Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1987 Honda Civic, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Seat belts21
- Vehicle speed control4
- Fuel system, gasoline2
- Tires2
- Power train2
- Suspension2
- Service brakes, hydraulic2
- Engine and engine cooling1
- Structure1
- Unknown or other1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 7 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 1987 Honda Civic failed the safety check 1.32% of the time — 69% more often than the average 1987 passenger car (0.78%). Median odometer at inspection: 107,958 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 1987 Honda Civic cars on Dutch roads are the 1.6 petrol (92 kW, 123 hp) and 1.3 petrol (52 kW, 70 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6 petrol | 92 kW 123 hp | 47 |
| 1.3 petrol | 52 kW 70 hp | 41 |
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
118 first registered in 1987 are on Dutch roads; 35% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen13
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt12
- Band onvoldoende profiel6
- Remverschil op 1 as te groot5
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse4
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm4
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde4
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af4
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
14 cars built in 1987 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 73 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
7 of these cars first registered in 1987 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 214,000 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
50 1987 cars are on the New Zealand register; 42% arrived as used imports, 54% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 1987 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 … |
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.
OWNERS MANUAL INFORMATION REQUIRED BY FMVSS 210, SECTIONS 6A AND 6B WAS OMITTED FROM THE MANUAL.
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