2012 Honda Civic Hybrid recalls & complaints
Source: NHTSA, updated daily. Last checked 2026-10-19. Recalls apply to specific VINs — run your VIN to confirm.
1 safety recall, most serious first
1. Transmission / drivetrain
What's wrong, in plain English: The parts that send engine power to the wheels. Failure can mean a sudden loss of power or the car rolling away. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Acura ILX, 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid, and 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles with a manual transmission and 2009-2013 Honda Fit vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New J…
What could happen: A broken drive shaft may cause a sudden loss of drive power. The vehicle could also roll away if the parking brake has not been applied before the vehicle has been exited. Either condition can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the drive shafts, replacing either the left or right drive shaft, if necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk with an interim letter mailed February 2, 2021. A second letter will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Hon…
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2012 CIVIC HYBRID.
- Book a repair at any authorized Honda dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 20V770000 (manufacturer code P9M, PAV, BAY, TAX, CA0, and MAZ).
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-888-234-2138.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Acura ILX, 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid, and 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles with a manual transmission and 2009-2013 Honda Fit vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The drive shafts' protective coating may not have been applied properly during manufacturing, making it more susceptible to damage from road salt, or other contaminants, and potentially cause it to break.
Consequence: A broken drive shaft may cause a sudden loss of drive power. The vehicle could also roll away if the parking brake has not been applied before the vehicle has been exited. Either condition can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the drive shafts, replacing either the left or right drive shaft, if necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk with an interim letter mailed February 2, 2021. A second letter will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are P9M, PAV, BAY, TAX, CA0, and MAZ.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Useful for owners
- OBD2 code reader — see what the car's computer is reporting
- Compact car fire extinguisher
- 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid owner's manual
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Most complained-about parts: Airbags (146), Steering (73), Electrical system (60), Transmission / drivetrain (48), Brakes (41).
Complaints are unverified reports from owners. A pattern (many complaints about the same part) matters more than any single one.
Read recent complaints (8)
08/07/2025 · Transmission / drivetrain
The contact owns a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle was turned off and the vehicle started to roll away. The vehicle was stopped, and the parking brake was engaged to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the front axle had failed and needed…
06/16/2025 · Electrical system
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that before attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 116,000. Through a Carfax report, it was discovered that the mileage was 159,000.
06/02/2025 · Electrical system
So according to Honda Service Bulletin 20-030, all honda civic 2012-2015 hybrids having IMA Motor Power Inverter (MPI) have to fixed. I have the SAME CAR, SAME MODEL, SAME YEAR AND SAME ERROR CODES AS THE SERVICE BULLETIN AND THIS IS SUCH A SERIOUS ELECTRICAL POWER INVERTER ISSUE. Yet HONDA IS denying to work on it, even though there is 15 years or 150,000…
06/01/2025 · Body / structure
Paint defect. Paint faded and clouded on vehicle due to cheap paint used during manufacturing. I was never notified about the extended warranty. I contacted Honda and let them know, but was told the warranty ended. I financed my vehicle through American Honda for 5 years, and serviced my vehicle via Honda dealerships. Never did this come up as a possible re…
05/08/2025 · Electrical system
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 119,560, and the contact stated she looked at the title and took the vehicle to a mechanic to veri…
05/04/2025 · Fuel system
It has happened more than once since 3 years ago. If I’m running my AC in the car, when I accelerate the car will skip/jump. It’s extremely expensive to repair and the problem isn’t even getting fixed. I basically can’t run my AC if it’s hot outside
05/02/2025 · Steering
Esp code1.33-06 while driving car I suddenly lose of power steering making it difficult to control vehicle
04/23/2025 · Steering
This is a serious matter that needs to be evaluated as it is a potentially fatal safety issue for human drivers of 2012 Honda Civic. This email needs to be sent please to the Department of Transportation and the National Transportation Safety Board for evaluation of extension of recall: meaning other 2012 Honda Civic vehicles that have the same type or simi…