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1989 Honda Civic
The 1989 Honda Civic appears in 1 NHTSA recall campaign (seat belts) and in 69 consumer complaints filed with the agency.
The component named most often is seat belts: 215.9 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 121.1 per 1,000 across all 1989 model-year vehicles and against 33.3 per 1,000 for the Honda Civic line as a whole.
That is fewer than the average of 206.4 complaints per model year across the 52 Honda Civic model years on this register; 15 complaints reported a crash and 2 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 1995 (24); the most recent in the file is dated 3 May 2006.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 3 investigations naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 24 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: The front safety belt buckle release buttons can break. These red plastic release buttons are marked "press." if a button breaks, pieces can fall into the buckle assembly causing the buckle to operate improperly.
Consequence: The safety belts would not provide adequate protection to an occupant in a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Owners should promptly check the condition and operation of both front safety belt buckles. Carefully inspect the red release button for any breaks or cracks. Check that both buckles are operating properly by inserting each latch plate into its buckle, tug on the belt to make sure the latch is securely locked, then press the release button. The latch plate should pop out of the buckle when the button is pressed. If either release button shows any sign of breakage or cracking, or if either buckle fails to operate properly, promptly contact your authorized honda/acura dealer to schedule an appointment to have the buckle replaced or repaired, free of charge. The manufacturer is developing a remedy designed to prevent the failure of the buttons that are not currently broken.
Filed by AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO..
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 1989 Honda Civic (black) against all 1989 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 1989 | Civic line | All 1989 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 215.9 | 33.3 | 121.1 |
| Electrical System | 136.4 | 80.9 | 139.7 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 102.3 | 40.2 | 55.4 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 90.9 | 56.8 | 127.6 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 90.9 | 13.2 | 65.8 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 45.5 | 6.6 | 17.9 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 19 | 215.9 | 33.3 | 121.1 |
| Electrical System | 12 | 136.4 | 80.9 | 139.7 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 102.3 | 40.2 | 55.4 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 90.9 | 56.8 | 127.6 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 90.9 | 13.2 | 65.8 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 4 | 45.5 | 6.6 | 17.9 |
| Tires | 4 | 45.5 | 33.8 | 28.6 |
| Seats | 4 | 45.5 | 14.5 | 22.7 |
| Suspension | 3 | 34.1 | 60.6 | 25.3 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 34.1 | 33.7 | 115.3 |
| Structure | 3 | 34.1 | 47.6 | 54.1 |
| Steering | 3 | 34.1 | 28.5 | 42.4 |
| Power Train | 2 | 22.7 | 105.2 | 73.6 |
| Visibility | 2 | 22.7 | 60 | 30.8 |
| Equipment | 2 | 22.7 | 14.2 | 16.5 |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 11.4 | 22.9 | 15.4 |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 11.4 | 40 | 14.8 |
69 unique complaints, 88 component mentions; 18 injuries and 2 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EA94035 | Engineering analysis | SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE | seat belts:front:buckle assembly | 27 Oct 1994 | 31 Jul 1995 | 95V103001 |
| PE94052 | Preliminary evaluation | SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILS | seat belts:front:buckle assembly | 11 Jul 1994 | 27 Oct 1994 | — |
| PE93082 | Preliminary evaluation | STALLING | electrical system | 23 Sep 1993 | 31 Jan 1994 | — |
Other Honda Civic model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 2 | 0 | 951,861 |
| 1974 | 2 | 0 | 1,002,883 |
| 1975 | 2 | 0 | 1,069,347 |
| 1976 | 2 | 0 | 1,069,347 |
| 1977 | 3 | 0 | 1,102,899 |
| 1978 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 936,774 |
| 1979 NHTSA | 1 | 1 | 936,774 |
| 1981 NHTSA | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1982 NHTSA | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1983 NHTSA | 0 | 9 | — |
| 1984 | 3 | 5 | 293,067 |
| 1985 | 2 | 15 | 640,019 |
| 1986 | 3 | 34 | 4,077,536 |
| 1987 | 3 | 39 | 4,159,286 |
| 1988 | 3 | 46 | 3,803,602 |
| 1989 | 1 | 69 | 3,700,000 |
| 1990 | 3 | 90 | 3,700,083 |
| 1991 | 1 | 109 | 3,700,000 |
| 1992 | 1 | 98 | 191,289 |
| 1993 | 1 | 145 | 191,289 |
| 1994 | 2 | 135 | 191,320 |
| 1995 | 0 | 198 | — |
| 1996 | 2 | 303 | 1,600,530 |
| 1997 | 2 | 366 | 1,449,399 |
| 1998 | 4 | 418 | 2,455,944 |
| 1999 | 3 | 320 | 2,446,386 |
| 2000 | 6 | 260 | 3,355,270 |
| 2001 | 14 | 1,045 | 13,200,768 |
| 2002 | 11 | 669 | 14,366,149 |
| 2003 | 11 | 466 | 14,610,559 |
| 2004 | 10 | 329 | 12,684,260 |
| 2005 | 10 | 284 | 12,684,260 |
| 2006 | 13 | 1,314 | 5,355,752 |
| 2007 | 9 | 1,114 | 4,126,924 |
| 2008 | 7 | 813 | 3,730,507 |
| 2009 | 8 | 347 | 4,422,233 |
| 2010 | 8 | 343 | 5,777,511 |
| 2011 | 9 | 140 | 5,795,567 |
| 2012 | 3 | 312 | 51,503 |
| 2013 | 0 | 199 | — |
| 2014 | 2 | 149 | 153,492 |
| 2015 | 1 | 113 | 143,676 |
| 2016 | 5 | 275 | 2,993,410 |
| 2017 | 6 | 106 | 2,601,895 |
| 2018 | 6 | 43 | 2,732,430 |
| 2019 | 4 | 8 | 3,349,899 |
| 2020 | 5 | 0 | 4,088,095 |
| 2021 | 4 | 0 | 3,463,543 |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 2,806,772 |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | 1,958,273 |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 1,957,887 |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | 2,414,009 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Honda Civic model years · Honda: 67 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 1989 Honda Civic have?
1 NHTSA recall campaign name this model year; the most recent, 95V103001, was reported to NHTSA on 24 May 1995 and concerns seat belts:front:buckle assembly. Across all model years the Honda Civic line has 79 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 1989 Honda Civic?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 3 actions naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 1989 Honda Civic complain about most?
Seat Belts: 19 of 88 component mentions (215.9 per 1,000). Next is electrical system with 12. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 24 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 24 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.