AI Damage2012 Honda Civic SI: common problems
Owners of the 2012 Honda Civic SI filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 33% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 17% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 17% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 17% of all complaints
- 5 Seats 17% of all complaints
- Air bags: 2 complaints (33% of all).
- Engine: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Seat belts: 1 complaints (17% of all).
- Seats: 1 complaints (17% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 6 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 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.
The passenger air bag sensor in the seat won't come on when my wife sits in it. She weighs about 115 pounds. The second problem my car is experiencing is its burning a huge amount of oil.
While driving with a passenger riding in the front seat of the car with their seat belt on securely locked the car beeps then the indicator light comes on warning "no passenger seat belt is on" or "check seat belt." it seems to be something wrong with the seat belt's safety as if there is no seat belt.
When even slightly damp, passenger seat initiates a dash warning light advising airbag system is deactivated. This occurs regardless of vehicle being stationary or in motion.
When I am taking off in first gear the car makes a loud squeal or grinding noise coming from the engine, thus keeping me from being able to take off anywhere over 5 miles per hour making it unsafe when taking off from a complete stop if around other traffic.
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 13,278 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 36% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Civic SI has 10 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 6, below average.
What to check before buying
- 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.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Other years of this model
- Civic SI 20023 sources
- Civic SI 20064 sources
- Civic SI 20078 sources
- Civic SI 20087 sources
- Civic SI 20103 sources
- Civic SI 20158 sources
- Civic SI 20168 sources
- Civic SI 20177 sources
- Civic SI 20188 sources
- Civic SI 201913 sources
- Civic SI 20209 sources
- Civic SI 202277 sources
- Civic SI 202369 sources
- Civic SI 202412 sources
- Civic SI 202511 sources
- Civic SI 20264 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Honda Civic SI?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine, powertrain. Total complaints: 6. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (33%), warning lights, check engine (33%), seat belts (17%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2012 Honda Civic SI?
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 SI 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.