Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: the reliability record is poor enough to outweigh everything else here.
Owners have filed 1,128 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Honda Civic, and it carries 27 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 375 | 33% |
| Air bags | 253 | 22% |
| Exterior lighting | 52 | 5% |
| Engine and engine cooling | 43 | 4% |
| Suspension | 38 | 3% |
| Electrical system | 33 | 3% |
| Fuel system | 31 | 3% |
| Service brakes | 25 | 2% |
| Visibility | 21 | 2% |
| Tires | 19 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
I recently bought a 2001 honda civic, 5speed. It was driving fine, until it suddenly started making grinding or weird noises. I couldn't shift and now the gears are locked up. It happened suddenly after no problems.
NHTSA complaint: Power train
The contact owns a 2001 Honda Civic. The vehicle was included in a manufacturer recall 19/076 (NHTSA Campaign Number was unknown) regarding the Takata Air Bag, and the remedy was completed on March 28, 2025. When the veh
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
The contact owns a 2001 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The fai
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
The contact owns a 2001 Honda Civic. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V501000 (Air Bags) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
I am going down the road at 65mph and car loses all power, compression, speed... Starts shuttering, stuttering & shaking the car then it dies... It doesn't matter the conditions, whether I'm in city or on road... It does
NHTSA complaint: Vehicle speed control
The fuel pump stops intermittently causing the potential for crash due to the car shutting off and loss of power steering
NHTSA complaint: Fuel/propulsion system
The car set on fire causing by airbags explosion and electrical issues and I got myself burned trying to stop the fire
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The SRS light came on and stayed red indicating defective airbags.
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
NHTSA lists 27 recall campaigns for the 2001 Honda Civic. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or dea
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer servic
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot and 2006 Ridgeline vehicles. The
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-213
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic, 2003-2004 Civic CNG and Element, 2002-2005 CR-V, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2005 Accord, Pilot, Civic Hybrid, and Acura MDX, 2005 Acura RL and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in ge
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious inj
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009
| Reliability | 32 | below average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 60 | average |
| Maintenance | 90 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 83 | excellent |
| Performance | 42 | below average |
| Efficiency | 51 | average |
Percentile ranks against other compact cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 1,128 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and power train is the most reported area with 375 of them (33%). There are 27 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 32/100 (below average) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density, adjusted for how many were sold so a popular model is not penalised for having more owners.
AVOIR scores its longevity 60/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2001 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: skip, because the reliability record is poor enough to outweigh everything else here. Its overall ownership score is 60/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.