Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1984 Civic.
The 1984 Honda Civic Overview notes an engine oil capacity of 3.7 qt with recommended viscosities of 20W‑40, 20W‑50 or 10W‑40. Owner‑reported data show a total of seven complaints, primarily concerning the fuel system and gasoline, along with three recalls. Looking at the broader Civic complaint history from 1990 to 2022, the lowest point occurred in 1990 with 102 complaints while the peak came in 2006 with 1,402 reports, positioning the 1984 model within a relatively low‑complaint era of the nameplate’s reliability record.
Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 150 in |
| Overall width | 64.2 in |
| Overall height | 52.8 in |
| Wheelbase | 93.7 in |
| Curb weight | 1953 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | S 5-door Wagon 1.5L I-4 | 11.60 sec | 18.20 sec | 76 hp | FWD |
| 1986 | Si 3-door Hatchback 1.5L I-4 | 10.57 sec | 17.82 sec | 91 hp | FWD |
Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.
This engine holds 3.7 qt of 20W-40 / 20W-50 / 10W-40 engine oil.
| Engine Coolant | ETHYLENE GLYCOL |
| Engine Oil | 20W-40 · 20W-50 · 10W-40 · 10W-30 · 5W-30 · 5W-20 |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 3.7 qt |
| Engine Oil | 20W-40 · 20W-50 · 10W-40 · 10W-30 · 5W-30 · 5W-20 |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 3.7 qt |
| 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 supplies no federal complaint, recall, investigation, or TSB figures for the 1984 model year or for any years preceding or following it within the provided record set. Consequently, a year‑by‑year trend analysis across the generation cannot be performed with the available data. The only specific information given for 1984 is the ranking of top complaint areas—Fuel System, Gasoline (2), Structure (2), Engine & Engine Cooling (1), and Service Brakes, Hydraulic (1)—along with zero crash and zero fire complaints. Without comparative complaint or recall counts, it is impossible to determine whether 1984 exhibits a higher, lower, or average level of issues relative to neighboring model years. Therefore, based solely on the supplied JSON, there is insufficient evidence to conclude whether the 1984 Honda Civic is a good or poor year to purchase.
All 7 complaints on record, top 5 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
LEFT DRIVE SHAFT MAY DEVELOP CRACKS, AND MAY BREAK UNDER HEAVY LOADING SUCH AS THAT CAUSED BY RAPID ACCELERATION. THIS DEFECT ORIGINATED IN A MANUFACTURING PROCESS WHICH HAS NOW BEEN IMPROVED. Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT DRIVE SHAFT ON VEHICLES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY CORRECTED, AT NO CHARGE.
PRODUCTION TOLERANCE ERRORS COULD ALLOW ACCIDENTAL HOOD OPENING. IF THE HOOD IS NOT SECURELY LATCHED IN THE FULLY LOCKED POSITION, DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED OR HITTING A LARGE BUMP COULD CAUSE THE HOOD TO OPEN WITHOUT… Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE DEFECTIVE HOOD LATCHES AT NO CHARGE.
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.
Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
3.7 qt of ABOVE 14 degrees F: 20W-40 OR 20W-50, ABOVE -4 degrees F: 10W-40, -4 degrees TO 90 degrees F: 10W-30, BELOW 32 degrees F: 5W-30, BELOW 14 degrees F: 5W-20, per the factory manual.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.