Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1990 Honda Civic, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Seat belts34
- Electrical system18
- Engine and engine cooling6
- Power train6
- Service brakes, hydraulic6
- Visibility6
- Structure5
- Vehicle speed control5
- Exterior lighting4
- Tires3
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 17 injuries and 2 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 8 1990 Civic vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 7 people died inside them, and 2 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 1990 Honda Civic failed the safety check 1.09% of the time — 6% less often than the average 1990 passenger car (1.16%). Median odometer at inspection: 157,471 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 1990 Honda Civic cars on Dutch roads are the 1.6 petrol (91 kW, 122 hp), 1.5 petrol (66 kW, 89 hp) and 1.6 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6 petrol | 91 kW 122 hp | 81 |
| 1.5 petrol | 66 kW 89 hp | 78 |
| 1.6 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 35 |
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
274 first registered in 1990 are on Dutch roads; 54% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen21
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde19
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af18
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld13
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm12
- Stofhoes stuurinrichting beschadigd, dicht niet af7
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht7
- Remslang beschadigd, wapeningsmateriaal zichtbaar6
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
108 cars built in 1990 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 438 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
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 126 of these cars first registered in 1990 took their annual MOT test. 75% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1990 the figure was 71%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1990 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 15.1% | 15.6% |
| Suspension | 8.7% | 8.4% |
| Brakes | 7.1% | 9.7% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 5.6% | 7.8% |
| Visibility | 5.6% | 6.4% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.8% | 4.7% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
42 of these cars first registered in 1990 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 218,000 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
251 1990 cars are on the New Zealand register; 44% 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 1990 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.
DUE TO AN IMPROPERLY MACHINED INTERNAL SHAFT IN THE TRANSMISSION, THE PAWL MECHANISIM MAY NOT FULLY ENGAGE WHEN TRANSMISSION IS IN THE PARK POSITION.
POOR ADHESION MAY OCCUR BETWEEN PAINT LAYERS IN THE WINDSHIELD MOUNTING AREA DUE TO DEFECTIVE PAINT BATCHES OR OVERSPRAYING.
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 1990 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 |
| 626720 | INFORMATION REGARDING CAM-ON FUEL FILL CAP FAILURES DURING SMOG CHECK. *YH |
| 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 |
| 10013953 | AUDIO UNIT AND NAVIGATION SYSTEM ANTI-THEFT CODES AVAILABLE ON INTERACTIVE NETWORK. *NM |
| 10009048 | AUDIO, ANTI-THEFT CODES. HONDA. TECH LINE SUMMARY. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILS
STALLING
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation