NHTSA (USA)Critical
At a glance
What can fail
This page covers 5 recalls, 872 owner complaints and NHTSA crash-test ratings for the 2022 Honda Civic.
The 2022 Honda Civic received an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program for US-market vehicles. In detailed testing, the Civic earned 4 stars for frontal crash protection and 5 stars each for side crash, rollover, and side pole crash protection. NHTSA maintains these ratings across model years until a vehicle redesign occurs, so this rating applies to the 2022 model year covered by this assessment.
5/5 Overall
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating
Steering dominates the complaint picture for the 2022 Honda Civic by a wide margin. Owners most commonly describe the electric power steering behaving unpredictably during small inputs, a noticeable resistance builds when the wheel is held near center, then releases suddenly, causing the car to move more than intended. A clicking or stiffening sensation in the wheel is frequently mentioned alongside this behavior. The next most-reported areas involve the driver assistance systems: owners report the lane departure and forward collision avoidance features activating unexpectedly or behaving erratically. A smaller but recurring pattern involves adaptive cruise control dropping out during extended highway use and requiring a full key cycle to reset. A handful of owners mention sunroof glass shattering spontaneously, though that appears in only a small number of reports compared to the steering complaints.
872
Total Complaints
34
Crash-Related
3
Fire-Related
12
With Injuries
By System
The 2022 Honda Civic has 5 recalls, the most serious involving steering and airbag defects that can cause a sudden loss of steering control or unintended airbag deployment in a crash.
Two of the recalls center on the steering rack. On certain vehicles, the steering gearbox may not have been built correctly, which can produce a sudden change in steering feel and a noticeable increase in the effort needed to turn the wheel, raising the risk of a crash. A separate but related concern affects vehicles that received a replacement steering rack during a prior service repair: the rack may have been incorrectly assembled, allowing a tire to rub against the lower suspension or tie rod end. That friction can wear through the tire and cause it to fail while driving. Prior repair attempts did not fully resolve this issue for all affected vehicles.
The other recurring concern involves the front passenger seat sensor, which classifies whether the seat is occupied by an adult, a child, or is empty, and signals the airbag system accordingly. A defect in this sensor can cause the front passenger airbag to deploy unintentionally during a crash rather than responding to the actual occupant, increasing the risk of injury to whoever is sitting there. This issue appears across multiple Honda and Acura models from the same era, and two separate filings cover the same underlying defect for the Civic.
At a glance
What can fail
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Driver Assistance
Ratings from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
Complaints are owner-reported and reflect individual experiences, not confirmed defects. They are distinct from recalls. Data sourced from the national vehicle safety complaint database. See trending complaints →
The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and create an electrical short, potentially causing airbags to deploy unexpectedly during a crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the front passenger seat weight sensor at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The steering gearbox may have been manufactured improperly, causing sudden changes in steering feel and increased steering effort.
What the fix does
Dealers will add grease to the steering gearbox and replace the electronic power steering spring.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which could prevent the front passenger air bag from deactivating when it should.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the front passenger seat weight sensors at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The wrong steering gear box assembly may have been installed during repair, causing tires to rub against the chassis and fail.
What the fix does
Honda dealers will inspect and replace the steering gear box assembly if needed, and check tires for damage, replacing them as necessary.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The replacement power steering rack may have been incorrectly assembled, allowing the tire to rub against the lower suspension or tie rod end, causing tire damage.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect and replace the electric power steering rack at no cost if necessary.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
