AutoUtility currently tracks 598 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2018 Honda Civic. Steering System issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 224 complaints (37.5% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 26 filings cite a crash, 4 cite a fire, 15 report one or more injuries, 1 reports one or more fatalities. The 2018 Honda Civic belongs to the 10th Generation (FC/FK) platform.

Key Problem Findings
  • Total NHTSA Complaints: 598 reports
  • #1 Reported Problem Area: Steering System (224 reports • 37.5% of submitted complaints)
  • Secondary Problem Areas: Fuel & Propulsion System (159), Electrical System (51)
  • Crash-Citing Complaints: 26 filings
  • Fire-Citing Complaints: 4 filings
  • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 15 injury filings • 1 fatality filings
Reporting Methodology: Statistics describe unverified consumer submissions voluntarily filed with NHTSA. Complaint volume is not normalized for vehicle sales volume or miles driven. Multiple components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission.
Total Complaints
598
Submitted to NHTSA ODI
Crash-Citing Complaints
26
Filings citing a collision
Fire-Citing Complaints
4
Filings citing smoke or fire
Complaints Reporting Injuries
15
Filings citing one or more injuries
Complaints Reporting Fatalities
1
Consumer filings citing fatalities

Most Reported Problems for 2018 Honda Civic

Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records

#1 Problem Area 37.5% of complaints

Steering System

224 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 8 crash reports
#2 Problem Area 26.6% of complaints

Fuel & Propulsion System

159 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 2 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 3 crash reports 🩹 2 injury report entries
#3 Problem Area 8.5% of complaints

Electrical System

51 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 2 crash reports 🔥 1 fire report 🩹 2 injury report entries
#4 Problem Area 6.2% of complaints

Engine & Cooling

37 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
🔥 1 fire report
#5 Problem Area 4.5% of complaints

Brakes & Traction Control

27 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 6 crash reports
Domain Share Note: Share percentage represents the proportion of unique complaint filings referencing each vehicle system. Because single complaints may cite multiple systems (such as engine and electrical simultaneously), domain percentages represent individual category incidence and may sum to over 100%.

Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2018 Honda Civic

Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis

AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.

Steering System 3% of complaints

Steering Sticking, Binding or Assist Loss

18 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Symptom Identification Method: A complaint may describe more than one symptom, so percentages may sum to more than 100%. Symptom identification reflects text contained in consumer-submitted complaint records and does not establish a confirmed mechanical diagnosis.

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2018 Honda Civic

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Steering System NHTSA ODI ID: #11678465
Filed: 08/05/2025

"The electric power steering (EPS) system failed/malfunctioned this past week. When going over 35 mph my steering wheel would become "knotchy/jerky" and lock up and be difficult to turn. As a result, I took it to Honda to which they stated my whole rack and pinion needed total replacement. No..."

Incident Date: 07/28/2025 • Raw NHTSA Component: STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Steering System NHTSA ODI ID: #11677761
Filed: 08/01/2025

"The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at high speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was drivable. The contact stated that the failure persisted while his wife was driving..."

Incident Date: 08/01/2025 • Raw NHTSA Component: STEERING
Steering System NHTSA ODI ID: #11676074
Filed: 07/25/2025

"We have noticed a clicking noise and her steering has begun to stick. Took to Honda and they told us they have been seeing this issue and even sent video telling us they see this is an ongoing problem. Filed claim with Honda. They refused to fix the faulty part because there is not recall with my..."

Incident Date: 07/08/2025 • Raw NHTSA Component: STEERING
Steering System NHTSA ODI ID: #11675834
Filed: 07/24/2025

"At speed the steering sticks when turning."

Incident Date: 06/01/2023 • Raw NHTSA Component: STEERING
Steering System NHTSA ODI ID: #11675678
Filed: 07/23/2025

"The contact owns a 2018 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer and an independent mechanic were contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and then taken to an independent..."

Incident Date: 07/15/2020 • Raw NHTSA Component: STEERING
Consumer Narrative Notice: Excerpts are sanitized text descriptions submitted by vehicle owners to the federal ODI database. They reflect the reporting consumer's observations at the time of filing and have not been independently confirmed by vehicle manufacturers or government investigators.

Complaint History for Honda Civic

Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)

Model Year NHTSA Complaints Crash Reports Safety Recalls Detailed Report
2015 Honda Civic 378 37 1 View 2015 Problems →
2016 Honda Civic 1075 36 5 View 2016 Problems →
2017 Honda Civic 585 23 6 View 2017 Problems →
2018 Honda Civic Current Page 598 26 6 Current
2019 Honda Civic 429 25 4 View 2019 Problems →
2020 Honda Civic 227 15 5 View 2020 Problems →
2021 Honda Civic 152 7 4 View 2021 Problems →
2022 Honda Civic 957 35 4 View 2022 Problems →
2023 Honda Civic 323 19 4 View 2023 Problems →
2024 Honda Civic 134 14 3 View 2024 Problems →
2025 Honda Civic 88 11 2 View 2025 Problems →
2026 Honda Civic 0 0 0 View 2026 Problems →
Comparative Disclaimer: Complaint totals are unadjusted historical counts and are not normalized for vehicles sold, active fleet size, or total road mileage. Newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time to accumulate owner filings.

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2018 Honda Civic

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 87 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Reported Injury Entries Reported Fatality Entries
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 193 5 0 0 0
Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 82 1 0 0 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 72 0 1 0 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 49 0 0 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 23 0 1 1 0
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 21 0 1 0 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 15 4 0 13 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 10 1 0 1 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 7 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 7 1 0 0 0
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 5 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE 4 1 0 2 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 4 0 1 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 4 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 0 0 0 0
Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS 3 1 0 1 1
Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS 3 1 0 2 0
STEERING,LANE DEPARTURE 3 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES 3 1 0 0 0
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 0 0 0 0
Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 2 1 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 2 0 0 0 0
Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS 2 0 0 0 0
WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 1 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 1 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE 1 1 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS 1 1 0 1 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
Equipment & Accessories NHTSA category: EQUIPMENT 1 0 0 0 0
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
PARKING BRAKE 1 0 0 0 0
PARKING BRAKE,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
PARKING BRAKE,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
SEATS,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 0 0
STEERING,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,STRUCTURE,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,TIRES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE 1 1 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 1 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
WHEELS,SEATS,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
WHEELS,TIRES 1 0 0 0 0
Data Attribution & Reporting Methodology: Complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Because multiple vehicle components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission, component-level rollups may sum to more than the unique complaint count (598). Injury and fatality entries in the detailed table reflect raw values entered by reporting consumers across individual submissions; they are not deduplicated casualty statistics and may include duplicate or unverified entries. Complaint volume is not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and does not represent an audited component failure rate.
Official US Government Data Provenance

The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.