← New search

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

Structure complaints

48 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Jun 25, 2026
Structure

The paint on my car has been chipping nonstop and I have called Honda multiple times about the issue and they will not correct nor acknowledge the problem. This issue has been occurring before 2025, it got even worse in 2025

NHTSA ODI #11746421

Mileage unknown · Apr 8, 2026
SteeringStructureUnknown Or Other

The white paint on my 2016 Honda Civic keeps peeling, which looks bad and is leading to structural rust developing in several areas of my car. Fixing it will be costly, and the paint quality on these vehicles isn't very good, causing frustration for owners. Furthermore, my steering wheel has been sticking for some time, and I've…

Read full complaint

The white paint on my 2016 Honda Civic keeps peeling, which looks bad and is leading to structural rust developing in several areas of my car. Fixing it will be costly, and the paint quality on these vehicles isn't very good, causing frustration for owners. Furthermore, my steering wheel has been sticking for some time, and I've consulted several shops for their thoughts. This also comes with a hefty repair price, and I believe it is Honda's duty to address these problems.

NHTSA ODI #11730082

Mileage unknown · Feb 26, 2026
Structure

The paint is flaking all areas surrounding the rear windshield which will cause rust damage and may lead to rear windshield needing to be replaced

NHTSA ODI #11720653

Mileage unknown · Aug 24, 2025
StructureWheels

Body: underneath part came unsecured out of nowhere on my collage daughters car. It was scary for her as it scraped bottom and rattled out of no where on highway. She stopped and since nothing on hand, she had to push it up with feet and it bent to hold till she got to shop. They quick fix with zip tie or something. Someone hi…

Read full complaint

Body: underneath part came unsecured out of nowhere on my collage daughters car. It was scary for her as it scraped bottom and rattled out of no where on highway. She stopped and since nothing on hand, she had to push it up with feet and it bent to hold till she got to shop. They quick fix with zip tie or something. Someone hit her from back and she took to shop. I mentioned it that some noise coming after the fix and was supposed to to bring it to them this week. It just rattled but nothing else. Drivable still. Than middle of no where, that bottom popped again and she panicked. It was Sunday so no one is open. I had to have her park at work and pick her up which is an hour away. This is very dangerous as when we googled, this has happened to soooo many Honda civic owners! Need to do recall and fix this issue for good. It’s underneath the car so hard to tell till it drops to flow. We love the car but this issue is greater. Also, she has tire sensor light always comes up. We got new tires also!

NHTSA ODI #11682666

Mileage unknown · Jul 23, 2025
StructureUnknown Or Other

This report is on the paint defect issue on the 10th generation Honda Civic that can potentially impact the vehicle's structural integrity from the windshield damage. The white paint on my vehicle started peeling around the perimeter of the rear window with the rain groove. I am uncertain of the exact time it started, but the p…

Read full complaint

This report is on the paint defect issue on the 10th generation Honda Civic that can potentially impact the vehicle's structural integrity from the windshield damage. The white paint on my vehicle started peeling around the perimeter of the rear window with the rain groove. I am uncertain of the exact time it started, but the paint defect became noticeable to the naked eye just past the 5 years of ownership. The size of the paint chip has now extended to the rear body of the vehicle. A section of bare steel body around the rear window is exposed to the elements. Based on the inspection and evaluation by the authorized Honda paint and body shop that was recommended by the dealership, I have been informed that the cause is commonly due to improper paint priming during the manufacturing process. According to the paint and body shop owner, such paint peeling is a widely known issue with certain color paint for many auto manufacturers that use the same paint primer. I was warned that paint peeling will likely worsen with the water being captured underneath the paint. I am reporting this incident as a safety concern because the rust on the bare metal chassis of the vehicle can cause corrosion under the windshield adhesive over time and lead to the window breaking. The windshield is critical to the vehicle's structural rigidity as it contributes to both the roof support and the airbag deployment. The Honda dealership service manager submitted goodwill on my vehicle past warranty for a paint defect from the manufacturing process, but American Honda Motor Company has denied the claim as they determined it as cosmetic damage only. There are multiple reports online on paint defects from other Honda Civic owners from various places. There was a lawsuit settlement on older generation Honda Civic vehicles, but it looks like the known issue is still present on the newer generation. Based on the location of the paint defect, it can become a safety concern.

NHTSA ODI #11675778

24,000 miles · Jun 6, 2025
Structure

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that one of the trunk lid springs had fractured. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 22-013. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle …

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that one of the trunk lid springs had fractured. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 22-013. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be covered because under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.

NHTSA ODI #11665278

Mileage unknown · Oct 20, 2024
Structure

These vehicles have major paint issues. I experienced the paint flaking off the side back panel near the window and had to go through a somewhat annoying process to have the dealer look into it. After I had this issue I looked online to see if anyone has this same problem and it came to my attention that it is a nationwide issue…

Read full complaint

These vehicles have major paint issues. I experienced the paint flaking off the side back panel near the window and had to go through a somewhat annoying process to have the dealer look into it. After I had this issue I looked online to see if anyone has this same problem and it came to my attention that it is a nationwide issue that is not being addressed. Here is a link of other people who have experienced this issue, [XXX] . The paint is too thin and loses it's clear coat easily then the color breaks and flakes off. I honestly believe this is a manufacture defect as so many cars are affected with the exact same issue. Now my car paint is peeling near the top of the window and I would like an investigation done. I have taken very good car of the vehicle, hand washes and it only has 15k miles. I paid over 28k for this car and didn't expect the paint to be so thin or poor. Please help myself and the many others that are having this issue by formally opening an investigation. I appreciate your time and your assistance. Take care! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11620851

Mileage unknown · May 27, 2024
Structure

When jacking car to change tire, the lift point crumbled due to corrosion causing the car to fall back to the ground. There was no obvious evidence of extreme corrosion; it rusted from the inside. It is unknown how much more structural rust is inside the unibody but the car may no longer be safe for the road.

NHTSA ODI #11590852

Mileage unknown · May 26, 2024
Structure

Driving the car home at 6pm on a highway, and heard a loud pop sound, but there were no rocks or objects hitting the vehicle. It turn out that the sunroof glass had exploded from the center for no reason. I am only glad the sunroof was not in use/open at the time, otherwise, the shattered glass will definitely lead to some serio…

Read full complaint

Driving the car home at 6pm on a highway, and heard a loud pop sound, but there were no rocks or objects hitting the vehicle. It turn out that the sunroof glass had exploded from the center for no reason. I am only glad the sunroof was not in use/open at the time, otherwise, the shattered glass will definitely lead to some serious consequences.

NHTSA ODI #11590826

Mileage unknown · Feb 14, 2024
Air BagsStructureUnknown Or Other

FRONT BUMPER AND GRILLE O/H bumper assy RT Filler cover w/o fog lamps; Bumper cover; Impact bar; Grille; Molding Lower grille 2.0 liter; Eblem FRONT LAMPS RT HEADLAMP ASSY LT R&I HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY AIM, RT MARKER AC Air bag, MISCELLANEOUS OPERATIONS CoolantTIRE 215/55/16, new SRS module and zero point calibrate ABS module

NHTSA ODI #11571864

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