2016 Honda Civic
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Steering is the leading concern among 1,081 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 4th highest complaint count among 26 Civic model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 36 involved a crash and 4 involved a fire. 16 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerMay 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.
Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 26V332000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpDec 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.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 23V858000 on NHTSA.gov
Parking brakeOct 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.
If the EPB is not applied, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 16V725000 on NHTSA.gov
Exterior lightingJul 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."
If a side marker light does not function, vehicle visibility can be decreased to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 16V526000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engineFeb 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.
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.
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.
Campaign 16V074000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
1,081 reports, newest first.
Other or unspecified, Apr 22, 2022
Air conditioning unit slowly quit blowing out cold air. Actually it happened in 2020. I read there was a problem with the unit holding Freon.
Other or unspecified, Apr 22, 2022
Both Honda Fit 2012 and Honda Civic 2016 door actuators do not work properly not allowing the door to unlock or lock consistently
Other or unspecified, Apr 21, 2022
I own a 2016 Honda Civic EX, that had the condenser issue. My condenser has failed for the 3rd time in 6 years. I faced the first issue in 2018, but was re-imbursed for the damages in 2021. The second issue was in 2019 and it was covered under the condenser warranty extension The third issue is in 2022 and the American Honda representative told me that I might have to pay out of pocket since the warranty extension was covered only for condensers installed in the factory. In short, I'm having to come to the dealer every 1-2 years for a condensor replacement. If the warranty does not cover my repair, then I'll have to shell out a high sum of money for replacement. This can't be done at a local garage due to a unique refrigerant used in the vehicles. All in all, I'm sick of the repeated repairs with my condensor.
Steering, Apr 4, 2022
Steering sticks. Takes additional force to push against the stiffness for just a minor adjustment. Wheels jerk towards that direction and you then have to steer in opposite direction to correct. But you are also pushing against that stiffness in the other direction, too. People must think I'm a drunk driver as the car jumps back and forth in the lane. Cannot smoothly adjust the wheel to keep the car in a straight line. It happens intermittently. Car starting doing this after 6 years and 48k miles. A search of Honda Civic car forums and on here shows others describing the same issue. For those who were under warranty, Honda replaced the power steering rack.
Steering, Apr 2, 2022
The steering "sticks" especially at high speeds which causes the car to swerve. It is a safety hazard as the steering is not smooth and it bumps the car towards other lanes. A mechanic said it could not be readily determined what the problem is and the dealer stated this is not covered by any warranty. No warning lights or check engine lights are on.
Steering, Electrical system, Mar 31, 2022
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?
Steering, Mar 31, 2022
Steering wheel sticks causing driver to have to exert extra force to "snap" back to normal steering. Problem happens in both directions and is more noticeable on warmer days after driving for 30 or more minutes. There are forums on the internet with multiple persons reporting the same problem. I see there are 154 steering complaints on this site. Most of them are for the same issue. This problem can surprise a driver at times. It is very annoying and distracting. I am hoping it does not get worse than it already is. Please do something about this safety issue.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Mar 26, 2022
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 !
Structure, Mar 22, 2022
Paint chipping off. According to 2 different body shops, this is a factory issue with improper priming. Honda of North America is refusing to acknowledge and repair the car.
Steering, Mar 19, 2022
The 10th gen Honda civics are having steering problems related to eps. The steering will become stuck while driving, especially at speeds higher than 45 mph. The steering becomes stiff and you must pull the wheel hard to gain control back and then the wheel goes right back to being stiff. It is difficult to keep the vehicle straight and to turn the vehicle. There are no warning lights coming on. Multiple forums of owners having similar issues and Honda dealerships not knowing what the problem is or how to fix it. The car veers off into other lanes with traffic. This first began to happen about 3 months ago. Never had any issues with steering prior to this case.
Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 6, 2022
My 2016 Honda Civic Touring is equipped with automatic emergency braking. In more than one instance, my Civic has applied the brakes unnecessarily when there was no apparent danger. Traveling on the highway at 65 mph, I have been 'cut-off' by a driver and the brakes were applied hard. There was no way to override the braking and the car commanded itself to a complete stop. The drivers immediately behind me had to brake hard and if they hadn't maintained control there would have been a pile-up. This took place in Cobb County, GA during rush hour on 75S in the 'Northwest Corridor' area. This is a high traffic density area.
