2016 Honda Civic complaints

I was driving my vehicle on the highway and I experienced a loss of power / limp mode and my car started decelerating very quickly and I pulled off and parked because I got super scared of driving and when I tried to start my vehicle back up it would not turn back on. I found a recall describing the exact scenario I went through and it is not listed for my vin “ [XXX] ” but says it’s for the exact make of my vehicle, a 2016 Honda Civic Sedan 2.0 Naturally aspirated. The recall is called “Piston misset recall.” Please help me nagivate this I have no clue what to do and feel like this should be warranted. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

While driving, my wheel often “sticks” and I have to over correct throughout the entire drive. I’m afraid it is going to get me in an accident. It becomes more noticeable at high speeds. I have to travel often for my job and recently have not felt safe while driving my car on the highway. It seems to be a common issue with the 2016 Civic and I’m not sure why there hasn’t been a recall. I am the sole owner of this car and bought it new off the lot in 2016. I looked into getting this fixed and it looks to cost $4000-$5000. On a problem that several people have , it really should be fixed by Honda.

I was driving my car home from work and many warning lights lit up on my car dashboard (brake problem, engine problem, uphill start, steering problem) etc.. I got off the freeway and my car dashboard lit up and notified me “to pull over to a safe location because my car needle (temperature) was on high. I pulled over to a safe location and opened the hood and noticed that the antifreeze coolant compartment was empty) my car could have caught on fire because there was no coolant inside the compartment. After I got home and filled the car with coolant I placed cardboard under the car engine to see if the coolant would leak. There are no signs of leakage. I took my car to my mechanic and he told me that he couldn’t fix the problem and suggested I call Honda USA customer service. The mechanic told me that the problem is with the “head gasket” and that the coolant does leak into other parts of the engine. He didn’t charge me anything for the inspection and added coolant to my car. I called Honda USA customer service and they told me that there are “no recalls” regarding coolant leaks and head gasket problems. I googled problems with “Honda 2016 civics and learned that there is a problem that exists and it’s very costly to fix. I also learned that Honda was sued in Canada and Honda settled with customers regarding this problem. Honda USA simply told me to take my car to a Honda dealer and ask for an “inspection” I asked if they would cover the cost and they didn’t not say they woul

My infotainment system about killed me 3 or 4 times

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Power steering / steering wheel responsiveness steering wheel "stuck" in position. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? On curved roads or roads at highway speeds, small steering corrections are not always possible. Excessive force must be used to "snap" the steering wheel out of being stuck, which can cause the vehicle to swerve slightly. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No, they do not spend enough time with the vehicle or do the proper preparation to recreate the issue. Or they charge high fees just to try to determine the issue. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No, not to my knowledge. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, none. Other notes: This has happened since the vehicle was under warranty, circa 2018/2019. It happens most often on very hot days, or when the car has been driven for a while, and mostly happens at speeds around 70 mph, though can happen as low as 40 mph. *When researching it does appear that the 2016 Honda Civic EX 2.0L sedan shares a part number with other Honda vehicles that were part of a recall regarding steering issues.*

There are no lights on the dash or any kind of notification of this issue. The issue is the “sticking” of the steering wheel. It sometimes gets stuck while driving and applied force to the wheel in any direction is the only thing to fix it. It is a very dangerous defect of the car and can cause serious injury to the driver and or others around. It has been an ongoing issue. There is already a recall for the problem but on newer year models.

The steering wheel is sticky and jerky when turning. It has not been smooth for years and I often have to force it to turn a little at high speeds. It’s been like this for years. I am reporting this because it seems to be a major issue online for a lot of civic owners.

The white paint on my 2016 Honda Civic keeps peeling, which looks bad and is leading to structural rust developing in several areas of my car. Fixing it will be costly, and the paint quality on these vehicles isn't very good, causing frustration for owners. Furthermore, my steering wheel has been sticking for some time, and I've consulted several shops for their thoughts. This also comes with a hefty repair price, and I believe it is Honda's duty to address these problems.

What component or system failed: The entire Air Conditioning system, specifically the AC Compressor, Condenser, and Evaporator, failed catastrophically. The authorized Honda dealer diagnosed it as "Black Death," meaning the AC compressor internally shattered, sending metal shrapnel and contaminated oil throughout all AC lines and components. How was your safety put at risk: This failure is a SEVERE SAFETY HAZARD. Because the AC compressor is dead, the windshield defroster/defogger system no longer functions. During rain or changes in temperature/humidity, the inside of the windshield fogs up instantly and cannot be cleared. This causes a sudden and complete loss of driver visibility, creating a high risk of a fatal crash on the highway. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed: Yes. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Honda dealership. The technician confirmed the catastrophic failure ("Black Death") and stated the entire system needs to be replaced. Previous history & Manufacturer response: Honda has known defects with the 2016 Civic AC system (Warranty Extensions 19-091 & 23-039). The condenser was previously replaced under warranty in 2023. Now, the defective compressor shaft seal has led to the complete destruction of the system. Despite this being a known defect that causes secondary damage to the entire system, Honda Corporate has refused to cover the repair costs for the collateral damage (evaporator and lines). The parts are currently on the vehicle and ava

