The 1997 Honda Civic Type R has 401 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 16 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are air bags and vehicle speed control. Owners most often flag severe dealership markups: frequently $20,000+ over msrp, placing the car in a $65,000+ price range. frequency: very frequent.
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 1997 Honda Civic Type R vehicles (US, public record).
Across the 9 Civic Type R model years we track, complaint volume runs from 215 (2020) to 1,203 (2007). With 401 complaints, the 1997 Civic Type R sits belowthe model's median of 524.
These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.
air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Campaign 20V026000Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 1998 Acura 2.2CL, 1998-1999 Acura 2.3CL, 1998-1999 Acura 3.0CL, 2001 Acura 3.2CL and Acura MDX, 1998-2000 Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Sedan, Odyssey and A…
exterior lighting:headlights
Campaign 08E050000K2 MOTOR IS RECALLING 1,921 AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS OF VARIOUS MODELS SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS ARE MISSING THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTOR WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF F…
exterior lighting
Campaign 06E060000CERTAIN AAI MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LIST PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL…
exterior lighting
Campaign 06E038000CERTAIN ALFAOTTO COMBINATION HEADLAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VE…
Extremely positive sentiment among enthusiasts, with the vehicle consistently praised for its exceptional driving dynamics, precise handling, and engaging manual transmission.
Owner insights cover all generations of the Civic Type R. See the full Civic Type R owner picture and every model year.
Used Civic Type R listings typically run $48,940–$49,812 across 2025 to 2026 model years.
Compare every Civic Type R year side by side to see how 1997 ranks against the rest.