Other or unspecified, Mar 2, 2022
Air conditioner suddenly not functioning. The dealership confirmed that the AC condenser and evaporator core were leaking and needed to be replaced. The condenser was covered under an extended 10 year warranty issued by Honda because of manufacture defect. However, the evaporator core is not and had to pay out of pocket for it to be repaired. I’ve have done research and have discovered that the evaporator core malfunctions just as mush as the condenser. That is why I feel Honda needs to also establish an extended warranty for that part as well since they are both related. There were no indicators telling me the parts were failing.
Steering, Feb 26, 2022
While driving down the highway, and attempting to make minor steering adjustments, the steering wheel constantly binds. An unnatural breakout force is required to overcome this perilous situation. The result is a continual overcorrection of the vehicles trajectory within the driving lane (Similar to a drunk driver). My vehicle has over 60k miles. The problem has been getting progressively worse over the last year. A google search reveals this issue is not an isolated one. It appears there may be a defect with the steering rack of these vehicles.
Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 24, 2022
Multiple times my 2016 Honda Civic has engaged the auto braking system for what appears to be no reason at all. I have had my Honda brake when I do not have any vehicles, obstacles, items or obstructions anywhere in the road in front of me or beside me. When this occurs at full speed on the road the vehicles traveling behind me have had to quickly swerve into the adjacent lanes of travel to avoid a rear end collision which could have resulted in serious injury. I have also noticed that the lane departure warning system is faulty and frequently goes off steering my vehicle into the lane next to me even if there is a car occupying the lane next to me. Thank you for your time and assistance.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 21, 2022
Ice builds up on windshield while snowing. Wipers build up ice and stick to windsheild
Other or unspecified, Jan 7, 2022
While driving on the freeway on 1/6/2022, the sunroof suddenly exploded above my head. It was as if something was dropped from the sky and glass fell down on my head and into the exterior of the car. I was able to maintain control of the vehicle and maintain safety but it was absolutely terrifying. This car is brand new to me as of 12/11/21. Nothing was visibly wrong with the sunroof and I wasn’t driving under an underpass, so nothing could have been thrown at me from above. What is left of the tempered glass sunroof is spiderwebbed and continues to fall into the car and it is not drivable until repair.
Power train, Dec 23, 2021
I experienced a total catastrophic failure of the transmission with less than 55000 miles and only 5 years and 1 month old. The transmission needed to be replaced.
Steering, Dec 12, 2021
The car steering wheel stick and is jerky when driving. There are multiple sites with forum and videos of people experiencing the same issue.
Service brakes, Dec 3, 2021
I'm the original and only owner of the vehicle, which has less than 36,000 miles. My Civic has only ever been serviced by Honda dealerships, and I can provide maintenance records upon request. A failure of this nature to the braking system can only be caused by a defective part. In fact, I had my brakes inspected by Honda at 33,000 miles, and Honda gave my brakes a clean bill of health. While driving my vehicle, the brake pedal suddenly was unable to be depressed except with extreme foot pressure; it felt like a brick had been placed under my brake pedal. The stopping power was substantially diminished. It took multiple, very strong brake pumps to slow and stop my vehicle, meaning I was unable to stop in the event of an emergency. I took the car immediately to a Honda dealership. Ultimately, Honda replaced by brake booster, which they noted was defective, but charged me for the repair because the time (but not mileage) had elapsed on my warranty.
Steering, Nov 29, 2021
Steering would "catch" at the centerline when attempting to steer straight. Extra force needed to overcome resistance which causes oversteering and vehicle veered into next lane. This issue has become progressively more dangerous until now the vehicle is unsafe to drive.
Steering, Nov 22, 2021
Around 40,000 miles, we first noticed a sort of bump or detent when trying to steer straight ahead at highway speeds. The car will drift to the right or left. When the driver attempts to steer back into the lane, resistance is felt at Top-Dead-Center, the demarc between left and right. To overcome the resistance, extra force must be used and that causes an oversteer condition in the opposite direction. I reported this problem to the dealership at 46976 miles, which was within the extended warranty coverage. They failed to report it to the warranty company or American Honda. I reported the issue again at mileage 59277, after it became much worse and much more dangerous. So far, my dealership has refused to cover the problem under manufacturer's warranty or extended warranty. Over the past year, I've driven this car less than 1000 miles because I am afraid it will get me killed.
Steering, Nov 22, 2021
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.
Steering, Oct 15, 2021
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.
Steering, Oct 14, 2021
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.
Other or unspecified, Oct 14, 2021
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.