10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
26,567 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Honda Civic drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2012 Honda Civic Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #40

Feb 092023

Civic

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Emissions systems

- 717 Skipping Stone Way, FL, USA

problem #39

Dec 172020

Civic 4-cyl

  • 81,491 miles
WE ALMOST GOT KILLED TRYING TO TURN THE WHEEL TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY. THE STEERING WHEEL ISSUE WAS ALREADY LOOKED AT BY MY MECHANIC. HE SAID IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR AND REPLACED THAT INSTEAD. I WAS CHARGED FOR THE ALTERNATOR! I TOOK IT BACK AFTER WE WERE ALMOST KILLED. HE FIXED THE STEERING ISSUE BUT NOW THE CAR DOESN'T STEER RIGHT AWAY AFTER THE CAR IS TURNED ON! WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW" IT STAYS LOCKED AND YOU CAN ONLY GO FRONTWARDS AND BACK!! WE HAVE TO KEEP GOING BACK AND FORTH TILL IT UNLOCKS! WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE ENGINE OF THIS CAR? I DON'T DRIVE FAR. IT ONLY HAS 81491 MILES ON IT. ON THE MECHANIC'S BILL STEERING ISSUE ELECTRONIC STEERING MOTOR- REMOVE & REPLACE- ALL APPLICABLE MODELS. DID YOU RECEIVE THIS MESSAGE? WHEN DO I GET MY MONEY BACK FROM HONDA FOR THEIR MISTAKES" I AM 68 YEARS OLD DISABLED WOMAN WHO NEEDS HELP WITH THIS BILL. HONDA SHOULD PAY THE BILL FOR ME. I HAVE TO LIVE ON $954 A MONTH LIVE IN STATE HOUSING. PLEASE HELP ME!! [XXX] CELL: [XXX] THANK YOU INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- North Easton, MA, USA

problem #38

Feb 012014

Civic

  • 30,000 miles
Manual transmission-when pulling out from a stop on an incline, the clutch makes a grinding/vibrating sound. I took to the dealer 3X prior to the warranty expiring and they 'couldn't duplicate it' it's so loud, a pedestrian standing on the sidewalk next to a road can hear it. It started prior to 30K miles, still happening at 100,000.

- Moon Township, PA, USA

problem #37

Mar 152019

Civic

  • 78,550 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On 3/15/2019 I was driving on a city street when multiple warning lights illuminated (check engine, brake malfunction, ima battery, charging malfunction). The car was towed to the dealership. Once there, they determine that the problem was related to rodents chewing from wires which damaged the fuel line and ima system. After this was repaired, the car still had failure codes due to mechanical issues with the car's system. Troubleshooting led the technician to determine that the motor power inverter needed to be replaced. This required them to also have to replace the junction board. After they were installed, the ima light stayed on, the battery would not charge, and the car continued to recode. They had to put in a test mcm and a second mpi (since the first one malfunctioned as well). This occurred over the course of almost two months. They could not determine a specific cause that led to the system malfunction, so it appeared to be a manufacturing issue. I was charged for the repairs as well as almost two months of rental car fees.

- Lawrenceville, GA, USA

problem #36

Jun 012019

Civic

  • 80,000 miles
Shutter when going 25 to

- Port St Lucie, FL, USA

problem #35

Oct 312018

Civic

  • 151,312 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. While driving 20 mph, the check engine and air bag warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to gwinnett place Honda (3325 satellite blvd, duluth, ga 30096, (678) 274-6206) where it was diagnosed that the transmission sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the repair fees. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 151,312.

- Marietta, GA, USA

problem #34

Mar 202018

Civic

  • 65,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving, car randomly displays check emission and check transmission system error. When I restart the car, the check engine light comes when I put it in D position. I took the car for repair and they say everything is normal and they didn't find any issues. I'm really worried about the safety in mid-way and also the engine or transmission might get effected.

- South Weymouth, MA, USA

problem #33

Mar 292018

Civic

  • 64,000 miles
The car randomly displays a check emissions system and check transmission systems error on the dashboard while driving. The check engine light comes on and the "D" indicator on the display flashes. When the check transmission systems error displays the car does not shift as it should. I took it to my mechanic and he couldn't find anything wrong with the engine or transmission, and no error codes came up on his computer. I called the dealership and they said a software update is needed. I am concerned about wear and tear on the engine and/or transmission due to these issues.

- San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #32

Oct 062017

Civic 4-cyl

  • 87,200 miles
I have experienced acceleration problems for over a period of 3 months, similar to those listed by other Honda owners online. Most recent incident occurred on 11/27/2017,10/6/2017,10/9/17 and in other several occasions when operating the vehicle and its inability to perform in a safe matter has greatly troubled me concerning my safety and the safety public. The following occurred on that day, while I was making a left hand turn crossing lanes of traffic and car would not accelerate when the gas pedal was being pushed all the way to the floor, nearly causing an accident. The car also launches forward while in the drive gear or on reverse after it has been parked for several hours. On other occasions, when pulling into or out of the garage/driveway the car clunked and lurched ahead. On other occasions the car has unattended gas control issue, the car also reaches top speeds of over 37 mph without even touching the gas pedal once. This now happens daily, I have taken it to the dealership and they tell me this is a normal function of the car when I know that this is not true. I have owned several cars and I know this is not normal. I no longer feel comfortable driving this car because it is unsafe. I have reached out to the manufacturer and I feel they keep giving me the run ?around. I have also taken the car to the dealership where I purchased it, but they say there is nothing wrong with it. I have also contacted the manufacturer (american Honda) requesting a field engineer have not been able to get any resolution and I?M getting nowhere with them. This car is dangerous to drive I fear for my safety and my families as well as the public safety. I have no other means of transportation and renting a car is not within my budget. I hope that with your help I can get this matter resolved. Thank you, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- La Crescenta, CA, USA

