Every recall campaign and owner complaint the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration holds for the 1986 Honda Civic. Nothing on this page is written from memory — it is all imported from NHTSA's public database.
3 recall campaigns filed by Honda for the 1986 Civic, newest first.
| Campaign | Component | What the recall says |
|---|---|---|
| 95V103001 1995-05-24 |
Seat Belts Front Buckle Assembly |
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.
Risk: THE SAFETY BELTS WOULD NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO AN OCCUPANT IN A VEHICLE CRASH. Fix: OWNERS SHOULD PROMPTLY CHECK THE CONDITION AND OPERATION OF BOTH FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLES. CAREFULLY INSPECT THE RED RELEASE BUTTON FOR ANY BREAKS OR CRACKS. CHECK THAT BOTH BUCKLES ARE OPERATING PROPERLY BY INSERTING EACH LATCH PLATE INTO ITS BUCKLE, TUG ON THE BELT TO MAKE SURE THE LATCH IS… |
| 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. |
| 86V045000 1986-03-20 |
Power Train Driveline Driveshaft |
LEFT SIDE DRIVE SHAFT COULD DEVELOP CRACKS NEAR THE OUTER JOINT.
Risk: CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: DURING HIGH STRESS SITUATIONS, SUCH AS RAPID ACCELERATION OR DECELERATION, THE DRIVE SHAFT COULD BREAK WITHOUT WARNING AND CAUSE A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND A VEHICLE CRASH. Fix: REPLACE LEFT DRIVE SHAFT WITH A PROPERLY MANUFACTURED PART. |
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 1986 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.
52 owner complaints on file with NHTSA for the 1986 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 |
13 | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 11 | |
| Structure | 5 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic 1 crash |
5 | |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | |
| Power Train 1 fire |
4 | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline 1 fire, 2 injured |
3 | |
| Electrical System | 3 | |
| Power Train,Electrical System | 1 | |
| Seats | 1 | |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 1 | |
| Steering | 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.
The contact owns a 1986 Honda Civic. The contact stated that whether the vehicle was parked, stationary, or driven, the seat belt was difficult to retract. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the seat belts became difficult to retract even more frequently over time. The contact tested the seat belts, and the seat belts stopped recoiling. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact stated that the dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The man
filed 03/20/2025 · ODI 11649594
THE SEATBELT ANCHOR POINTS NEAR THE DOORS HAVE BOTH RUSTED OUT AND DO NOT RESTRAIN PROPERLY. THE CAR IS NOW IN VIOLATION OF NATIONAL SEATBELT LAWS. WHAT CAN I DO? WHAT WILL HONDA DO? THANK YOU.
filed 07/12/2001 · ODI 748378
DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1986 HONDA CIVIC. THE ENGINE CONSTANTLY BROKE DOWN. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD THE CONTACT TO GET RID OF THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE BROKEN DOWN FIVE TIMES AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND STOPPED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO FIND A REASON WHY THIS IS HAPPENED. THE CONSUMER FIRST BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH ENGINE ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO IN THE SUMMER MONTHS. *AK
filed 08/24/2005 · ODI 10134135
CRACKED ENGINE HEAD GASKET REPLACED. *AK
filed 04/11/1995 · ODI 963670
THE 1986 HONDA CRX HAS PLASTIC FENDERS THAT HOLD THE SIDE MARKER LAMPS. THE PLASTIC HAS BECOME VERY BRITTLE OVER TIME. MY SIDE MARKER LIGHTS ARE ONLY HELD ON BY A CLUMSY, PLUG-IN ATTACHMENT NEXT TO THE HEADLIGHT. THE TWO SCREW HOLES THAT HOLD THE LAMPS ARE USELESS IN THE FENDERS THAT ARE BOTH BROKEN IN SEVERAL SPOTS. *NLM
filed 08/26/2003 · ODI 10036632
THE TRIM PIECE ABOVE THE FRONT BUMPER IN FRONT OF THE HOOD IS CRACKED IN 3 PLACES. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT OTHER CRX'S AND EVERY SIMILAR CRX I HAVE SEEN IS CRACKED IN THE SAME PLACES.
filed 06/04/2001 · ODI 746401
APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK Crash reported
filed 07/01/1996 · ODI 986379
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.
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Yes. NHTSA records 3 recall campaigns filed by Honda for the 1986 Civic. The most recent is campaign 95V103001, filed 1995-05-24, covering Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly.
The most-reported component is Seat Belts with 13 of the 52 owner complaints on file, including 2 reports involving a crash. Complaint counts show where owners report trouble; they are not proof of a defect.
52 complaints with NHTSA for the 1986 Civic, spread across 12 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.