1989 Honda Civic problems & reliability
69 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 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.
13 complaints report injuries (18 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1989 Honda Civic vehicles were involved in 8 fatal crashes with 9 occupant deaths. 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 → | 18 | 26% |
| Electrical System → | 11 | 16% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 13% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 12% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 10% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 6% |
| Seats | 4 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 4% |
| Suspension | 3 | 4% |
| Tires | 3 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I had auto accident, I was going 15 to 20 miles an hour. When I hit small tree. The steering wheel crushed my chest and I suffered a spinal cord injury at the t~2 level and now I'm now a quadriplegic. My seat belt failed to hold, the seat belt assembly had been recalled mine was replaced under recall. In 1996 recall…”
Equipment · filed May 3, 2006
“Dt*: the contact stated the engine revved while the vehicle idled in park. The check engine light would illuminate and the gears were hard to shift. While driving at various speeds the vehicle gradually lost power and then stalled. The vehicle was inspected by an independent repair shop for the stalling issue. The…”
Electrical System · filed Feb 23, 2006
“Engine "revs" and surges forward. This is especially bad when in idle or when restarting after having been driven. Several times this high revving has caused the car to lurch forward, and in a couple of instances has almost caused car to hit auto in front of it. This has happened since purchase three years ago and…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Jun 11, 2004
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
- STALLING
Preliminary Evaluation PE93082 · opened Sep 23, 1993 · closed Jan 31, 1994
Technical service bulletins
4 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Honda Civic.
Concerns with a clunk or squeak from the rear suspension when going over rough or bumpy roads. *tt
00006 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 11, 2001
Experiencing a clunk from the rear suspension when going over rough or bumpy roads. *tt
00006 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 28, 2000
Problems with head gasket leaks. *yc
97111097047 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 10, 1997
UNKNOWN
HON050895 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 1995
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1989 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 1989 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.