2010 Honda Civic Common Problems

Before we dive into the specifics we want to mention we’re taking a slightly unique approach to this article. We typically write common problems guide on a per engine basis rather than model year. As such, we’ll have that article coming in the near future. For now, we want to focus on a few of the common problems on the 2010 Honda Civic.

’10 Honda Civic Background Info

The 2010 model year marks the last year of the 8th generation Honda Civic in the US markets. The 8th gen Civic continued on until 2012 in the Asia-Pacific region and 2016 in China. As such, this article is relevant to most 8th gen Civics. The good news about the 2010 models is that it’s a later year model. Almost all cars have minor kinks that need to be worked out when major changes come, such as generation changes. While all 8th gen Civics are reliable it’s fair to say later models allowed time for Honda to iron out some of the minor issues.

Additionally, the 8th gen Civic encompasses the following engines:

• 1.3L LDA-MF5 (Inline 4, Hybrid)
• 1.4L L13A7 (Inline 4, Europe)
• 1.6L R16A1 (Inline 4)
• 1.8L R18A1 (Inline 4)
• 2.0L K20Z2 (Inline 4)
• 2.0L K20Z3 (Inline 4)
• 2.0L K20A (Inline 4)
• 2.2L N22A2 (Inline 4 turbodiesel)

Dependent upon your location and specific model, the 2010 Honda Civic features one of the above engines. Using these engine codes may be helpful in researching additional info.

’10 Civic Common Problems

• Engine vibrations and rattles
• Failed occupant position sensor (airbag light)
• Power window issues
• Door lock issues

Again, we’ll write separate posts for actual engine problems in the various Honda Civic models. It’s also important to note – the 2010 Honda Civic is a highly reliable car overall. It’s also affordable, fuel efficient, and all around great car for the price. However, a few things to look out for include engine vibrations, airbag lights, power window switch problems, and door lock issues. We’ll break down each of these topics below with some added insights.

1) Engine Vibrations

The ’10 Civic is known to have some issues with engine vibrations and rattling, especially as they’re getting older. The usual culprit of this problem is related to the engine mounts as they wear down with age. However, if your 2010 Civic experiencing engine vibrations, rattling, or overall rough running then you’ll want to consider the following:

• Engine mounts
• Spark plugs
• Ignition coils

Engine mounts are often the cause of engine vibrations on the 2010 models. However, spark plugs and ignition coils are often over-looked standard maintenance. Spark plugs and ignition coils rarely fail instantly. Rather, they wear down over time and eventually cause vibrations, rough idle, stuttering, or stumbling on acceleration. The good news is – spark plugs and ignition coils are inexpensive, especially on a 4-cylinder Honda engine. Start with the spark plugs if you know they haven’t been replaced in a long time.

Back to engine mounts. Since 2010 Civic engine mounts are responsible for carrying the entire weight of the engine it makes sense they degrade and wear down over time. Engine mounts are rubber since they need to absorb impacts and vibrations. Unfortunately, rubber wears down with age. If your engine mounts are to blame expect to pay somewhere in the ballpark of $300-500+ for replacement.

2) Airbag Light

The Honda Civic airbag light is actually a common problem across many different years. It’s not unique to just the 2010 models. If you’re experiencing this issue be sure to check your Civics VIN number for any recalls. There are some on-going recalls for airbag related issues on the 2010 models, along with many other years. Depending upon the actual issue it may or may not be covered under the recall. Nonetheless, it’s worth a shot to avoid paying out of pocket.

Often, the real cause of the airbag light is a failed occupant position sensor. This causes the Civic SRS airbag light to come on. If the fix is not covered under a recall then the price may vary based on exactly what is wrong. The airbag light and occupant position sensor are generally fairly inexpensive repairs on the 8th generation Honda Civic.

3) Power Window Issues

Power window issues on the ’10 8th gen Honda Civic usually stem from an issue within the power window switch. The exact issue can vary quite a bit. Sometimes the 2010 Civic windows will go down, but will not go back up. You may try hitting the switch 10 times and finally they go back up. The windows also may not go down in the first place. There are quite a few different ways the power window problems affect the ’10 Civic.

The DIY crowd may try removing the driver door panel and inspecting the switch and harness connectors. It’s also possible the window fell off track or the window regulator motor is failing. Again, there are quite a few possibilities. Fortunately, a fix for the 2010 Civic window problems is pretty simple. At a shop you’re probably looking at less than $200 for the repair. DIY’ers can likely fix any window issues for less than $50.

4) Honda Civic Door Lock Problems

This is similar to the above issue with the power windows. As such, we’ll keep this short. The door locks may fail in several different ways. Certain doors may lock but not unlock. Sometimes 2010 Honda doors may unlock but won’t lock. Additionally, the door locks may stop working all together.

As with the above, it’s typically a pretty simple fix that requires pulling off the door panel of the affected door. Check to see if anything is visibly stopping the locking mechanism from locking or unlocking the door. If everything checks out then the door lock module may be failing. Expect a relatively cheap and simple fix for this issue.

2010 Honda Civic Reliability

All things considered, the ’10 Honda Civic is a highly reliable car. We mentioned a few of the common problems in this post and will expand in the future with additional insights to the reliability of each Honda Civic engine, such as the K20A. Look for issues with engine vibrations, airbag lights, window problems, and door problems. They’re all pretty simple and inexpensive issues. If engine vibrations turn out to be caused by bad motor mounts that’s likely the most expensive repair on the list. However, don’t count out spark plugs as those are cheap and cause similar symptoms.

2010 Honda Civic reliability is a pretty simple topic since they’re great cars. However, it’s important to add a few final notes. These 2010 models are now a decade old and many are probably beyond 100,000 miles. While the 2010 Civic is likely good for 200,000+ miles they’re getting old. Age can wear down rubber parts, gaskets, sensors, electrical parts, etc. Given the age, there are plenty of problems that are fair game and could potentially pop up.

Fortunately, when issues do arrive the ’10 Civic is relatively easy to work on and repairs are inexpensive. If you’re in the market for a 2010 Honda Civic take your time and track down a good one that’s been well maintained. Chances are you’ll end up with a highly reliable and cost effective car.

Looking for more info on the 2010 Honda Civic? Check out our guides like Honda K20 engine problems, K20Z3 complete guide, and K20 supercharger kits.