Honda Civic Recall R/2018/119: Side Airbag May Fail To Deploy As Intended, Who Is Affected And What To Do
- Urgent
- How serious
- 27 Jul 2018
- Launched
- 8
- vehicles in the UK
- HUK6BP
- Manufacturer’s campaign code
Honda recalled Civic vehicles built between 20 September 2016 and 13 September 2017. The front seat back pad mould (seat back cushion) and side airbag (SAB) are fitted to the seat back frame. The dealer will carry out inspection to verify the condition of the front seat back pad mould and will replace the pad mould and if necessary the seat heater element and seat back cover. You won't usually pay for it.1
What’s Wrong
The front seat back pad mould (seat back cushion) and side airbag (SAB) are fitted to the seat back frame. The SAB is fitted underneath the pad mould and the pad mould has been designed with a slit that allows the SAB to deploy from underneath the pad mould. Seat back pad moulds that were supplied for after-sales use were not manufactured correctly; the slit process was not completed. When a front seat pad without the slit is assembled to the car it may block SAB deployment and may not satisfy occupant protection performance which is a non-conformance to side impact regulation.
DVSA's Original Wording
Concern: SIDE AIRBAG MAY FAIL TO DEPLOY AS INTENDED Defect: The front seat back pad mould (seat back cushion) and side airbag (SAB) are fitted to the seat back frame. The SAB is fitted underneath the pad mould and the pad mould has been designed with a slit that allows the SAB to deploy from underneath the pad mould. Seat back pad moulds that were supplied for after-sales use were not manufactured correctly; the slit process was not completed. When a front seat pad without the slit is assembled to the car it may block SAB deployment and may not satisfy occupant protection performance which is a non-conformance to side impact regulation. Remedy: Registered owners of affected vehicles will receive a notification letter that will ask them to take their vehicles to a dealership or authorised repairer for a free repair. The technician will carry out inspection to verify the condition of the front seat back pad mould and will replace the pad mould and if necessary the seat heater element and seat back cover.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The Risk
The recall notice describes the concern as: side airbag may fail to deploy as intended.
The Fix
The dealer will carry out inspection to verify the condition of the front seat back pad mould and will replace the pad mould and if necessary the seat heater element and seat back cover.
Are You Affected?
Civic built between 20 September 2016 and 13 September 2017 may be included. Honda estimates 8 vehicles in the UK. Enter your registration to check, then confirm by VIN with Honda, because not every car in the date range may be included.
Which Car Is It?
Choose the make and model so we can match recalls to your car.
What To Do Now
- Check your car by registration above, then by VIN with Honda.
- Book with any franchised Honda dealer, quoting the campaign code HUK6BP or the DVSA reference R/2018/119. See how to get a Honda recall fixed.
- Follow the letter's instructions until the repair is done. See can you drive a car with a recall?.
Related Recalls
| Launched | Vehicle and fault | Severity | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| CivicCivic wheel steel bushes missing (Accessory) | Book soon | R/2026/025 | |
| CivicCivic Lithium-Ion battery negative terminal defect | Urgent | R/2024/389 | |
| Accord, Civic, CR-V, EV Plus and 4 moreThe absorption of moisture into the driver's air bag propellant could lead to slow deployment or inflator rupture | Urgent | R/2020/061 | |
| Civic, CR-V, HR-V, Jazz and 1 moreVehicles may be equipped with a fuel pump module manufactured with low density impellars | Urgent | R/2020/186 | |
| Civic, CR-V, HR-VThe regulatory requirement for emissions levels are not met | Low | R/2020/008 |
This is one of 96 Honda recalls in DVSA’s data. The Honda recall launched before it was R/2018/030 on 23 Feb 2018, for passenger airbag may fail to deploy correctly. The one launched after it was R/2018/225 on 2 Oct 2018, for during assembly the cabin harness clip was broken resulting in the harness not being…. You can also see every Honda recall, the Honda Civic recall history, all recalls launched in 2018 and airbag recalls across every make.
Source: DVSA recall R/2018/119, launched 27 July 2018. Data updated 15 October 2026. How we grade urgency.
Sources
- The Code does not itself say repairs are free. GOV.UK guidance says "You will not usually have to pay for any repairs or parts under a safety recall." gov.uk Checked 15 Oct 2026.