Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Honda Civic - part 1

My 2020 Honda Civic experienced engine overheating and a cylinder 3 misfire (p0303). Two independent mechanics diagnosed a blown head gasket with coolant leaking into cylinder 3. The vehicle underwent a head gasket repair under Honda’s extended warranty. Less than a week after the repair, the engine overheated again while I was driving. I pulled over, waited approximately an hour for the engine to cool, added coolant, and drove to the dealership. The dealership later reported that the cylinder head was cracked near cylinder 4, close to the exhaust valve. When I picked my car up from the dealership, I scanned the vehicle and found the p0303 cylinder 3 misfire code. I am concerned that the engine may have an unresolved problem that could cause it to overheat again, sustain further damage, or lose power while driving. The vehicle is still in my possession and available for inspection. I have an appointment with an independent mechanic on October 24, 2026, to have the engine and cooling system inspected and determine what may have caused the repeated overheating. I am submitting this complaint to bring attention to a potential engine or engine-cooling safety defect and ask NHTSA to consider whether similar problems may be affecting other vehicles.

See all problems of the 2020 Honda Civic 🔎.

Vehicle: 2019 Honda Civic (1. 5l turbo), VIN [xxx] mileage at failure: ~167,000 component: engine — head gasket description: my 2019 Honda Civic with the 1. 5l turbocharged engine suffered a blown head gasket, diagnosed by my Honda dealer. The car was purchased brand new from the same dealership. Symptoms were coolant loss with no visible external leak — coolant was leaking internally into the cylinders, causing misfires. This is a known defect with the 1. 5l turbo engine affecting 2016–2021 Civics. Honda issued a warranty extension for this exact failure (10 years / 150,000 miles), which acknowledges the defect, but my vehicle was just over the mileage limit at 167,000 miles. The dealer denied any goodwill assistance. A federal class action lawsuit (xxx v. American Honda motor CO. , case xxx) has been filed over this same engine defect. Safety concern: coolant leaking into the cylinders causes engine misfires and can lead to sudden loss of power while driving. An engine misfire or stall at highway speed creates a clear crash risk. This is not normal wear — it is a documented design defect that Honda has attempted to correct with revised parts in later model years. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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Inspecti9n won't pass due to evap and catalyst but the vehicle shows no codes.

See all problems of the 2014 Honda Civic 🔎.

Happened multiple times in multiple locations during city driving accelerating from a stop or low speed to a higher speed, especially when accelerating from a stop through an intersection at a stoplight. Vehicle surges and “won’t go”. Feels like a giant rubber band in the drive train stretching and recoiling. Eventually after about a half dozen “surges” the vehicle attains enough speed and the problem goes away. Only happens when accelerating from a stop or low speed to a higher speed.

See all problems of the 2025 Honda Civic 🔎.

The turbocharger bypass control solenoid valve circuit on my 2020 Civic si has developed an intermittent open, setting dtc p0035. I diagnosed it myself: the solenoid coil measures 45 ohms and functions when commanded via bi-directional scan tool, and supply voltage is present at the harness connector. However, the control circuit reads approximately 9v in the off state when it should be near ground, and the reading fluctuates when the harness is flexed near the connector — indicating a partial break in the wiring consistent with vibration fatigue. This is a safety concern because the ecm fault cascades to other systems. My scan report shows u0401-68 in the abs module and u0416-68 in both the eps and integrated driver assistance modules. The result is that vsa stability control is disabled. I first noticed the problem because warning lights appear during hard cornering — precisely when stability control is most needed. Honda has acknowledged this exact failure mode. Service bulletin 18-044 (NHTSA id 10142655), issued June 2018, covers the 2017 Civic type r for dtc p0035 and states the cause heat and the natural frequency of the harness cause the coupler wire to oscillate, producing an open circuit to the turbocharger bypass control solenoid valve. The remedy was a replacement engine wire harness kit. The si shares the same l15b7 engine family and the same bypass control solenoid circuit, but no campaign covers it. Owner forums document numerous p0035 wiring failures on non-type-r 1. 5t Civics. I am requesting that NHTSA consider whether this defect and its effect on stability control warrants a safety investigation and expansion of the existing remedy to other 1. 5t Civic models.

A stick that fell off of a truck pierced the grill then radiator and pcu radiator. Now both need to be replaced on a 2026 Honda Civic hybrid that was purchased in may. There was a service bulletin posted for them to be fixed and it isn’t one of the VIN numbers for it but it’s obviously unsafe and not protected enough. A stick should not go through a grill and pierce a radiator and cause $4,000 in damage. Honda has already admitted the problem and has not sufficiently fixed it. The cars are unsafe and clearly not made well. This is my third Honda and I have liked them all, until this, I am 49 years old and have never complained about a vehicle. But these are lemons and unsafe, grills should not be paper thin to the point a wooden stick can do this kind of damage.

