2016 Honda Civic Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,363 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2016 Honda Civic, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 63/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 40,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2016 Honda Civic sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1990–1993, 2011, 2020–2021.
Avoid
Where 2016 sits among all Civic years
What owners report
“At highway speeds vehicle steering sticks causing driver to apply excessive force to turn the steering wheel causing over correction”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Civic
“A/C Compressor had to be replaced after 3.5 years of purchased. After 2.5 years, AC is blowing hot air again.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Civic
“Third brake light cover, on rear window, keeps falling down allowing a red glare at night when the brakes are applied.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Civic
“Every time i change or check my oil, there is a strong gasoline smell. When i take the dip stick out and smell it, all i smell is gasoline.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Civic
“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”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Civic
“Cover for center brake light keeps coming loose, obscuring rear window and flooding interior with red light when brake is applied at night. Known issue, but dealers do not have guidance on how to permanently fix it.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Civic
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 578 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 32,120 miles. Half of those reports fall between 12,900 and 50,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
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,…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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.
Fix: 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,…
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,…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2016 Honda Civic reliable?
The 2016 Honda Civic drew 1,363 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 63/100, scored against the model's worst year (2001).
What are the most common 2016 Honda Civic problems?
The top reported problems for the 2016 Honda Civic are steering (437 complaints), other (296), and electrical (149).
At what mileage do 2016 Honda Civic problems show up?
Owners most often report 2016 Honda Civic problems around 32,120 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 12,900 and 50,000 miles.
Does the 2016 Honda Civic have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2016 Honda Civic. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.