, you should expect to pay between $1,000 and $1,500 for parts and labor. Exact costs can vary depending on the condition of your car and the specific auto body shop you use.

There’s a reason why the Civic is Honda’s all-time, best-selling model. It gets excellent safety and reliability ratings, has fantastic resale value, and appeals to a wide range of driving styles. But whether you own one of the super-affordable sedan or hatchback models, a souped-up Si, or a sport-tuned Type-R equipped with a manual transmission, you may eventually need to replace the clutch.

Like many car repairs, replacing a bad clutch isn’t cheap! That’s why

Jerry

, your trusted

car insurance

expert and broker app, is here to help you plan for a Honda Civic clutch replacement. We’ll teach you how to recognize when your clutch is slipping, give you an idea of what you’ll pay to get it fixed, and show you how we can help you offset repair expenses by lowering your

Honda car insurance costs

How much does it cost to replace a clutch in a Honda Civic?

The exact cost to replace a clutch in a Honda Civic depends on the age, overall condition of your car, and how much your mechanic charges for parts and labor. In most cases, you’ll pay somewhere between $1,000 and $1,500.

Part of your final cost will come from the price of the replacement clutch kit. An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) clutch kit for a Honda Civic usually costs between $600 and $700, but you might be able to find

cheaper options

from aftermarket manufacturers, such as LuK® or EXEDY®. Most auto body shops will opt to work with OEM parts first.

Keep in mind that labor costs for a Honda Civic clutch replacement might be higher at a Honda dealership because dealerships guarantee that only certified Honda technicians will work on your car. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use an independent mechanic! A private auto repair shop may offer better prices, and in some cases, better service—especially if you go to a transmission specialist.

What is a clutch?

While all gasoline-powered vehicles have a clutch, this crucial component causes the most problems for cars with manual transmissions. The clutch is a mechanical device that transfers the power generated by the car’s engine to your gearbox and allows you to change gears while you drive. As a whole, the system functions by creating friction between a rotating flywheel and a pressure plate.

In a manual car, taking your foot off the clutch pedal causes a set of springs to put pressure on the clutch disc and keep it pressed against the flywheel, causing the transmission output shaft and engine to spin at the same speed—thus transferring power to your car’s transmission. On the other hand, pushing down on the clutch causes a different set of springs to release, which lets you change from one gear to another.

While manual cars are considered more engaging and fun to drive, the trade-off is that they usually need more transmission repairs than automatic vehicles. Since the clutch system is based on friction, it eventually wears down and needs to be replaced.

In fact, the most common reason for a slipping or failing clutch is a breakdown of the friction-creating material on the clutch plate. Just like your brake pads can fail when the friction material wears down, your car’s clutch will begin to malfunction as the friction material degrades.

A few other common problems related to your car’s clutch include:

A defect or leak in the

master or slave cylinders

A stretched or broken

clutch cable

Run down release bearings.

MORE: Honda clutch master cylinder replacement

Jerry sends free alerts to keep your car up-to-date so you can avoid costly repairs

* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score

Get ahead of my car maintenance

* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score

What are the symptoms of a Honda Civic clutch problem?

To recognize when your Honda Civic has a clutch problem, keep an eye out for a clutch that feels loose, sticky, or generally becomes hard to use. For example, if your clutch pedal won’t engage unless you push it down further than usual, or if it

doesn’t come back up from the floor

, then there’s a good chance your clutch is beginning to fail.

Here are a few of the other common signs of clutch problems:

Low or weak acceleration.

Burning smells.

Grinding or squeaking sounds when switching gears.

Inability to change gears or slipping out of gear while driving.

If you notice problems with your car and think you might have a faulty clutch, you should bring your Civic to a trusted auto repair shop or dealership service center as soon as you can. Waiting to repair a malfunctioning clutch could cause additional damage and lead to higher repair costs.

Is it safe to drive with a bad clutch?

No! While you might be able to drive a car with a faulty clutch for a little while, technically, there’s no way to know when your slipping clutch will turn into a broken clutch—and once your clutch is broken, you won’t be able to drive at all.

If you’re experiencing issues with your Civic’s clutch, you can avoid dangerous situations, such as stalling out while driving or breaking down, by getting it to an auto body shop immediately.

How long should a Honda Civic clutch last?

As long as you don’t engage in aggressive driving habits, such as riding your clutch or clutch kicking, you can expect a Honda Civic clutch to last for at least 50,000 miles. However, the Honda Civic doesn’t have a history of serious clutch problems, and many drivers report using their original clutch for 100,000 miles or more.

Honda Civic clutch recalls

While there are no official clutch recalls for the Civic, Honda released a technical service bulletin in September of 2022 stating that all manual transmission Civics from the 2020 and 2021 model years have their clutch covered under warranty because of a known factory defect.

This means that if you own a 2020 or 2021 Honda Civic and experience clutch problems, you may be able to bring your vehicle to a Honda dealership service center and have it fixed for free as long as you’re still within the limits of your five-year/60,000-mile limited powertrain warranty.

MORE:

What to do when a car warranty isn’t honored

How to save on Honda Civic insurance

If you need to replace the clutch on your Honda Civic, you’re probably looking at a bill of over $1,000 based on the cost of parts and labor! That’s not cheap—and because the clutch is an essential mechanical part of your car, getting those charges reduced can be difficult.

But one way to offset that hefty repair bill is by using the

Jerry

app to find a lower rate on your

car insurance

. As a

licensed broker

, Jerry can analyze coverage and rates from more than 55 of the nation’s top providers and find you the best ways to save.

You can pick your plan and sign up for new coverage through the app—Jerry can even handle all the annoying phone calls and forms for you! But if you have any questions or need coverage advice, our expert insurance agents are always available to help.

On average, Jerry users save over $800 a year on their car insurance.

“I usually hate all the phone calls that come with getting car insurance quotes, but with
Jerry
I was able to do everything over text. I went from $224 with my previous provider to $193 with Nationwide. Such a relief!” —Gabby P.

RECOMMENDED