HONDA CIVIC · model year

1994 HONDA CIVIC

171 NHTSA complaints, 79 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1994HONDACIVIC carries 171 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 79 crashes, 0 fires, 64 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1994 CIVIC is air bags:frontal with 47 filings, followed by air bags (17) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (8). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 1994 CIVIC. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page, a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

171
Complaints
79
Crashes
0
Fires
64
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

171 filings

Crashes Reported

79 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL47
AIR BAGS17
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP8
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL8
TIRES7
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE6
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS5
SUSPENSION:FRONT4
SEATS4
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY4
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER4
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE3
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER3

Recent Complaints

20190425SERVICE BRAKES

ABS LIGHT COMES ON. I HEAR A SOUND AS IF THERE'S SOMETHING LOOSE WHEN ABS LIGHT COMES ON AS WELL AS PULSATING WHILE IN MOTION. SHIFT LEVER ALSO GETS STUCK WHEN TRYING TO PULL OUT OF PARKING LOT.

Mileage: 217,000

20150131CrashAIR BAGS

MY MOTHER WAS DRIVING HER VEHICLE ALONE AND HAD AN ENCOUNTER WITH A DEER STRIKE TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE ACCIDENT WAS IMMEDIATELY REPORTED TO THE LOCAL DEALER. SINCE THAT DATE (UNKNOWN TO ME) THE SRS LIGHT HAS BEEN ON CONTINUOUSLY AND HONDA REFUSES TO FIX THIS POTENTIAL DEADLY SYSTEM FLAW. *TR

20140706CrashAIR BAGS

MY LITTLE ONE AND I WERE IN A THREE CAR ACCIDENT ON THE FREEWAY. THE CAR SPUN OUT OF CONTROL AND NEITHER OF THE AIR BAGS WENT OFF. *JS

20091012CrashAIR BAGS

I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND MY SEATBELT DID NOT CATCH. *TR

20091012CrashSEAT BELTS

I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND MY SEATBELT DID NOT CATCH. *TR

20070827POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK TO DRIVE SHIFTER LOCKS UP AND DRIVER MUST USE KEY IN SHIFT LOCK TO RELEASE THE SHIFTER ONCE THIS HAPPENS THE BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT WORK. *JB

20070509LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

1994 HONDA CIVIC. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE HOOD OPENED AND STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD AND THE ROOF. *MC THE CONSUMER STATED SHE OPENED THE HOOD EARLIER IN THE DAY AND THE HOOD LATCH WAS FUNCTIONING. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT).*JB

20060713AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE

SRS LIGHT IS ON WITH NO KNOWN CAUSE. AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. HONDA ADMITS TO THIS ONGOING, WIDESPREAD PROBLEM, BUT REFUSES TO EXCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. THERE ARE TOO MANY CONSUMERS FINDING THEMSELVES IN THE SAME POSITION AS ME, CONTINUALLY PAYING HONDA DEALERSHIPS TO GET IT FIXED WITH NO RESOLVE. *JB

20060504AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE

SRS LIGHT IS ON WITH NO KNOWN CAUSE. AIR BAGS MOST LIKELY WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. *NM

20050516CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

1994 HONDA CIVIC EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE CRASHING INTO TWO CARS.*MR THE OFFICER CALLED TO THE ACCIDENT FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES, BUT MANAGED TO GIVE THE CONSUMER A TICKET FOR $70.00. THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO HAVE SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEMS, WHILE THE CONSUMER'S FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. *BF *NM

20050211CrashAIR BAGS

THE CONSUMER WAS GOING THROUGH A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND THE ONCOMING VEHICLE WHICH WAS GOING ABOUT 30 MPH AND HIT THE OWNER'S VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.

Mileage: 150,000

20040919TIRES:TREAD/BELT

ALL FOUR OF MY SEARS (GOODYEAR) WEATHERHANDLER LS TIRES HAVE SIGNS OF BELT SEPARATION. TWO INDEPENDENT GARAGES (ONE A GOODYEAR FACTORY-OWNED STORE) STATE THAT THEY HAVE SIGNS OF BELT SEPARATION, THE GOODYEAR REPRESENTATIVE GOING SO FAR AS TO STATE THAT CATASTROPHIC FAILURE MAY RESULT. SEARS, WHO WARRANTS THE TIRES, ON THE OTHER HAND FLATLY DENIES THERE IS BELT SEPARATION, BUT HAS AGREED TO REPLACE PRO-RATA.*AK

20040513STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 1996 .ABOUT AFTER 1YEAR I NOTICED THE PAINT ON THE ROOF OF THE CAR WAS TURNING INTO WHITE SPOTS ALL OVER ,LIKE SOME KIND OF OXADATION WENT WRONG WITH THE PAINT .I HAVE SEEN MANY MANY CIVIC'S WITH SAME ISSUE .MY COMPLAINT IS THIS AND I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT IF HONDA HAD A RECALL ON THESE PAINT JOBS.*AK

Mileage: 60,000

20040430CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONSUMER WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THEIR FRONT AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE CAUSE WAS NOT DETERMINED. *LA

Mileage: 188,000

20040305CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

CONSUMER SUFFERED INJURIES WHEN THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT. *LA *JB *CB

20040227ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

WHILE COMING OFF THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE'S MOTOR STARTED TO SOUND FUNNY, AND THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BOLT IN THE CRANK SHAFT HAD LOOSENED AND WALLOWED. *LA THE REFURBISHED CRANKSHAFT ONLY LASTED 3 WEEKS AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB

20030722UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE OEM CARPET/MAT WHICH I BOUGHT TOGETHER WITH THE CAR (NEW CAR FROM A HONDA DEALER) STARTED TO GET CAUGHT UP UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, CAUSING AN UNSAFE SITUATION WHERE I WOULD LET OFF ON THE GAS, BUT THE MOTOR WOULD NOT RETURN TO IDLE. I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER, AND THEY DID NOTHING ABOUT IT. I FINALLY REPLACED THE MAT WITH A 3RD PARTY PRODUCT. THAT MAT STARTED DOING THE SAME THING, AND WAS REMOVED ALSO.*AK I RECALL SEEING A RECALL NOTICE IN CONSUMER REPORTS FOR HONDA CIVICS (OTHER YEARS) FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. MENTIONING THIS DID NOT PUSH DEALER TO DO THE RIGHT THING. I'VE LOOKED AT THIS A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT WHY IT HAPPENS. THE CONTOUR OF THE FLOOR AREA UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ENDS UP WARPING THE CARPET/MAT INTO A SHAPE THAT ENDS UP CAUSING IT TO CREEP UP AND GET WEDGED.

20030520CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *JB

20030205EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

WHILE IN MOTION, THE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR BURST INTO PIECES. *JG

20030113CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WHILE DRIVING, THE ABS LOCKED UP, WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT.*JB

Compare 1994HONDACIVIC to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1994 HONDA CIVIC have?
The 1994 HONDA CIVIC has 171 NHTSA complaints, 79 crashes, 0 fires, 64 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1994 HONDA CIVIC?
The most-complained component for the 1994 HONDA CIVIC is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 47 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 1994 HONDA CIVIC safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.