AI Damage2012 Honda Civic Hybrid: common problems
Owners of the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid filed 12 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 12
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 33% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 25% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 17% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 17% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 17% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 17% of all complaints
- 7 Electronic stability control 8% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 8% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (33% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (25% of all).
- Air bags: 2 complaints (17% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 2 complaints (17% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 12 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Hybrid propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I was pulling into a parking space and my car accerlerated and crashed into a stone wall and then went backwards several feet before I was able to brake the air bags did not deploy and the seat belt came loose from the wall. I was taken to the hospital since my chest was hurt from the steering wheel.
I was involved in an accident and the front driver's side seat belt malfunctioned and the seat belt did not restrain my body from moving forward; due to the seat belt malfunction, my chest and head hit the steering wheel leaving me with a concussion and significant bruising/soreness on my chest.
The traffic came to a complete stop and a older ford expedition plowed into us at 55 mph , upon impact the honda accelerated full throttle with complete loss of brakes , my wife was driving I was front passenger and my handicapped son was r/r , she was able to steer the car to the right shoulder as I slammed the car…
The contact stated that while his stepdaughter was driving at approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact about Service Bulletin 20-030 Warranty Extension related to the IMA motor power inverter (MPI) and was referred…
The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the contact became aware that the braking system, ABS, and battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power and stalled.
The vehicle was towed to the residence where it was diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The independent mechanic diagnosed that the front driver's side axle had detached and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred on the front passenger's side axle five months later.
The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number 20V770000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available.
The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 20v770000 (power train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 10,160 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 28% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Civic Hybrid has 23 complaints (17 years in the data). This year has 12, below average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Other years of this model
- Civic Hybrid 200351 sources
- Civic Hybrid 200435 sources
- Civic Hybrid 200548 sources
- Civic Hybrid 200655 sources
- Civic Hybrid 200764 sources
- Civic Hybrid 200864 sources
- Civic Hybrid 200928 sources
- Civic Hybrid 201012 sources
- Civic Hybrid 20139 sources
- Civic Hybrid 20145 sources
- Civic Hybrid 20155 sources
- Civic Hybrid 20168 sources
- Civic Hybrid 202523 sources
- Civic Hybrid 202613 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, powertrain, air bags. Total complaints: 12. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (25%), airbags did not deploy (17%), loss of power / limp mode (17%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2012 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.