BumperScan
Powered byNHTSA|EPA|Community Reports
Your report: 3 of 4 steps complete75%
Car identifiedData collectedBasic analysisFull AI analysis

Free Preview

#BS-1998-HONCIV-40DA

1998 Honda Civic

Based on reports from 502 owners and 18 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
502
Crashes
92
Fires
3
Recalls
18
TSBs
140
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 502 complaints, 92 crashes, 3 fires, and 18 recalls. Complaint rate is 4.5x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

paint is fading

8 complaints • Severity 8.8/10

$X,XXX
2

cracked exhaust manifold

6 complaints • Severity 7/10

$X,XXX
3

transmission failure

3 complaints • Severity 9.3/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

Each card shows a real sample from your report — unlock all 10 sections from $1.20

Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Air Bags:frontalHIGH

61 owners reported air bags:frontal issues — failures commonly reported around 97K miles.

!Inspect the Power Train:automatic TransmissionMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

14
0–30K
22
30–60K
21
60–90K
20
90–120K
11
120–150K
38
150K+

Peak failure range: 150K+ miles (38 reports) • Median: 97K 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: Air Bags:frontal (61 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

Air Bags:frontal61 (12%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission40 (8%)
Electrical System:ignition:switch38 (8%)
Airbags32 (6%)
Electrical22 (4%)
Other20 (4%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe16 (3%)
Electrical System:ignition15 (3%)

1998 Honda Civic: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Air Bags:frontal Issues

Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 1998 Honda Civic, with 61 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 96,702 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 97K-mile mark.

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 1998 Honda Civic, with 40 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to power train:automatic transmission-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical System:ignition:switch Issues

Electrical System:ignition:switch complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 1998 Honda Civic, with 38 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical system:ignition:switch-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1998 Honda Civic, with 32 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-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

42
00
42
01
73
02
33
03
36
04
19
05
5
06
16
07
8
08
7
09
8
10
11
11
10
12
5
13
6
14
9
15
4
16
1
17
3
18
15
20
3
21
1
22
1
23

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1998 Honda Civic. Recent trend: stable.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

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

Get Report — From $1.20

Recall History (18 recalls)

02V120000Jun 2002

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

ON CERTAIN SEDANS, COUPES, HATCHBACKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH CAN DEGRADE DUE TO THE HIGH ELECTRICAL CURRENT PASSING THROUGH THE SWITCH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED.

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.

+ 13 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.

Unlock

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.

1998 Honda Civic vs. Class Average (Subcompact Cars)

This vehicle

502

Class avg

111

4.5x 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. 502 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 18 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 →

1998 Honda Civic: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Honda Civic?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1998 Honda Civic is related to the air bags:frontal, with 61 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1998 Honda Civic reliable?
The 1998 Honda Civic has 502 complaints, 92 crash reports, and 3 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 4.5x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 1998 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 1998 Honda Civic have any recalls?
Yes, the 1998 Honda Civic has 18 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 126 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 96,702 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 150K+ 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.
RaccoonEagleRoverCat

Get the Full 1998 Honda Civic Report

10 sections of AI analysis based on 502 owner reports. Know before you buy.

Get Full Report — From $1.20Money-back guarantee
Instant delivery|One-time purchase|No hidden fees