Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Honda Civic owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Driving at 55 MPH a Ford focus pulled straight out in front of me and came to a stop. I was approximately 1 car length away when they did this so I did not have time to stop and could not pull out around them because I would have been in oncoming traffic. I t-boned this vehicle doing 55 MPH and they were stopped. My front end hit directly on their front drivers side. Their front left fender and tire were bent in and both of their front air bags deployed. My whole front end was crushed in and the center of my hood looked like I hit a tree. None of my air bags deployed. If I had not been wearing my seat belt I would have been more seriously injured than I was. Where are the sensors for air bag deployment? Shouldn't mine have deployed?
I had the bumper replaced by Honda of hollywood through the other partys insurance, however it took almost 2months to have done because they were giving me the run around. I had the bumper replaced 9/11/00 and richard in the hollywood Honda autobody shop tells me that there should be an opening where the bumper and body of the car meet. I told him when I purchased the car it was like that the two met closely and now he is trying to convince me that its was never like that and to look at all the other hondas they are not close together. At this point 2 months of being dumped on, the farmers insurance adjuster from the guilty party made a deal with richard from my initial precise estimate of $895.00 to Honda's $413.00 and the bumper is worse off. I need a lawyer can someone help me out?
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the dashboard on the front passengers side near the steering wheel was cracked. As a result, the air bags were exposed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 173,000.
The support rod for the hood is approximately 1 ft. In length, and is located approximately one foot from the hood hinge. The support rod also contains a manufactured bend in the center that is meant to fold under pressure. It failed. Slight pressure was applied to the hood while in the raised position between 1.5 and 3.5 inches . The hood bent on the rod. There was no extra reinforcement in the manufactured placement area provided for the rod. The damage is minimal.....only a 1/4 inch dimple in the hood, but the hood is so thin that the only manufacturer recommended repair is complete replacement of the hood. I feel that this is a definite design flaw; the entire weight of the hood pivots on the rod at only one foot in distance from the fulcrum(hinge). Physically it is a certainty that damage is inevitable.
On May 20, 2011, around 5:45 -6:00 in the morning. I was traveling south on I-95 near the rest area in glynn county just a little after exits 42. It appeared that I had ran over a semi-truck tire that was in the far right lane. It was later confirm after getting a little closer to the rest area a semi-truck was on the side of the road getting a tire replace by an towing company. While on my lunch break I notice the left drivers of my vehicle had been damage due the object in the road this morning.
On-going / intermittent problem of electrical shorts / statistic electricity received from either side of the doors; dealer notified and informed that nothing could be done. Unless consumer is willing to pay for electrical diagnostic or rewiring.
Both rear doors are inaccessible from the exterior of the vehicle. First occurrence was with the passenger side rear door approx. 1 month ago. The most recent occurrence is with the driver side rear door < 1 week ago.
Defect in the hood support rod caused the hood to come crashing down, almost resulting in injuries, support rod broke in half in the middle of rod. The hood came down with enough force to buckle it.
Rear trunk lid will not stay open if vehicle is on an incline, on one occasion consumer opened the trunk lid, bent over and reached inside the trunk, the lid came down on his head injurying him.
The paint on my 98 Civic is fading....there are "white chalky patches" all over the hood. It looks absolutely terrible; the delamination defect is quite obvious. Sunlight fades the paint!
Body complaints in other Civic years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 1998 Honda Civic?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the body & structure of the 1998 Honda Civic, 6% of the model year's 435 complaints. The component named most often is frame and members (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Honda Civic body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 1998 Honda Civic, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Honda Civic body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 230,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to body & structure 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.