2016 Honda Civic Problems

Severe Issues

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2016 Honda Civic. Part of Generation 10 — 2016–2021.

20152017
Complaints
1,310
per 10K Sold
35.7
US Sales
366,927
Crashes
53
Fires
7
Injuries
23
Fatalities
Recalls
4

Worst 2016 Honda Civic Problems

Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.

#1404 complaints

Steering Defects

Avg mileage:38,650 mi
Crash-related:4
#2108 complaints

Electrical Faults

Avg mileage:25,514 mi
Crash-related:3
#392 complaints

Engine Problems

Avg mileage:35,766 mi
Crash-related:1
Fires:2
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All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2016 Honda Civic.

Steering Defects
404
complaints
Crashes
4
Fires
Avg Miles
38,650
Electrical Faults
108
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
Avg Miles
25,514
Engine Problems
92
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
2
Avg Miles
35,766
Brakes
90
complaints
Crashes
9
Fires
Avg Miles
25,679
Wipers & Visibility
46
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
21,228
Body Structure
43
complaints
Crashes
4
Fires
Avg Miles
25,487
Transmission / Drivetrain
32
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
Avg Miles
41,342
Headlight/Taillight Failures
29
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
3,253
Electronic Stability Control
27
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Avg Miles
22,372
Fuel System
27
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
14,494
Airbags
26
complaints
Crashes
13
Fires
1
Avg Miles
37,470
Wheel Issues
18
complaints
Crashes
4
Fires
Avg Miles
14,564
Unintended Acceleration
17
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
5,032
Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner
13
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
30,793
Visibility:Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System
9
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
44,292
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking
6
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
55,000
Suspension Failures
6
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
27,718
Engine & Cooling
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
1
Avg Miles
Seat Belt Issues
4
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Seat-Related Issues
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Tire Defects
4
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Parking-Brake Issues
3
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Structural Problems
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Visibility:Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System:Compressor
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Sunroof/Moonroof
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Electrical System:Wiring
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Equipment:Electrical:Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc.
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles

Search Owner Complaints

Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2016 Honda Civic. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.

Recalls for 2016 Honda Civic

4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~2,894,518 vehicles.

23V858000Fuel Pump
~2,490,460 affected

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.

16V725000Parking Brake
~350,083 affected

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.

16V526000Exterior Lighting
~11,846 affected

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."

16V074000Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
~42,129 affected

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.

Other Honda Civic Years

2016 Honda Civic — FAQ

Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.

Is the 2016 Honda Civic reliable?
Verdict: Severe Issues. The 2016 Honda Civic has 1,310 NHTSA complaints, 53 crash-related, and 4 recall campaigns. The most common issue is Steering Defects with 404 complaints. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
What are common problems with the 2016 Honda Civic?
Top reported problems: Steering Defects (404 complaints, avg 38,650 mi); Electrical Faults (108 complaints, avg 25,514 mi); Engine Problems (92 complaints, avg 35,766 mi). Every complaint is filed by an owner with NHTSA — this is raw reported data, not editorial opinion.
At what mileage do problems start on the 2016 Honda Civic?
The weighted average mileage at time of complaint is about 31,293 miles. Some components fail earlier, some later — check the "All Problems by Category" table above for per-issue averages.
How safe is the 2016 Honda Civic?
NHTSA complaints for the 2016 Honda Civic include 53 crash-related reports, 7 fire reports, 23 injuries, and 0 fatalities. These are owner-reported incidents, not official crash-test ratings — a complaint being filed doesn't confirm a defect, but clusters around specific components are worth investigating.
Does the 2016 Honda Civic have any recalls?
Yes — 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 2,894,518 vehicles. Recalls are free to fix at the dealer. Always verify by VIN whether the specific car you're looking at has had its recalls addressed.
Should I buy a 2016 Honda Civic?
Proceed with extreme caution. The 2016 Honda Civic shows significantly more complaints than average for its class. If you're buying one, a pre-purchase inspection and a VIN history check are essential — skip them and you're gambling.

Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.

Wider context: See the full Honda Civic reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.

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