2016 Honda Civic problems & reliability
1,070 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Honda Civic, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
13 complaints report injuries (16 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2016 Honda Civic vehicles were involved in 195 fatal crashes with 104 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering → | 436 | 41% |
| Unknown OR Other | 252 | 24% |
| Electrical System → | 118 | 11% |
| Engine → | 94 | 9% |
| Service Brakes → | 92 | 9% |
| Structure → | 48 | 4% |
| Visibility/wiper → | 47 | 4% |
| Power Train → | 36 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting → | 30 | 3% |
| Air Bags → | 28 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 28 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 439 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 33,000 miles (middle 50% between 14,750 and 50,225 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My 2016 Honda Civic seems to have a 'sticky steering' issue. It is most noticeable when trying to stay straight in a lane, like when trying to make minor adjustments left or right, it would feel like the steering wheel will stick, causing it to jerk more in the direction I’m trying to steer, which causes slight over…”
Steering · filed Aug 3, 2026
“While driving at highway speeds (55–70 mph), the electronic power steering (EPS) physically binds and sticks when held in a straight line. Making minor lane corrections requires a sudden, deliberate application of extra physical force to 'break' the wheel free from the center position. This causes the vehicle to…”
Steering · filed Aug 2, 2026
“Steering wheel sticks and is jerky. Requires constant adjustments to drive straight, especially at highway speeds. Seems like grease is no longer effective and pinion gear sticks in spots. Very dangerous in my opinion. Unsafe. Honda should offer to service this by simply injecting new OEM grease.”
Steering · filed Jul 31, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
316 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Honda Civic. The 10 most recent:
Service Bulletin - Oil leak at timing chain tensioner inspection cover due to possible insufficient sealant adhesion on inspection cover.
A25-076 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2025
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2020 Accords, 2016-2020 Civics, 2017-2020 CR-Vs, & 2018-2020 Odysseys that have been diagnosed to be in need of the low-pressure fuel…
ATI&08062024906 · Other · issued Aug 7, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2020 Accords, 2016-2020 Civics, 2017-2020 CR-Vs, & 2018-2020 Odysseys that have been diagnosed to be in need of the low-pressure fuel…
ATI&07222024906 · Other · issued Jul 23, 2024
Dealer Message - Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2020 Accords, 2016-2020 Civics, 2017-2020 CR-Vs, & 2018-2020 Odysseys that have been diagnosed to be in need of the…
ATI&07052024901 · Other · issued Jul 6, 2024
Service Bulletin - Due to a new North America regulation which introduces a new refrigerant and oil requirement, the compressor shaft seal may leak. American Honda is extending the warranty on the A/C compressor shaft…
A23-039 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 19, 2024
Service Bulletin - American Honda is extending the warranty on the A/C condenser to 10 years from the original date of purchase with unlimited miles. This warranty extension only covers vehicles that have a defective…
A19-091 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 19, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2020 Accords, 2016-2020 Civics, 2017-2020 CR-Vs, & 2018-2020 Odysseys that have been diagnosed to be in need of the low-pressure fuel…
ATI&06032024903 · Other · issued Jun 4, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2020 Accords, 2016-2020 Civics, 2017-2020 CR-Vs, & 2018-2020 Odysseys that have been diagnosed to be in need of the low-pressure fuel…
ATI&05032024907 · Other · issued May 3, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2020 Accords, 2016-2020 Civics, 2017-2020 CR-Vs, & 2018-2020 Odysseys that have been diagnosed to be in need of the low-pressure fuel…
ATI&04152024903 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 15, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2020 Accords, 2016-2020 Civics, 2017-2020 CR-Vs, & 2018-2020 Odysseys that have been diagnosed to be in need of the low-pressure fuel…
ATI&03262024903 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 26, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2016 Honda Civic has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2016 Honda Civic?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 33,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.