2016 Honda Civic
The Verdict
The 2016 Honda Civic has 1,059 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are body (710 complaints) and engine (122 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 5/100, it earns a "Total Klunk" rating. If you're shopping for a Honda Civic, consider the 2021 model year which has 87% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2021 has 87% fewer complaints
View the 2021 Honda Civic dashboard →
Klunk Score: Total Klunk
Among the most complained-about vehicle years on record. Strongly consider alternatives.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
Recalls 4
Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.
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, RD...
Risk
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 reca...
Reported Apr 10, 2026
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 appl...
Risk
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, 20...
Reported Nov 10, 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 ...
Risk
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 custom...
Reported Nov 7, 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...
Risk
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...
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 o...
Reported Sep 2, 2016
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
| Year | Body | Brakes | Electrical | Engine | Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 85 | 14 | 118 | 57 | 25 |
| 2001 | 153 | 40 | 393 | 129 | 387 |
| 2002 | 146 | 24 | 306 | 59 | 181 |
| 2003 | 147 | 36 | 180 | 64 | 96 |
| 2004 | 78 | 9 | 167 | 44 | 52 |
| 2005 | 85 | 16 | 140 | 41 | 31 |
| 2006 | 651 | 52 | 243 | 392 | 61 |
| 2007 | 603 | 41 | 206 | 259 | 88 |
| 2008 | 408 | 38 | 206 | 216 | 39 |
| 2009 | 160 | 46 | 122 | 47 | 18 |
| 2010 | 157 | 90 | 108 | 31 | 7 |
| 2011 | 58 | 29 | 61 | 16 | 4 |
| 2012 | 141 | 31 | 184 | 57 | 39 |
| 2013 | 98 | 31 | 127 | 37 | 17 |
| 2014 | 68 | 11 | 83 | 36 | 91 |
| 2015 | 93 | 10 | 72 | 39 | 163 |
| 2016 | 710 | 88 | 113 | 122 | 26 |
| 2017 | 354 | 27 | 87 | 87 | 19 |
| 2018 | 321 | 17 | 59 | 184 | 7 |
| 2019 | 154 | 23 | 26 | 135 | 7 |
| 2020 | 82 | 16 | 55 | 34 | 29 |
| 2021 | 88 | 14 | 20 | 7 | 2 |
| 2022 | 788 | 18 | 42 | 16 | 10 |
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Compare Against
See how the 2016 Honda Civic stacks up against rivals.
Complaints
EPS sticks once engine is up to temperature and car is moving at or just below highway speeds. Same symptoms as in 11th gen Civic.
Unknown, 2016 Honda Civic, Sticky Steering on the highway
The paint on my car has been chipping nonstop and I have called Honda multiple times about the issue and they will not correct nor acknowledge the problem. This issue has been occurring before 2025, it got even worse in 2025
Honda civic is stalling while driving due to faulty fuel pump or fuel delivery component. Computer not coordinating correct power.
The A/C evaporator core failed completely on my vehicle due to a known manufacturing and design defect in this climate control system architecture. Because the system cannot hold refrigerant, the vehicle has entirely lost its moisture-removal capability. This makes it impossible to effectively defrost or defog the windshield during rain or high-humidity conditions, severely obstructing driver visibility. This creates an imminent safety hazard and collision risk on the road. The failure has been confirmed by an authorized dealership diagnostic.
Steering becomes “sticky” when operating at high speeds, especially in the summer months. This makes intended small adjustments into large, jerky movements, creating a huge safety risk. This issue has been recalled for newer Honda Civics, but not older models, and has been an issue for years now. The issue has been brought up to Honda Dealerships, but no solution has been provided. No warning messages appear.
The A/C failed completely, blowing hot air (80+°F) in extreme Phoenix heat. The issue recurred identically after a dealer misdiagnosis and gas recharge last year. A formal inspection by Showcase Honda on May 28, 2026 (RO# 838832), confirmed a dual leak: the A/C Compressor Shaft Seal (under warranty extension) and the A/C Evaporator Core were leaking refrigerant simultaneously. Due to severe local heat waves, repairs were completed at the dealer on June 15, 2026. Invoices are available upon request. This defect severely risks vehicle safety. Driving in Arizona's 100+°F heat without A/C causes immediate heat exhaustion for passengers. Also, losing the defroster causes sudden windshield fogging during humidity shifts, creating a blind visibility hazard. No warning lamps preceded the failure. Crucially, the 10-year warranty extension is rapidly expiring for early 10th-gen Civic owners, leaving us unprotected. NHTSA must mandate Honda to extend the compressor/condenser warranty to a LIFETIME warranty. Furthermore, because the Evaporator Core inherently fails at the exact same time due to the same loop defect, Honda must expand coverage to include the Evaporator Core as a fully covered component. Partial coverage is a widespread safety hazard and a financial injustice for consumers.