The person driving this car was driving aggressively and was following me.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? engine, steering. Purchased the car from a certified dealership in January 2026. After 3 months of driving, the car began exhibiting performance issues. During a normal acceleration pattern, the car would go into a ‘limp mode’ where all dashboard lights would turn on and the car’s performance became severely limited. Acceleration is barely possible when this happens and the car must be turned off and restarted in order to get the car out of ‘limp mode,’ which is a major safety concern communicated to Honda. It is also of major concern that every time there is a performance issue, every light illuminates, not allowing the driver to diagnose and safely operate the vehicle without Honda assistance with diagnosis. Honda scans revealed p3004 engines misfire code- recommendations included replacing a spark plug. I replaced all four spark plugs and performance returned to normal. Steering recall (recall campaign sjs- 2022-25 Civic eps grbx safe ) was also repaired on 6/24/2026- the car was exhibiting steering tightness and locking behaviors which were resolved after this repair. On 7/9, the car was traveling at 70mph when all dashboard lights came on once again. The car did not exhibit performance degradation at this time and was immediately taken for additional engine scan, which provided new code p0299 turbocharger underboost problem. Honda reported this code was not present during the scans on 6/24/2026. Dashboard warning lights disappeared on 6/25/2026. On 7/16/2026, the car began exhibiting major steering wheel locking and tightness, much worse than before the steering recall was fixed. I am unsure if it is related to the turboboost issue. The car also began exhibiting engine performance issues again, rendering the car unsafe to operate until taken back to Honda for further diagnostics.

See all problems of the 2008 Honda Civic 🔎.

Premature head gasket failure at 75,000 miles.

See all problems of the 2023 Honda Civic 🔎.

High pressure fuel pump issue diagnosed by mechanic. The models prior to mine up to and some 2021 vehicles were included in the recall but my VIN is not considered within the recall. My vehicle is a very early 2021 bought in 202 that likely has the same fuel filter as 2020sz.

See all problems of the 2021 Honda Civic 🔎.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the fuel pump was surging, and the vehicle was jerking while idling or while driving at undisclosed speeds. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was associated with NHTSA campaign number: 23v858000 (fuel system, gasoline), which was previously repaired. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis was provided. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was contacted and opened an investigation. The failure mileage was approximately 104,661.

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2016 Honda Civic ex-t 1. 5l turbo. Coolant is disappearing with no visible external leak. Diagnosed by mechanic as likely head gasket failure. This is a known defect affecting 2016-2022 Civics with the 1. 5t engine. There is an active class action lawsuit (alcantara et al. V. American Honda motor CO. ) regarding this exact issue. Vehicle has approximately 190,000 miles. ”.

See all problems of the 2016 Honda Civic 🔎.

The component or system that failed their malfunction is the evaporation system in the Honda vehicles especially after 2017 that regarding the r – 1234yf refrigerant - yes it has been confirmed by the dealership that the evaporator is leaking inside the car, but it is a known issue that warranty only covers the condenser in front of the car which also leaks. My problem is is since both equally run the same r – 1234yf refrigerant this type of refrigerant is known to cause corrosion and pinholes within the condenser and evaporated tubes leading to further issues with ac and cooling problems. There are no warning lights when it comes to these issues, which also pushes a further problem. If you were to go to any Honda dealership or ask, usual people who have condenser issues it could usually and most cases lead back to the evaporator, which also has systematic problems due to Hondas negligence and they knew about this refrigerant because they released it in 2017 to all the models that run the r – 1234yf refrigerant the main problem is the evaporator is supposed to suck out hot air from the car, but if it doesn’t do that and the car can have overheating problems, or it can cause dangerous heat inside the car, causing extreme sweating or even death in certain cases.

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While driving the car on April 19, 2026, the car started losing engine power, was unable to maintain current speed of roadway, had to drive less than 15 miles an hour to a safe location. Had the car towed to the dealership they said there was a faulty code throwing for cylinder three had the fuel injectors replaced. Pick the car up drove not even 2 miles and car was still having the same issue turned around went back to the dealership. They said the car wasn’t throwing any codes picked the car up. It drove fine for less than a week and had to repeat of the same situation, had the car towed again to the dealership all to find out there is a crack in the head gasket, unsure if the turbo was affected after researching apparently this is a very common problem for this make, and model of car.

The air conditioning in the is not blowing enough air to cool the car down. It would take long to cooling.

While driving the car began to smoke from under hood and engine stopped. Interior and under hood flooded with smoke and fire under hood. This was a major fire, fire company put it out. No repairs were made or needed on car since purchase October 2024.

