HondaCivic1998Overview/honda/civic/1998/base/

1998 Honda Civic

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1998 Civic.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1998 Honda Civic is a passenger car powered by an engine requiring 3.5 quarts of 5W-20 API oil, paired with a 4-speed automatic transmission and achieving EPA fuel economy ratings of 25 city/33 highway/28 combined mpg. With 464 total owner complaints on record and 18 recalls, the 1998 model sits toward the lower end of the Civic's complaint history range—which spans from 102 complaints in 1990 to a peak of 1,402 in 2006 over the 1990-2022 period—suggesting relatively moderate reliability concerns compared to other model years in the model's lineage.

Model year202620242023202220212020201820171998

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity3.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-20 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque80 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy25/33/28 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 51R · 410 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 51R · 410 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP185-65SR14OEM · verified
Wheel / rim6-JJ inOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length175.2 in
Overall width67.3 in
Overall height54.3 in
Wheelbase103.1 in
Curb weight2346 lb
Track (front / rear)57.9 / 57.9 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)62/38

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined25 / 33 / 28 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume90 cu ft
Cargo volume9 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

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.

11.9 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 11.90 sec — 1998 GX CNG Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1998GX CNG Sedan 1.6L I-411.90 sec18.70 sec105 hpFWD
1999Si Coupe 1.6L I-47.10 sec15.70 sec160 hpFWD
1999Si Coupe 1.6L I-47.20 sec15.70 sec160 hpFWD
1999Si Coupe 1.6L I-47.60 sec16.10 sec160 hpFWD
1996DX 3-door Hatchback 1.6L I-48.50 sec16.70 sec106 hpFWD
1996EX Coupe (14" Wheels) 1.6L I-49.40 sec17.20 sec127 hpFWD
1996EX Coupe (16" Wheels) 1.6L I-49.40 sec17.30 sec127 hpFWD
1996EX Coupe (17" Wheels) 1.6L I-49.40 sec17.30 sec127 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 3.5 qt of 5W-20 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 80 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 29.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity3.5 qt
Engine Oil5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity3.5 qt
Engine Oil5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity3.5 qt

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs6MM Bolts: 9 ft-lbs, 8MM Bolts: 14 ft-lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings23 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts134 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts88 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts17 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts23 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug29.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs8 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts80 ft-lbs
Automatic Transmission Drain Plug33.0-36.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub134 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub134 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)MT: 670, AT: 700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)MT: 670, AT: 700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)MT: 670, AT: 700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)700 rpm

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.32-1.43 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil CapacitySanden compressor, 4.33; Nippondenso compressor, 4.66. oz
Standard BCI Group Number51R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance410 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test14-18 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief14-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature169-176 °F
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)38-46 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)28-36 psi
Engine Oil Pressure10 psi @ Idle, 50 psi @ 3000 rpm psi
Intake Valve Lash0.006-0.007 in
Exhaust Valve Lash0.007-0.008 in

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket17 ft-lbs / 80 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle28 ft-lbs / 80 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.063; Rear: 0.060 in
Minimum Shoe Thickness0.079 in
Drum Nominal Diameter7.874 in / 7.087 in
Drum Maximum Machining7.913 in / 7.126 in
Drum Discard at-or-over NoteDiscard value not supplied by manufacturer
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0006 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 4 stages
113.0 ft. lbs.13 ft. lbs
236.0 ft. lbs.36 ft. lbs
349.0
4Bolts 1and249 ft. lbs
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
118 ft. lbs., Step 2: 3818 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 30,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miClutch Pedal Assembly (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Power Steering System (inspect) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 miAxle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (leak inspection)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Antilock Brake System (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Steering System (inspect)
At 45,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 45,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed)
Every 60,000 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect)
Every 90,000 miTransmission Assembly (drain & refill)
At 105,000 miTiming Belt (replace) · Universal Vehicle Operation (inspect idle speed) · Water Pump (inspect)

Reliability & federal safety record

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

The 1998 Honda Civic sits at the peak of a complaint wave within its generation, with 464 complaints—up from 343 in 1996 and 401 in 1997—before dropping to 359 in 1999. The recall count held steady at 18 (matching 1996), while TSBs continued climbing to 148, indicating ongoing dealer service bulletins as the model matured. Notably, 1998 recorded one NHTSA investigation, continuing a pattern from 1996-1997, whereas 1999 saw zero investigations. The top complaint areas—Air Bags (86), Electrical System (80), Engine & Engine Cooling (50), and Power Train (44)—suggest no singular catastrophic defect, though air bag and electrical issues were prominent. With 83 crash-related complaints but only 3 fire complaints, severe safety incidents appear infrequent. Compared to later model years in the dataset (e.g., 2001's 1,128 complaints or 2006's 1,402), 1998's complaint volume is relatively modest. The concrete takeaway: 1998 represents the peak of early-generation issues but before the dramatic spike seen in post-2000 models, making it a reasonable used car prospect provided a thorough pre-purchase inspection verifies the air bag and electrical systems have been properly serviced.

18
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
148
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
464
Owner complaints
83 involved a crash · 3 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 464 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags86
Electrical System80
Engine & Engine Cooling50
Power Train44
Structure25
Vehicle Speed Control24
Visibility23
Tires20

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 18 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

20V026000Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator ModuleReported 17/01/2020

Honda (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… Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver frontal air bag inflator, and replace it if necessary, with an inflator of a different design, free of charge. The…

08E050000Exterior Lighting:HeadlightsReported 11/08/2008

K2 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… Remedy: K2 MOTOR WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMEBER 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT K2 MOTOR AT 1-909-839-2992.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 148 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
A13-0222017-02-10Fuel System, Other"SERVICE BULLETIN - FOR VEHICLES WITH SCI COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (CNG) FUEL TANKS, HONDA…
A990342016-09-21Vehicle Speed ControlSERVICE BULLETIN - DUE TO THE FLOOR DESIGN, A MISPOSITIONED FLOOR MAT COULD PREVENT THE…
A15070B - 7-2-152015-07-02Power TrainSERVICE NEWS ARTICLE - PLANNING ON USING A LEAK CHECK DYE TO HELP FIND A LEAK? HERE’S THE…
A13-0222015-06-24Fuel System, Other"SERVICE BULLETIN - FOR VEHICLES WITH SCI COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (CNG) FUEL TANKS, HONDA…
DLR MSG - HONDA2015-06-16Equipment"DEALER MESSAGE - THIS IS TO INFORM YOU THAT HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN 06-015, NATURAL GAS…

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.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

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

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1998 Civic take?

3.5 qt of 5W-20 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1998 Civic have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 18 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Civic get?

EPA figures are 25 city / 33 highway / 28 combined mpg.