Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1986 Honda Civic, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Seat belts13
- Structure5
- Power train5
- Exterior lighting4
- Electrical system4
- Fuel system, gasoline3
- Engine and engine cooling3
- Service brakes, hydraulic2
- Latches/locks/linkages1
- Seats1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1986 Honda Civic failed the safety check 0.00% of the time — 100% less often than the average 1986 passenger car (0.76%). Median odometer at inspection: 119,196 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 1986 Honda Civic cars on Dutch roads are the 1.3 petrol (52 kW, 70 hp) and 1.6 petrol (92 kW, 123 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.3 petrol | 52 kW 70 hp | 45 |
| 1.6 petrol | 92 kW 123 hp | 29 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
107 first registered in 1986 are on Dutch roads; 36% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen7
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde6
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht5
- Roestschade van 1,5 t/m 2,0E of meer dan 15% dikteafname5
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm4
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld4
- Remverschil op 1 as te groot3
- Schokdemper werkt niet (goed)2
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
8 cars built in 1986 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 85 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In Finland
15 of these cars first registered in 1986 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 180,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
43 1986 cars are on the New Zealand register; 53% arrived as used imports, 44% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 1986 Honda Civic.
| 1995086 24 May 1995 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles, the platic front seatbelt release buttons may break allowing plastic pieces to fall into the buckle assembly. If this should happen, a no … |
| 1986035 24 Mar 1986 | Powertrain On certain vehicles, during a high driveshaft stress situation such as rapid acceleration or deceleration, the left side driveshaft could break and cause a sudd… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
THE FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLE RELEASE BUTTONS CAN BREAK. THESE RED PLASTIC RELEASE BUTTONS ARE MARKED "PRESS." IF A BUTTON BREAKS, PIECES CAN FALL INTO THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE BUCKLE TO OPERATE IMPROPERLY.
UNDER HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURES FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTACT UNIT COULD LOOSEN AND BECOME DISLODGED.
LEFT SIDE DRIVE SHAFT COULD DEVELOP CRACKS NEAR THE OUTER JOINT.
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
NHTSA investigations
SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILS
FUEL SYSTEM VENTING
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation