2010 Honda Civic Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2010 Civic most often describe brakes that wear faster than they expected, many at very low mileage, and a large share of the sample concerns the passenger frontal airbag inflator recalls and the scheduling of that work. Sun visors that separate and fall into the driver's view, paint and clearcoat deterioration, and vibration traced to engine mounts or front-end components also come up repeatedly.

1. 1
   Brakes

   Brake pads and rotors wearing out early

   • 74 complaints (19%)
   • median 18,750 mi at 2.8 yrs old (66 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $466 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2010–2017

   Owners describe front or rear brake pads needing replacement well before they expected, in several cases under 20,000 miles, sometimes with rotors machined or replaced at the same time. Common symptoms are grinding, squealing, rumbling or a dragging feel when stopping, and one owner noted a wheel running much hotter than the others. Complaints say dealers often attributed the wear to driving style, and some owners paid for the work themselves while a few had it covered shortly after purchase. Mostly reported between roughly 8,000 and 30,000 miles, with some repeat replacements by 40,000 to 70,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Have the brake pad and rotor thickness measured and ask for service records showing when the brakes were last replaced. On a test drive, listen for grinding or squealing and feel for pulling or dragging when braking.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Needed new brake pads at 18,645 miles during three year lease. Warranty does not cover brake pads like other car makers. Brake pads should not wear out so quick. I do not have 245 dollars for every 18 thousand miles or less to change the brakes every 2 years. I have owned a chevy and ford,bought brand new and needed new brake pads at 40k miles plus.”

   NHTSA complaint #10494646, filed 2013-01, 18,645 miles

   “With less than 12,000 miles on my car, my brake pads need to be replaced. I would have never expected my car to need new brakes this early, so I almost didn't take my car in when it was making a noise. I inspected my car to see if something as stuck in the tires or something like that and am shocked to find out my brakes are already worn. After much research online, I see that this is a common issue for hondas.”

   NHTSA complaint #10369504, filed 2010-12, 11,750 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Passenger airbag inflator recall and repair scheduling

   • 100 complaints (25%)
   • median 64,500 mi at 6.8 yrs old (36 state mileage)
   • 25 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2026

   Many complaints involve the passenger frontal airbag inflator recalls: owners describe receiving repeated notices, being told parts were not yet available, and being asked to keep passengers out of the front seat in the meantime. Others describe long waits for appointment callbacks, loaner-car arrangements that did not happen as advertised, and follow-up inspections of inflators that had already been replaced. A few report airbags that did not deploy in a crash or that deployed without an impact. Reported across a wide mileage range, most commonly from about 45,000 to 105,000 miles, with notices arriving years after purchase.

   Recall 19V502000Recall 19V378000Recall 18V268000Recall 18V042000Recall 17V545000Recall 17V030000Recall 16V3460005 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for documentation that every open airbag recall has been completed and whether the passenger inflator has been inspected since replacement. Recall work is tracked by VIN, so a dealer can confirm the current status.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Takata recall I received a letter on july from Honda saying that the air bags recall had been extended to include my car's passenger side air bag. They joyfully say that they will not have a replacement part until september or october, so they ask me in the meantime to avoid taking any passenger in my car. Are these guys high? …”

   NHTSA complaint #10896767, filed 2016-08, 45,000 miles

   “Turning left at a light, from a dead stop, I ran into a curb on a divided highway. The front tire went over the curb, but only the front tire. After coming back in contact with the road, the airbags on the drivers side window and seat (2-door coupe) deployed. There is no damage to the side of the car, I did not come into contact with any other objects or vehicles, and I have previously hit curbs without this issue. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10550148, filed 2013-10, 32,000 miles
3. 3
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Sun visors split and drop into view

   • 63 complaints (16%)
   • median 45,000 mi at 5.7 yrs old (56 state mileage)
   • filed 2010–2022

   Owners report driver or passenger sun visors that come apart at the seam or fracture at the mounting, so the visor hangs down or flops into the windshield area while driving. Complaints describe it happening on both sides and on cars with relatively low mileage, and owners often replaced them out of pocket or simply removed them. Some describe it as a distraction that blocks forward view. Mostly reported between about 32,000 and 92,000 miles, sometimes on cars only a few years old.

