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1,051 owners have filed defect reports on this one. That's not a small number. 3 active recall campaigns on file.
Average for the segment. Some recurring trouble spots worth knowing about.
Repair exposure runs above average — only with money set aside and eyes open.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
The Civic is one of the most reliable cars on the road. The 2016 Civic is the year you have to be careful about — and the data is blunt about it. Pre-2016 Civics run a few hundred complaints a year; the 2016 jumps to over a thousand. It’s the launch year of the tenth generation, and it’s where a specific engine problem starts.
The 2016 brought the redesign and the 1.5L turbocharged engine. That Honda 1.5T (L15B7) is on our worst-platforms list for one signature issue: fuel dilution of the oil. In cold/short-trip driving, fuel slips past the rings into the crankcase, the oil level rises, it thins out and loses its protective qualities, and bearing/cylinder wear accelerates. Honda issued service updates and warranty extensions over it.
The naturally aspirated 2.0L in the base 2016 Civic does not have this problem and is the safer engine on that year.
It’s still a Civic underneath — durable bones. The 2016 is just the one year where you interrogate the engine before you buy. If you’re weighing a turbo one against a repair budget, run the warranty math on it; the 2.0L cars rarely need it.
Our civic's steering became very 'sticky' around 6 months ago and the problem develops at speed. The steering gets jerky and momentarily gets locked in a position that we need to fight against. We had a service scheduled at Honda and asked them to inspect the issue and they are…
Steering wheel sticks while attempting to drive straight causing the car to either drive to the right or left. This happens while driving for approximately 30 minutes or so and especially has an effect on the vehicle at higher speeds. Multiple forums and over 60+ complaints on…
Crack in windshield 5 months after purchasing the car from dealer. Was told it was not covered under manufacture or extended warranty. Replaced, and one year later, replacement glass has crack. Replaced and two months later, glass cracks after hit with debris from freeway. Is…
I am still having brake system issues and not allowing me to gear and drive! Since letter for recall in november, which already set appointment with dealership to reprogram or reboot system they stated would take care of,I have been back twice after that. I also have issues with…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
If the EPB is not applied, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
If a side marker light does not function, vehicle visibility can be decreased to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
It's got known weak points. With a reliability score of 6.0 out of 10 based on 1,051 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2016 Honda Civic has a higher-than-average rate of reported issues. The areas to watch are listed above. Whether it's worth owning depends on price, condition, and how much repair exposure you can absorb.
The 2016 Honda Civic is a higher-risk ownership prospect. Repair exposure runs above average — only with money set aside and eyes open. The record behind that call: Electrical system: 98 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 10,001–44,000 mi; Brakes: 47 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 13,000–48,000 mi; Reliability score 6.0/10 — around the segment average; 3 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is steering, with 423 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 41,221 miles. Average repair cost runs about $700 at an independent shop.
The steering is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $700 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 41,221 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 1,051 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $700, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.