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 attempted to move the wheel to the left and the steering wheel became stuck for a moment, requiring higher than normal force to turn. When the steering wheel released, the higher force caused the wheel to turn more than desired, resulting in a minor over correction. This then required me to turn the wheel back to the right to maintain position within the lane, however it again became stuck, requiring higher than normal force to turn and resulted in a near continuous cycle. After bringing the vehicle to a Honda Repair Center on 04/04/2026, they diagnosed the issues as a failure with the rack and pinion assembly within the EPS system. The quoted cost of replacement was $4571.09. Unfortunately, while there is an active recall for this issue for 11th gen 2022-24 Civics, despite numerous complaints of the same issue there is no such recall for 10th gen 2016-2020 civics. This problem needs to be

The fuel pump is failing and stalls when driving.

My car shuts off during long drives and carries the same behaviors of a car with a failing fuel pump.

Steering wheel feels like it sticks and causes overcorrecting when trying to make small adjustments to steering.

When driving on highways steering notches or sticks causing constant attention to be given to it. It does not seem to be a bother when driving short distances for errands in town. It is distracting and dangerous. I will be taking it into a dealer in 2 days so they can reproduce it and hopefully it will be an easy fix, but I doubt it after reading about this problem. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. I HAVE READ ABOUT A FEW INJURY ACCIDENTS AND LAWSUITS.

Have had A/C issues for years, have had to replace compressor and condenser 4 times, only twice after a warranty finally came out for the defective parts. Now, the evaporator core has failed, but it is not under extended warranty or recall. Wild as I've seen so many with issues with another part of the faulty a/c system, likely from a defect. Going through a heatwave currently, dropping 3K on an evaporator core was not on my budget, especially when I believe Honda is at fault here. Tried a goodwill claim with them, immediately rejected. This came shortly after the condenser and shaft were replaced at the dealership.

Increased resistance making minor adjustments to the steering wheel in either direction when driving the highway at high speeds. I've seen every symptom of the Honda 'sticky steering' problem that only has a recall for 2022-2025 right now, but I know it's not a coincidence.

Sticky Steering causing over correction when attempting to drive straight. Driving and drifting to either left or right, then attempting to find center, steering wheel will feel sticky and over correct past center. This then makes the car drift to the other direction, then requiring another correcting back, which also over corrects/skips center. The problem is most noticeable during highway driving. This is a safety issue that I have seen many other posts about. The issue may cause the car to severely over correct and veere off the road and/or cause an accident.

Steering is sticking when driven for while, making it very unsafe for myself and others and sometimes it sticks and the wheel has to be jerked back which could cause over correction.

Steering intermittently sticks making driving awkward and difficult to hold a straight line.

Steering can be "sticky" in warm weather, especially above 70 degrees. The issue is intermittent and almost disappears during colder weather, below 60 degrees. I have been noticing this issue for the last couple of years. The issue is particularly noticeable at highway speeds 45mph+. At these speeds the steering wheel becomes somewhat "stuck" and won't turn until you apply enough force to overcome this "stickiness", after which point it starts turning normally, just as expected. The amount of force you need to overcome the "stickiness" is not too much, but it's more than expected, and enough to reduce the control you have over the vehicle's steering. I believe that this "stickiness" is a safety hazard because at highway speeds it makes it harder for you to make small steering adjustments to stay in your lane. This is because you need to apply more steering force to overcome the "stickiness" of the steering wheel, which can result in your car steering more than the desired amount, which can be dangerous. I usually find myself having to immediately make a secondary small steering correction towards the opposite direction, just to bring the vehicle back to the direction I was expecting it to be heading in the first place. But even this secondary adjustment will also suffer from the same "stickiness", so the problem repeats.

Steering became "sticky" at highway driving speeds. This caused the driver to be unable to make small adjustments to steering at highway driving speeds. Clicking sound could be heard when making steering adjustments while driving. This was caused by a manufacturing defect in the steering rack of the vehicle. The car is a 2016, but has only 32,727 mile on it and was purchased new. Because of the sudden stick and release of the steering, it creates a crash hazard and put my family and grandchildren in danger. This is a known problem on this model (we now know) and has been recalled on newer model Honda vehicles. We paid Honda of Ft. Worth $5,000.00 to replace the steering rack. We have retained the defective rack, which is available for inspection as needed. We contacted Honda of America for help with this since it is a known safety issue, but they were unwilling to help at all. No warning lights messages etc were given on the vehicle dash panel.

The white orchid pearl paint on my 2016 civic is peeling. the car has 150000 miles on it. I've seen this is a known defect with this type of paint. I'm reporting this concern for my vehicles as the repair is costly and if it isn't repaired I will get structural rust.

