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 2006 Honda Civic owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The air bags in my vehicle did not deploy in a front and back end collision that I was involved in. It caused me to fly forward and injure myself, hitting the steering wheel in my chest and abdomen. My car was at halt at a traffic red light and a Ram 1500 van whose brakes failed to apply bumped into my car from behind, which caused my car to also collide with the car in front. This caused severe damage to my car, both in front and back and the air bag signs went on and the seat belt retracted but the air bags did not get deployed inspite of such severe impact.
Due to Honda's admitted poor paint job, paint began coming off (on roof first). Honda said they extended warranty, without notifying owners. Also say it is not safety risk. If the roof rusts, the sun roof will certainly dismount causing safety issue; if side panels rust, exhaust enters passenger compartment causing safety issue. Furthermore, headlights cloud tremendously regardless of preventative attempts. If driver can't see properly or another car cannot see the Honda, it is a safety risk. Honda America is simply a lame, perhaps once good company now trying to ride on reputation to sell poorly constructed vehicles and deny all liability for faulty work by claiming it is not a safety issue. So far, nothing has happened, and I'd like to keep it that way. …
Driver door key cylinder failed and required replacement. Could not access car on a sub zero night and had to wait 2 hours for emergency assistance. Driver's door is the only keyed door on this 4 door model. We are now on our third door cylinder since the car was purchased new. Last failure was 3 years ago. Repair costs for this defect now total around $2,000. For the same door!!! Have never owned any other car where there was a single lock failure until this Civic (and our family has owned 15 over the years). Of course, Honda's customer service position is "not our problem as the car is out of warranty" this is clearly a supplier design or manufacturing defect. Very disappointing.
My 2006 Honda Civic lx manual transmission in galaxy grey metallic, VIN [redacted], has peeling and cracking paint on the hood, passenger side fender, and roof. On 07/29/16 the car had 38,000 miles. I showed it the dealer on 10/29/15 and they took pictures of the car and sent them to Honda, but I never heard anything from them. This car is waxed twice a year, in the spring and fall with a good quality clear coat safe wax from turtle wax. I take pride in the appearance of this vehicle and Honda?s refusal to remedy the problem is very disappointing.
Trunk latch suddenly failed. There is no keyhole on the exterior trunk, and the fob and interior switch can't open it. The seat releases are also in the trunk, so there is no way to fix the problem without going to the dealer, and they want to charge for the repair even though there are multiple pages of complaints on the web about the problem that date back to 2008. I can't get to my spare tire or any of my other emergency equipment.
A few months ago I noticed discoloration of paint on my roof. It could have been there for quite some time and I just never noticed it. Today while getting an oil change, the tech advised me that Honda had had a recall on Honda civics and other models to cover the repainting of fading and/or peeling paint, clear coat, etc., on the affected year models. I had never been advised of the recall or I would have brought it in sooner.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Honda Civic. The sun visor in the vehicle was repaired per a recall. However, the sun visors were still detached from the vehicle and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken the dealer and repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired again. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The recall details were unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 131,133.
Lost control of vehicle trying to avoid an object on the highway. My vehicle hit the railing on the interstate and the air bags did not deploy. My vehicle was declared a complete lost as other damage to the frame occurred, and the drivers side front wheel came off.
Creaking and rattling from interior of car in several areas--most notable the rear. General feeling of parts falling apart or coming loose while driving. The loudest and most troublesome noise sounds like it is coming from where the rear interior shelf and rear window meet. The noise is loudest when the car is cold and happens mostly while driving over rough patches of highway, crossing road reflectors, or when the stereo is on. There is also a "creaking" noise coming from all areas of the front dash and console around the front windshield during all driving conditions. The creaking and rattling has been a problem since the first week I bought the car. I have owned several cars and these noises are not the typical interior noises you hear in a car. I have taken my car to the dealer 6 times for this problem. …
About 6 months ago, when my car was about 6 years old, I started noticing whitish markings in the paint on the roof of my car. Since then these light marks have turned into major chipping and peeling paint. I have never owned a car that had this problem, whether or not the car was mostly in a garage or left outside on the street. Before going into the dealer to complain, I decided to search the web as I had a feeling I was not the only one having this problem. I was right! Thousands of other car owners have been experiencing the same thing in both Honda Civic's and accords, from model years 2003 to 2007, and there is even a class action lawsuit detailing the problem. Honda, apparently, is not accepting responsibility for this glaring defect and I, for one, am extremely disappointed in their refusal to step up and recall the cars or issue payments to owners to cover repainting. …
Body complaints in other Civic years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2006 Honda Civic?
NHTSA has 78 complaints about the body & structure of the 2006 Honda Civic, 6% of the model year's 1,403 complaints. The component named most often is body (43 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Honda Civic body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2006 Honda Civic, though it has 13 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 2006 Honda Civic body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 66,000 miles, and 22% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 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.