2021 Honda Civic Type R problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (3) · Power Train (2) · Electrical System (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Honda Civic Type R model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (2)
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger 2026-05-21 · campaign 26V332000 · 98,892 vehicles
Defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor ma
Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger 2024-02-01 · campaign 24V064000 · 750,114 vehicles
Defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
Service bulletins (16)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Engine 2025-10-13 · A25-062 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin - water could enter the hood scoop and accumulate down inside the no. 4 spark plug hole. this can corrode the ignition coil, plug tube, and spark plug, leading to a misfire to the no. 4 cylinder. if a misfire is detected, dtc p0304 is stored.
Engine 2025-09-17 · A25-089 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin - oil leak at the cam chain tensioner inspection cover due to and insufficient sealant adhesion on the inspection cover.
Engine 2025-08-19 · A25-062 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin - water could enter the hood scoop and accumulate down inside the no. 4 spark plug hole. this can corrode the ignition coil, plug tube, and spark plug, leading to a misfire to the no. 4 cylinder. if a misfire is detected, dtc p0304 is stored.
Visibility/Wiper 2024-06-19 · A23-039 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin - due to a new north america regulation which introduces a new refrigerant and oil requirement, the compressor shaft seal may leak. american honda is extending the warranty on the a/c compressor shaft seal from the original 3 years to 10 years from the original date of purchase, wit
Visibility/Wiper 2024-06-19 · A21-014 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin - american honda is extending the warranty on the a/c condenser to 10 years from the original date of purchase with unlimited miles. this warranty extension only covers vehicles that have a defective a/c condenser from the factory. the a/c condenser was not manufactured to specifica
Visibility:defroster/Defogger/Hvac System 2024-01-24 · A23-039 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin - due to a new north america regulation which introduces a new refrigerant and oil requirement, the compressor shaft seal may leak. american honda is extending the warranty on the a/c compressor shaft seal from the original 3 years to 10 years from the original date of purchase, wit
Showing the 6 most recent of 16 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-28 · Engine“i recently discovered that coolant has been leaking into two of my cylinders, causing an overheating issue. the honda dealership tells me this is a known issue for their engines for that year range, so much so that an extended warranty has been added to all other engines but there is a carve out for the type-r. the same damage is occurring and th…”
2026-09-10 · Engine“head gasket failure, coolant was found while inspecting a spark plug at my local honda dealership. noticed spark plug in cylinder 2 was damaged. stuck a camera down to find coolant mixed with oil. …”
2026-03-25 · Fuel/Propulsion System“while operating my 2021 honda civic type r (vin: [xxx] ) in high-ambient temperatures (approximately 95°f), the vehicle experienced a sudden and total loss of motive power during acceleration while exiting a busy intersection. this resulted in an immediate engine stall in the path of oncoming traffic, creating a severe risk of a collision. followi…”
2025-12-04 · Engine“misfire in cylinder 4 led to head gasket failure. the problem was diagnosed at the dealership, and there is an active tsb for this issue - however my vehicle is not covered.…”
2025-11-21 · Electrical System“entertainment system turns on and off while driving suspected bad alternator.…”
2025-01-24 · Air Bags · 48,000 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owns a 2021 honda civic type-r. the contact stated that the vehicle in front came to a stop, and the contact did not have ample time to bring the vehicle to a stop. as a result, the contact crashed the front of the vehicle into the rear of the vehicle in front. none of the air bags deployed. the vehicle was not deemed a total loss. the …”
2024-11-05 · Power Train · 4,000 mi · 💥 crash · 🔥 fire“the contact owned a 2021 honda civic type r. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 mph, the vehicle suddenly lost automotive power and stalled. the vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. the transmission was replaced and the failure was remedied. later, whi…”
2024-09-26 · Air Bags“see attached document for complaint. …”
2024-07-25 · Power Train“car abruptly shut off after start up. then car started and ran normally for 2 days. then after start up cel came on for emissions problem. took to dealership and said it had a p0546 (small evap leak) code. performed a leak down test and no leak was found. then said fuel was present in charcoal canister. these are same issues and complaints that oth…”
2024-07-23 · Electrical System“infotainment system reboots while driving, lose access to navigation, music, and anything controlled with the radio. unable to reverse safely due to loss of back up camera, honda dealer does not want to replace and they tell me to turn my head and look over my shoulder…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.