1987 Honda Civic problems & reliability
39 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1987 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.
6 complaints report injuries (7 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts → | 21 | 54% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 10% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 5% |
| Power Train | 2 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 5% |
| Suspension | 2 | 5% |
| Tires | 2 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% |
| Seats | 1 | 3% |
| Structure | 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
“Tl*the contact owns a 1987 honda civic crx. The vehicle has hankook radial max a/s (na) tires. While driving 55 mph, the front passenger side tire bounced up and down and caused the vehicle to pull to the right. The contact stated that he did not notice anything after inspecting the tire. The mechanic replaced the…”
Tires · filed Feb 13, 2008
“Dt*: the contact stated while driving the fuel system failed without warning. The fuel system lines have been replaced twice, the first time by a dealer, the second time by an independent repair shop. The vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop. The mechanic determined the fuel system lines had failed again…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Jun 7, 2006
“When driving at any speed and without warning, the fuel line leaked which caused a distraction to the consumer. *ak there was a strong odor of gasoline inside and outside the vehicle. Liquid gasoline dripped from underneath the vehicle on the driver side near the driver's door. Replaced old pipes and fuel lines and…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Aug 20, 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 1987 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 1987 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.