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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
25,000 miles · Feb 1, 2019
Electrical System

CAR WILL NOT START. ALL SYSTEM WARNING LIGHTS FLASH: EECTRIC PARKING BRAKE PARKING, VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST PROBLEM, ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM PROBLEM, BRAKE SYSTEM PROBLEM, POWER STEERING. WILL START WITH A JUMP START. THIS IS NOT A EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE. TOOK IT INTO HONDA, THEY SAID IT WAS THE BATTER. HERE WE ARE 2 DAYS LATER AND…

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CAR WILL NOT START. ALL SYSTEM WARNING LIGHTS FLASH: EECTRIC PARKING BRAKE PARKING, VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST PROBLEM, ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM PROBLEM, BRAKE SYSTEM PROBLEM, POWER STEERING. WILL START WITH A JUMP START. THIS IS NOT A EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE. TOOK IT INTO HONDA, THEY SAID IT WAS THE BATTER. HERE WE ARE 2 DAYS LATER AND THE CAR IS DOING THE SAME THING. WE HAVE BEEN STRANDED NUMEROUS TIME AND THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR OVER A YEAR.

NHTSA ODI #11173494

57,000 miles · Jan 27, 2019
Unknown Or Other

WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON 1/26/2019 AT ABOUT 11:30 AM WHEN I HEARD A VERY LOUD POP. I THOUGHT MAYBE I HAD BLOWN A TIRE AND TURNED DOWN MY MUSIC. I HEARD A LOT OF WIND AND AFTER VERIFYING THAT ALL OF MY WINDOWS WERE UP I OPENED THE VISOR TO MY SUNROOF TO DISCOVER THAT MY SUNROOF HAD EXPLODED. WHEN THIS OCCURRED, THERE WERE NO OTHER …

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WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON 1/26/2019 AT ABOUT 11:30 AM WHEN I HEARD A VERY LOUD POP. I THOUGHT MAYBE I HAD BLOWN A TIRE AND TURNED DOWN MY MUSIC. I HEARD A LOT OF WIND AND AFTER VERIFYING THAT ALL OF MY WINDOWS WERE UP I OPENED THE VISOR TO MY SUNROOF TO DISCOVER THAT MY SUNROOF HAD EXPLODED. WHEN THIS OCCURRED, THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES SURROUNDING ME AND I WAS NOT DRIVING UNDER AN OVER PASS, THEREFORE I WAS NOT HIT BY ANY FLYING DEBRIS. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER IT APPEARED THAT MY SUNROOF HAD EXPLODED IN AN OUTWARD FASHION. AS IF SOMEONE HAD BUSTED IT OUT FROM THE INSIDE. THERE WAS ALSO NO GLASS THAT SHATTERED DOWN INTO MY SUNROOF VISOR WHICH FURTHER LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT I WAS NOT HIT BY DEBRIS. AFTER DOING SOME SEARCHING, IT WOULD SEEM THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON OCCURRENCE AND THERE HAVE BEEN HUNDREDS OF INSTANCES OF SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODING SUNROOFS IN CARS MANUFACTURED IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS. UNFORTUNATELY THIS HAPPENED ON A WEEKEND SO I WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MONDAY TO SEE IF HONDA WILL REPAIR THE ISSUE FREE OF CHARGE (AS THEY SHOULD).

NHTSA ODI #11172379

19,000 miles · Jan 13, 2019
Steering

WHEN DRIVING MY CAR AT 60 OR 65MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES THE STEERING WHEEL STAYS STUCK AND MAKES DRIVING DIFFICULT CAUSING STRONG PULLS TO THE SIDES AND CAUSES INSECURITY AND DIFFICULTY WHEN DRIVING LONG DISTANCES. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER IN JUNE OF 2018 EXPLAINING THE SITUATION AND A HONDA TECHNICIAN MADE THE TE…

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WHEN DRIVING MY CAR AT 60 OR 65MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES THE STEERING WHEEL STAYS STUCK AND MAKES DRIVING DIFFICULT CAUSING STRONG PULLS TO THE SIDES AND CAUSES INSECURITY AND DIFFICULTY WHEN DRIVING LONG DISTANCES. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER IN JUNE OF 2018 EXPLAINING THE SITUATION AND A HONDA TECHNICIAN MADE THE TEST WITH ME NEXT AND IT HAPPENED THE SAME. HE REPORTED IT AND THEY ONLY MADE ONE BATTERY CHANGE. TODAY JANUARY 13 OF 2019 THE PROBLEM CONTINUES AND IS GETTING WORSE. THE CAR HAS 26,114 MILES TODAY.

NHTSA ODI #11166762

Mileage unknown · Jan 10, 2019
Unknown Or Other

IT HAS A BREAK RECALL I DIDN'T RECEIVE A NOTICE OR ANY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS

NHTSA ODI #11166183

58,000 miles · Jan 9, 2019
Electrical System

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM A HONDA DEALERSHIP VANCOUVER, WA IN 2016. RECENTLY, THE CAR ALARM WOULD GO OFF RANDOMLY THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE BATTERY WAS CHECKED AND REPLACED. THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE ISSUE. I WENT IN AGAIN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY DID A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK OF ELECTRONIC…

