The 1989 Honda Civic has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 3,700,000 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 88 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the seat belts. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
SEAT BELTS95V1030011995-05-243,700,000 affected
Defect
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…
Complaints by component
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
8
3crashes3injuries
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
8
2crashes4injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
7
SEAT BELTS
6
4crashes4injuries2deaths
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
5
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
3
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
3
1crashes
SEATS
3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
2
2fires
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
2
Total complaints88
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“While driving 40 mph vehicle stalled. A technician serviced the vehicle on 3-15-04, and determined that ignition distributor needed to be replaced. *ak”
“Honda issued a recall of the front seatbelts in the 1989 honda. The belt can spontaneously come unlatched. This is a serious problem in my fiance's 1989 honda. The passenger side front seat belt often spontaneously unlatches -- that is where I sit. We have taken the vehicle to planet honda in…”
“Traveling on I-15 south at 75 mph the passenger side rear tires tread separated which immediately sent my 89 honda civic hatchback into a spin ending with us hitting head first into the center divide, wrecking the car and luckily only giving us whiplash and nothing more. *jb”
“I spoke with repair facilities and other civic owners who say this is a common problem. The repair centers said they always replace the cracked plastic radiator with a metal radiator. Honda should install a metal radiator to begin with and this would not be a problem.*ak”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA94035 Opened 1994-10-27 · closed 1995-07-31
SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
There is no summary currently available
InvestigationPE93082 Opened 1993-09-23 · closed 1994-01-31
STALLING
There is no summary currently available
InvestigationPE94052 Opened 1994-07-11 · closed 1994-10-27
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1989 Honda Civic as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.