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2011 Honda Civic problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
18%
20 of 113 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2011 Honda Civic. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 18% of relevant complaints.

Better than 91% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 58 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 12%).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2011 Honda Civic have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 20 of 113 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Honda Civic concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (18%). For comparison, the 2010 scores 12% and the 2012 scores 30%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
20
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
171
this model year
Fires reported
5
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
9
22 crashes · 20 injuries

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS51 · 30%
SERVICE BRAKES33 · 19%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER22 · 13%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM16 · 9%
VISIBILITY/WIPER13 · 8%
STRUCTURE10 · 6%

The years either side

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

How the 2011 compares with other Honda Civic years

Of the 14 Honda Civic years with enough complaints to score, the 2011 is the 6th-best on engine and transmission share (18%). The worst is the 2015 (63%), the best the 2022 (3%). By volume, the 2011 drew 171 complaints (20 drivetrain), against 401 for the 2010 and 461 for the 2012.

Honda Civic years to avoid and best years →

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2011 Honda Civic

  • Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
  • What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
  • Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.

What one owner reported

ENGINE07/01/2019FIRE1 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER'S SIDE A/C VENTS. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS A LOUD POPPING SOUND ALSO COMING FROM THE PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT A/C VENT. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OFF THE ROADWAY AND CAUGHT ON FIR…

One of 20 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

2011 Honda Civic fuel system recalls

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2011 Honda Civic involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 9 in total. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump11V176000 · Mar 2011

HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 HONDA CIVIC VEHICLES. TO PREVENT FUEL FROM LEAKING OUT OF A VEHICLE'S FUEL TANK INTO THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSIONS CANISTER IN THE EVENT A ROLL-OVER INCIDENT OCCURS, THE FUEL PUMP MODULE IS EQUIPPED WITH A ROLL OVER VALVE (ROV). DUE TO IMPROPER ULTRASONIC WELDING OF THE PLASTIC CASE THAT HOUSES THE ROV WITHIN THE FUEL PUMP MODULE, THE CASE MATERIAL MAY BREAK OR CRACK, WHICH…

Risk: FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FUEL PUMP MODULE AND IF NECESSARY REPLACE THE MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 25, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-999-1009.

8 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module19V502000 · Jun 2019
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module19V378000 · May 2019
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module18V661000 · Sep 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module18V268000 · Apr 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module18V042000 · Jan 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX, ZDX, Honda Accord Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot vehicles, 2011-13 Acura TSX Sportswagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord,,…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module17V545000 · Aug 2017
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2008-2012 Accord, 2010-2012 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2012 Fit and Pilot, 2010-2012 Insight, and 2009-2012 Acura…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module17V030000 · Jan 2017
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Acura TSX, 2011-2012 Acura TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Acura ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2012 Honda Accord Crosstour and Honda Insight,…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module16V346000 · May 2016
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Acura TSX, 2011 TSX Wagon, 2010-2011 Acura ZDX, 2008-2011 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model; one of NHTSA's listings did not answer when this page was built, so the list may be incomplete. Checked October 3, 2026.

Checking one particular 2011 Honda Civic? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2011 Honda Civic

Does the 2011 Honda Civic have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 20 of 113 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Honda Civic concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (18%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

What is the most common problem with the 2011 Honda Civic?

Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2011 Honda Civic is air bags: 51 of 171 complaints (30%) name it, followed by service brakes (33) and electrical system (16). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap. Engine, transmission and fuel-system complaints together make up 18% of the relevant total.

Is the 2011 Honda Civic reliable?

On the engine and transmission, nothing stands out: 18% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain, below the 33% line where we call a signal elevated. That is better than 91% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 14 Honda Civic years we score, it ranks 6th-best. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2011 Honda Civic?

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2011 Honda Civic involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 9 in total: 11V176000 (fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump). Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

Which Honda Civic years are better?

Among the Honda Civic years we track, the 2022 (3%), the 2023 (5%) and the 2021 (10%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2011 (18%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/honda-civic

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 3 body styles NHTSA files separately.