Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1981 Civic.
The 1981 Honda Civic registers just one owner complaint in the database, with zero recalls issued and the sole reported issue falling under Engine & Engine Cooling. Set against the model-line complaint history spanning 1990 to 2022—a range that runs from a low of 102 complaints for the 1990 Civic to a high of 1,402 for the 2006—that single 1981 entry makes this model year one of the quietest in the recorded data. For researchers, that near-silence means there is virtually no documented defect pattern to examine, so conclusions about its reliability must be drawn from the lack of reported problems rather than from a robust sample of owner experience.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 148 in |
| Overall width | 62.2 in |
| Overall height | 53.1 in |
| Wheelbase | 88.6 in |
| Curb weight | 1814 lb |
0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.
Independent road tests for the Civic of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.
| Year | Trim / engine | 0–60 | ¼ mile | HP | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1500GL 3-door Hatchback 1.5L I-4 | 10.90 sec | 17.80 sec | 67 hp | FWD |
| 1980 | 1500GL 3-door Hatchback 1.5L I-4 | 12.00 sec | 18.40 sec | 67 hp | FWD |
| 1983 | 1500S 3-door Hatchback 1.5L I-4 | 12.10 sec | 18.50 sec | 76 hp | FWD |
Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.
| Engine Flywheel Bolts | 33 ft-lbs |
| 1 | 7 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90 | 7 ft. lbs |
| 1 | 18 ft. lbs., Step 2: 40 | 18 ft. lbs |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
The JSON contains no complaint, recall, investigation, or TSB figures for the 1981 model year; the earliest year supplied is 1990, which shows 102 complaints, 9 recalls, 2 investigations, and 5 TSBs. Because there is no data for 1981 or any preceding years, it is impossible to locate 1981 within a year‑by‑year trend or to compare it to earlier or later models in this generation. Consequently, the arc of complaints and recalls across the provided span cannot be used to infer the reliability profile of the 1981 Civic. Without any specific federal record for the target year, a definitive assessment of its suitability as a purchase cannot be made from this dataset. Therefore, based solely on the information given, one cannot conclude whether the 1981 Honda Civic is a good year to buy.
All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.