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moderate Owners of the 2016 Honda Civic have filed 25 NHTSA complaints about the lighting, typically surfacing around 5,000 miles at roughly $250 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See lighting across all vehicles →
| Model year | lighting complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 Civic | 4 |
| 2013 Civic | 4 |
| 2014 Civic | 3 |
| 2016 Civic (this page) | 25 |
Of the 25 lighting complaints filed for the 2016 Honda Civic, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
Of the 10 model years of Honda Civic we track for lighting problems, this one carries the most owner complaints on file — 25.
No new NHTSA lighting complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 8 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
If a side marker light does not function, vehicle visibility can be decreased to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering lighting on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
ENGINEERING REQUEST FOR INVESTIGATION - AMERICAN HONDA (AHM) IS INVESTIGATING CERTAIN 2016 2-DOOR CIVICS WITH A CUSTOMER COMPLAINT OF THE HIGH MOUNT STOP LIGHT COVER DETACHING OR FALLING DOWN. TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CAUSE OF THIS CONDITION, AHM WOULD LIKE TO COLLECT SPECIFIC INFORMATION FROM THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO YOU ATTEMPTING A REPAIR OF ANY KIND.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗DEALER MESSAGE - AMERICAN HONDA (AHM) IS INVESTIGATING CERTAIN 2016 2-DOOR CIVICS WITH A CUSTOMER COMPLAINT OF THE HIGH MOUNT STOP LIGHT COVER DETACHING OR FALLING DOWN. TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CAUSE OF THIS CONDITION, AHM WOULD LIKE TO COLLECT SPECIFIC INFORMATION FROM THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO YOU ATTEMPTING A REPAIR OF ANY KIND.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗DEALER MESSAGE - AMERICAN HONDA (AHM) IS INVESTIGATING CERTAIN 2016 2-DOOR CIVICS WITH A CUSTOMER COMPLAINT OF THE HIGH MOUNT STOP LIGHT COVER DETACHING OR FALLING DOWN. TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CAUSE OF THIS CONDITION, AHM WOULD LIKE TO COLLECT SPECIFIC INFORMATION FROM THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO YOU ATTEMPTING A REPAIR OF ANY KIND.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗CUSTOMER LETTER - ON SOME 2016 CIVIC VEHICLES, THE ADHESIVE APPLIED TO THE CENTER HIGH MOUNT STOP LAMP COVER (HIGH MOUNT COVER) ISN'T STRONG ENOUGH AND THE COVER MAY COME LOOSE AND HANG DOWN.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗SERVICE BULLETIN - THE ADHESIVE APPLIED TO THE CENTER HIGH MOUNT STOP LIGHT COVER (HIGH MOUNT COVER) ISNT STRONG ENOUGH AND THE COVER MAY COME LOOSE AND HANG DOWN.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The 2016 Civic coupe has a widespread third brake light cover adhesion failure that owners describe as a critical safety issue. The plastic cover, attached to the interior rear window with double-sided tape or Velcro, detaches in hot weather and remains loose. Owners report the cover hangs partially away from the glass, sometimes with gaps up to 1/4 inch, and can flap when windows are open or strike rear seat passengers. At night, when brakes are applied, the red light reflects off the rear window and floods the interior with red light, making it nearly impossible to see out the back. This occurs whether the vehicle is moving or parked.
The problem affects vehicles from the dealer lot onward—some had it before leaving the dealer, others within the first month. Dealer attempts to fix it by re-gluing have failed repeatedly, with one owner reporting four unsuccessful attempts and another saying a fix lasted 15 minutes. Dealers told owners Honda is aware of the problem but has no permanent fix available.
Separately, owners report the LED tail lights are too small and dim to be visible in rain or light fog, especially when combined with the factory spoiler's tendency to kick up water spray behind the car. One owner couldn't see his wife's tail lights even 5–10 car lengths back in light rain, despite her lights being on.
The adhesive (double-sided tape or Velcro) holding the third brake light cover to the interior rear window fails, causing the plastic cover to droop, hang, or fall away from the glass. Narratives indicate this occurs across multiple 2016 Civic coupes starting from June 2016 new vehicles, often appearing within the first month of ownership or even before vehicles left the dealer lot. The issue worsens with heat exposure.
When: Within first month of ownership; some vehicles had problem at dealer lot before sale. Heat exposure accelerates failure.
Symptoms owners cite: Brake light cover droops or hangs partially detached from rear window; 1/4 inch or larger gap between cover edge and window glass; Red brake light reflects and floods entire rear window at night when brakes applied; Visibility through rear window severely impaired at night; Red light distracting and obstructs outward vision whether vehicle moving or stationary; Plastic cover can flap against window when windows open; Rear seat passengers may be struck by dangling cover; Reduces visual information available through rear window during day
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer attempts to re-glue or re-adhere cover have failed repeatedly (one owner reports four unsuccessful attempts; another reports fix lasted 15 minutes). No permanent fix available from Honda as of complaint dates. Part requires redesign for better installation method than double-sided tape.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda aware of issue since at least July 2016. Multiple dealers confirmed this is a known, widespread problem affecting 100% of 2016 Civic coupes exposed to warm temperatures. Dealers reported no fix available. One dealer stated they had been stringing customers along for 5 months, promising fix in '1-2 weeks' or '8-12 weeks' with no resolution.
The LED tail light bulbs on the 2016 Civic are too small and lack sufficient brightness (lumens) to be visible in wet conditions, rain, or fog. The LED angle directs light upward and inward rather than directly backward. Combined with factory spoiler creating water vortex behind vehicle, tail lights become nearly invisible to following vehicles in adverse weather.
When: Light rain and cloudy daytime conditions; concern for heavy rain and dense fog scenarios.
Symptoms owners cite: Tail lights not visible to following vehicles during light rain in daytime conditions; Only brake lights (using standard brighter bulbs) visible to following vehicles; Factory spoiler creates turbulent vortex behind vehicle, creating boiling spray that further obscures lights; Following vehicles cannot see tail lights even at 5-10 car lengths distance in wet conditions; Tiny LED bulbs barely visible even when headlights activated during rain
Right-side front LED marker light does not work or works intermittently. Left-side marker light functions but is also failing.
When: Early ownership period
Symptoms owners cite: Right-side front LED marker light inoperative; Left-side marker light intermittently operates on its own schedule rather than with deliberate control; Left-side light approaching failure
Left headlamp does not work due to excessive heat exposure in hot climates (Nevada cited).
When: Heat-related, applicable to hot climates
Symptoms owners cite: Left headlight inoperative
Synthesized from 25 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
My vehicle break some time docent work....lighting is not proper and engine does nice even I do servicing and mention them but it got ignored by service center
I bought a Honda civic 2016. I notice that my front LED light maker does not work only left side work and it is about to go out too. Sometime it goes on as its please. And air condition does not blow cold air . I hope they recall all these problems..
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 25 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $250 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
Across the 8 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most lighting failures cluster between 3,500 and 6,500 miles, with the median around 5,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 3,500; a quarter make it past 6,500. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
Independent shops typically charge around $250 for lighting repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Yes — 1 active recall(s) cover lighting issues on this vehicle. Recall fixes are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status. Use the VIN decoder at the top of the page to check if your specific vehicle is affected.