2016 Honda Civic Safety Report
2016 HONDA CIVIC Safety Report
Safety Decision Cockpit for the 2016 Honda Civic
This page is the hub for deciding what to inspect next on the 2016 Honda Civic. It connects recall campaigns, owner complaint patterns, service bulletins, sibling model years, component issue hubs, and the model buying guide so a shopper or owner can move from a single report into the wider safety graph.
| Signal | Value | What to inspect next |
|---|---|---|
| Recall burden | High (4) | Review campaign numbers, affected components, and dealer remedies below. |
| Owner complaints | High (1021) | Scan complaint narratives for recurring symptoms, mileage, crashes, fires, injuries, and dates. |
| Crash and fire reports | 40 | Treat any crash, fire, injury, or fatality-linked pattern as a priority pre-purchase inspection item. |
| Primary component hub | Steering | Compare steering issues across vehicles. |
| Cleaner nearby model year | 2021 | Compare against the 2021 Honda Civic with 121 complaints and 3 recalls. |
| Riskier nearby model year | 2018 | Check the 2018 Honda Civic before buying across this generation. |
Honda Civic Year-by-Year Comparison
The safest purchase decision usually comes from comparing neighboring model years, not reading a single page in isolation. The table below uses only validated Honda Civic years already present in the cleaned NHTSA dataset, so each comparison links to a real vehicle safety report rather than a generated combination.
| Model Year | Complaints | Recalls | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Honda Civic | 551 | 5 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2015 Honda Civic | 373 | 1 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2018 Honda Civic | 603 | 5 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2019 Honda Civic | 355 | 3 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2020 Honda Civic | 206 | 4 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2021 Honda Civic | 121 | 3 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
2016 Honda Civic Complaint Theme Map
Complaint counts become more useful when they are grouped into inspection themes. For the 2016 Honda Civic, these are the component areas with the clearest NHTSA complaint signals. Use each link to jump from this single vehicle into broader component hubs and make-specific issue pages.
Steering
368 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Steering issues Honda onlyUnknown Or Other
179 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Unknown Or Other issues Honda onlyEngine
49 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Engine issues Honda onlyService Brakes
40 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Service Brakes issues Honda onlyElectrical System
34 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Electrical System issues Honda onlyStructure
23 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Structure issues Honda onlyAI Safety Analysis for the 2016 Honda Civic
Reliability Score
The 2016 Honda Civic receives a reliability score of 5 out of 100 based on analysis of NHTSA complaint data, recall history, crash reports, and safety ratings. This indicates below-average reliability. Significant issues have been reported by owners and should be carefully evaluated before purchase.
NHTSA Safety Ratings for the 2016 Honda Civic
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) evaluates vehicles through controlled crash tests and assigns star ratings from 1 to 5, with 5 being the safest.
Known Issues for the 2016 Honda Civic
The following issues have been identified from NHTSA complaint data and owner reports for the 2016 Honda Civic:
| Issue | Severity | Frequency | Typical Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering Issues Steering wheel feels sticky and causes overcorrection, especially at highway speeds, leading to unsafe driving conditions. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Engine Issues Engine failure during long drives is a recurring issue, potentially leading to sudden vehicle shutdowns. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Electrical System Issues A/C system failures, requiring multiple replacements, are common, affecting the vehicle's comfort and functionality. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Structural Issues Paint peeling, especially on the white orchid pearl paint, can lead to rust and structural damage over time. |
Low | Common | 150k-200k miles |
Common Problems Reported by Owners
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the following components account for the majority of reported issues with the 2016 Honda Civic:
Steering issues are the most common problem, with reports of the steering wheel feeling sticky and causing overcorrection.
Engine problems, including engine failure during long drives, are reported.
A/C system failures, requiring multiple replacements, are common.
Paint peeling, especially on the white orchid pearl paint, can lead to rust and structural damage.
Recall Details for the 2016 Honda Civic
The following 4 recalls have been issued for the 2016 Honda Civic by NHTSA:
Summary: 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.
Consequence: 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 recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Summary: 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.
Consequence: 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, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KC6.
Summary: 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."
Consequence: 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 customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KB8.
Summary: 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.
Consequence: 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 or a fire.
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 of 2016. Owners were mailed an interim notification beginning March 31, 2016, and will be mailed a second notice when parts are available. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. H...
NHTSA Complaint Summaries for the 2016 Honda Civic
Below are complaint narratives filed by owners of the 2016 Honda Civic with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 2 complaints involved crashes.
Steering wheel feels like it sticks and causes overcorrecting when trying to make small adjustments to steering.
