2016 Honda Civic Problems

2016 Honda Civic problems owners report most

2016 Honda Civic problems are documented in public: owners have filed 1,081 complaints with NHTSA, the earliest in 2015 and the most recent in 2026. Sorting those by the component the filer named puts the steering clearly first, at 445 of the 1,081 complaints, two of every five filed.

A complaint is not a repair bill and not a defect finding. It is one owner telling the regulator something went wrong. What makes the count useful is the concentration: when one component takes 41 per cent of everything filed on a car, the pattern is doing more than chance.

Of those complaints, 36 describe a crash and 4 describe a fire. Filers reported 16 injuries.

Recalls on the 2016 Honda Civic

A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator found a safety defect, and the repair is free at a franchised dealer however old the car is. There are 5 recalls on this model year. Your own car may be covered by some, all or none of them, so check the VIN rather than the model.

In owners own words

These are complaints filed about the steering, quoted as written. They are one persons account rather than a diagnosis, and they are here because a symptom described by a driver is easier to recognise than a component name.

An internal steering rack failure is involuntarily interfering with the electronic power steering system making the steering sticking or notchy at speeds under 45 mph. At highway speeds this same internal failure causes a prevalent and strong steering drift. Then upon correction to center the steering sticks and then releases to give back control. Sometimes this happens 3 times a minute. The longer you drive the more frequent the failure mode happens. After four hours of driving my arms were tired. On 23 Mar 2023 the vehicle was inspected by a certified Honda Dealer technician including a 4 m

For a while now (months), we have noticed our 2016 Honda Civic has had a "sticky" (a click or jerk) feeling when handling the steering wheel, particularly while driving on the freeway, holding long turns, or when even reversing (from an angle) into a parking stall (for the parking, a click/pop is audibly heard). Basically, the steering wheel will suddenly shift/jerk slightly left/right, which causes you to no longer be steering in the exact line you were on. Driver has to then correct by making an opposing shift in the opposite direction to return to the exact line that was being driven. It

I purchased a 2016 honda Civic brand new in 2016. This car has had multiple issues including AC problems and more recently a problem that causes the steering wheel to be sticking to a position after driving for a long distance (apparently worse on hot weather). I have brought this car multiple times to the dealership. Last year I was informed the issue was caused by something regarding the brake calipers, which were then replaced under warranty. As I'm working from home I have barely driven long distances until last month when I drove longer. Then I noticed the steering issue persists. I broug

I HAVE A 2016 HONDA CIVIC AND ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO, WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED MOSTLY ON THE INTERSTATE, THAT MY STEERING WHEEL WOULD GET "STICKY". I HAD TAKEN MY CAR IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND I ADDRESSED MY CONCERN TO THE MECHANIC. WHEN I CAME BACK HE TOLD ME HIM AND ALL OF HIS TECHNICIANS DROVE THE CAR AND NO ONE HAD A CLUE AS TO WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. OVER TIME IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE. IT HAPPENS AFTER DRIVING AT INTERSTATE SPEED FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. ONLY WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS POSITIONED 100% STRAIGHT. WHEN YOU PULL TO ONE SIDE, AND IT NEVER MATTERS LEFT OR RIGHT BECAUSE IT'S BOTH SIDES, IT'

Honda - In 2016 I purchased a new Honda Civic Tour model from a dealership and currently have 23000 miles (23K) recently the steering became a problem. I took it to the dealer where I purchased the vehicle and was advised that there was an issue known as "notching" where a gear component became defective. It was dangerous to drive and there was no options but to have it repaired. The repair cost nearly $4000.00 and I was shocked. There was no recall according to the service manager but it was known as a common problem. My wife and I are in our [XXX] and [XXX] so the cost was a large burden fi

My 2016 Honda Civic w/ 66000 miles has been experiencing issues with the steering wheel wherein after driving for approximately 10-15 minutes the steering wheel will start "sticking" when attempting to make micro-adjustments. This primarily occurs at highway speeds, however after starting it does still occur at lower city speeds. This problem causes a significant safety issue, particularly when traveling at highway speeds as a result of increased risk of over correction after the steering wheel becomes unstuck. As an example, when making micro-adjustments to maintain a straight direction, I at

Every component, by complaint count

The full breakdown of what owners named when they filed. Components below the top ten are grouped out of this table.

What parts cost for the 2016 Honda Civic

Prices read from one AutoZone store for this exact year, make and model, covering 10 kinds of part and 199 products. AutoZone year, make and model catalog prices. Engine, trim, transmission and VIN fitment are not confirmed. They are what the shelf said on the day, not a quote.

The cheapest way to keep it serviced

Taking the lowest listed price in each routine maintenance category, the filters, plugs and wipers for this car come to $63.75 in parts. That is parts alone, before labour, tax and the oil itself, and it assumes the cheapest option fits your engine.

Battery. 10 products listed, from the Econocraft Group Size 51R Battery 51R-E at $99.99 up to the OPTIMA Yellow Top Group Size 47 / H5 Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) Battery DH5 at $359.99. A refundable core deposit of $22.00 is charged on top and returned with the old part. AutoZone's own labels account for 7 of them, starting at $99.99.

Cabin air filter. 10 products listed, from the STP Cabin Air Filter CAF1873P at $19.99 up to the K&N Performance Cabin Air Filter VF2033 at $47.99. AutoZone's own labels account for 3 of them, starting at $19.99.

Wiper blades. 76 products listed, from the Valeo SWF 18in Conventional Wiper Blade 800181 at $10.79 up to the PIAA Si-Tech 26in Beam Wiper Blade 97065A at $53.49. AutoZone's own labels account for 8 of them, starting at $13.99.

Fitment is by year, make and model only. Engine, trim and transmission were not selected, so confirm the part number against your own car before buying. Prices change and vary by store.

How other model years compare

The same nameplate across the years we hold. Complaint counts fall naturally for newer cars because fewer of them have been on the road for long, so read the column as a rough signal rather than a ranking. In this set the 2016 Honda Civic has drawn the most complaints and the 2021 Honda Civic the fewest.

What to check on the steering

Steering reports describe the wheel going heavy or sticky at speed, pulling to one side, or a loose feeling where the car wanders and needs constant correction. Several describe the effort changing mid-drive rather than being wrong from the start.

Buying a used 2016 Civic

Take it on a road where you reach a steady highway speed and hold it there. Most of these complaints describe a fault that only shows after some minutes at speed, which a drive around town will not find.

If you already own one

Raise it with a dealer before paying for a repair yourself. Steering faults draw manufacturer service bulletins and extended warranties more often than most components, and some of these cars were covered after the standard warranty ended.

• Drive at a steady highway speed for several minutes, not around town.
• Ask whether a service bulletin or extended coverage applies to the VIN.
• Check for play at the wheel with the engine running and stopped.
• Have the alignment checked before replacing any steering part.