2016 Honda Civic recalls, problems & safety ratings
NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2016 Honda Civic and 1,082 owner complaints. The most-reported problem areas are steering (446), unknown or other (253), electrical system (119). It earned a 5-star overall NHTSA safety rating. EPA-rated fuel economy is 34–35 mpg combined, depending on engine.
The 2016 has the most owner complaints of any Civic model year from 2012 to 2025. It has 5 recalls vs. an average of 3.5 per model year.
Recalls 5
Every recall NHTSA lists for the 2016 Honda Civic. Not every recall applies to every vehicle, so check your VIN. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer.
Air bags · sensor · occupant classification · front passenger
Problem: 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.
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 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.
Fuel system, gasoline · delivery · fuel pump
Problem: 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.
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 are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Parking brake
Problem: 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.
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, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KC6.
Exterior lighting
Problem: 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."
Risk: If a side marker light does not function, vehicle visibility can be decreased to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
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 service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KB8.
Engine and engine cooling · engine
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
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 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. Honda's number for this recall is JX9.
Common problems
From complaints owners filed with NHTSA. Complaints aren't verified, but patterns across hundreds of owners point to known weak spots.
Most-reported problem areas
By the numbers
Recent owner reports
Power steering rack needs replacement. No damage cause by myself. Later models of the same vehicle have recalls on the power steering rack. The steering wheel will “stick” when driving and i’ll have to use excessive force to turn the wheel even just slightly causing the vehicle to jerk around.
When driving at highway speeds/long distances, steering occasionally gets stiffer to the point where it will stick and require more force to free. This leads to overcorrections and constant adjustments for the duration of the drive, as well as difficulty staying in a lane. Issue can usually only be replicated when driving longer distances on the highway, especially when driving…
When the Honda Civic has been driven long enough for the steering to get warm, at highway speeds, the steering wheel will stick in position instead of centering itself. Manual adjustment has to be done to straighten the car.
Safety ratings
2016 Honda Civic 2 DR FWD
2016 Honda Civic 4 DR FWD
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for common configurations of the 2016 Honda Civic.
Civic 2Dr
Auto (variable gear ratios) · 4 cyl · 1.5 L · Turbo
Regular
Civic 2Dr
Auto (variable gear ratios) · 4 cyl · 2.0 L
Regular
Civic 4Dr
Auto (variable gear ratios) · 4 cyl · 1.5 L · Turbo
Regular
Civic 4Dr
Auto (variable gear ratios) · 4 cyl · 2.0 L
Regular
Other model years
Questions
How many recalls does the 2016 Honda Civic have?
NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2016 Honda Civic, most recently for air bags · sensor · occupant classification · front passenger (05/21/2026). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Enter your VIN to check whether a recall applies to your vehicle.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Honda Civic?
Based on 1,082 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported areas are steering (446), unknown or other (253), electrical system (119).
Is the 2016 Honda Civic safe?
The 2016 Honda Civic earned a 5-star overall rating in NHTSA's 5-star safety ratings.
Is the 2016 a good year for the Honda Civic?
The 2016 has the most owner complaints of any Civic model year from 2012 to 2025. It has 5 recalls vs. an average of 3.5 per model year.
What gas mileage does the 2016 Honda Civic get?
EPA ratings for the 2016 Honda Civic range from 34 to 35 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain.
Own a 2016 Honda Civic in South Carolina?
Our mobile mechanics diagnose and fix the problems above at your home, office or fleet lot in Lexington, Columbia and the Midlands, with dealer-grade scan tools.
Related vehicles
Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings APIs; EPA fueleconomy.gov. Data retrieved October 21, 2026. NHTSA model names used: CIVIC, Civic.