Total Complaints
5 filings
HONDA CRX · model year
1990 HONDA CRX
5 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990HONDACRX carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 3 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 1990 CRX is tires with 2 filings, followed by air bags:frontal (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine (1). 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 77 investigation files overlapping the 1990 CRX, and 9 remain open. 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.
5
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
3 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| TIRES | 2 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20110329SEAT BELTS
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 HONDA CRX. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE DOOR AND THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT OR REMAIN LOSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 280,000.
Mileage: 280,000
20050826ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
1990 HONDA CIVIC CRX SPONTANEOUS FAILURE WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH. *MR NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE DISTRIBUTOR AREA FOLLOWED BY THE EMISSION LIGHT COMING ON. THE CONSUMER SUGGESTED THAT THE DISTRIBUTOR ISSUE MAY BE THAT SAME AS DESCRIBED IN THE 1990 AND 1991 RECALL. *SC
Mileage: 131,753
20040417CrashTIRES
BOUT SIGA SUPREME TR TIRES ONLY USED FOR LESS THEN THREE MONTHS WAS GOING 35 IN LIGHT RAIN HAD TO QUICK STOP TIRES WOULD NOT KEEP TRACTION THE BRAKES DID NOT LOCK UP EITHER THE TIRES SIMPLY DID NOT HOLD THE ROAD REAR ENDED ANOTHER CAR... AND TOTALED MY CAR WHTCH I HAD THREE YEARS OF WORK INTO 195-50-15 THAY WERE SOLD TO ME AS PERFORMANCE TIRES AS WELL. *AK
20011126CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WAS DRIVING 40MPH & LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE DUE TO A LOT OF PLAY IN STEERING WHEEL. VEHICLE WENT OFF THE ROAD INTO A DITCH. AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, AND SHOULDER BELT RESTRAINED PASSENGER FOR SHORT WHILE. WAS HOSPITALIZED WITH A BROKEN BACK.*AK
19961106CrashTIRES
FUTURA TIRES DESIGNED TO BE INSTALLED W/ROTATION OF TIRE IN ONE DIRECTION ONLY, HOWEVER NO PRECAUTIONS ARE IN PLACE AT POINT OF INSTALLATION, RESULTING IN INCORRECT INSTALLATION/LOSS OF TRACTION/ACCIDENT.
Compare 1990HONDACRX to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 9 Open
PE25017Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Inaccurate Rear Passenger Seat Belt Warning Status
PE25016Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Loss of Motive Power
PE25018Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Inadvertent Deployment of Side Air Bags
PE25008Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Engine failure
EA25004Engineering AnalysisOpen
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 HONDA CRX have?▼
The 1990 HONDA CRX has 5 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 HONDA CRX?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 HONDA CRX is TIRES with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS:FRONTAL and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 1990 HONDA CRX 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.