While driving my 2016 Honda Civic EX at highway speeds (45–75 mph), the steering wheel becomes sticky/stiff and jerky, resisting minor directional inputs. Instead of responding smoothly, the wheel feels temporarily stuck and then jerks when force is applied to correct direction. This requires constant overcorrection to stay in my lane and is a serious safety hazard, particularly at high speeds. This is a known, widespread issue among 2016 Civic owners. The affected component is the electric power steering rack.
Car suddenly had many warning lights. A red “BRAKE” light flashes. Lane keep and adaptive cruise stopped working. The steering feels numb and doesn’t return to center. Took to dealer for diagnostic. They reported a VSA computer module failure. Researching VSA failure I found there is a company that will overhaul used / non working VSA units. The repair involves resoldering connections that work loose from normal driving. The design is awful and it’s not surprising these units fail. Gasket material is pressed directly against the solder joints.
Steering wheel is sticking. It’s like the wheels grip and wanders to the left when go straight. If i slightly turn wheel to the right to correct steering it jumps/jerks to the right.
The steering gets stuck or catches when driving on the highway. This cause constant over correction and potential safety hazards. It sounds like this is a common issue but I don’t see any recalls.
Electronic power steering is sticking and notching while driving on a highway once vehicle is warm. This is a safety hazard and Honda has a recall for later model years for the exact same reason. The internal worm gears heat and swell when warm causing internal grease displacement. We cannot safely drive this vehicle on a highway
The steering at highway speeds sticks. This causes the vehicle to drift left or right until the steering engages to correct. It feels unsafe.
My steering is sticking while driving on the highway while the engine is warm and going over 45 mph. We are seniors and generally only drive locally. This is a grave safety issue and has been happening for a while. I am aware that later year Civics have this similar issue and there’s a recall for the expensive steering box but not for ours.
Steering wheel sticks after a period of driving. After 15-20 minutes of driving (especially during warm months), the steering wheel develops a sticky feeling. Instead of smooth corrective steering to maintain the desired direction of travel, the wheel sticks and jerks free only when I apply enough force, which causes the wheel to turn farther than needed, over-correcting the vehicle direction, which then needs to be corrected in the opposite direction. The jerky movement causes erratic car movement, instead of predictable, deliberate changes in direction, not to mention that it's simply distracting - bringing my focus into the car (to the steering wheel) instead of my surroundings (road and other traffic). It started at maybe 130,000 miles? No engine codes or lights on the dashboard. I haven't had a dealer visit yet because it's 45 minutes away and it's hard to justify time off work for a car that still gets me from one place to another.
Rear camera view distorted
My 2016 Honda Civic's rack and pinion needs to be replaced due to sticky, stiff steering, and dead spots when turning. The vehicle has not been any accidents and has been regularly maintained and I only have 67,000 miles on it. I searched the internet and see that it is a common problem with Honda Civics. The repair is $4,000 to fix. Replacing a rack and pinion is not a normal wear and tear type of item, especially without an accident and considering regular maintenance has been performed.
The contact owns a 2016 HONDA Civic. The contact stated she noticed a air bag module suddenly illuminated on the instrumental panel on it's owns with no previous damage on the vehicle. The contact referenced a NHTSA campaign, but could not provided a recall number, stated her VIN was not included in the recall repair but believe that the recall had to do with her current issues. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,000.
The steering sometimes feels stiff or sticky when driving. It will stick in a certain position driving straight and the steering wheel feels stuck and a slight jerk is needed to unstick it to maintain safe driving, and the steering wheel sticks to take a curve either right or left. I’ve researched that it could be an EPS, the electric power steering issue. It’s been happening since I purchased the car and it happens randomly, I haven’t found any rhyme or reason for what causes it. And because it’s random the Honda mechanic hasn’t been able to experience it to understand or pinpoint the problem.
Steering is sticking on center which is causing the driver to oversteering when trying to turn steering wheel from off center. No warning light. Car is scheduled to go to the dealer for inspection.
1059 total