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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

Electrical System complaints

119 reports
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Mileage unknown · Mar 31, 2022
Electrical SystemSteering

The Electronic Power Steering is failing and causing the vehicle to swerve, get stuck in one direction, and sway into other lanes almost striking other vehicles. The vehicle is a huge safety concern on the road. I Myself have had to roughly pull my steering before crashing into another vehicle. At times, the vehicle looses tract…

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The Electronic Power Steering is failing and causing the vehicle to swerve, get stuck in one direction, and sway into other lanes almost striking other vehicles. The vehicle is a huge safety concern on the road. I Myself have had to roughly pull my steering before crashing into another vehicle. At times, the vehicle looses traction while actively driving because of the steering becoming stiff and stuck. The vehicle has been brought into Honda, they confirmed the power steering rack is failing and will continue to diminish over time thus causing the vehicle to crash. Multiple other Hondas have been brought in for the same issue according to Honda and stated the steering rack part has no estimated time when the part would be in the shop. I was told it could take anywhere from a week to months before Honda receives the necessary part. There are no warning lights appearing but Honda did confirm the steering rack is failing more and more and there’s nothing they can do for it yet. I’m not sure how people are supposed to drive a car that is bound to crash into someone? The part itself is no where to be found easily, so do Honda owners pray they do not crash?

NHTSA ODI #11459136

Mileage unknown · Mar 26, 2022
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

I’ve had this car for about 1 year now. On the 4th month of having the vehicle I got the battery replaced by the dealer for free. Now here we are a year later and my car is having the same issue. When I go to crank it, it stutters as if it doesn’t want to turn on than turns on. I went to autozone and they said battery needs to …

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I’ve had this car for about 1 year now. On the 4th month of having the vehicle I got the battery replaced by the dealer for free. Now here we are a year later and my car is having the same issue. When I go to crank it, it stutters as if it doesn’t want to turn on than turns on. I went to autozone and they said battery needs to be changed again. Which makes no sense because never in my life have I had to change a battery 2x in year & it’s practically still a new vehicle. I started to investigate and when I go in my trunk That I barely use. I have a little bucket with things I keep in it. The bucket was filled with water as if it was leaking from the tail light area. So my trunk is soaked. I’ve noticed before a little moisture back there but I thought nothing of it. I wonder if others are having the same issue or they may not have noticed yet. The vehicle getting wet in the inside can become a very big electrical & rust issue. Which is very unsafe, can lead to things like a fire or even mildew which can get you sick breathing in it. I feel this matter should be addressed and investigated immediately! For not only the safety of my self but the other civic drivers !

NHTSA ODI #11458408

Mileage unknown · Aug 16, 2021
Electrical SystemCrash

2016 Honda Civic sport- push start ignition can turn engine power off when parking without the operator knowing, or receiving sufficient warning that the automatic transmition is still in drive or neutral. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection. Yesterday, my husband parked our 2016 Civic after a trip to the store. He wa…

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2016 Honda Civic sport- push start ignition can turn engine power off when parking without the operator knowing, or receiving sufficient warning that the automatic transmition is still in drive or neutral. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection. Yesterday, my husband parked our 2016 Civic after a trip to the store. He was unaware that the had not placed the vehicle in park, as he was able to turn off engine and exit the car without sufficient safety warning. He took an item from the trunk, closed it, walked down the street and into the house. A few minutes later our neighbor got an alert on her security camera. Our unoccupied car is seen in the video rolling forward, down the hill, before crashing into shrubs and trees at bottom. When we got up to the car, my husband unlocked it and climbed in through passenger seat, to find it was still in drive, but was not running.This could have seriously injured or killed a child or anyone else if they had been standing in its path.Thankfully, it didn't roll into a child or one of our neighbors. No one was injured, though they certainly could have been. The car does have damage, but that can be fixed. We have not taken it to the dealer yet, but I am contacting them now. We have not contacted our insurance company yet. But we will be submitting the photos and videos with the claim. My husband said there was not a warning light on the dash and he did not observe any indication that the car was still in gear or he would not have gotten out of the car. The car gives a warning light if you leave your lights on, when you are approaching a service interval, low fuel or change in tire pressure, low battery life, and a dozen other things. He has had the car for more than five years so he is very familiar with it. It is serviced on time, and our mechanic does annual inspections every year. We will test it again tonight to see if we can duplicate it, but with a driver inside to apply the break if it rolls.

NHTSA ODI #11429316

Mileage unknown · Jun 22, 2021
Electrical SystemEquipment

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds the air conditioner was distributing hot air through the vents. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was unkn…

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The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds the air conditioner was distributing hot air through the vents. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was unknown. The contact was concerned about driving a vehicle without air conditioning in a hot climate state.

NHTSA ODI #11421896

Mileage unknown · Mar 31, 2021
Electrical SystemVisibility/wiper

AC COMPRESSOR WENT OUT AFTER 37,000 MILES. WITHOUT THE AC, IT HURTS VISIBILITY (COULD NOT DEFOG THE CAR WINDOWS) WHEN RAINING OR LIVING IN A HIGH HUMIDITY AREA. THIS IS ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE IN HOTTER CLIMATES. ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH REAR BACKUP CAMERA NOT WORKING UPON STARTUP INTERMITTENTLY.

