IllustrationWHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK TO DRIVE SHIFTER LOCKS UP AND DRIVER MUST USE KEY IN SHIFT LOCK TO RELEASE THE SHIFTER ONCE THIS HAPPENS THE BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT WORK. *JB
1994 Honda Civic
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1994 Honda Civic do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 183.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Civic years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 6 of 135 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 56 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
59 crash reports0 fire reports38 injury reports
Power Train complaints
8 reportsNO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
TRANSMISSION IS MAKING FUNNY NOISES. TECHNICIAN AT SAN FRANCISCO HONDA STATED THAT "HONDA MAKES 500,000 CIVICS EVERY YEAR. YOU JUST HAPPENED TO GET ONE WITH A BAD TRANSMISSION." SUGGESTED THAT I CONTACT HONDA TO FIX THE TRANSMISSION. HONDA CORPORATE REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. TRANSMISSION MAKES A GRINDING NOISE WHEN ACCE…
Read full complaint
TRANSMISSION IS MAKING FUNNY NOISES. TECHNICIAN AT SAN FRANCISCO HONDA STATED THAT "HONDA MAKES 500,000 CIVICS EVERY YEAR. YOU JUST HAPPENED TO GET ONE WITH A BAD TRANSMISSION." SUGGESTED THAT I CONTACT HONDA TO FIX THE TRANSMISSION. HONDA CORPORATE REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. TRANSMISSION MAKES A GRINDING NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING IN FIRST AND SECOND GEARS. CONTINUES TO GRIND WHEN IN HIGHER GEARS.
DOOR PANEL COMING APART FORM GLUE AT ARM REST, ALSO LEAKING TARGA TOP SEALS. *K
TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP, CAUSING ACCIDENT. (NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE REPORT)
CAR WAS IN PARK AND TOOK OFF ON PARK. *AK
MANUAL TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER WILL VIBRATE WHILE GOING AT 30 MPH. TT
MAN-TRAN: TRANSMISSION GETS STUCK; WILL NOT SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR UNTIL VEHICLE COOLS DOWN; SPEED 10 MPH; ALSO, ENGINE STALLS; RIGHT FRONT DOOR JAMMED. TT
Official recalls
294V063000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Apr 10, 1994
A RETAINING CLIP THAT CONNECTS THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE TO THE SHIFT LEVER ACTUATING ROD CAN HAVE INSUFFICIENT RETENTION PRESSURE AND MAY EVENTUALLY COME OFF AFTER REPEATED SHIFT LEVER OPERATION. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE POSITION OF THE SHIFT LEVER MAY NOT MATCH THE ACTUAL TRANSMISSION GEAR POSITION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN UNANTICIPATED VEHICLE MOVEMENT AND ACCIDENT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN IMPROVED RETAINING CLIP.
93V208000 · Air Bags:frontal
Dec 9, 1993
THE PASSENGER-SIDE AIR BAG MODULES CONTAIN INCORRECT INFLATORS WHICH ARE OUT OF SPECIFICATION FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, THE AIR BAG MAY NOT PROVIDEADEQUATE PROTECTION TO THE PASSENGER.
Remedy: HONDA DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG MODULE WITH A MODULE CONTAINING THE CORRECT INFLATOR.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.