The a/c evaporator core failed on my 2018 Honda Civic hatchback with approximately 67,000 miles, confirmed by an authorized Honda dealership in April 2026. This is my second major a/c system failure in under one year on this vehicle. Approximately one year ago, the same dealership replaced the a/c condenser and compressor shaft seal. Now the evaporator core has failed and requires full replacement at a cost of $1,741. 58, plus $381. 99 already paid for diagnosis. The failed component is currently at the dealership and available for inspection upon request. The failure was confirmed by the dealership’s technician and documented in the repair order. Safety risk: the a/c system completely stopped producing cold air with no prior warning lights or symptoms. In atlanta, GA summer temperatures regularly exceed 95°f with high humidity. Complete loss of cabin cooling poses a serious heat-related safety risk, particularly for children and elderly passengers. This is a known widespread defect across 2016-2019 Honda Civics. Hundreds of owners have reported identical evaporator failures. Honda has acknowledged the pattern through case-by-case goodwill assistance but has not issued a formal recall. A goodwill assistance case is currently open.

Car inverter failure, 2013 Civic hybrid inverter recall for said year but refuse to include in recall lemon.

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I bought a 2026 Honda Civic. About two days after receiving the car while driving the car I felt a shaking while driving mostly around 30-40 mph. Also when I put my foot on the gas sometimes there is a hesitation before I start to move and when I do start moving it’s like getting launched on a rocket. Many times while driving I get a shutter, the whole car would lerch forward even while driving it felt like the car was lerching forward. I brought the car to the dealer and had them look at the car, I explained everything I was feeling. They had the car for hours and when I got the car back they said they had two different mechanics look at the car and they said they test drove it and couldn’t replicate the problem. But when I got in the car just after the test drove it, I absolutely still had the problem. I brought the car back to the dealer a couple of weeks later and talked to the assistant service manager and he said that could be that the transmission is learning how I drive. I feel Honda is covering up a problem with the cvt transmission. There is so much information online about problems with the cvt transmission and Honda just tells me it’s normal for the car to act that way. I do not feel safe driving this car. I was hoping that your department could please investigate this situation.

The 10th generation Honda Civic's have multiple extended warranties from Honda for bad air compressors and condensers. And the a/c evaporator needs to be included in this. My car only has 60,000 miles on it, is not driven daily, and my a/c evaporator is leaking freon due to a bad part. The parts for these a/c systems were designed poorly and degrade too quickly.

The head gasket failed on my 2017 Honda Civic after 110,000 miles I had the Honda dealership of decatur fix the head gasket and it failed again after 36,000 miles this appears to be a massive issue Honda is having with these cars. And mine and other’s safety were put into risk because the car went into limp mode while I was driving on the interstate and yes the dealership confirmed that the head gasket has failed again after replacement and no it has not been inspected by anyone yet and no there was no warning of it failing before the car went into limp mode while I was doing highway speeds.

I was driving my vehicle on the highway and I experienced a loss of power / limp mode and my car started decelerating very quickly and I pulled off and parked because I got super scared of driving and when I tried to start my vehicle back up it would not turn back on. I found a recall describing the exact scenario I went through and it is not listed for my VIN “ [xxx] ” but says it’s for the exact make of my vehicle, a 2016 Honda Civic sedan 2. 0 naturally aspirated. The recall is called “piston misset recall. ” please help me nagivate this I have no clue what to do and feel like this should be warranted. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The 2022 Honda Civic (sport) with approx. 13,000 miles had been driving fine for the previous 10 minutes, on and off the highway, when I was almost home and on a more residential 25-30mph road. All of a sudden all of the warning lights went off on the dashboard at once, so I went to brake to slow down and pull over. But the brakes were completely failing - the pedal would just hit the back of the foot well. The emergency brake is electronic, so that wouldn't work either. I was lucky to be immediately next to a grocery store parking lot, so I roll into that. As soon as I make the turn flames began shooting out from under the hood, reaching maybe 6" up the windshield. This is only 5 or 6 seconds after the warning lights had started, and it was clear that the fire inside of the engine bay was substantial. I managed to coast to the back of the parking lot, away from other cars and people, and found a curb "island" that I could run into in order to stop the vehicle. I effectively crashed the car, and at this point the flames had increased. I ran out of the vehicle and shouted for people to call 911. Within a minute the entire front half of the car was engulfed in 10+ foot flames. The fire department showed up a minute later and put out the fire, and after only maybe 3 minutes maximum the only things left in the car were metal and wires. The dashboard was entirely gone, seats were just their metal frames, etc. If the door had been jammed I would have burned alive.

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Knocking sound from engine.

