YearToAvoid

2016 Honda Civic Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Avoid The 2016 Honda Civic ranks 4th worst out of 21 model years, with a complaint index of 85 and 1,080 complaints logged with NHTSA. Steering accounts for 41% of complaints, and Honda issued 5 recalls, including brakes, engine, and electrical campaigns.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
85/100
#4 of 21 Civic years
Verdict
Avoid
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
1,080
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
5
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
36
reported in complaints
Fires
4
Injuries
16
Top issue
Steering
Best nearby year
2014
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
34
30 city / 39.5 hwy
Injuries / deaths
16 / 0

Top 2016 Honda Civic problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Steering444 (41%)
  2. Other264 (24%)
  3. Electrical System144 (13%)
  4. Engine114 (11%)
  5. Brakes111 (10%)
  6. Visibility & Wipers54 (5%)
  7. Structure & Body51 (5%)
  8. Transmission & Powertrain36 (3%)
  9. Fuel System30 (3%)
  10. Suspension, Wheels & Tires29 (3%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Electric parking brake fails to engage or release, letting the car roll away while parked, sometimes into nearby vehicles or objects.
  • Airbags fail to deploy during low-speed rear-end crashes, leaving occupants unrestrained.
  • Brakes reportedly fail to stop the car during driving, contributing to collisions.
  • A tire blowout at low speed causes loss of control and contact with roadside objects.
  • The transmission allows the engine to shut off while still in drive, letting the car roll unexpectedly.
  • An electrical fault triggers a 'check airbag system' warning message during driving.
2016 Honda Civic complaints: complaints filed per quarter592015 Q42017 Q22018 Q42020 Q22021 Q42023 Q22024 Q42026 Q2
1,080 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2015 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2020 Q3 (59).

2016 Honda Civic recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 26V332000May 21, 2026Airbags98,892 vehicles

    Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger

    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, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

    Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

    Remedy: 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 this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.

  2. NHTSA 23V858000Dec 18, 2023Fuel System2,490,460 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump

    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.

    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 recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

  3. NHTSA 16V725000Oct 11, 2016Brakes350,083 vehicles

    Parking brake

    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.

    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, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KC6.

See all 5 recalls for the 2016 Honda Civic →

2016 Honda Civic fuel economy and fuel cost

City
30 MPG
Highway
39.5 MPG
Combined
34 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$1,900
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2016 compared with other Civic years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2014Best15291231.5
2015Good30380131.5
2016Avoid851,080534
2017Good45593634
2018Caution70741634

All Honda Civic years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Honda Civic reliable?
Compared with other Civic model years, the 2016 ranks 4th worst out of 21 years tracked, with a complaint index of 85 and an Avoid verdict.
What is the biggest problem with the 2016 Honda Civic?
Steering is the top complaint area, making up 41% of all complaints, with a median failure mileage of 30,000 miles for the model year overall.
Does the 2016 Honda Civic have a brake recall?
Yes. NHTSA campaign 16V725000 covers the electric parking brake, which may not engage if applied immediately after turning off the vehicle.
How many recalls does the 2016 Honda Civic have?
NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2016 Civic, covering airbags, fuel system, brakes, electrical system, and engine components.
What year Honda Civic should I avoid instead of 2016?
The 2007 and 2022 Civic have higher complaint indexes (95 and 100) than the 2016, while 2013, 2014, 2020, and 2021 rank as Best years.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.