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2010 Honda Civic problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
12%
36 of 294 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2010 Honda Civic. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 12% of relevant complaints.

Better than 96% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 107 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 9%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2010 Honda Civic have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 36 of 294 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2010 Honda Civic concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (12%). For comparison, the 2011 scores 18%. 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
36
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
401
this model year
Fires reported
5
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
8
31 crashes · 32 injuries

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS98 · 24%
SERVICE BRAKES89 · 22%
STRUCTURE44 · 11%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER38 · 9%
VISIBILITY/WIPER34 · 8%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM24 · 6%

The years either side

2010
12%
36 of 401
2011
18%
20 of 171
2012
30%
90 of 461
2013
26%
52 of 320
2014
55%
126 of 291
2015
63%
205 of 388
2016
15%
149 of 1,082
2017
19%
106 of 601
2018
21%
120 of 601
2019
26%
112 of 451
2020
30%
60 of 232
2021
10%
14 of 159
2022
3%
27 of 959
2023
5%
17 of 332

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

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2010 Honda Civic

What one owner reported

AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE01/15/2013CRASH1 INJURED
I WAS PARKED IN SHOPPING CENTER. I CAME OUT OF CVS PHARMACY AND CAREFULLY BACKED MY CAR OUT. I BEGAN A LEFT TURN LANE (STILL IN SHOPPING CENTER) NOT INTO MAIN ROAD AND SUDDENLY THE CAR'S SPEED ESCALATED RAPIDLY AND I COULD NOT STOP IT - IT JUMPED THE CURB AND IN TRYING TO AVOID HITTING SHOPS CAR CRASHED HEADLONG INTO…

One of 36 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2010 Honda Civic?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns on the 2010 Honda Civic, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. 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.

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 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2010 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 2010 Honda Civic

Does the 2010 Honda Civic have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 36 of 294 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2010 Honda Civic concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (12%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2010 Honda Civic?

No. NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns on the 2010 Honda Civic, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

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 2010 (12%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2010 Honda Civic?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2010 Honda Civic shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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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.