1997 Honda Civic Air Bags:frontal Problems

NHTSA component category: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · data through 07/12/2026

53Air Bags:frontal complaints

14.2%Of all 373 complaints

#2Most-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:frontal 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

“VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP LIGHT WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE REARENDED IT AFTER TRAVELING 40MPH & PUSHED IT INTO ANOTHER. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S AIR BAG FAILED…”NHTSA complaint 870965 — filed 09/19/2000

“AIR BAG LIGHT SENSOR WAS REMAINING ON. VEHICLE HIT A DOG AT 50 MPH, AND BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT INFLATING. DEALER NOTIFIED.”NHTSA complaint 863344 — filed 06/09/2000

“THE AIR BAG FALSLY DEPLOYED WHEN THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WENT FLAT CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO CRASH INTO A UTILITY POLE. CONSUMER ESCAPED WITH ONLY…”NHTSA complaint 551992 — filed 04/26/2000

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

Air Bags:frontal complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1997 Honda Civic have air bags:frontal problems?

Air Bags:frontal is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 1997 Honda Civic: 53 of 373 complaints on file (14.2%). 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 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 67 involved a crash, 2 involved a fire, 51 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's air bags:frontal category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the AIR BAGS:FRONTAL 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 07/12/2026.