2025 Honda Civic Problems: 10 Known Issues

On the 2022-2025 Honda Civic, owners of 11th-gen Civics report intermittent 'sticky' or notchy steering — a brief loss of power-steering assist that makes the wheel suddenly heavy or hard to turn, often returning to center on its own. NHTSA opened investigation PE23-005 in March 2023 after 145+ complaints (mostly low-mileage cars, worse in cold weather), later upgraded to an engineering analysis covering 500,000+ Honda/Acura vehicles. Honda issued recall 24V744000 covering ~1.7 million vehicles, including 2022-2025 Civics. Root cause is an improperly produced steering-gearbox worm wheel that can swell plus excessive worm-gear spring preload, which reduces the grease film between gears and increases internal friction.

On the 2022-2025 Honda Civic, drivers of 11th-generation Civics report intermittent 'sticky' steering: a sudden momentary increase in steering effort, most often at highway speeds in low-mileage cars. NHTSA opened a preliminary investigation in March 2023 after 145+ complaints; it was traced to a steering gearbox (worm gear/worm wheel) manufactured incorrectly. The worm wheel can swell and thin the grease film while the worm-wheel spring preload is set too high, causing excessive internal friction. Increased steering effort can lead to overcorrection or inability to avoid a hazard.

On the 2025 Honda Civic, certain 2025 Civic and Civic Hybrid vehicles were recalled because the Hitachi Astemo high-pressure direct-injection fuel pump can develop manufacturing cracks that grow during operation and leak fuel. A fuel leak near ignition sources increases the risk of fire. The recall (NHTSA 24V763000) covers ~720,000 Honda vehicles total, including 2023-2024 Accord, 2023-2025 CR-V Hybrid, and 2025 Civic/Civic Hybrid. Honda logged 145 warranty claims (Feb 2023–Sep 2024) with no injuries reported at the time of the recall.

On the 2025 Honda Civic, two independently filed NHTSA complaints on near-new 2025 Civics describe the same failure: sudden rough idle and near-stall shortly after startup at roughly 2,000 and 9,000 miles. In the first, the dealer found active misfires on all four cylinders with all four spark plugs damaged on removal and diagnosed four faulty fuel injectors, replacing the full set. In the second, the dealer found active misfires on two cylinders, with dark grey smoke and a sulfur smell from the exhaust and shaking severe enough to crack the engine cover. This is separate from the 24V763000 high-pressure fuel pump recall — the failing component here is the direct injectors themselves, and the fuel-trim disturbance shows up as fouled plugs rather than a leak.

On the 2017-2025 Honda Civic 2.0T, the FK8 and FL5 Civic Type R stock Brembo brake calipers with 350mm front rotors are adequate for street use but suffer brake fade after 2-3 laps on a circuit. The stock brake fluid (Honda Heavy Duty Brake Fluid DOT 3) only has to meet the DOT 3 minimums of 401°F dry / 284°F wet, which are quickly exceeded on track. Stock brake pads also generate significant heat. Boiling brake fluid causes a spongy pedal that can go to the floor, creating a serious safety hazard during track use. This is well-documented on CTRC.net and CivicX.com. Street driving is not affected.

On the 2023-2025 Honda Civic, some 2023-2025 Civic owners report the center touchscreen goes solid black/blank when the vehicle is shifted into reverse, leaving the backup camera image unavailable — a safety concern since a functioning rearview camera is federally required. American Honda has opened a dealer search/investigation for affected 2023-2025 Civics, indicating a recognized pattern under review for a service remedy. Reports cite both intermittent black-screen behavior and full camera dropout.

On the 2025-2026 Honda Civic, distinct from false activations, 2025-2026 Civic owners report the whole Honda Sensing suite going inoperative at once.

On the 2022-2025 Honda Civic, owners of 11th-generation Civics (2022 and later) have filed NHTSA complaints that the Collision Mitigation Braking System (Honda's automatic emergency braking) braked hard, or sounded a forward-collision alarm, when nothing was close ahead. Forward collision avoidance is the most common complaint category for the 2022 Civic. One 2022 owner using adaptive cruise at 75 mph reported about two seconds of braking with no pedal input while the nearest car was at least a quarter mile away. A 2024 owner reported the car stopping abruptly with no vehicles or objects nearby at 8,000 miles, and the dealer could not find a cause. Complaint mirrors list 11 forward-collision complaints for the 2022 Civic (3 involving a crash and 4 an injury), 34 for 2023 and 2 for 2024. Other owners describe a collision mitigation system warning that appears at random or at startup, sometimes turning off adaptive cruise and lane keeping until it clears. The 11th-generation Civic runs Honda Sensing from a single forward-facing camera. It has no front radar, which Honda's earlier camera-and-radar system and other Honda models use. NHTSA's inadvertent-braking investigation (PE22-003, upgraded to EA24-002 and closed on April 18, 2024 with no recall) covered the Accord and CR-V, not the Civic. We found no recall or Civic-specific service bulletin for false braking. On the 1.5L turbo, owner reports describe fuel in the oil (oil dilution) rather than proven oil burning. A 2022 Civic Si owner reported a gasoline smell in the oil and asked whether a recent cold snap caused it. With direct injection, unburned fuel can get past the piston rings into the oil. Short trips that never fully warm the engine make this worse, and owners who report it have usually lived in colder climates. One forum member said he had seen no evidence either way for the 11th-gen engine, and an owner-review roundup found dilution reports only a handful of times. We found no consumption figure or Honda bulletin specific to the 11th-gen 1.5T.

On the 2025-2026 Honda Civic, 11th-gen Civic owners report the moonroof glass exploding without warning at highway speed, and separately the rear window shattering on its own with no external impact. NHTSA complaints cover 2025 Civic Sedans and Sedan Hybrids including a 2025 Civic Sport Hybrid, a 2025 Civic whose sunroof shattered while merging with no vehicle ahead, and a 2026 Civic on an open road with no other traffic. Owners consistently describe the glass lifting or breaking outward rather than caving in — the signature of stress failure in a tempered panel, not a stone strike.

On the 2022-2025 Honda Civic, 11th-gen Civic owners report a creaking, rubbing, popping, or clicking noise from the front suspension while turning at low speeds, often most noticeable during parking-lot maneuvers or over driveway transitions. Honda issued Service Bulletin 23-094 covering 2022-2025 Civics (all except Type R) attributing the noise to dry contact at the front strut bump stop.