Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1992 Honda Civic, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system28
- Air bags17
- Seat belts9
- Tires7
- Engine and engine cooling6
- Steering5
- Service brakes, hydraulic5
- Power train5
- Visibility5
- Latches/locks/linkages4
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 27 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 19 1992 Civic vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 20 people died inside them, and 4 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 1992 Honda Civic failed the safety check 1.21% of the time — 1% less often than the average 1992 passenger car (1.22%). Median odometer at inspection: 160,447 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 1992 Honda Civic cars on Dutch roads are the 1.5 petrol (66 kW, 89 hp), 1.6 petrol (91 kW, 122 hp) and 1.6 petrol (92 kW, 123 hp), out of 4 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 petrol | 66 kW 89 hp | 148 |
| 1.6 petrol | 91 kW 122 hp | 50 |
| 1.6 petrol | 92 kW 123 hp | 25 |
| 1.6 petrol | 118 kW 158 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
343 first registered in 1992 are on Dutch roads; 27% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen44
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde39
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld30
- Stofhoes stuurinrichting beschadigd, dicht niet af19
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm18
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af17
- Band onvoldoende profiel15
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm15
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
149 cars built in 1992 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 624 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, 203 of these cars first registered in 1992 took their annual MOT test. 74% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1992 the figure was 68%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1992 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 10.8% | 9.1% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 7.9% | 9.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.9% | 16.8% |
| Brakes | 6.9% | 10.8% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.9% | 6.0% |
| Tyres | 4.4% | 2.6% |
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
47 of these cars first registered in 1992 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 244,000 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
485 1992 cars are on the New Zealand register; 52% 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 1992 Honda Civic.
| 1997073 3 Apr 1997 | Structure On certain 1992-1995 four-door sedans and three-door hatchbacks, and 1993-1995 two-door coupes, located in Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritime Provinces, the engi… |
| 1994069 7 Apr 1994 | Powertrain On certain vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission, the retaining clip that connects the transmission shift cable to the shift lever actuating rod may c… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
A RETAINING CLIP THAT CONNECTS THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE TO THE SHIFT LEVER ACTUATING ROD CAN HAVE INSUFFICIENT RETENTION PRESSURE AND MAY EVENTUALLY COME OFF AFTER REPEATED SHIFT LEVER OPERATION. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE POSITION OF THE SHIFT LEVER MAY NOT MATCH THE ACTUAL TRANSMISSION GEAR POSITION.
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 1992 Honda Civic: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 636738 | SUBJECT REGARDING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS THAT THE ENGINE HESITATES BRIEFLY WHEN ACCELERATING. *TT |
| 631027 | CUSTOMERS MAY COMPLAIN OF A BRIEF HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING AT HIGH ENGINE SPEEDS. *TT |
| 629065 | CONCERNS WITH A CLUNK OR SQUEAK FROM THE REAR SUSPENSION WHEN GOING OVER ROUGH OR BUMPY ROADS. *TT |
| 626808 | INFORMATION REGARDING WATER LEAKAGE DURING A CAR WASH. *YH |
| 610611 | EXPERIENCING A CLUNK FROM THE REAR SUSPENSION WHEN GOING OVER ROUGH OR BUMPY ROADS. *TT |
| 610348 | INFORMATION ON REPLACING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HOUSING. *TT |
| 54041 | PROBLEMS WITH HEAD GASKET LEAKS. *YC |
| 51123 | WATER LEAK FROM SEAM UNDER CORNER OF DASH. *TW |
| 41089 | CAMPAIGN RESPONSIBILITY REPORT FOR THE 1992-94 CIVIC AND 1993 DEL SOL AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LINKAGE RECALL. *TW |
| 41087 | TEMPERATURE CONTROL LEVER HARD TO MOVE. *TW |
| 39523 | TRUNK HARD TO OPEN WITH KEY. *TW |
| 39518 | REAR SEAT-BACK WON'T UNLATCH. *TW |
| 39248 | BLOWER MOTOR NOISE. *TW |
| 10013953 | AUDIO UNIT AND NAVIGATION SYSTEM ANTI-THEFT CODES AVAILABLE ON INTERACTIVE NETWORK. *NM |
| 10009278 | HEATER BLOWER MOTOR GETS HOT OR BLOWS A FUSE. HONDA. SERVICENEWS. *TT |
| 10009048 | AUDIO, ANTI-THEFT CODES. HONDA. TECH LINE SUMMARY. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation