaints describe a fault that only shows after some minutes at speed, which a drive around town will not find.

If you already own one

Raise it with a dealer before paying for a repair yourself. Steering faults draw manufacturer service bulletins and extended warranties more often than most components, and some of these cars were covered after the standard warranty ended.

• Drive at a steady highway speed for several minutes, not around town.
• Ask whether a service bulletin or extended coverage applies to the VIN.
• Check for play at the wheel with the engine running and stopped.
• Have the alignment checked before replacing any steering part.