Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1988 Honda Civic, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Vehicle speed control13
- Seat belts10
- Electrical system7
- Fuel system, gasoline7
- Engine and engine cooling4
- Seats3
- Structure2
- Unknown or other1
- Latches/locks/linkages1
- Suspension1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 9 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 5 1988 Civic vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 5 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1988 Honda Civic failed the safety check 1.79% of the time — 76% more often than the average 1988 passenger car (1.01%). Median odometer at inspection: 129,698 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 1988 Honda Civic cars on Dutch roads are the 1.6 petrol (96 kW, 129 hp), 1.4 petrol (66 kW, 89 hp) and 1.3 petrol (55 kW, 74 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6 petrol | 96 kW 129 hp | 65 |
| 1.4 petrol | 66 kW 89 hp | 58 |
| 1.3 petrol | 55 kW 74 hp | 25 |
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
177 first registered in 1988 are on Dutch roads; 38% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde13
- Roestschade van 1,5 t/m 2,0E of meer dan 15% dikteafname7
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen7
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm5
- Schijf-, trommelrem loopt niet vrij5
- Remslang beschadigd, wapeningsmateriaal zichtbaar4
- Lichtbeeld dimlicht onjuist4
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt3
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
22 cars built in 1988 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 110 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
20 of these cars first registered in 1988 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 235,000 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
107 1988 cars are on the New Zealand register; 42% arrived as used imports, 56% 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 1988 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 … |
| 1987125 19 Nov 1987 | Fuel System Certain vehicles equipped with automatic transmssions have been manufactured with an electronic fuel injection control unit (ECU) that may cause the engine idle… |
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.
ELECTRONIC FUEL INJECTION CONTROL UNIT MAY CAUSE IDLE SPEED TO INCREASE BY ABOUT 550 RPM WHILE CAR IS STOPPED IN GEAR.
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
Service bulletins
What Honda told its dealers about the 1988 Honda Civic: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 629065 | CONCERNS WITH A CLUNK OR SQUEAK FROM THE REAR SUSPENSION WHEN GOING OVER ROUGH OR BUMPY ROADS. *TT |
| 610611 | EXPERIENCING A CLUNK FROM THE REAR SUSPENSION WHEN GOING OVER ROUGH OR BUMPY ROADS. *TT |
| 54041 | PROBLEMS WITH HEAD GASKET LEAKS. *YC |
| 44013 | UNKNOWN |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILS
STALLING
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation