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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
30,000 miles · Nov 22, 2021
Steering

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the steering wheel had experienced minute levels of stiffness and stickiness when attempting to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. T…

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The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the steering wheel had experienced minute levels of stiffness and stickiness when attempting to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.

NHTSA ODI #11441362

Mileage unknown · Oct 15, 2021
Steering

Steering gets "notchy" and acts out of sync. when at highway speeds, when trying to move left or right the steering does not respond correctly. You end up overcompensating for slight movements making it dangerous as you may veer too far. Seems to happen after car is warm or temps outside are high. Its also intermittent so hard …

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Steering gets "notchy" and acts out of sync. when at highway speeds, when trying to move left or right the steering does not respond correctly. You end up overcompensating for slight movements making it dangerous as you may veer too far. Seems to happen after car is warm or temps outside are high. Its also intermittent so hard to get dealership to diagnose. Have read this is an eps problem with steering rack. Should definitely be a safety recall as this is how we "aim" these 2 ton metal machines. Took to a local Honda dealership they said nothing is wrong. I still have the problem! This is a serious defect. Please issue a safety recall.

NHTSA ODI #11436968

Mileage unknown · Oct 14, 2021
Steering

The steering wheel on the 2016 Honda Civic tends to stick when the car in going in a straightforward motion at highway speeds. When a bend or curve in the road approaches, the steering wheel must be gently forced out of its central stuck position, causing a jerk in the movement of the vehicle. I have gotten used to this issue an…

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The steering wheel on the 2016 Honda Civic tends to stick when the car in going in a straightforward motion at highway speeds. When a bend or curve in the road approaches, the steering wheel must be gently forced out of its central stuck position, causing a jerk in the movement of the vehicle. I have gotten used to this issue and have been able to work through it, but fear the safety of my family as passengers or if they ever need to drive my vehicle. The jerking motion could potentially cause the car to jump out of lane. This is generally always been an issue with my vehicle, but I didn't fully understand how potentially dangerous it is until now.

NHTSA ODI #11436761

Mileage unknown · Oct 14, 2021
Unknown Or Other

It is alleged that the compressor on my 2016 Honda Civic has failed and needs to be replaced. The mileage of my vehicle is under 50k. This resulted in the failure of the air conditioning system in my vehicle. It caused unhospitable conditions for the driver and passengers inside the cabin on hot summer days. Other issues due to …

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It is alleged that the compressor on my 2016 Honda Civic has failed and needs to be replaced. The mileage of my vehicle is under 50k. This resulted in the failure of the air conditioning system in my vehicle. It caused unhospitable conditions for the driver and passengers inside the cabin on hot summer days. Other issues due to lack of cabin cooling most likely result. Currently, Honda is only taking partial responsibility for WIDELY OCCURRING air conditioning issues in the 10th generation Civic. They refuse to acknowledge that the breakdown of the air conditioning system may also include the compressor. Research indicates the freon leaks prematurely in 10th generation Civics because the new air conditioning systems can not withstand the internal pressures of the engineered design. My vehicle is currently with my Honda dealership. Visible symptoms occurred suddenly, but non-visible symptoms were likely occurring long before, without my (the owners) knowledge. I regularly bring my car in for appropriate maintenance and inspection. THERE NEEDS TO BE A NATIONAL RECALL.

NHTSA ODI #11436760

32,000 miles · Oct 8, 2021
Steering

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated while reversing, there was an abnormal noise coming from the steering wheel. In addition, the steering wheel was pulling to the right or left while the vehicle was driven straight. The steering wheel seized causing the contact to use extreme force while steering the vehicle…

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The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated while reversing, there was an abnormal noise coming from the steering wheel. In addition, the steering wheel was pulling to the right or left while the vehicle was driven straight. The steering wheel seized causing the contact to use extreme force while steering the vehicle. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 32,000.

NHTSA ODI #11436016

Mileage unknown · Oct 7, 2021
Air BagsCrashInjury

In a head on collision. Front air bags deployed. Passenger side airbags deployed. Driver side airbags did not deploy

NHTSA ODI #11435957

33,532 miles · Sep 27, 2021
Steering

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH while remaining in a straight line, the contact noticed that the steering had seized, caused the contact to manually put more pressure to steer the vehicle in a straight line to avoid the vehicle going into the other lane. The contact took the vehicle t…

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The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH while remaining in a straight line, the contact noticed that the steering had seized, caused the contact to manually put more pressure to steer the vehicle in a straight line to avoid the vehicle going into the other lane. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the failure as a steering rack failure that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,532.

NHTSA ODI #11434523

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 30, 2021
Service Brakes

Brake and brake system came on and I was unable to reverse

NHTSA ODI #11430968

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

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