   What to check: Fold both visors down and up and check the seams and hinge for separation or looseness. Replacement parts are inexpensive, so this is a small negotiating point rather than a deal-breaker.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The driver side sun visor flopped down. When I looked at it had separated so it no longer stays up. I'm lucky it happened after I had come back from driving 40 something miles on the highway where it could have caused an accident. From looking around it would be about a 46 to 53 dollar repair plus shipping if I do it myself. What a rip off on something poorly designed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10629000, filed 2014-08, 63,677 miles

   “The first sunvisor broke just before the warranty expired. It wasn't much of problem to get it replaced. About a year and a half later the second sunvisor broke and came off while I was driving. This is a safety hazard. It could have caused an accident. After contacting american Honda the sunvisor was replaced for 17.00. However, I refrain from using it because I worry that it will fall apart again. Both times it was the sunvisor on the driver's side. Last week the sunvisor on the passenger side broke. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10702300, filed 2015-03, 35,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Vibration and noise from engine mounts or front end

   • 58 complaints (15%)
   • median 19,800 mi at 3.3 yrs old (51 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2019

   Owners describe strong shaking and a loud noise when the car is started and put into reverse or when idling at a stop, with some diagnosing worn engine mounts at moderate mileage. Other complaints involve vibration at highway speed traced to alignment or front-end components, including a CV joint replaced around 19,000 miles. Complaints say dealers sometimes adjusted alignment or could not reproduce the vibration. Reported from under 2,000 miles up to about 75,000, with most mount-related complaints around 24,000 to 75,000 miles.

   What to check: Start the car cold and shift into reverse and drive while holding the brake, watching for excessive shake or clunking. Drive at 50 to 65 mph to check for steering wheel or body vibration, and ask whether the engine mounts have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When started and put in reverse the car shakes and makes noise. The problem was diagnosed as bad motor mounts. 75,000 miles on the odometer. This is the same complaint made by many owners. I've read on line that this problem is wide spread with others looking for a recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #11039330, filed 2017-10, 75,000 miles

   “Took 2010 Honda Civic to the Honda dealership with complaints of clicking in front end. Was advised that vehicle cv joint had failed. Vehicle had approx 19,000 miles at replacement. Cv joint failure at high rate of speed could have been dangerous.”

   NHTSA complaint #10501475, filed 2013-03, 18,900 miles
5. 5
   Body and structure

   Peeling clearcoat and paint failure

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe clearcoat lifting and paint deteriorating on the roof, trunk and fenders, eventually exposing the base coat and leading to rust. Owners say the problem spread across panels over time and that they were quoted large sums for refinishing, with some saying coverage was declined because the car was bought used. A related group of complaints mentions water leaking inside near the driver's side curtain airbag area during rain. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 90,000, usually noticed after several years of ownership.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Inspect the roof, trunk lid and fender edges in daylight for cloudy or peeling clearcoat and any bubbling. After rain, check the headliner and carpet near the A-pillar and side airbags for dampness.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The paint began to fail and I contacted Honda's website as directed to find all issues (recall and TSB - technical service bulletins) and there were no items. From 2015 on we would check. Then I found an article that said it was covered under an extended paint warranty. I was never contacted. I called Honda and they declined to fix it saying that I purchased it used. They gave me a $7000 quote to fix the car. They said because I bought it used, they did not have to contact me. The entire car has clearcoat failure leading to paint failure. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11204809, filed 2019-04, 45,000 miles

   “Clear coat failed allowing paint to be exposed. Paint is now deteriorating, eventually leading to rust. Extensive failure on roof, trunk and front fender.”

   NHTSA complaint #11099256, filed 2018-06, 90,000 miles

Buying note. Check that all open airbag recalls are closed for the specific VIN before buying, since several campaigns apply to this model year, and budget for brake work given how often owners report early pad and rotor wear. A pre-purchase inspection covering brakes, engine mounts, paint condition and water leaks will surface most of what owners describe.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.