2019 Honda Civic Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2019 Civic report two main themes: fuel-system troubles that often tie back to a low-pressure fuel pump recall, and a steering wheel that becomes hard to turn, with the dealer often citing a steering rack replacement. Fuel-related complaints cluster in the 30,000-90,000 mile range, while steering complaints tend to appear later, and many owners also describe unexpected forward-collision braking or warnings on clear roads.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Stalling, hesitation and hard starting (fuel pump)

   • 119 complaints (27%)
   • median 36,000 mi at 5.4 yrs old (27 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2020–2026

   Complaints describe the engine losing power or stalling while driving, sometimes with no warning light, and in other cases hard or repeated starting attempts. Several owners connect the symptom to the low-pressure fuel pump, and some say the vehicle was towed and diagnosed with a failed high- or low-pressure fuel pump. Many note they received a recall notice but were told the replacement part was not yet available. Mostly reported between roughly 30,000 and 100,000 miles, often as an intermittent fault.

   Recall 23V858000Recall 21V215000Recall 20V3140003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel pump recall (23V858000) was completed and get the repair paperwork. During a test drive, watch for stumbling on acceleration or a slow, repeated crank when starting.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2019 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the fuel pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11503377, filed 2023-01, 62,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2019 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly jerked and hesitated before returning to normal functionality. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11591068, filed 2024-05, 213,000 miles
2. 2
   Steering

   Steering wheel hard to turn (steering rack)

   • 110 complaints (25%)
   • median 61,609 mi at 5.5 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $4,125 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe the steering wheel becoming stiff or seizing, needing excessive effort to turn, sometimes with a clicking or creaking noise and a loose feel. Several complaints say a dealer or independent shop diagnosed failure of the steering rack or rack and pinion, and a few note the same repair had already been done once before. Typically reported between about 25,000 and 110,000 miles, with many in the 55,000-75,000 mile range.

   What to check: Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and at low speed and listen for clicking or creaking, and note any stiffness. Ask whether the steering rack has been replaced and keep the receipt if it has.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2019 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the steering wheel became significantly difficult to turn. No warning light was illuminated. An unknown local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11652234, filed 2025-04, 68,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2019 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and exiting a highway, the steering wheel became firm without warning. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to an independent mechanic who stated that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed at the dealer. The failure mileage was 75,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11529188, filed 2023-06, 75,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Warning lights and blank or dead displays

   • 68 complaints (15%)
   • median 27,000 mi at 2.6 yrs old (29 state mileage)
   • 9 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $4,000 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners report clusters of warning lights appearing at once, the audio screen turning blank or unresponsive, and in some cases the gauge cluster going dark. Some complaints describe the center console disconnecting repeatedly and the dealer replacing the screen or computer without a lasting fix. Others mention the audio system cutting out after running for a while. Reported across a wide range, from a few thousand miles up to about 75,000 miles.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Start the car and check that all displays and the audio screen come on and stay on. Ask whether the gauge cluster or audio unit has been replaced or repaired under any service action.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving down a road (with my friend in the passenger seat next to me just to note) that is being repaved and it's not anything that I haven't driven on before, just a little tiny bit shaky here and there but again nothing crazy. I'm going about 10-15 MPH and all of the sudden my airbags just go off. Nothing hit, no pothole in sight, just slowly driving down the road and bam. I was spooked as I couldn't brace for it at all because I wasn't expecting it. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11328347, filed 2020-06, 10,000 miles

   “When driving home from work my car suddenly showed multiple errors such as emissions system problem, brake system problem, hill start problem, power steering problem , ems system problem. The car only has 14,000 miles and is a year old. The car does not shift or steer properly. Please recall this car because many others have had the same problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #11362157, filed 2020-10, 14,500 miles
4. 4
   Forward collision avoidance

   Forward collision braking or warnings with nothing ahead

   • 21 complaints (5%)
   • median 14,100 mi at 2.5 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2020–2026

   Complaints describe the collision mitigation system beeping, flashing a warning, or briefly applying the brakes when no vehicle or obstacle was present, including on clear highways. Some owners say repeated dealer visits and a radar recalibration did not resolve it, and others report warning messages returning after a set distance of driving. Mostly reported under 20,000 miles, and again in the 40,000-45,000 mile range.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the radar sensor has been recalibrated or replaced. A service bulletin notes that snow or ice buildup on the radar can trigger a warning in freezing conditions, so check the sensor area is clean and undamaged.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On friday, april 2nd, I was driving home on the 710 fwy on the far left lane. I was driving around 75mph and there was an object on the ground which looked like an empty potato chip bag, it wasn't anything that would have done any damage to my car but my Honda sense's collision mitigation braking system activated for no reason and alerted me to brake and started applying pressure. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11406340, filed 2021-04, 9,700 miles

   “Most recently, driving along on a sunny day at about 45 MPH on a flat road. No other vehicles on the road in sight. The collision warning system beeped and flashed the warning on the dash. At the same time the system engaged the brakes momentarily before disengaging. The braking lowered my speed to about 30-35 MPH. The only conclusion I could reach was that the system mistook the shadow of a tree for an object but I have no way to know. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11412861, filed 2021-04, 16,400 miles
5. 5
   Engine

   Stalling and shutdown linked to engine control

   • 52 complaints (12%)
   • median 13,300 mi at 2.1 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2026

   Several owners describe the engine shutting off or dropping into limp mode, sometimes with the check engine light on and sometimes without any warning. Complaints mention jerking, loss of power and the car failing to restart, and some say the dealer could not reproduce or identify the cause. Reported mostly under 30,000 miles, including within the first few thousand miles.

   What to check: Ask for the full service history and whether any stalling or check-engine codes were ever diagnosed. Have a pre-purchase inspection scan for stored fault codes before buying.

   An excerpt from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2019 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel to the left or the right, the steering wheel required excessive force to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with rack and pinion failure. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where the rack and pinion failure was confirmed. The contact was informed that the rack and pinon needed to be replaced. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11643639, filed 2025-02, 56,064 miles

Buying note. Check that the fuel pump recall work is documented before purchase, and drive the car at both low and highway speeds to feel for stiff steering and unexpected braking. A pre-purchase scan for stored codes and a review of steering-rack service history add useful confidence.

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.