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I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM A HONDA DEALERSHIP VANCOUVER, WA IN 2016. RECENTLY, THE CAR ALARM WOULD GO OFF RANDOMLY THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE BATTERY WAS CHECKED AND REPLACED. THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE ISSUE. I WENT IN AGAIN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY DID A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEM AND FOUND SECURITY CODES RELATING TO HOOD SWITCH IN THE SECURITY HISTORY. THEY SUGGESTED TO REPLACE THE HOOD LATCH/SWITCH ASSEMBLY AND RECHECK. ANOTHER PERSON I SPOKE WITH, THAT HAD THE SAME ISSUE, CLAIMED THAT REPLACING THE HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLY WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I ASKED ABOUT MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY SINCE THIS ITEM ISN'T COVERED BY DEALERSHIP WARRANTY OF 3 YRS/36K MILES. THE DEFECT IS FROM A PART THAT IS CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE AND FALLS UNDER MANUFACTURING ERROR AND NOT A WEARABLE PART THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH WARRANTY OR SOMETHING THAT FATIGUES OVER TIME. I WROTE HONDA REGARDING THIS. IN THE MEANTIME, I CANNOT USE MY SECURITY SYSTEM, THAT I PAID FOR ON THE VEHICLE, DUE TO IT POSSIBLY DRAINING MY NEW BATTERY. HONDA (REGIONAL SERVICE MANAGER) STATED, OVER THE PHONE, THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF REPLACEMENT AND THAT IT FALLS UNDER THEIR WARRANTY OF PARTS. THIS ISSUE IS HAZARDOUS BECAUSE THE SENSOR FOR THE CAR ALARM TRIPS ITSELF ELECTRONICALLY WHEN THE HOOD IS SHUT. THIS COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE A FIRE AND/OR GREATER DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE OR OTHERS. ADDITIONALLY, I DRIVE FOR RIDESHARE AND THIS PUTS RISK TO MY CLIENTS AS WELL. THE ALARM SOUNDS ONLY WHEN THE CAR IS LOCKED AND ALARM SET WHILE PARKED. IT OCCURS EVERY FEW HOURS AFTER ALARM IS SET. AFTER INSPECTING THE HOOD MYSELF, I COULD SEE NO DAMAGE TO THE HOOD LATCH AND WOULD NOT NEED A REPLACEMENT HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLY. THIS ISSUE IS ONE OF ELECTRONIC NATURE, INVOLVING THE CAR ALARM SENSOR ON HOOD LATCH, SECURITY SYSTEM, AND THE ELECTRONIC CAR MAINTENANCE MONITORING SYSTEM.

NHTSA ODI #11166125

Mileage unknown · Jan 8, 2019
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

NOT SURE IF IT'S THE BATTERY OR THE BATTERY SENSOR BUT MY CAR WHEN I WANT TO TURN IT ON IT'LL NOT TURN ON AND IT WOULD JUST FLASH ALL THE LIGHTS IN THE BOARD AND WON'T FULLY TURN ON.

NHTSA ODI #11165947

25,000 miles · Dec 11, 2018
Visibility

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HONDA CIVIC. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED WITHOUT IMPACT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER (HOLLER HONDA, 2211 N SEMORAN BLVD, ORLANDO, FL 32807, (877) 872-9906) WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEA…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HONDA CIVIC. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED WITHOUT IMPACT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER (HOLLER HONDA, 2211 N SEMORAN BLVD, ORLANDO, FL 32807, (877) 872-9906) WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

NHTSA ODI #11160746

18,000 miles · Nov 30, 2018
Unknown Or Other

BACKUP CAMERA WILL RANDOMLY GO BLACK DURING OPERATION IF SHIFTED INTO REVERSE DURING HEADUNIT BOOT (IMMEDIATELY AFTER VEHICLE COLD START) AND HEADUNIT RESUMES BOOT SHOWING HONDA LOGO AND DRIVER WARNING SCREEN INSTEAD OF BACKUP CAMERA. HAS HAPPENED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. HONDA DEALER WAS INITIALLY NOTIFIED ON 4/27/2018 BUT NO…

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BACKUP CAMERA WILL RANDOMLY GO BLACK DURING OPERATION IF SHIFTED INTO REVERSE DURING HEADUNIT BOOT (IMMEDIATELY AFTER VEHICLE COLD START) AND HEADUNIT RESUMES BOOT SHOWING HONDA LOGO AND DRIVER WARNING SCREEN INSTEAD OF BACKUP CAMERA. HAS HAPPENED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. HONDA DEALER WAS INITIALLY NOTIFIED ON 4/27/2018 BUT NO RESOLUTION HAS BEEN PROVIDED AS OF 11/30/2018. IMAGES UPLOADED DOCUMENT FIVE (5) OCCURRENCES BETWEEN 8/29/2018 AND 10/10/2018, BUT HAS HAPPENED PRIOR TO AND SINCE. NOTE IN IMAGES THAT SHIFT LEVER IS IN REVERSE BUT NO BACKUP CAMERA VIEW IS SHOWN ON THE DISPLAY.

NHTSA ODI #11154885

59,200 miles · Nov 27, 2018
Unknown Or Other

SUNROOF EXPLODED. WE WERE DRIVING ALONG ON THE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT IN LATE NOVEMBER AND HEARD A LOUD THUD ABOVE US. THE SUNROOF SHADE WAS CLOSED THANKFULLY BECAUSE WHEN I OPENED IT TO CHECK, WE REALIZED THAT THE GLASS HAD SHATTERED.

NHTSA ODI #11154138

12,661 miles · Nov 16, 2018
Steering

STEERING WHEEL STICKS WHEN TRYING TO MAKE SMALL ADJUSTMENTS. MUST APPLY ADDED PRESSURE TO GET PAST THE STICK. HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVEN FOR LONGER TIMES AND WHEN THE WEATHER IS HOT. TAKEN TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BUT TOLD THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI #11152111

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