Car · Honda problems

2016 Honda Civic problems

1,082 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Honda Civic. The most reported area is steering (41% of them). NHTSA also lists 119 service bulletins and 5 recall campaigns.

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 16. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 1,082 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Steering446 · 41%
• Other or unknown253 · 23%
• Electrical system119 · 11%
• Engine and engine cooling99 · 9%
• Service brakes94 · 9%
• Visibility and wipers67 · 6%
• Body and structure48 · 4%
• Power train (transmission and drive)36 · 3%

15 smaller areas not shown (207 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 119 repair bulletins from Honda for the 2016 Honda Civic. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

1. A26-008Received October 1, 2026

   Engine and engine cooling

   Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may cause vehicles to experience overheating, coolant loss, and/or misfire.

2. A25-076Received August 8, 2025

   Engine and engine cooling

   Oil leak at timing chain tensioner inspection cover due to possible insufficient sealant adhesion on inspection cover.

3. A19-091Received July 1, 2024

   Visibility and wipers

   American Honda is extending the warranty on the A/C condenser to 10 years from the original date of purchase with unlimited miles.

4. A23-039Received July 1, 2024

   Visibility and wipers

   Due to a new North America regulation which introduces a new refrigerant and oil requirement, the compressor shaft seal may leak.

5. ABOM05192023901Received May 31, 2023

   Visibility and wipers

   Due to supplier process concerns, the A/C compressor may not have been manufactured to specifications.

6. A23-012Received April 20, 2023

   Visibility and wipers

   Customers have complained of the air conditioning system not blowing cold air due to the oil/refrigerant leak from the A/C compressor main shaft seal.

7. A19-012Received January 20, 2023

   Engine and engine cooling

   This bulletin is replaced by S/B 19-033, Warranty Extension: 2016-18 Civic 1.5L: Software Update with A/C Control Unit Replacement; DTC P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, or P0172; Whirling Noise...

8. A19-033Received January 20, 2023

   Engine and engine cooling

   Under certain circumstances, the vehicle may experience driveability issues, which may result in DTCs P0300 (random misfire detected), P0301 (No.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2016 Honda Civic. Recall repairs are free at a Honda dealer. The 3 to look at first:

1. 16V074000February 9, 2016

   Engine and engine cooling

   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.

2. 26V332000May 22, 2026

   Air bags

   The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

3. 23V858000December 19, 2023

   Fuel system, gasoline

   The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

See all 5 recalls for the 2016 Honda Civic, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Civic will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

This model year has an engine recall in NHTSA's data. Before you pay for an engine repair, check the recalls and ask the dealer about warranty extensions for your VIN. Those repairs can be free.

Start with a diagnosis

• Diagnostic scan (check engine light)$55 to $250

Steering 446 complaints · 41%

• Tie rod end replacement (one side)$130 to $380
• Wheel alignment (four-wheel)$85 to $250

Electrical system 119 complaints · 11%

• Battery replacement$150 to $470
• Alternator replacement$360 to $930
• Starter replacement$280 to $740
• Battery cable replacement$100 to $340

Engine and engine cooling 99 complaints · 9%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Service brakes 94 complaints · 9%

• Brake pad replacement (front)$190 to $400
• Brake rotors and pads (front)$320 to $790
• Brake pad replacement (rear)$180 to $420
• Brake caliper replacement (one wheel)$240 to $590
• Brake fluid flush$75 to $180

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Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

By VIN By year, make and model

VIN (17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield or the driver door jamb)

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Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2016 Honda Civic: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2016 Honda Civic?

Of the 1,082 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Honda Civic, 446 (41%) name steering, and 119 (11%) name electrical system. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2016 Honda Civic reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 36 of the 1,082 complaints as involving a crash and 4 as involving a fire. They also reported 16 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2016 Honda Civic have?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2016 Honda Civic. Recall repairs are free at a Honda dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 119 repair bulletins for the 2016 Honda Civic.

More

• 2023 Civic problems
• 2022 Civic problems
• 2020 Civic problems
• 2019 Civic problems
• 2018 Civic problems
• 2017 Civic problems
• 2015 Civic problems
• 2014 Civic problems
• 2012 Civic problems
• 2010 Civic problems
• 2016 recalls
• All Honda recalls
• Honda problems by model
• Check-engine codes

Sources

• NHTSA complaint and technical service bulletin files, checked October 29, 2026
• NHTSA recalls

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.