STRONG FUEL SMELL IN THE ENGINE ALONG WITH THE OIL ABOVE THE FILL LINE AFTER CHECKING IT
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 →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Civic years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
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.
What owners actually said
1,080 reportsA/C EVAPORATOR COIL HAD BAD WELD. $1600 REPAIR AFTER EVAPORATOR COIL REPLACEMENT, EVAC, AND REFILL OF FREON.
WHEN THE WARMER WEATHER STARTED, I NOTICED MY AIR CONDITIONING WAS ONLY GIVING OUT COLD AIR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. WHEN BROUGHT TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC, THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT ASSESS WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE CAR FOR THAT YEAR. I BROUGHT IT TO THE HONDA DEALER FOR REPAIRS ON MAY 20, 2019 WH…
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WHEN THE WARMER WEATHER STARTED, I NOTICED MY AIR CONDITIONING WAS ONLY GIVING OUT COLD AIR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. WHEN BROUGHT TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC, THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT ASSESS WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE CAR FOR THAT YEAR. I BROUGHT IT TO THE HONDA DEALER FOR REPAIRS ON MAY 20, 2019 WHERE THEY SAID I NEEDED A NEW CONDENSER DUE TO A LEAK. THEY COULD NOT SAY WHAT CAUSED THE LEAK, BUT THE HONDA SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE STAYED THAT DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE ENGINE THAT YEAR, SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A ROCK COULD HAVE EASILY PUNCTURED THE CONDENSER. THE TOTAL AMOUNT IN REPAIRS WAS $907 ON A THREE YEAR OLD VEHICLE. IT WAS ALSO STATED THAT SINCE THIS IS SUCH A WELL-KNOWN ISSUE, I COULD NOT FILE A CLAIM THROUGH MY COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE.
THERE WAS A FAILURE OF THE AC CONDENSER CAUSING THE NEED TO REPLACE THE WHOLE UNIT, AS WELL AS THE SENSOR. THE CORPORATE HONDA REPRESENTATIVE EVEN ADMITTED ON THE PHONE THAT THEIR DEALERSHIPS HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THE CONDENSERS ON THE CIVIC MODELS, INCLUDING UNITS DELIVERED FROM THE FACTOR THAT HAD ALREADY FAILED. A…
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THERE WAS A FAILURE OF THE AC CONDENSER CAUSING THE NEED TO REPLACE THE WHOLE UNIT, AS WELL AS THE SENSOR. THE CORPORATE HONDA REPRESENTATIVE EVEN ADMITTED ON THE PHONE THAT THEIR DEALERSHIPS HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THE CONDENSERS ON THE CIVIC MODELS, INCLUDING UNITS DELIVERED FROM THE FACTOR THAT HAD ALREADY FAILED. A SIMPLE SEARCH OF CREDITED AUTOMOTIVE REVIEW SITES SHOWN MANY EXAMPLES FOR THIS MODEL YEAR, WHERE THE AC UNITS HAVE FAILED. AS THE CORPORATE OFFICE HAS FAILED TO ISSUES A VOLUNTARY RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE, I ASK THAT YOU LOOK INTO THIS AND PROTECT THE CONSUMER. THANK YOU.
AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK. DEALER WANTS $2,382.15 TO REPLACE A/C COMPRESSOR W/ CLUTCH AND COIL ($1500.26), CONDENSER ($599.04), EVACUATE AND RECHARGE COMPLETE($159.95) FILTERS AND AIR CLEANERS ($122.90) , AIR VENTALATION SYSTEM CLEANING ($89.95). 2016 HONDA CIVIC EX 70,491 MILES. LAST YEAR I BROUGHT THE CAR TO DEA…
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AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK. DEALER WANTS $2,382.15 TO REPLACE A/C COMPRESSOR W/ CLUTCH AND COIL ($1500.26), CONDENSER ($599.04), EVACUATE AND RECHARGE COMPLETE($159.95) FILTERS AND AIR CLEANERS ($122.90) , AIR VENTALATION SYSTEM CLEANING ($89.95). 2016 HONDA CIVIC EX 70,491 MILES. LAST YEAR I BROUGHT THE CAR TO DEALER AND THEY VACUUMED AND REFILLED THE SYSTEM ($159.95). THIS YEAR SAME PROBLEM, NO COLD AIR AND NOW BEING TOLD ENTIRE SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVE. I CAN NOT PROPERLY CLEAR MY FRONT WINDSHIELD BECAUSE DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A/C .
