2011 Honda Civic: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
168 NHTSA owner complaints · 9 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
No Civic year on record rates AVOID; the one to be careful with is the 2012, a CAUTION at 68 on 454 complaints, the most of any year. Buy a 2013 or 2014, which score 84 and 82 on 316 and 290 complaints, and note that the 2013 has no recall campaigns at all. Read the full note on the model page. 2011 specifically: a year the record favours — 168 complaints, score 75/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Honda Civic, Fit and HR-V: what the record says year by year, including 2011 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 168 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 11.2
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2011 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in a parking lot, the engine was powered off with the key in the ignition, and the front driver-side air bag and front driver-side air bag curtain had independently deployed. No warning lights illuminated, and there was no impact. In addition, the contact stated that her mother was sitting in the passenger seat, and the failure …
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Honda Civic. The contact stated that upon obtaining the vehicle history report, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle's mileage was 89,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 161,158. The contact stated that there was a white substance throughout the …
Airbag sensor light for front passenger seat has recently lit up and won’t turn off. Honda dealer said my daughter needs to replace the passenger seat weight sensor which means replacing the whole seat at $3000+ cost. Please check, thank you.
Recalls: 9 campaigns (9 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 18V042000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX, ZDX, Honda Accord Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot vehicles, 2011-13 Acura TSX Sportswagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord,, 2010-2011 Honda Civic, Civic NGV, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles and 2013 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles ever registered in the states of Alabama, California,… |
| 17V030000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Acura TSX, 2011-2012 Acura TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Acura ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2012 Honda Accord Crosstour and Honda Insight, 2009-2012 Honda Fit, 2009-2012 Pilot, 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2012 Honda FCX Clarity and 2006-2011 Honda Civic, Civic Hybrid, Civic NGV vehicles originally sold,… |
| 11V176000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 HONDA CIVIC VEHICLES. TO PREVENT FUEL FROM LEAKING OUT OF A VEHICLE'S FUEL TANK INTO THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSIONS CANISTER IN THE EVENT A ROLL-OVER INCIDENT OCCURS, THE FUEL PUMP MODULE IS EQUIPPED WITH A ROLL OVER VALVE (ROV). |
| 19V378000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The front passenger air bag inflator… |
| 16V346000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Acura TSX, 2011 TSX Wagon, 2010-2011 Acura ZDX, 2008-2011 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid, and Civic GX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2010-2011 FCX Clarity and Insight, and 2009-2011 Fit, and Pilot vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama,… |
| 18V268000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012 Ridgeline vehicles. The front passenger air bag may have been installed incorrectly during replacement. |
| 19V502000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-2014 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The vehicles are… |
| 18V661000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, California, American Samoa, Guam, the… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 29 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,250
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Air Bags51 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Service Brakes33 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Unknown Or Other21 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System15 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Visibility/Wiper13 complaints · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$490–$1,200
- Structure10 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
Other Honda Civic years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Honda Civic?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Air Bags (51 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2011 Honda Civic a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 75/100, computed from 168 NHTSA complaints and 9 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2011 Honda Civic's most common problem?
51 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2011 Honda Civic sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement: about 2.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $600–$1,700 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2011 Honda Civic cost to run per year?
About $4,952 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $24,762 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2011 Honda Civic have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 9 recall campaign(s) for the 2011 Honda Civic, 9 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 09/01/2018. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other compacts of about the same age.
What will a 2011 Honda Civic really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 168 complaints, 9 recalls on record
- 168 NHTSA complaints on record (11.2/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (24.5/yr)
- 9 recall campaigns, 9 touching safety-critical systems