My car shuts off during long drives and carries the same behaviors of a car with a failing fuel pump.
When driving on highways steering notches or sticks causing constant attention to be given to it. It does not seem to be a bother when driving short distances for errands in town. It is distracting and dangerous. I will be taking it into a dealer in 2 days so they can reproduce it and hopefully it will be an easy fix, but I doubt it after reading about this problem. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. I HAV...
Have had A/C issues for years, have had to replace compressor and condenser 4 times, only twice after a warranty finally came out for the defective parts. Now, the evaporator core has failed, but it is not under extended warranty or recall. Wild as I've seen so many with issues with another part of the faulty a/c system, likely from a defect. Going through a heatwave currently, dropping 3K on an e...
Increased resistance making minor adjustments to the steering wheel in either direction when driving the highway at high speeds. I've seen every symptom of the Honda 'sticky steering' problem that only has a recall for 2022-2025 right now, but I know it's not a coincidence.
Sticky Steering causing over correction when attempting to drive straight. Driving and drifting to either left or right, then attempting to find center, steering wheel will feel sticky and over correct past center. This then makes the car drift to the other direction, then requiring another correcting back, which also over corrects/skips center. The problem is most noticeable during highway drivin...
Steering intermittently sticks making driving awkward and difficult to hold a straight line.
Steering is sticking when driven for while, making it very unsafe for myself and others and sometimes it sticks and the wheel has to be jerked back which could cause over correction.
Steering can be "sticky" in warm weather, especially above 70 degrees. The issue is intermittent and almost disappears during colder weather, below 60 degrees. I have been noticing this issue for the last couple of years. The issue is particularly noticeable at highway speeds 45mph+. At these speeds the steering wheel becomes somewhat "stuck" and won't turn until you apply enough force to overcom...
Steering became "sticky" at highway driving speeds. This caused the driver to be unable to make small adjustments to steering at highway driving speeds. Clicking sound could be heard when making steering adjustments while driving. This was caused by a manufacturing defect in the steering rack of the vehicle. The car is a 2016, but has only 32,727 mile on it and was purchased new. Because of th...
The white orchid pearl paint on my 2016 civic is peeling. the car has 150000 miles on it. I've seen this is a known defect with this type of paint. I'm reporting this concern for my vehicles as the repair is costly and if it isn't repaired I will get structural rust.
The paint is flaking all areas surrounding the rear windshield which will cause rust damage and may lead to rear windshield needing to be replaced
While driving straight, steering wheel sticks in the straight position. Moving the steering wheel slightly to left or right leads to over correction due to resistance.
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while the vehicle was running with the A/C unit activated, there was an abnormal odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. Additionally, while the A/C unit was activated, only hot air was coming from the vents. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the A/C evaporator needed to be replaced because of le...
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the white paint was peeling off the vehicle. Large white pieces from the rear hood started to peel off first. Then, the white paint from the rear and later both rear sides, the paint was peeling off, stemming from manufacturing defects in the application of its three-stage finish, leading to peeling and flaking that can impact resale val...
2016 Honda civic EX steering wheel airbags and front passenger airbags didn’t deploy during my husbands wreck. He totaled the car…
There is a jerky/sticky issue with the steering while driving. The steering wheel seems to get stuck and I end up almost over correcting to get it to unstick. I’ve read multiple complaints of this issue and my car’s year is 2016 purchased in October 2025.
Steering is very stiff and fights you while trying to make minor corrections at highway speeds (45mph+). Not safe to drive the vehicle on road trips or for extended periods of time on the highway. As I understand it, the 11th generation civics have a recall on the same component. It seems the recall needs to be extended to the 10th generation civics as well.
UNKNOWN - The steering wheel sticks in the center position when driving on the freeway or highway. When I go to adjust the wheel to correct my direction the wheel sticks and I have to turn harder and it results in an overcorrection and jerks the car. This seems to be a common problem and from what I have read online and it is either the EPS system or the clock spring in the steering wheel. People ...
2016 Honda Civic LX. Electronic power steering has sticky feeling when traveling at highway speeds, does not return to center. This leads to a danger situation as car becomes difficult to control when traveling at highway speeds. Honda is away of this issue on newer generation of Honda's. Upon inspection, the mechanism that is having an issue is almost identical in Honda's 10th generation of vehic...
Showing 20 of 1021 complaints. Additional complaints are available via the NHTSA database.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2016 Honda Civic
Has the 2016 HONDA CIVIC been recalled?
Yes, the 2016 HONDA CIVIC has 4 recalls on record with NHTSA. Each recall addresses a specific safety defect identified by the manufacturer or NHTSA.