ESTOY TENIENDO PROBLEMAS CON MI CARRO CUANDO EL CARRO ESTA EN MODO PARKIN ESTA BIEN PERO NO MAS LO MUEVO A MODO DE MANEJO. EMPIESA A TEMBLAR CUANDO PARO EN UNA LUZ. LO RPM BAJAN Y EMPIESA A TEMBLAR LUGO LO MUEVO A PARKING OTRA VEZ Y SE PONE NORMAL. EL CARRO EST GASTANFO MUCHA GASOLINA CASI NO LO USO. APENAS TENGO NI UN MES QUE …
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ESTOY TENIENDO PROBLEMAS CON MI CARRO CUANDO EL CARRO ESTA EN MODO PARKIN ESTA BIEN PERO NO MAS LO MUEVO A MODO DE MANEJO. EMPIESA A TEMBLAR CUANDO PARO EN UNA LUZ. LO RPM BAJAN Y EMPIESA A TEMBLAR LUGO LO MUEVO A PARKING OTRA VEZ Y SE PONE NORMAL. EL CARRO EST GASTANFO MUCHA GASOLINA CASI NO LO USO. APENAS TENGO NI UN MES QUE LO COMPRE
ENGINE STALLED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT SCANNED THE VEHICLE THAT THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REFLASHED HONDA STATED NO RECALL BUT MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ONLINE ALSO ON HONDA MECHANIC WEBSITE STATES COMPUTER ISSUE
BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON FLASHING, BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT, AND ERROR ON PANEL ELECTRIC PARKING BREAK FAILURE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECALL ON MOST 2016 MODELS
I HAVE A 2016 HONDA CIVIC EX, I WAS ON THE ROAD FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES IN MOTION DRIVING STRAIGHT WHEN THE STEERING BECAME HARD LIKE IT WAS STICKING. I GOT ON THE INTERSTATE AND ACCELERATED THE FASTER I GOT THE WORSE IT GOT.IT'S PULLS ME TO THE LEFT AND THEN TO THE RIGHT. I THEN LOWERED MY SPEED TO 50 BUT IT STILL CONTINUED TO D…
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I HAVE A 2016 HONDA CIVIC EX, I WAS ON THE ROAD FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES IN MOTION DRIVING STRAIGHT WHEN THE STEERING BECAME HARD LIKE IT WAS STICKING. I GOT ON THE INTERSTATE AND ACCELERATED THE FASTER I GOT THE WORSE IT GOT.IT'S PULLS ME TO THE LEFT AND THEN TO THE RIGHT. I THEN LOWERED MY SPEED TO 50 BUT IT STILL CONTINUED TO DO THIS AND HAS NOW GOTTEN WORSE IT NEVER STOPS AND IS VERY HARD TO KEEP IN ONE LANE.KNOW THERHAS BEEN RECALLS ON THE 2017 HONDA CIVICS FOR THE EXACT SAME REASON. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE FOUND THAT IT WILL EVENTUALLY LOCK UP AND HAS ALREADY CAUSED ACCIDENTS. I DON'T WANT TO CAUSE ANYONE ANY INJURIES OR GOD FORBID SOMEONE LOSE THEIR LIFE. IT'S GETTING ALOT WORSE . WILL NOTIFY HONDA. IMMEDIATELY!
MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND HIT A POT HOLE ON A 2 LINE HIGHWAY, THEN THE TIRE BLEW OUT CAUSING ALL THE SIDE AIRBAGS AND STEERING WHEEL AIR AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY. THE CAR DID NOT HIT ANYTHING ELSE NOR WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION ACCIDENT.
Official recalls
526V332000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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