2021 Honda Civic Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2021 Civic most often describe a steering wheel that feels sticky or notchy, usually at highway speeds, and many say the dealer traced it to the power steering rack or gearbox. A second common theme is the forward collision system braking or flashing warnings when no obstacle is present, sometimes with radar-obstructed messages. Remaining reports are scattered across the center display and infotainment, long brake pedal travel, and a few sunroof glass breaks.

1. 1
   Steering

   Sticky or notchy steering wheel (power steering rack)

   • 55 complaints (37%)
   • median 36,200 mi at 4.4 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners describe a momentary bind or stick in the steering wheel, most often around the center position when making small corrections, followed by a jerk or overcorrection once the wheel breaks free. Many say the dealer diagnosed a failed power steering rack or gearbox and quoted a replacement, while some dealers could not duplicate the symptom. Several owners note that a steering recall exists for later model years but that their VIN was not included. Often described at highway speeds and on longer drives; sample mileages range from about 15,000 to as high as 88,000.

   What to check: Test drive at highway speed and make small left and right corrections to feel for a bind or notch at center. Ask whether the steering rack has been replaced and whether any related steering campaign applies to the VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The steering wheel occasionally sticks and requires me to keep tugging at it to unstick it, then readjust the wheel again to straighten my car up on the road. On highway road trips I've taken (6 or so hours one way), it is an almost constant tug of the wheel for the whole drive. It happens both while driving straight and when going around curves.”

   NHTSA complaint #11619021, filed 2024-10

   “I have a 2021 Honda Civic Ex with 55, 000 miles on the odometer. The steering sticks at highway speeds and when correcting jerks to break free of the stickiness. Have taken it to the dealership and told the steering box is malfunctioning and would be $4,000 to replace. I work in the automotive industry and recognize this as a manufacture defect that Honda is aware of due to the current lawsuits against the company for this issue in 2022-2024 Honda Civics.”

   NHTSA complaint #11613296, filed 2024-09
2. 2
   Forward collision avoidance

   Forward collision braking or warning with no obstacle

   • 23 complaints (16%)
   • median 21,240 mi at 3.2 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners report the collision mitigation system flashing a brake warning and sometimes applying the brakes on a clear road with no vehicle ahead, including at highway speed and while changing lanes. Some also see radar-obstructed or system-problem messages on the dash, and several say the dealer could not reproduce the event. Reported across a wide mileage range, from new to about 24,000 miles, and in both dry and wet conditions.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check whether the radar and camera area of the windshield is clean and undamaged, and ask if any software updates or sensor calibrations were performed. Note that one service bulletin describes cleaning snow or ice from the radar when the adaptive cruise warning returns in freezing weather.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2021 Honda civic ex’ forward collision sensor light flashed mid intersection my brakes locked up causing me to be a victim of a hit and run. As I was in between policies with my insurance therefore I wasn’t covered for the accident and I am now suffering financial hardships.. dealership didn’t want to hear what I had to say because it was a new car & no recalls were announced at the time.”

   NHTSA complaint #11659892, filed 2025-05

   “The vehicle has on numerous occasions performed automatic braking when no cars are near the front. This is causing the car to break abruptly and I’m fearful that a vehicle to the rear of me will collide due to the erratic and forceful application of the breaks.”

   NHTSA complaint #11583725, filed 2024-04
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Center display freezes, flickers or goes blank

   • 8 complaints (5%)
   • median 9,440 mi at 1.7 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2021–2026

   Complaints describe the center display freezing, flickering or going black, and owners connect it with phone mirroring features dropping out or restarting. A few also mention warning lights or electrical resets at the same time, and some say the dealer could not duplicate the problem. Reported from very low mileage up through tens of thousands of miles, often while using phone connectivity.

   12 related service bulletins

   What to check: Try the touchscreen, navigation and phone mirroring during the test drive and watch for freezes or restarts. Ask the dealer whether any display software updates have been applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Three issues I been having every since I got my car. 1. Car navigation displays not working properly, screen completely freezes or black-out. 2. Brake warning sign appears randomly in dashboard even if theres no vehicle in front, probably an issue with the car detection sensor camera . 3 Probably the most important. The car shuts down. Oil light and battery light shows in dashboard when this happens, usually when the vehicle is coming to a stop. This is an outgoing issue that is really concerning. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11461876, filed 2022-04

   “My car has multiple electric problems and it has been trying to die on me since I bought the car and they dealership doesn’t want to look at it unless I mention Apple CarPlay.”

   NHTSA complaint #11435579, filed 2021-10
4. 4
   Brakes

   Long brake pedal travel toward the floor

   • 6 complaints (4%)
   • median 63,240 mi at 4.0 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2021–2026

   Owners describe the brake pedal travelling much farther than expected, in some cases nearly to the floor, and complaints also mention brake warning lights appearing with no vehicle ahead. In at least one report the dealer replaced the master cylinder along with other parts after warning lights and a stall. Appears mostly at higher mileages in the sample, with reports from around 78,000 to 108,000 miles.

   Recall 23V4580002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check pedal feel and firmness with the engine running, and ask whether the master cylinder or brake booster has been inspected or replaced. A recall for this model year concerns the brake master cylinder to booster attachment.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “2125 miles on this Type R, fresh off the show room floor. At low speed turning into the slight dip in my driveway, the suspension in Sports Mode flexed enough for the driver side tin rotor back plate at the driver front wheel to get caught on the lower control arm. Drove it to Honda, and yes, they confirmed that this had happened, that the thin tin plate had indeed become stuck on the LCA! Screeching like you cannot believe b/c when this happens, the top of the plate is flexed onto the top of the brake rotor and it goes metal to metal. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11440302, filed 2021-11

   “The contact owns a 2021 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving approximately 37 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine, master cylinder, and adaptive cruise control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake master cylinder, fuel pump, and ignition coils needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11709926, filed 2026-01, 108,000 miles

Buying note. When considering a 2021 Civic, test the steering at highway speed and confirm whether the rack has been replaced, and ask about any open recalls or software updates for the display and driver-assist systems. Documenting the steering feel and any warning messages during a test drive gives you a concrete basis for negotiation.

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.