I bought my 2026 Honda Civic a month ago and hadn't driven it very far. At a stoplight, the car stalled and various warning lights came on--for the brake, the cpu, and then almost all the warning lights came on. I was stranded at a light and afraid for my life and the safety of th other motorists. After numerous attempts, I got the car started again, but it stalled twice again on the way to the dealership. The problem was inspected by the Honda dealership, who claim that the ordeal was because of a "puncture" in the radiator which was caused by a road event, and which somehow overwhelmed the cpu. I have tried to take this up with the dealer and Honda corporate, but see no other recourse for letting them know the danger I was put in. As for the "road event," neither myself or anyone else in the car remembers encountering or hearing or experiencing anything resembling an event that could have ruptured the radiator.

The engine in my Honda Civic si failed prematurely at 28,677 miles while the vehicle was still within Honda’s 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Honda and the dealership denied warranty coverage based on a recorded engine overspeed event of 6,900 rpm that occurred earlier at 19,259 miles. The engine’s rev limiter is 6,600 rpm, meaning the recorded event exceeded the limiter by only 300 rpm. After this recorded event, the vehicle continued to operate normally for approximately 9,400 additional miles with no warning lights, drivability issues, or indication of engine damage. The engine failure occurred suddenly at low mileage without prior symptoms. Honda has not provided clear technical evidence demonstrating how a minor overspeed event of this magnitude, occurring thousands of miles earlier, directly caused the engine failure. This raises concerns about premature engine failure, possible engine defects, and the reliability and durability of the Honda Civic si 1. 5t engine. It also raises concerns about manufacturers denying warranty coverage for failures without clear causal evidence. This failure resulted in loss of vehicle function and significant financial burden. The vehicle has been properly maintained and was operated under normal driving conditions. I am submitting this complaint because premature engine failure at such low mileage may indicate a defect affecting engine durability, safety, and reliability.

See all problems of the 2024 Honda Civic 🔎.

Engine temperature suddenly rose high, pulled over. Discovered what appeared to be coolant on front of block. Had diagnosed and found to have a cracked block. Contacted Honda, the refused to do anything as it wasn’t a recall only a warranty bulletin. This needs to be recalled so people who are affected can get their cars fixed.

The head gasket was failing and the spark plugs were enduring spark blowout and the car was misfiring occasionally I tried entering the highway and as I was merging to the highway and getting up to speed the car suddenly starting flashing the check engine light and wouldn’t accelerate anymore when I gave it gas as I was entering the highway and a big truck towing vehicles was coming so I had to get to the emergency lane and stop the vehicle and the trucker had to slam on his brakes when my car was supposed to accelerate it completely shut down and started slowing down. Causing a dangerous situation.

Failure brake suspension.

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and exiting the freeway, while approaching a traffic light, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The vehicle was driven 50 mph to a parking lot. Prior to the failure, the hvac, emission, brakes, assist, and power steering warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was unknown.

•I am an indiana resident. •I purchased a vehicle from a private seller in ohio (seller operates through an llc) on 1/16/2026 •fraudulent title activity was discovered by mechanic on 1/26/26 (taken to mechanic due to sudden and unexpected issues) •the purchase agreement and price ($9,000) were confirmed via text message; there was no written bill of sale and no “as-is” agreement. •prior to purchase, the seller provided a VIN that belonged to a different vehicle than the one sold. •after purchase, I discovered the vehicle has evidence of odometer rollback; the ohio title indicates “odometer inaccurate,” which was not disclosed prior to sale. •the vehicle was previously salvage titled and originated from canada, neither of which were disclosed. •the ohio title lists an incorrect purchase price of $4,000, despite the agreed purchase price of $9,000. •title was sold under dealer name permit number xxx •the vehicle was shown and represented as being in “great condition”; however, shortly after purchase, a licensed mechanic determined the vehicle requires a replacement engine, battery, and additional major mechanical repairs, rendering it unsafe and not drivable. Files attached support all of the above. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Clutch began to slip at 20,000 miles. This caused unrepairable damage to the flywheel. This put my safety at risk as clutches wearing out could cause the car to slip out of gear and/or damage the maneuverability of the vehicle. This problem was fixed by the dealer, but they blamed me for the damage and claimed clutch is a wear component. I was charged $3,000 for the clutch and an additional $2,000 for the flywheel. I have seen many reports online of people with the same car (2023 Civic sport touring manual) with the same issues. All people have been ignored by Honda corporate, citing user error. This has not been inspected by the manufacturerer as I am aware no messages of the problem, other than the cruise control stopping under load.

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving approximately 37 mph, the vehicle stalled. The check engine, master cylinder, and adaptive cruise control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake master cylinder, fuel pump, and ignition coils needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

I was driving on a very busy road and the car completely died and would not go into park. It was like the battery was not even there. The steering wheel locked up, hazards would not come on and all the doors locked and would not unlock. There was no power to the car whatsoever. The drivers side door had to be pried open from the outside so I could get out of the car. We had the battery tested and is tested completely fine. The car has done this three times now.

See attached document for complaint.