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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.

About this comparison →

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

What owners actually said

1,080 reports
Mileage unknown · May 23, 2021
Air BagsCrashInjury

I was stopped at a left turn in section, waiting for oncoming traffic to pass, when an Honda CR-V rear ended me, causing me to hit my head on the steering wheel. The CR-V’s airbags did deploy, but mine did not(have photos and videos of crash).

NHTSA ODI #11418219

94,000 miles · May 14, 2021
Unknown Or Other

A/C QUIT BLOWING COLD AIR. TURNED ON FOR FIRST TIME THIS SEASON AFTER A/C NOT RUNNING DURING WINTER. $2000 TO FIX COMPRESSOR.

NHTSA ODI #11416613

62,000 miles · May 11, 2021
Service Brakes

2016 HONDA CIVIC EX-T AFTER GETTING BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED THE 'BRAKE SYSTEM' LIGHT STAYS ON WITH ALERTS FOR: ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE PROBLEM, BRAKE SYSTEM PROBLEM, & BRAKE HOLD SYSTEM PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE ENGAGES AND HOLDS AND DISENGAGES WHEN I FLIP THE SWITCH FINE, THE CAR DRIVES AND BRAKES FINE, T…

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2016 HONDA CIVIC EX-T AFTER GETTING BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED THE 'BRAKE SYSTEM' LIGHT STAYS ON WITH ALERTS FOR: ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE PROBLEM, BRAKE SYSTEM PROBLEM, & BRAKE HOLD SYSTEM PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE ENGAGES AND HOLDS AND DISENGAGES WHEN I FLIP THE SWITCH FINE, THE CAR DRIVES AND BRAKES FINE, THE ONLY THING THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO WORK IS THE BRAKE HOLD BUTTON. CAR DRIVES FINE AND BRAKES WORK FINE, ALERTS WON'T GO AWAY AND ARE ONLY ON THE DASH NOT IN THE NOTIFICATIONS IN THE CENTER CONSOLE.

NHTSA ODI #11416205

42,000 miles · May 10, 2021
Steering

TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITH THE VEHICLE HEADING IN A FAIRLY STRAIGHT TRAJECTORY, ATTEMPTS TO ADJUST THE STEERING SLIGHTLY IN EITHER DIRECTION (TO CORRECT FOR ANY DRIFTING) ARE MET WITH RESISTANCE IN THE FORM OF THE STEERING "STICKING" TO ITS' CURRENT POSITION. ABNORMAL EFFORT IS REQUIRED TO "UNSTICK" THE STEERING, AT WHICH …

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TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITH THE VEHICLE HEADING IN A FAIRLY STRAIGHT TRAJECTORY, ATTEMPTS TO ADJUST THE STEERING SLIGHTLY IN EITHER DIRECTION (TO CORRECT FOR ANY DRIFTING) ARE MET WITH RESISTANCE IN THE FORM OF THE STEERING "STICKING" TO ITS' CURRENT POSITION. ABNORMAL EFFORT IS REQUIRED TO "UNSTICK" THE STEERING, AT WHICH POINT THERE IS A JERKING RESULT THAT CAUSES AN OVERSTEER IN THE DIRECTION OF THE ATTEMPTED CORRECTION.

NHTSA ODI #11416033

90,000 miles · May 10, 2021
Power Train

WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR 7 MONTHS AGO FROM ELITE MOTORS IN SACRAMENTO I ALSO NOUGHT A WARRANTY FOR POWER TRAIN. IMMEDIATELY THE A/C WAS BLOWING HOT AIR. THEY FIXED IT. NOW IT'S BLOWING HOT AIR AGAIN. I WENT TO A SHOP TO FILL FREON THEY SAID THERE IS STILL PRESSURE IN IT AND TGAT THEY NEED A DIAGNOSIS FIRST BECAUSE IT COULD BE A CON…

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WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR 7 MONTHS AGO FROM ELITE MOTORS IN SACRAMENTO I ALSO NOUGHT A WARRANTY FOR POWER TRAIN. IMMEDIATELY THE A/C WAS BLOWING HOT AIR. THEY FIXED IT. NOW IT'S BLOWING HOT AIR AGAIN. I WENT TO A SHOP TO FILL FREON THEY SAID THERE IS STILL PRESSURE IN IT AND TGAT THEY NEED A DIAGNOSIS FIRST BECAUSE IT COULD BE A CONDENSER. I DO NOT HAVE $260 TO DIAGNOSE THIS CAR. CAN HONDA BE FORCED TO REPAIR THIS?

NHTSA ODI #11416006

43,300 miles · May 6, 2021
Steering

AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (50 MPH OR MORE), THE CAR STRUGGLES TO STAY STRAIGHT. THIS RESULTS IN HAVING TO CONSTANTLY ADJUST THE STEERING WHEEL, WHICH FEELS VERY TIGHT, ALMOST AS IF IT'S STUCK. THIS REQUIRES USING MORE FORCE WHICH CAN LEAD TO AN OVERCORRECTION AS THE WHEEL LOOSENS UP.

NHTSA ODI #11415399

40,000 miles · May 3, 2021
Unknown Or Other

VEHICLE IS LIGHTLY DRIVEN FOR 5 YEARS WITH ONLY 40K MILES. ALL RECOMMENDED SERVICES WERE PERFORMED ON SCHEDULE. SUDDENLY, THE A/C STARTED TO BLOW ONLY HOT AIR AND DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY COOLING CAPACITY. THE SYSTEM IS LIKELY LEAKING REFRIGERANT AS HONDA HAS OFFICIALLY ACCEPTED THAT SOME A/C PARTS ARE IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED FO…

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VEHICLE IS LIGHTLY DRIVEN FOR 5 YEARS WITH ONLY 40K MILES. ALL RECOMMENDED SERVICES WERE PERFORMED ON SCHEDULE. SUDDENLY, THE A/C STARTED TO BLOW ONLY HOT AIR AND DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY COOLING CAPACITY. THE SYSTEM IS LIKELY LEAKING REFRIGERANT AS HONDA HAS OFFICIALLY ACCEPTED THAT SOME A/C PARTS ARE IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED FOR 16' HONDA CIVICS. A RECALL SHOULD BE CREATED FOR ALL 16' HONDA CIVIC A/C SYSTEMS.

NHTSA ODI #11414998

45,000 miles · May 2, 2021
Steering

STEERING STICKS AT 40 PLUS MPH. OVERCOMPENSATION IS SOMETIMES REQUIRED AND MAKES IT HARD TO STERER STRAIGHT. I'VE NOTICED THAT 2017 AND NEWER HONDA CIVICES ARE BEING RECALLED BUT NOT THE 2016'S. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED . LOTS OF COMPLAINMTS WITH THE SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #11414804

Mileage unknown · Apr 30, 2021
Unknown Or Other

A/C BLOWING WARM ON DRIVER SIDE AT ALL TIMES

NHTSA ODI #11414544

82,500 miles · Apr 29, 2021
Lane Departure

PURCHASED 2016 HONDA CIVC 4/2021 - THE LANE ASSIST FEATURE TRIES TO TAKE THE CAR INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC. IT SEEMS TO DETECT THE RIGHT LINES SOMETIMES BUT COMPLETELY IGNORES THE LEFT LINES. THIS IS TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED ABOVE 45 MPH ON DRY STRAIGHT HIGHWAY.

NHTSA ODI #11414510

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