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VIN Check Engine
VIN REPORT

JHMSR5339BS0183741981 HONDA CivicGL ,LX

0of 100
Low Risk
Buyer Risk Score
Recalls
Clear
No open recalls
Safety Grade
B-
80/100 composite
Complaints
1
NHTSA filed
Vehicle Age
45 yrs
Made in JAPAN
BUYPurchase Verdict

1981 HONDA Civic was analyzed across NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, crash test data, and public auction records. 1 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA — review the complaint section for the most common failure patterns.

Verdict & Risk Assessment
📄

Executive Summary

1981 HONDA Civic

1981 HONDA Civic was analyzed across NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, crash test data, and public auction records. 1 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA — review the complaint section for the most common failure patterns.

  • Complaints describe critical safety events (fire, fatality, loss of control) — language severity is in the highest tier
Owner Complaint Intelligence

1 owner complaints filed — top areas: Engine/Powertrain (100%).

Critical Alerts

Title Brand Check

Mined from auction damage fields and listing titles — not a DMV title history pull

No auction records available. Title brand status could not be verified — request title history from seller or state DMV.

Vehicle

Vehicle Specifications

Decoded from NHTSA vPIC database

Make
HONDA
Model
Civic
Year
1981
Trim / Series
GL ,LX
Body Style
Hatchback/Liftback/Notchback
Vehicle Type
PASSENGER CAR
Engine
1.488000L
Transmission
Manual/Standard
Doors
3
Manufacturer
HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
Assembly
SUZUKA, MIE, JAPAN
GVWR
Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Assembly Plant Quality

Plant: SUZUKA, MIE

CQuality55/100
Standard📍 SUZUKA, MIE

No specific quality data available for this plant. No documented recall or complaint concentrations on record.

Safety

Safety Intelligence

Composite analysis from NHTSA recall, complaint, and crash data

Overall Safety Grade
B-
Score: 80/100
Crash Test Rating20/40
Recall Safety30/30
Complaint History30/30
Recall Risk Score
0/100Clear

✓ No high-risk recall components found

Modern Safety Index
0/100
Basic
0 of 20 safety features detected
Missing: Automatic Emergency Braking, Pedestrian AEB, Forward Collision Warning, Electronic Stability Control
Fire Risk Assessment
Low
  • ▸1 complaint(s) involved a fire
Recalls

NHTSA Safety Recalls

CLEAR
0found
✓
No Recall Campaigns Found
NHTSA has no active or historical recalls for this 1981 HONDA.
Complaints1

Complaint Intelligence

1 complaints analyzed across 1 system categories

By System / Component
Engine/Powertrain
1
Reported Failure Modes
Fire/smoke1

Owner Complaints

1 safety complaint filed with NHTSA

1found
1
Fire
ODI #984278ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLINGFIRE

DRIVING DOWN ROAD, STOPPED COMPLETELY, TRIED TO GET BACK HOME, NOTICE SMOKE FROM UNDERNEATH, THEN VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES NEAR PASSENGER SIDE. *AK

Complaint Severity Analysis

NLP analysis of complaint language — not all complaints are equal

60/100
Critical Severity
1 of 1 complaints use high-severity language

1 of 1 complaints describe critical safety events (fire, fatality, loss of control) — language severity is in the top tier.

Details & Analysis
Financial

5-Year Total Cost of Ownership

Estimated based on EPA fuel data, risk-adjusted maintenance, and depreciation

$33,114
~$552/mo over 5 yrs
$0.1/mi
cost per mile
Fuel
$10,000
Insurance (est.)
$7,500
Maintenance
$9,000
Repair Risk Buffer
$1,500
Depreciation
$5,114

Estimated 5-year cost of ownership: $33,114 (~$552/mo). Repair risk buffer is standard due to vehicle risk profile.

Negotiation Ammunition

Use these data-backed findings to negotiate the price down

Critical-severity owner complaints (fire, fatality, loss of control)−$1,500
Total recommended deduction−$1,500

Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Tailored for the 1981 HONDA Civic — specific failure modes your mechanic must check, not a generic list

MEDIUM
Test drive and inspect: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Multiple owner complaints filed for this component — verify it functions correctly during test drive.
MEDIUM
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a trusted mechanic
For any used vehicle with a risk score above Low, a $100–$150 independent inspection is always worth it.
MEDIUM
Run a VIN check on NHTSA.gov to confirm all recalls are closed
Free at nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety/recalls — enter the VIN and confirm all campaigns show as completed.
MEDIUM
Verify title is clean and check for salvage/rebuilt brands at your state DMV
Title washing across state lines is common — confirm with your state DMV before finalizing purchase.

