1997 Honda Civic Air Bags Problems

NHTSA component category: AIR BAGS · data through 07/14/2026

70Air Bags complaints

18.8%Of all 373 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How air bags ranks on this vehicle

AIR BAGS70 · 18.8%

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL53 · 14.2%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL23 · 6.2%

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE20 · 5.4%

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION19 · 5.1%

Share of the 373 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1997 Honda Civic overview page.

What owners report

“CONSUMER HAD TO HAVE THE SRS MODULE REPLACED & IT WASA NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. LIGHT STAYED ON CONSTANTLY.SRS MODULE WAS A CONTROLLER THAT ALLOWED…”NHTSA complaint 873508 — filed 10/20/2000

“THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY ACCIDENT OR ACTIVITY, I REPORTED IT TO HONDA AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT THERE FAULT, PLEASE LET US KNOW…”NHTSA complaint 733953 — filed 10/10/2000

“DEALER DIDNOT DISCLOSE ACCIDENT DAMAGE PRIOR TO SAIL MAY HAVE CAUSED AIR BAG FAILURE BY IMPROPER REPAIR FROM MAJOR ACCDENT BEFORE MY PURCHASE”NHTSA complaint 727618 — filed 08/11/2000

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Air Bags complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1997 Honda Civic have air bags problems?

Air Bags is the most-reported problem area on the 1997 Honda Civic: 70 of 373 complaints on file (18.8%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1997 Honda Civic have in total?

373 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 67 involved a crash, 2 involved a fire, 51 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's air bags category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the AIR BAGS category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.