NHTSA ODI #11405753

23,000 miles · Mar 26, 2021
Electrical SystemExterior LightingService Brakes

I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL ISSUES SINCE ABOUT 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE WITH BRAKE LIGHT BULBS REPEATEDLY BURNING OUT ALONG WITH EVERY SYSTEM ICON ON THE DASH FLASHING OFF AND ON WHILE DRIVING THE CAR IT WILL NOT START ALWAYS AND AT TIMES IT WILL NOT OPEN WITH THE KEY OR THE REMOTE FOB ALL BEING TAKEN IN TO SHOPS…

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I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL ISSUES SINCE ABOUT 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE WITH BRAKE LIGHT BULBS REPEATEDLY BURNING OUT ALONG WITH EVERY SYSTEM ICON ON THE DASH FLASHING OFF AND ON WHILE DRIVING THE CAR IT WILL NOT START ALWAYS AND AT TIMES IT WILL NOT OPEN WITH THE KEY OR THE REMOTE FOB ALL BEING TAKEN IN TO SHOPS FOR REPAIRS AND WITHIN WEEKS I CAN BE BACK TO THE SHOP WITH YET ANOTHER SO CALLED FIX THIS RECURRING PROBLEM IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE

NHTSA ODI #11404997

70,000 miles · Mar 20, 2021
Electrical SystemStructure

WHEN THE FUEL DOOR ACTUATOR IS ACTIVATED (LOCKING THE DOORS ON REMOTE CONTROL), THE MOTOR MAKES A LOUD NOISE AS IT LOCKS THE FUEL DOOR. UNLOCKING DOES NOT MAKE A NOISE. ALSO, WHEN GETTING INTO CAR (UNLOCKING DOORS) AND THEN DRIVING AWAY, AS THE DOOR AUTO-LOCK THE ACTUATOR IS ENGAGED AND IT MAKES A LOUD NOISE. SOUND ONLY HAPPENS …

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WHEN THE FUEL DOOR ACTUATOR IS ACTIVATED (LOCKING THE DOORS ON REMOTE CONTROL), THE MOTOR MAKES A LOUD NOISE AS IT LOCKS THE FUEL DOOR. UNLOCKING DOES NOT MAKE A NOISE. ALSO, WHEN GETTING INTO CAR (UNLOCKING DOORS) AND THEN DRIVING AWAY, AS THE DOOR AUTO-LOCK THE ACTUATOR IS ENGAGED AND IT MAKES A LOUD NOISE. SOUND ONLY HAPPENS WHEN THE ACTUATOR IS ENGAGED. SOUNDS LIKE THE INTERNAL MOTOR IS STRUGGLING TO CLOSE/LOCK THE FUEL DOOR. IT BEGAN 2 WEEKS AGO, AND THE SOUND IS GETTING WORSE AND ANNOYING.

NHTSA ODI #11404012

33,340 miles · Jan 26, 2021
Electrical SystemStructureUnknown Or Other

PAINT PEELING ALONG UPPER EDGE OF ROOF ADJACENT TO REAR WINDOW. CONSOLE DISPLAY FOR BACKUP/RIGHT TURN CAMERA ONLY DISPLAYS COLORED LINES WHILE STATIONARY OR MOVING. MILEAGE 33,340, OCT. 2020

NHTSA ODI #11390017

55,000 miles · Sep 23, 2020
Electrical System

WENT TO START MY CAR AFTER 8 HOURS OF WORK AND THE BATTERY IS DEAD. CAR IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD AND HAS CHALKY CORROSION. I DON'T LIVE NEAR A BEACH FOR IT TO HAVE THIS MUCH CORROSION NOR DO I KNOW IF THAT'S WHY THE BATTERY IS ACTUALLY DYING. CAR HAS DONE THIS TO ME 4 TIMES SINCE PURCHASING IT BRAND NEW.

NHTSA ODI #11360650

36,000 miles · Sep 18, 2020
Electrical SystemSteering

AT APPROX 36K MILES, THE VEHICLE BEGAN EXHIBITING A BEHAVIOR WHERE, AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE STEERING STICKS WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT. TO MAKE A MINOR STEERING ADJUSTMENT, THE AMOUNT OF FORCE REQUIRED TO INITIATE A STEERING CHANGE WOULD CAUSE STEERING TO BECOME UNSTUCK AND THEN OVER STEER. MINOR STEERING ADJUSTMENTS ARE NOT POSSIB…

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AT APPROX 36K MILES, THE VEHICLE BEGAN EXHIBITING A BEHAVIOR WHERE, AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE STEERING STICKS WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT. TO MAKE A MINOR STEERING ADJUSTMENT, THE AMOUNT OF FORCE REQUIRED TO INITIATE A STEERING CHANGE WOULD CAUSE STEERING TO BECOME UNSTUCK AND THEN OVER STEER. MINOR STEERING ADJUSTMENTS ARE NOT POSSIBLE AND THE VEHICLE IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND MAINTAIN WITHIN THE DRIVING LANE. THIS ISSUE INITIALLY WOULD OCCUR RANDOMLY BUT HAS PROGRESSED AND IS OCCURRING MORE OFTEN.

NHTSA ODI #11359768

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.

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