Every recall campaign and owner complaint the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration holds for the 1985 Honda Civic. Nothing on this page is written from memory — it is all imported from NHTSA's public database.
2 recall campaigns filed by Honda for the 1985 Civic, newest first.
| Campaign | Component | What the recall says |
|---|---|---|
| 88V180000 1988-11-18 |
Visibility Windshield Wiper/Washer |
UNDER HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURES FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTACT UNIT COULD LOOSEN AND BECOME DISLODGED.
Risk: THIS COULD RESULT IN WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE AND WOULDAFFECT DRIVER VISIBILITY. Fix: INSTALL A CONTACT UNIT HOLDER THAT WOULD PREVENT LOOSENING. |
| 88V117000 1988-07-22 |
Fuel System, Gasoline Delivery Fuel Pump |
UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, MECHANICAL FUEL PUMPS MAY DEVELOP FUEL LEAKAGE AT CRIMPED SEAM BETWEEN THE TWO FUEL PUMP HALVES.
Risk: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CREATES APOSSIBILITY OF A FIRE. Fix: INSTALL AN IMPROVED FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY. |
Summaries are quoted verbatim from NHTSA's official campaign records. A single campaign often covers dozens of model years and several nameplates, so a summary may name vehicles other than the 1985 Civic — that is normal. Every record listed here carries this vehicle's own make, model and model year in NHTSA's database. Whether a recall is still open on a particular car can only be determined by VIN.
17 owner complaints on file with NHTSA for the 1985 Civic, grouped by the component owners reported. Counts reflect how many owners complained, not how often the fault actually occurs.
| Reported component | Complaints | |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts 2 crash, 1 injured |
5 | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline 1 fire, 1 injured |
2 | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages 2 crash, 2 injured |
2 | |
| Seats | 2 | |
| Tires | 1 | |
| Suspension | 1 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic 1 crash, 1 injured |
1 | |
| Visibility | 1 |
A complaint is an unverified owner report. It is a signal about where to look, not proof of a defect.
Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaint filings on this model year. These are the owners' own words, not our diagnosis, and each one is a single unverified report.
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE CAME OPEN UPON IMPACT AND DRIVER HIT THE STEERING WHEEL WITH HER CHEST. *AK Crash reported
filed 11/13/1996 · ODI 804904
FAILURE OF THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE THE CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE BELT CAME OUT THE BUCKLE. TT Crash reported
filed 02/13/1996 · ODI 979129
DUE TO PRESSURE BUILD UP IN FUEL TANK VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, RESULTING MINOR INJURIES. *AK Fire reported
filed 02/14/2001 · ODI 880554
FUEL PUMP FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL. (88V-117) *AW
filed 05/11/1995 · ODI 481742
ENGINE OVERHEATED TWICE DUE TO DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET. *AK
filed 09/30/1997 · ODI 520813
THE CAM PULLEY BROKE OFF THE CAR PURCHASE CAR USED FROM OWNER . TT
filed 12/27/1995 · ODI 977011
DRIVING AT SPEED 65MPH, HOOD FLEW OPEN, CAUSING IMPACT 6:00 POSITION. *AK Crash reported
filed 03/01/1996 · ODI 979988
DRIVING AT SPEED 65MPH, HOOD FLEW OPEN, CAUSING IMPACT 6:00 POSITION. *AK Crash reported
filed 03/01/1996 · ODI 979988
A recall only matters if it is open on your car. The lists above are for the model year as a whole; the free official lookup below tells you what applies to your specific 17-character VIN.
Free, official, and takes about thirty seconds. No account needed.
Yes. NHTSA records 2 recall campaigns filed by Honda for the 1985 Civic. The most recent is campaign 88V180000, filed 1988-11-18, covering Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer.
The most-reported component is Seat Belts with 5 of the 17 owner complaints on file, including 2 reports involving a crash. Complaint counts show where owners report trouble; they are not proof of a defect.
17 complaints with NHTSA for the 1985 Civic, spread across 9 reported component groups.
Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's free recall lookup. Recalls are applied per vehicle, so the model-year lists above cannot tell you whether your particular car is covered.