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#BS-1997-HONCIV-40DA

1997 Honda Civic

Based on reports from 452 owners and 16 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
452
Crashes
78
Fires
2
Recalls
16
TSBs
132
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 452 complaints, 78 crashes, 2 fires, and 16 recalls. Complaint rate is 6.8x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

paint fading

9 complaints • Severity 7.8/10

$X,XXX
2

window keeps going off track

8 complaints • Severity 7.2/10

$X,XXX
3

srs light is on

2 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the AirbagsHIGH

70 owners reported airbags issues — failures commonly reported around 77K miles.

!Inspect the Air Bags:frontalMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

16
0–30K
23
30–60K
26
60–90K
21
90–120K
12
120–150K
17
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (26 reports) • Median: 77K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Airbags (70 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Airbags70 (15%)
Air Bags:frontal53 (12%)
Speed Control23 (5%)
Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control Module20 (4%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission19 (4%)
Wheels & Tires19 (4%)
Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls17 (4%)
Other17 (4%)

1997 Honda Civic: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 15% of all reports filed for the 1997 Honda Civic, with 70 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 77,400 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 77K-mile mark.

Air Bags:frontal Issues

Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 1997 Honda Civic, with 53 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Speed Control Issues

Speed Control complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 1997 Honda Civic, with 23 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to speed control-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control Module Issues

Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control Module complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1997 Honda Civic, with 20 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

79
00
50
01
59
02
32
03
32
04
18
05
13
06
6
07
9
08
6
09
6
10
4
11
2
12
2
13
4
14
5
15
9
16
5
17
1
18
2
19
5
20
1
22

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1997 Honda Civic. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (16 recalls)

06E023000May 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

CERTAIN ANZO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS WHICH FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

06E025000May 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

CERTAIN POLI-AUTO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES, P/NOS. 11-728, 11-728D, 11-710, 11-419, 11-713, 11-703, 11-704, 11-708P, 11-735, 11-725, 11-726, 11-716 (P&C), 11-721-1, 11-733, 11-729, 11-730, AND 11-732, SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

06E026000Apr 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

06E032000Apr 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN EAGLE EYES AND SONAR HEADLIGHTS AND CORNER LIGHTS SOLD AS AFTERMARKET FOR USE ON 1988-2005 HONDA CIVIC, 1990-2005 HONDA ACCORD, AND 1990-2001 ACURA INTEGRA PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. HEADLIGHTS AND CORNER LIGHTS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

06E038000May 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN ALFAOTTO COMBINATION HEADLAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

+ 11 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Honda Civic is the 2001 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.

1997 Honda Civic vs. Class Average (Subcompact Cars)

This vehicle

452

Class avg

67

6.8x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical subcompact cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 452 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 16 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Honda Civic Model Years

202620252024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997199619951994199319921991199019891988198719861985198419831982198119801979197819771976197519741973
View all Honda Civic years →

1997 Honda Civic: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1997 Honda Civic?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1997 Honda Civic is related to the airbags, with 70 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1997 Honda Civic reliable?
The 1997 Honda Civic has 452 complaints, 78 crash reports, and 2 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 6.8x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 1997 Honda Civic problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1997 Honda Civic have any recalls?
Yes, the 1997 Honda Civic has 16 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Honda Civic problems start?
Based on 115 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 77,400 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 452 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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