The steering locks and sticks when driving especially on a highway. It appears the rack and pinion sticks
2016 Honda Civic
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Civic years
Owner complaints for the 2016 Honda Civic are substantially higher than the model-year median of 183.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Civic years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
494 reports with mileage · 586 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Steering. Review the 444 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 119 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 95 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Steering complaints
444 reportsWhile driving the steering wheel is sticking and have to jerk the steering wheel to prevent going into another lane. Contact Honda dealer ships and Honda corporate office and asked if there was a recall for this, they said not on my particular vehicle, but some of the Honda civics. There is no warnings, it just happens periodica…
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While driving the steering wheel is sticking and have to jerk the steering wheel to prevent going into another lane. Contact Honda dealer ships and Honda corporate office and asked if there was a recall for this, they said not on my particular vehicle, but some of the Honda civics. There is no warnings, it just happens periodically.
Steering sticks when driving on interstate. Causes over correction and potentially can cause lead to swerving and hitting someone
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, frequently becoming stuck in position, requiring that the steering wheel be manually returned to center. No warning lights were illuminated.…
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The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, frequently becoming stuck in position, requiring that the steering wheel be manually returned to center. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000. The VIN was not available.
Steering is sticky or notchy when driving higher speeds. Feels like it overcorrects when trying to maintain center.
Steering sticks at a certain point of turning which makes it difficult to maintain a straight path and has almost caused a collision due to the fact that you end up over correcting your current path so you may vere into the other lane. The problem occurs at different times and seems to be at it's peak when it's hot outside and g…
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Steering sticks at a certain point of turning which makes it difficult to maintain a straight path and has almost caused a collision due to the fact that you end up over correcting your current path so you may vere into the other lane. The problem occurs at different times and seems to be at it's peak when it's hot outside and gives no warning lights or any other visible signs as to when it will occur. I bought the car used and it had around 20,000 miles on it, I noticed the issue soon after that. I have not had the problem looked at yet because it has been manageable but I fear that it may get worse and I know I'm not the only one with this issue. My vehicle may be inspected up on request.
when long distance driving it has sticky steering which cause over correction left and right making it feel unsafe to drive
The steering wheel has a tendency to “catch” or "stick" at the center line when driving. To overcome this resistance, you have to apply extra pressure, which could lead to oversteering and the car swerving out of your intended direction of steering. This is a known problem, referred to as "sticky steering" in many online searche…
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The steering wheel has a tendency to “catch” or "stick" at the center line when driving. To overcome this resistance, you have to apply extra pressure, which could lead to oversteering and the car swerving out of your intended direction of steering. This is a known problem, referred to as "sticky steering" in many online searches. The only solution seems to be a complete replacement of the EPS steering rack which is on back order due to demand and I've been quoted a range of $3500 to $5000 to replace by several Honda dealers in my area. This is a serious safety issue with the vehicle and should be recalled for the replacement.
When driving on a straight road (highway, avenue, etc.) steering wheel tends to stay “sticky” at the 12 o clock position and takes some force to get it to move to make minor adjustments in steering. This makes it overcorrect and causes me to constantly gave to be adjusting to keep the car straight
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering assembly and rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired,…
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The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering assembly and rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure was due to the steering shaft. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
Official recalls
526V332000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger
May 21, 2026
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
23V858000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
Dec 18, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
16V725000 · Parking Brake
Oct 11, 2016
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2016 Honda Civic two door and four door 1.5L turbo and 2.0L vehicles. The electric parking brake (EPB) may not engage if it is applied immediately after turning the ignition off.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the EPB is not applied, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle's software to allow the EPB to engage immediately after the ignition is turned off, free of charge. The recall began on November 8, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KC6.
16V526000 · Exterior Lighting
Jul 11, 2016
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2016 Civic 2-Door vehicles manufactured February 23, 2016, through May 20, 2016. The affected vehicles may have a damaged LED side marker light circuit board inside the taillight assembly, making the marker light inoperable. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Assoc. Equipment."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If a side marker light does not function, vehicle visibility can be decreased to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect both the taillight assemblies, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 31, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KB8.
16V074000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
Feb 9, 2016
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2016 Civic vehicles manufactured September 22, 2015, to February 3, 2016 and equipped with 2.0L engines. The affected vehicles have engines with piston assemblies that may have been manufactured without a piston wrist pin circlip or with an incorrectly installed piston wrist pin circlip.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If a circlip is missing or incorrectly installed, the piston wrist pin may not be secure and may drift and damage the engine cylinder causing the engine to seize, and increasing the risk of a crash or a fire.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the piston assemblies and damaged engine components, as necessary, free of charge. Parts are expected to be available in the Summer of 2016. Owners were mailed an interim notification beginning March 31, 2016, and will be mailed a second notice when parts are available. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JX9.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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