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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.

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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.

36 crash reports4 fire reports13 injury reports

Steering complaints

444 reports
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Mileage unknown · Sep 2, 2021
Steering

I purchased a 2016 honda Civic brand new in 2016. This car has had multiple issues including AC problems and more recently a problem that causes the steering wheel to be sticking to a position after driving for a long distance (apparently worse on hot weather). I have brought this car multiple times to the dealership. Last year…

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I purchased a 2016 honda Civic brand new in 2016. This car has had multiple issues including AC problems and more recently a problem that causes the steering wheel to be sticking to a position after driving for a long distance (apparently worse on hot weather). I have brought this car multiple times to the dealership. Last year I was informed the issue was caused by something regarding the brake calipers, which were then replaced under warranty. As I'm working from home I have barely driven long distances until last month when I drove longer. Then I noticed the steering issue persists. I brought the car back to the Honda dealership (Serramonte Honda) and was then informed the issue NOW was due to a bad battery (my car never had battery issues) and the car also needed to do an alignment. I told Darren that it did not make any sense because if the issue was battery I would see it as soon as I start driving, and not after driving for awhile. Still, I said that I would take care of the 2 things and then check again. So I did, i installed a new battery (even after testing my battery with my multimeter at home and seeing it was ok) and did the alignment. I spent a little over $300 and took the car for a long drive and indeed the issue persisted. Then I drove right back to the dealership and talked with a service advisor again showing him the video of my car with the steering wheel stuck and changing lanes until I would run out of the road unless I intervene (I have it on video). I was hoping to get a technician to get into the car and witness first hand. That was not possible. So after showing the video to the service advisor I left the car to be tested again. A day later I received the call saying they can not reproduce the problem. I had called Honda, and my case number is 12390725. I've seen multiple cases of people describing the exact same issue, fo all the cases the fix has been replacing the power steering rack assembly ( part # 53560-TBA-A01)

NHTSA ODI #11431547

Mileage unknown · Aug 26, 2021
Steering

At highway speeds, the steering "sticks" when attempting minor steering adjustments. There is a resistance in the steering wheel that causes additional pressure to be applied to the direction of the turn. When the steering "unsticks" is causes an overcorrection. Both right and left directions are affected.

NHTSA ODI #11430677

Mileage unknown · Aug 13, 2021
Steering

After driving the car for 30-45 minutes, the steering wheel begins to "stick" and "jerk." I've noticed this issue in the last month.

NHTSA ODI #11429004

67,000 miles · Aug 13, 2021
Steering

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the power steering started to fail. The steering wheel started to drift to the left or right and the steering wheel seized in that direction. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. The power steering fu…

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The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the power steering started to fail. The steering wheel started to drift to the left or right and the steering wheel seized in that direction. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. The power steering function returned; however, the failure recurred intermittently. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who was unable to identify the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000.

NHTSA ODI #11428913

60,000 miles · Aug 10, 2021
Steering

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the steering wheel was making abnormal clicking sounds. Additionally, the steering wheel was stiff, and the vehicle was pull to the left while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failur…

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The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the steering wheel was making abnormal clicking sounds. Additionally, the steering wheel was stiff, and the vehicle was pull to the left while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact was referred to an authorized dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was still awaiting the diagnostic report. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.

NHTSA ODI #11428490

Mileage unknown · Aug 8, 2021
Steering

As has been noted by numerous complaints, the steering "sticks" requiring extra effort to control the vehicle. At times, and at least in my experience, it happens most often, as it did today, when entering, exiting or in a broad, sweeping curve to either the left or right. This isn't to say it doesn't also happen in other circu…

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As has been noted by numerous complaints, the steering "sticks" requiring extra effort to control the vehicle. At times, and at least in my experience, it happens most often, as it did today, when entering, exiting or in a broad, sweeping curve to either the left or right. This isn't to say it doesn't also happen in other circumstances, but in the situation mentioned it happens most often. At times, it has been very difficult to correct the vehicle trajectory so as to prevent either running off the road in the direction of the curve or straying into another lane due to the corrective action needed. Empirical evidence seems to suggest it occurs more frequently at higher ambient temperatures. A dealer has inspected the vehicle, but the result was inconclusive. There are no warning indicators or messages of any kind when this occurs. Please do not ignore this problem. It is potentially very dangerous and an investigation needs to be undertaken and hopefully recall issued to resolve it.