problem #31

Oct 122017

Civic

  • 30,000 miles
Recently, I started noticing my vehicle experiencing a slight loss of power when attempting to accelerate, and a tendency to over-rev, as well as spotting in my parking space. The problem was intermittent at first, occurring mainly in the morning. After two days, I took it to a mechanic to take a look, and after cleaning the undercarriage, he took it for a test drive. Upon entering a roundabout, the vehicle lost all driving power. He inspected it again, and found that the front left drive shaft had slipped out of the automatic transmission housing, allowing all of the transmission fluid to leak out. While shopping for replacement parts, I found mention of this exact problem being reported in the same make, model and year of vehicles, requiring a recall.

- Apo, AE, USA

problem #30

Feb 062016

Civic

  • 74,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

For manual transmissions rpms remain high even after foot is off the gas pedal consequently making it impossible to match rpms and causing premature failure to friction disks (clutch). Un necessary wear causing 1200+ in repairs. Brakes locked up on highway.. lost control spun 5 times and even after new alternator.. the RPM never reduces properly.. had in shop 3 X's set at your spec is wrong to make brake elease jerk, car shake at lights and causes me to rear end another car. 2/6/16

- Cortland, NY, USA

problem #29

Jun 112014

Civic

  • 29,000 miles
For manual transmissions rpms remain high even after foot is off the gas pedal consequently making it impossible to match rpms and causing premature failure to friction disks (clutch). Un necessary wear causing 1200+ in repairs. Has failed twice now in less than 80,000 miles first failure under 30,000

- West Palm Beach, FL, USA

problem #28

Aug 242015

Civic

  • 15,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. While parking, the vehicle lunged forward and crashed into the front of another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact stated that there were no injuries sustained and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

- North Hills, CA, USA

problem #27

Aug 122014

Civic

  • 32,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. While shifting from first to second gear, a loud noise emitted from the vehicle. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 32,000.

- Hemet, CA, USA

problem #26

Dec 042013

Civic

  • 15,000 miles
When turning the steering wheel right and left, there is a loud clanking noise. It happens 95% of the time. The dealer told me it was the power steering fluid (even though there is no power steering fluid as the 2012 model has an electronic system). The noise has continued and gets worse. They told me other models had a recall on the driveshaft which may be the issue but they cant do anything unless I pay out of pocket because my car was not under the recall.

- Atascocita, TX, USA

problem #25

Jul 112015

Civic

  • 19,129 miles
The vehicle had a dragging noise coming from under the car and then a whole chunk of metal fell off from under the car

- Miami Beach, FL, USA

problem #24

Jun 012013

Civic 4-cyl

  • 16,000 miles
This has happened more than once. When descending a hill after letting up on gas pedal the vehicle will rev up for a few of seconds and hitting the brakes did not disengage throttle, also when passing another vehicle after pulling in and let up on pedal the car still revved up for a couple of seconds. Have not taken to a dealer yet as I am trying to find exactly how and when this problem occurs so I can get the dealer to reproduce this problem (speed, road conditions, and any other conditions that might cause this problem). As we all know they can never get the problems to reproduce.

- Ilion, NY, USA

problem #23

May 272014

Civic 4-cyl

  • 19,822 miles
I was driving on an exit ramp from a highway, car was coasting, and as I was approaching the stop sign, I applied the brakes softly, the car started slowing down further due to braking and then suddenly came to a brutal stop with tires screeching. Engine was stalled, automatic gear had shifted in neutral by itself, and there was a burning smell in the car. Fortunately there was no car behind me, otherwise it would have not been possible to prevent being rear-ended. The 25 mph speed is approximate as I was decelerating. A similar situation on a highway when traffic slows down could have dramatic consequences, causing a pile-up and possibly multiple deaths and injuries. I will drive the car very carefully to the dealership today. The car was purchased certified pre-owned yesterday.

- Plymouth, MI, USA

problem #22

May 252012

Civic 4-cyl

  • 1,000 miles
I have a Honda Civic si 2012, 6 gears manual transmission, I was at a stop sign when I started moving forward, shifted to first gear fine then second gear, but when I tried shifting to third gear it lock me out from shifting into it and my friend and I started to smell burn clutch I tried to shift back to second gear and it wouldn't let me. I had to pull over until the vehicle let me shift into first gear. This type of incidents keep on happening so I called Honda customer service for them to fix it and I also gave them the NHTSA campaign number: 12V256000, Honda said they couldn't find a recall for my vehicle and I need to take it up with my local dealership. Now my vehicle has 29,000 and it does not move due to the power train just does not engage. Can I get help so I may drive my vehicle please help I am just getting harass by Honda. I do not have a phone can I be contacted by email.

- Cathedral City, CA, USA

problem #21

Mar 162014

Civic 4-cyl

  • 11,500 miles
Car will roll backwards while in drive (automatic transmission). I was in my driveway that is uphill. I let off the brakes and the car started to roll backwards. I conducted more tests and found it does this regardless of the grade. I also tested our 2 other cars and neither did this. I called the dealership and they said it is normal. I called Honda (file # N012014-03-1702499) and they said it is normal. I feel that this is unsafe. I'm 41 yrs old have been driving for 25 yrs, I have never been in an automatic car that will drift backwards in drive. This is dangerous for people who are not used to this and not informed that the cars will do this.

- Hockessin, DE, USA

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