How many complaints does the 2016 HONDA CIVIC have?
The 2016 HONDA CIVIC has 1,021 complaints filed with NHTSA. Of these, 36 involved crashes. 15 injuries and 0 deaths have been reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2016 HONDA CIVIC?
The 2016 HONDA CIVIC received an overall NHTSA safety rating of excellent (5/5). Frontal crash: 4/5. Side crash: 5/5. Rollover: 5/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 HONDA CIVIC?
The most commonly reported problems with the 2016 HONDA CIVIC involve steering (368 complaints), unknown or other (179 complaints), engine (49 complaints). Other affected components include service brakes, electrical system, structure.
How many crash reports does the 2016 HONDA CIVIC have?
There are 36 crash reports associated with the 2016 HONDA CIVIC out of 1,021 total complaints (3.5% of complaints involved crashes).
How many fire reports does the 2016 HONDA CIVIC have?
There are 4 fire reports for the 2016 HONDA CIVIC out of 1,021 total complaints. Fire reports are among the most serious safety concerns tracked by NHTSA.
Are there any deaths reported for the 2016 HONDA CIVIC?
No deaths have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2016 HONDA CIVIC.
How many injuries are reported for the 2016 HONDA CIVIC?
15 injuries have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2016 HONDA CIVIC. These are self-reported by vehicle owners as part of their safety complaints.
Should I buy a 2016 HONDA CIVIC?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2016 HONDA CIVIC is proceed with caution. It has 1,021 complaints, 4 recalls, and a excellent (5/5) safety rating. Always have a pre-purchase inspection done by a qualified mechanic.
What components fail most on the 2016 HONDA CIVIC?
The components with the most failures on the 2016 HONDA CIVIC are: 1. STEERING (368 complaints), 2. UNKNOWN OR OTHER (179 complaints), 3. ENGINE (49 complaints), 4. SERVICE BRAKES (40 complaints), 5. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (34 complaints). STEERING is the single most-reported problem area with 368 complaints.
What should I know before buying a 2016 HONDA CIVIC?
Be aware of common steering and engine issues, as well as electrical system failures and structural paint peeling, which can affect safety and comfort. The 2016 HONDA CIVIC has 1,021 NHTSA complaints and 4 recalls on record. NHTSA rates it excellent (5/5).
How reliable is the 2016 HONDA CIVIC?
The 2016 HONDA CIVIC receives a reliability score of 5/100, indicating below-average reliability. This is based on 1,021 owner complaints, 4 recalls, and 40 crash/fire reports in the NHTSA database. Key known issues include Steering Issues and Engine Issues.
What are the known issues with the 2016 HONDA CIVIC?
Known issues with the 2016 HONDA CIVIC include: Steering Issues, Engine Issues, Electrical System Issues, Structural Issues. These are based on patterns found across 1,021 NHTSA complaints. 4 of these patterns resulted in formal recalls.
Are steering issues common in 2016 Honda Civics?
Yes, steering wheel sticking and overcorrection are frequent issues, especially at highway speeds.
What are the most common engine problems in 2016 Honda Civics?
Engine failure during long drives is a common issue, potentially leading to sudden vehicle shutdowns.
Are there any known electrical system issues with 2016 Honda Civics?
Yes, A/C system failures, requiring multiple replacements, are a recurring problem.
Buyer Advice
Our recommendation: Be aware of common steering and engine issues, as well as electrical system failures and structural paint peeling, which can affect safety and comfort.
NHTSA Data Summary for 2016 Honda Civic
This safety report is based on a comprehensive analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the 2016 Honda Civic. The data includes 1021 consumer complaints filed by vehicle owners, 4 manufacturer-initiated safety recalls, 36 reported crashes, 4 fire incidents, 15 reported injuries, and safety rating assessments associated with this vehicle.
The NHTSA has assigned the 2016 Honda Civic an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars, with a frontal crash rating of 4 stars, a side crash rating of 5 stars, and a rollover rating of 5 stars. These ratings are determined through controlled crash testing conducted by the NHTSA.
All data presented in this report is sourced from public NHTSA databases. Our AI analysis identifies patterns across complaint narratives, correlates them with recall history, and produces the safety assessment above. This analysis is updated as new complaints and recalls are filed with the NHTSA.
Consumers are encouraged to report vehicle safety problems to the NHTSA at nhtsa.gov. If your vehicle is subject to a recall, contact your dealer to schedule the free repair.
Disclaimer: This analysis is AI-generated from NHTSA public data and does not constitute professional automotive or safety advice. Always verify recall status at NHTSA.gov and consult a qualified mechanic.
Analysis last updated: 2026-05-16