Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system4
- Power train3
- Service brakes2
- Air bags2
- Engine2
- Vehicle speed control2
- Hybrid propulsion system1
- Electronic stability control (esc)1
- Unknown or other1
- Suspension1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 6 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; 1 of 1 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid (IMA) 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | 10.9 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 5.3 L/100 km (about 44 mpg US), CO₂ 122 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civic Hybrid · Compact · Regular gasoline | 5.4 | 5.1 | 5.3 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid.
| 2020610 10 Dec 2020 | Powertrain Issue: On certain vehicles, the paint on the front axle shafts could delaminate or become damaged by road debris. As a result the axle shaft could corrode. If… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Acura ILX, 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid, and 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles with a manual transmission and 2009-2013 Honda Fit vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The drive shafts' protective coating may not have been applied properly during manufacturing, making it more susceptible to damage from road salt, or other contaminants, and potentially cause it to break.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Honda told its dealers about the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10187899 | Owner Notification Letter - This warranty only covers vehicles that have a defective motor power inverter, also known as intelligent inverter unit. The motor power inverter may fail over time due to a defective solder joint. This failure will result in the charging system, PGM-FI system, and IMA system warning lights coming on. The decreased power supply to the 12-volt battery can lead to a series of system malfunctions. |
| 10185042 | Dealer Message - Today, December 18, 2020, American Honda is announcing a warranty extension for certain 2012-2015 Civic Hybrid vehicles. This warranty extension covers the intelligent inverter unit (IIU) to address possible concerns of various warning lights turning on and diminishing electric motor power, braking or steering assistance control. American Honda is extending the warranty coverage of the IIU to 15 years from the original date of purchase or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first. |
| 10184658 | "Service Bulletin - The Motor Power Inverter (MPI), also known as the Intelligent Inverter Unit (IIU), may fail over time due to a defective solder joint. This failure may result in one or more of the following DTC(s): -P1440 (MPI Module Output Circuit Malfunction) -P1437 (MPI Module Short Circuit) -P15A5 (Motor Current Sensor Circuit Malfunction) -P0A78 (MPI Module Internal Circuit Malfunction) -P0AE1 (Bypass Contractor Malfunction) -P0A3C (Motor Control Module (MCM) Overheating) -P0A3F (Motor Rotor Position Sensor Circuit Malfunction) -P0DA8 (MPI Module Voltage Malfunction) -P1634 ( |
| 10160545 | ServiceNews Article - When removing and installing a cable reel, you need to keep both the cable reel and the steering angle sensor in position. If you don't , the VSA indicator may come on along with one or more VSA DTCs. And when you run the Neutral Memorization Procedure in the i-HDS, it won't complete. |
| 10144037 | Dealer message - Today, American Honda is notifying dealers of a voluntary noncompliance recall for a small number of Honda vehicles due to an error on the replacement (service part) underhood emissions labels. American Honda previously notified CARB and the EPA for this action. |
| 10144032 | Service bulletin - Emission certification labels that were replaced on a small number of vehicles may have been replaced with a label listing incorrect information. The affected emission labels are replacement service parts, and were not installed at the factory; they were installed during postmanufacturing repairs that required replacement of the underlying part. This will cause the vehicle to be non-compliant with emissions regulations. |
| 10129506 | Service bulletin - A buzz or rattle is heard from the dash when the heater is on low to medium fan speed. The air mix door is warped. |
| 10129492 | Service bulletin - The customer states the vehicle did not start due to a low state of battery charge. The vehicle?s battery sensor monitors battery condition and the PCM determines charging mode. Based on the sulfation of the battery and customer driving habits, the PCM may not select the correct charge mode. |
| 10128869 | Service bulletin - A new replacement IMA battery will require an update to the IMA battery software. If the IMA battery is being replaced on the affected models, please check and install the latest version of the IMA battery software as needed. |
| 10115219 | Service bulletin - For any TPMS-related warranty repairs, all recorded DTCs must now be entered into the warranty claim. Make sure your repair order includes those DTCs. |
| 10100421 | SERVICE BULLETIN - NAVIGATION SYSTEM INFORMATION. |
| 10052477 | HONDA: THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF, POWER ON, BUT IN ACCESSORY; NEVER USE CONVENTIONAL WHEEL & TIRE ASSEMBLIES ON PAX VEHICLES; MIL ON AFTER THROTTLE BODY CLEANING OR REPLACEMENT; S/M FIX BRAKE SYSTEM BLEEDING, DIALOGUE FOR DVD SURROUND SOUND FROM FRONT SPEAKERS ONLY. VARIOUS MODELS AND MODEL YEARS. *PE |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation