HondaCivic1977Overview/honda/civic/1977/base/

1977 Honda Civic

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1977 Civic.

The 1977 Honda Civic is a compact, front‑wheel‑drive model built on its first‑generation platform and powered by a modest inline‑four engine. Its debut year placed it at the outset of Honda’s long‑running Civic line, a period that predates the extensive complaint data later recorded from 1990 to 2022. In that span the fewest complaints — just 102 — were logged in 1990, suggesting that the 1977 model emerged before the bulk of documented reliability concerns.

Model year202620242023202220212020201820171977

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length150 in
Overall width59.4 in
Overall height52.4 in
Wheelbase86.6 in

Performance & power Independent road tests

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.

12.9–17.4 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 12.90 sec — 1973 3-door Hatchback
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1975CVCC 3-door Hatchback 1.5L I-415.60 sec20.10 sec53 hpFWD
1975CVCC 3-door Hatchback 1.5L I-417.40 sec21.00 sec53 hpFWD
1979CVCC Wagon 1.5L I-415.50 sec20.10 sec67 hpFWD
19733-door Hatchback 1.2L I-412.90 sec18.70 sec50 hpFWD

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

3
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
0
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★

No owner complaints on record with NHTSA for this vehicle.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

81V136000SuspensionReported 06/11/1981

PROLONGED CONTACT WITH ROAD SALT MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, CAUSE SERIOUS RUSTING. THIS CAN WEAKEN CERTAIN UNDERCARRIAGE COMPONENTS: LATERAL SUSPENSION ARMS, FRONT CROSSBEAM AND STRUT COIL SPRING LOWER SUPPORTS. Remedy: VEHICLES WILL BE INSPECTED AND, IF NECESSARY, TREATED WITH A RUST PREVENTIVE COATING. IN SOME CASES, REPLACEMENT OF COMPONENTS WILL BE PERFORMED, WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.

77V072000Electrical System:IgnitionReported 11/05/1977

A SHORT CIRCUIT MAY OCCUR IN THE MANUALLY OPERATED CHOKE OVERRIDE MECHANISM. THIS COULD CAUSE THE OVERRIDE MECHANISM HOUSING AND OUTER COVER OF THE CHOKE CABLE TO MELT AND BURN. Remedy: DEALER WILL REPOSITION THE RESISTOR TO PREVENT INTERFERENCE BETWEEN THE CHOKE CABLE HOLDING PLATE AND THE LEAD WIRE OF THE RESISTOR, WITHOUT CHARGE.

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Civic. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

Does the 1977 Civic have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.