NHTSA ODI #11428218

Mileage unknown · Aug 4, 2021
Steering

When the car begins to drift and attempting to correct, the steering wheel "sticks" (resists). It doesn't lock up or not turn at all, but "sticks" until I apply a bit more pressure, after which it suddenly releases, corrects (usually over steers). This does not cause issues with any turning once the steering wheel is unstuck. Th…

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When the car begins to drift and attempting to correct, the steering wheel "sticks" (resists). It doesn't lock up or not turn at all, but "sticks" until I apply a bit more pressure, after which it suddenly releases, corrects (usually over steers). This does not cause issues with any turning once the steering wheel is unstuck. This happens in both directions. End result is I begin drifting slightly back and forth down the highway repeatedly (due to the over steer when the steering wheel releases), all the while fighting with a steering wheel. I was able to get this to recreate for the dealer. They made adjustments to the electronic steering module which helped slightly, but this issue still exists. I was told I have to replace the power steering rack.

NHTSA ODI #11427681

Mileage unknown · Jul 30, 2021
Steering

The steering wheel “catches” increasingly often. When minor course corrections are attempted while driving straight or on moderate curves, there is resistance to the correction until I apply enough force to break the resistance, causing the car to jerk to one side. The same thing happens when course-correcting to the other side.…

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The steering wheel “catches” increasingly often. When minor course corrections are attempted while driving straight or on moderate curves, there is resistance to the correction until I apply enough force to break the resistance, causing the car to jerk to one side. The same thing happens when course-correcting to the other side. It is a repeated process of making small swerves from one side of the lane to the other. It is getting increasingly worse and poses a safety issue. The problem has been reproduced by an independent dealer and the EPS is available for inspection. There are no warning lamps or messages that appeared prior to the failure.

NHTSA ODI #11427211

Mileage unknown · Jul 26, 2021
Steering

After driving for over 20-30 minutes at highway speeds, the steering wheel sticks and causes me to have to jerk the wheel. Honda failed to produce vehicles that are meant to be safe on the highway and on several occasions this flaw has caused me to nearly drive into another vehicles lane because the steering wheel was stuck in o…

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After driving for over 20-30 minutes at highway speeds, the steering wheel sticks and causes me to have to jerk the wheel. Honda failed to produce vehicles that are meant to be safe on the highway and on several occasions this flaw has caused me to nearly drive into another vehicles lane because the steering wheel was stuck in one position. This issue was not addressed by Honda in the past with any recall after several other owners of the same make and model have complained of very similar experiences happening to their car. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealer and they offered little insight to the issue and only assumed of what could be the issue that needs to be repaired but they were not completely certain. This vehicle has not been inspected by any police or insurance representatives. No lamps or messages appear when this issue occurs the issue continues mostly at highway speeds or when the vehicle has been driven for 20-30 minutes.

NHTSA ODI #11426570

Mileage unknown · Jul 7, 2021
Steering

This car has steering that I describe as stiff and jerky. Mostly noticed at speeds above 50mph. I’ve only owned the car for 2wks but I would say 60% of the time I’m driving, it’s like this. Very hard to maintain lane and easy to over correct. When turning sharper corners, must slow car way down because sometimes steering will st…

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This car has steering that I describe as stiff and jerky. Mostly noticed at speeds above 50mph. I’ve only owned the car for 2wks but I would say 60% of the time I’m driving, it’s like this. Very hard to maintain lane and easy to over correct. When turning sharper corners, must slow car way down because sometimes steering will stick and stay in the turn versus the steering wheel straightening up. Very scary and dangerous!

NHTSA ODI #11423855

Official recalls

5

26V332000 · 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Honda Civic problems