1986 Honda Civic problems & reliability
35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1986 Honda Civic. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (2 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1986 Honda Civic vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts → | 13 | 37% |
| Power Train | 5 | 14% |
| Structure | 5 | 14% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 11% |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 11% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 9% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 6% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 3% |
| Seats | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 1986 Honda Civic. The contact stated that whether the vehicle was parked, stationary, or driven, the seat belt was difficult to retract. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the seat belts became difficult to retract even more frequently over time. The contact tested the…”
Seat Belts · filed Mar 20, 2025
“Dt: the contact owns a 1986 honda civic. The engine constantly broke down. The dealership told the contact to get rid of the vehicle. The engine broken down five times and had to be replaced. The engine overheated and stopped. The dealership was unable to find a reason why this is happened. The consumer first began to…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Aug 24, 2005
“The 1986 honda crx has plastic fenders that hold the side marker lamps. The plastic has become very brittle over time. My side marker lights are only held on by a clumsy, plug-in attachment next to the headlight. The two screw holes that hold the lamps are useless in the fenders that are both broken in several spots…”
Structure · filed Aug 26, 2003
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA94035 · opened Oct 27, 1994 · closed Jul 31, 1995 · led to recall 95V103001
- SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILS
Preliminary Evaluation PE94052 · opened Jul 11, 1994 · closed Oct 27, 1994
- FUEL SYSTEM VENTING
Engineering Analysis EA89005 · opened Nov 16, 1988 · closed Nov 30, 1989
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1986 Honda Civic in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1986 Honda Civic?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.