Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Honda Civic owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 1997 Honda Civic. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V026000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact then received a notice that the parts were available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it remained in their possession for three months due to the part for the vehicle not being available. The contact then signed a waiver to take liability for any air bag failure that may occur while in his possession. The contact also declined a buyback offer made by the manufacturer. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Takata recall: on 11/21/2012 my son was seriously injured in a collision with another vehicle that pulled out in front of him on a hwy where the speed limit is 50 MPH. My son was able to brake and steer to avoid the collision but still impacted the other car's left rear quarter-panel. As a result of the impact, his airbag deployed but with such force that it separated from the steering column and exited the vehicle. He received major facial lacerations and fractures in addition to an gaping wound in his wrist. He was told by several attorneys that since his car had just passed the statute of repose gate of 15 yr, he could not hope to bring suit against Honda/Takata. To date, there does not appear to be any effort to extend the recall prior to 2002 for Honda vehicles. …
I got in an accident by myself when a deer jumped out and I swerved and hit a tree. The air bag blew up and I have burns on my face neck and arm and a gash on my head.I went to the hospital to seek medical attention and showed them my arm. They were shocked to sees third degree burn on my arm. Such a burn that it left a large hole through my sweatshirt. A charred hole like I was set on fire. The nurses and doctors said they had never seen that happen before from an airbag. My car never set fire once. I feel the airbags are defective.
Takata recall? While driving straight through my neighborhood boulevard I fell asleep, causing me to quickly acceleratte and hit a tree head on approximately 40 MPH, according to multiple witnesses and emergency responders. No airbags deployed in the car. My face and body hit the steering wheel, resulting in 4 teeth knocked out, 8 spine disc herniations and injuries, a heart contusion, whiplash, concussion, cracked collar bone, and much bruising, and broken eye glasses, retrieved by an attending neighbor witness. I was told by an attending emt that if the air bags deployed these injuries would not have occurred. When I asked my insurance agent how to retrieve my personal items from the car I was told he car was immediately deemed a total loss and, without my knowledge, my insurance co. Transfered my Honda to the wrecking yard to be flattened. …
Good day: on 17 March 2020, Honda advised me that my 1997 Civic is included in NHTSA recall 20v-026, which affects the driver frontal airbag module. In the recall notice, Honda said the repair parts are unavailable, and promised to notify me when the defective components become available. More than six months later, I am still awaiting word from Honda about when my car can be repaired. My Honda dealer says they have no idea when the parts will be available. I therefore wish to issue a formal complaint that Honda has failed to remedy this defect within the 60-day reasonable time period specified in the recall notice. Thank you for your consideration.
Dt: contact owns a 1997 Honda Civic. While driving approximately 20 MPH applied the brakes and the driver and passenger airbags deployed prior to an impact. The deployment of the airbags caused an accident because the driver could not see the vehicle in front of her. This vehicle had not been in any previous accidents. She purchased the vehicle from an individual owner, so she did not contact a local service dealer. The manufacturer stated that this type of occurrence could not have happened. The consumer no longer owned the vehicle.
"Takata recall" my airbags went off when I was turning and went over a a bump, and cracked my windshield really bad on the passenger side. The SRS red light had been on for quite some time before this. When this occurred it blew a fuse and I had to have it towed. I did not file a police report because I only have liability insurance for the car so insurance did not need it. I have also had problems with the wiring and the cruise control would not work and would honk the horn when I tried to use it
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Honda Civic. While the vehicle was in the park position, the air bags deployed independently without a crash. As a result, the air bag caused the windshield to fracture. The driver of the vehicle sustained hand injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 166,000.
While driving, the vehicle struck a pot hole, and the passenger's side air bag deployed. However, the driver's seat belt did not lock, and passenger struck his face on the steering wheel. The passenger air bag did not open and the check engine and the air bag light remained on.
SRS light came on 1/24/03 and stayed on. Took to dealer, manchester Honda, on 1/28/03 for service and was told SRS unit failure code 7-2. I have a 1997 Honda civi with 71,464 miles on it. The part that needs replacement is #77960-s04-n81. The part costs $368.70 and the installation charge quoted for me was $72.00. It cost me 85.86 to have the problem diagosed. The service repair man insisted this was not a defective part, I would have to pay for repairs. I've researched your web site and found numberous bulletins detailing failure of the SRS system with the 1997 Honda Civic. I also found recent similar complaints regarding the SRS system for 2003 Honda civics and 2002 Honda accords. Clearly this is a safety defect that Honda and NHTSA has known about for some time and there has yet to be a recall. This poses a threat to my personal safety. …
Related recalls
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 1998 Acura 2.2CL, 1998-1999 Acura 2.3CL, 1998-1999 Acura 3.0CL, 2001 Acura 3.2CL and Acura MDX, 1998-2000 Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Sedan, Odyssey and Acura 3.5RL, 1999-2000 Acura 3.2TL, 1996-2000 Civic Coupe, 1997-2000 CR-V, 1997-1998 EV Plus, and 1998-1999…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver frontal air bag inflator, and replace it if necessary, with an inflator of a different design, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020.
Air bags › Frontal
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The front passenger air bag modules have been improperly assembled. The cloth flaps covering the folded air bag May have been tucked in too far.
Remedy: Dealers will repair the front passenger's air bag module to prevent this problem from occurring.
Airbag complaints in other Civic years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 1997 Honda Civic?
NHTSA has 140 complaints about the air bags of the 1997 Honda Civic, 38% of the model year's 373 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (53 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Honda Civic airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 20V-026 (inflator module, Jan 17, 2020); NHTSA recall 97V-193 (frontal, Nov 1, 1997). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1997 Honda Civic airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 48 crashes, 1 fire and 43 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.