Recall Probability Forecast

Estimated likelihood of a new recall in the next 18 months based on NHTSA signals

5%
18-month
10%
2-year
Low Probability
Cumulative 2-year risk: 10%

5% baseline recall probability — no strong indicators of an imminent recall.

Maintenance Schedule

OEM-specified service intervals for this vehicle

Maintenance intervals vary significantly by make, model, year, engine, and driving conditions. Always follow the manufacturer's official schedule — not generic industry estimates.

Official HONDA Maintenance Guide ↗Search Owner's Manual ↗

Tip: Request the seller's service records and compare against the manufacturer schedule. Missing intervals are a negotiation point.

History & Auctions

Auction History

Public sale records from Copart, IAAI, and auction aggregators

Searching Public Auction Records

Checking Copart, IAAI, BidFax, and other sources for JHMSR5339BS018374. Results appear automatically when found.

Insurance Cost Estimate

Estimated annual premiums based on vehicle profile, theft data, and NHTSA safety ratings

Full Coverage
$1,270–$1,620/yr
~$106–$135/mo
Liability Only
$560–$710/yr
~$47–$59/mo
Category: Standard Vehicle
▼ 45-year-old vehicle: −28% (lower ACV reduces comprehensive/collision cost)

Based on 2024 national avg ($2,011/yr full coverage). Individual rates vary by driver, location & insurer. Always compare 3+ quotes.

Manufacturer NHTSA Penalty History

Federal fines issued for recall delays and safety violations

HONDA has been fined $93M+ by NHTSA. Most recently in 2016: Additional penalties related to Takata airbag recall management.

2015$70MFailure to report deaths and injuries linked to Takata airbag defect
2016$23MAdditional penalties related to Takata airbag recall management

State-Specific Legal Protections

What consumer laws apply to this vehicle purchase in your state

Select your state to see what consumer protection laws, lemon law coverage, and title disclosure requirements apply to this vehicle purchase.

Complete Data Table

All decoded fields in a single flattened view

Vehicle Identity

VINJHMSR5339BS018374
Model Year1981
MakeHONDA
ModelCivic
TrimGL ,LX
Vehicle TypePASSENGER CAR

Body & Configuration

Body StyleHatchback/Liftback/Notchback
Doors3
TransmissionManual/Standard

Engine

Displacement (L)1.488000

Manufacturer

ManufacturerHONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
Assembly CitySUZUKA
Assembly CountryJAPAN

VIN Structure

WMI (Chars 1–3)JHM
Check Digit (Char 9)9
Model Year Code (Char 10)B
Plant Code (Char 11)S
Sequence (Chars 12–17)018374

Safety Data

NHTSA Recall Count0
NHTSA Complaint Count1

VIN Structure Decode

ISO 3779 character-by-character breakdown of this Vehicle Identification Number

J
1
H
2
M
3
S
4
R
5
5
6
3
7
3
8
9
9
B
10
S
11
0
12
1
13
8
14
3
15
7
16
4
17
WMI (1–3)
VDS (4–8)
Check Digit (9)
Model Year (10)
Serial (11–17)
J
World Manufacturer
Country & region of manufacture
Position 1
H
Manufacturer
Specific manufacturer identifier
Position 2
M
Vehicle Type
Division or vehicle type
Position 3
SR533
Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS)
Body style, engine type, restraint system
Position 4–8
9
Check Digit
Mathematical validation character
Position 9
B
Model Year
Year of manufacture
Position 10
S
Assembly Plant
Where the vehicle was assembled
Position 11
018374
Production Sequence
Unique serial number for this vehicle
Position 12–17
Country of Manufacture
Japan
From VIN position 1 (J)
Model Year Character
"B" → 1981
Could also be 2011
Check Digit (Pos 9)
✓ Valid
ISO 3779 weighted-sum algorithm
Research This Model
Reliability Scores
Year-by-year reliability ratings
Years to Avoid
Best & worst model years ranked
Common Problems
Owner complaints & known defects
All NHTSA Recalls
Complete recall campaign history
View all HONDA VIN reports →← New Lookup

Disclaimer: Data sourced from NHTSA public APIs and scraped auction listings. For informational purposes only. Not a substitute for a paid vehicle history report. Retrieved: 8/2/2026, 6:53:45 AM.