Model year 2021 · Midsize Cars, Large Cars

2021 Honda Civic: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2021 Honda Civic at 25–36 mpg combined across 8 versions. NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 161 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

25–36

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

NHTSA lists this vehicle as CIVIC HATCHBACK, CIVIC TYPE R.

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Honda dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2021 Honda Civic recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 4 safety recalls for the 2021 Honda Civic, newest first.

Air bags: Sensor: Occupant classification: Front passenger

NHTSA 26V332000 Reported May 21, 2026

Filed by: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) (manufacturer recall no. Refer to Comments)
Units affected: 98,892 (estimate)
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Air bags: Sensor: Occupant classification: Front passenger

NHTSA 24V064000 Reported Feb 1, 2024

Filed by: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) (manufacturer recall no. XHP, VHQ)
Units affected: 750,114 (estimate)
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Fuel system, gasoline: Delivery: Fuel pump

NHTSA 23V858000 Reported Dec 18, 2023

Filed by: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) (manufacturer recall no. KGC, KGD)
Units affected: 2,490,460 (estimate)
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Service brakes, hydraulic: Foundation components: Master cylinder

NHTSA 23V458000 Reported Jun 29, 2023

Filed by: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) (manufacturer recall no. VEU, AEV, ZET)
Units affected: 124,077 (estimate)
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
Risk: Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2021 Honda Civic fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2021 Honda Civic EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
Civic 4Dr	1.5L 4-cyl turbo	CVT (7 modes)	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	30/38/33 mpg	$2,050	266
Civic 4Dr	1.5L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	32/42/36 mpg	$1,850	248
Civic 4Dr	2.0L 4-cyl	CVT (7 modes)	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	29/37/32 mpg	$2,100	277
Civic 4Dr	2.0L 4-cyl	Automatic	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	30/38/33 mpg	$2,050	268
Civic 5Dr	1.5L 4-cyl turbo	Manual 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	Premium	29/37/32 mpg	$2,550	274
Civic 5Dr	1.5L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	31/40/34 mpg	$1,950	259
Civic 5Dr	1.5L 4-cyl turbo	CVT (7 modes)	Front-Wheel Drive	Premium	29/35/32 mpg	$2,550	279
Civic 5Dr	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Manual 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	Premium	22/28/25 mpg	$3,300	358

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2021 Honda Civic crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2021 Honda Civic NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2021 Honda CIVIC 4 DR FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	9.5%	Standard
2021 Honda CIVIC HATCH 5 HB FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	9.5%	Standard
2021 Honda CIVIC HATCH Type-R 5 HB FWD	Not rated	Not rated	5 stars	5 stars	9.5%	Standard

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2021 Honda Civic owner complaints

Owners have filed 161 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Honda Civic, most recently on Oct 18, 2026. 7 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 3 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2021 Honda Civic complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Steering	67
Forward collision avoidance: Automatic emergency braking	26
Electrical system	20
Service brakes	17
Air bags	13
Unknown or other	13
Forward collision avoidance: Adaptive cruise control	9
Engine	8
Forward collision avoidance: Warnings	8
Fuel/propulsion system	6

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Honda Civic model years

Honda Civic by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2026 Civic	24–49 mpg	1	32	5/5
2025 Civic	24–49 mpg	2	106	5/5
2024 Civic	24–36 mpg	3	142	5/5
2023 Civic	24–36 mpg	5	336	5/5
2022 Civic	29–36 mpg	4	961	5/5
2020 Civic	25–36 mpg	5	237	5/5
2019 Civic	25–36 mpg	4	459	5/5
2018 Civic	25–36 mpg	6	756	5/5
2017 Civic	25–36 mpg	6	606	5/5
2016 Civic	30–35 mpg	5	1,083	5/5
2015 Civic	25–44 mpg	1	394	5/5

All Honda Civic years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2021 Honda models

2021 Honda Accord 2021 Honda Clarity 2021 Honda CR-V 2021 Honda HR-V 2021 Honda Insight 2021 Honda Odyssey 2021 Honda Passport 2021 Honda Pilot 2021 Honda Ridgeline

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Honda.