The paint is flaking all areas surrounding the rear windshield which will cause rust damage and may lead to rear windshield needing to be replaced

While driving straight, steering wheel sticks in the straight position. Moving the steering wheel slightly to left or right leads to over correction due to resistance.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while the vehicle was running with the A/C unit activated, there was an abnormal odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. Additionally, while the A/C unit was activated, only hot air was coming from the vents. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the A/C evaporator needed to be replaced because of leaks in three places. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that the white paint was peeling off the vehicle. Large white pieces from the rear hood started to peel off first. Then, the white paint from the rear and later both rear sides, the paint was peeling off, stemming from manufacturing defects in the application of its three-stage finish, leading to peeling and flaking that can impact resale value and cause rust. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

2016 Honda civic EX steering wheel airbags and front passenger airbags didn’t deploy during my husbands wreck. He totaled the car…

There is a jerky/sticky issue with the steering while driving. The steering wheel seems to get stuck and I end up almost over correcting to get it to unstick. I’ve read multiple complaints of this issue and my car’s year is 2016 purchased in October 2025.

Steering is very stiff and fights you while trying to make minor corrections at highway speeds (45mph+). Not safe to drive the vehicle on road trips or for extended periods of time on the highway. As I understand it, the 11th generation civics have a recall on the same component. It seems the recall needs to be extended to the 10th generation civics as well.

2016 Honda Civic LX. Electronic power steering has sticky feeling when traveling at highway speeds, does not return to center. This leads to a danger situation as car becomes difficult to control when traveling at highway speeds. Honda is away of this issue on newer generation of Honda's. Upon inspection, the mechanism that is having an issue is almost identical in Honda's 10th generation of vehicle.

UNKNOWN - The steering wheel sticks in the center position when driving on the freeway or highway. When I go to adjust the wheel to correct my direction the wheel sticks and I have to turn harder and it results in an overcorrection and jerks the car. This seems to be a common problem and from what I have read online and it is either the EPS system or the clock spring in the steering wheel. People have said it can be very costly to repair. It has been happening continuously for a couple of years now but sometimes there are gaps when it is bad and when it doesn't happen a lot. It is definitely a safety concern.

My A/C system experienced a total failure at around 79,000 miles. I took the vehicle to a service center, and they confirmed the failure is the A/C Evaporator. This component is now broken and available for inspection upon request. This evaporator failure is an extremely common, widely reported issue across this generation of vehicles and is almost certainly due to a manufacturing defect. The failure creates two major safety risks: First, the loss of defrost capability causes the windshield to fog up immediately in rain or humidity, which completely blocks the driver's view. Second, the extreme interior heat caused by the lack of A/C creates severe driver fatigue and distraction, which impairs safe operation of the vehicle. This issue has been confirmed by the dealership, and there were no warning lights.

My transmission light has been on for over a year. After visiting to private mechanics- diagnostic testing from both confirm an EVAP leak. They did smoke tests and nothing came back. After visiting credit karma. Under property, as I own my vehicle it states that there is a “Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump recall” documented on March 29, 2024. After contacting Honda directly they have stated that my VIN is not under the recall. After fueling up at the gas station. My vehicle inside and outside smells of gasoline for over 2-3 days. Which is not the norm. I’m pregnant and this is extremely dangerous. I am not going to bring my vehicle into a dealership to be told what I already know and be charged.

I am reporting confirmed odometer fraud involving a 2016 Honda Civic. CarMax documented the vehicle as “ROLLBACK / NOT ACTUAL MILES / TRUE MILEAGE UNKNOWN.” Experian verified a mileage discrepancy. A prior Michigan title contains inconsistent mileage. Selling dealer: Car Tec Enterprise Leasing & Sales LLC, Deer Park, NY. I am requesting investigation under the Federal Odometer Act.

My 2016 Honda Civic has a recurring safety-critical defect that began approximately 2–3 weeks after purchase. While turning (most often left turns), the vehicle suddenly shuts off without warning. When this occurs, the power steering assist locks, brake assist is lost, and the electrical system cuts off and then reboots. This has happened more than 5–6 times and nearly caused collisions. I had to apply extreme brake pressure to avoid hitting another vehicle during one incident. The steering becomes rigid, the dashboard goes dark, and the car restarts on its own while still in motion. Before I purchased the vehicle, a diagnostic inspection was performed and no issues were reported. Since owning the car, it has also been taken to a mechanic multiple times, and no diagnostic code or mechanical explanation for this shutdown issue has ever been identified. The defect appears intermittently and leaves no trace or error codes, making it extremely difficult to detect or repair. This is a serious safety hazard that could cause injury or death. The problem appears to be a latent defect that was present at the time of vehicle sale. I am reporting this so NHTSA can investigate whether this is a known issue with this model or whether other consumers have experienced similar sudden shutdowns.

The entire steering rack has an issue especially when driving on the highway. To make slight adjustments and wide turns it feels like you have to turn out of a notch and can’t make any smooth minor adjustments. I took it to the dealership near me and they test drove it and confirmed there was a “notch” in the steering rack and the entire steering rack had to be replaced.

My front driver side wheel completely detached from the vehicle’s body while I was driving home causing the left side of my car to collide with the street pavement and skid to a stop. The driver door airbags deployed, fluid leaked from under the vehicle and the bottom driver side of the car was damaged including the back left wheel/tire. The car had to be towed and an insurance claim was filed for review.

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Honda Civic in October 2024. The contact stated that while attempting to trade the vehicle at the dealer, the Carfax Report indicated a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. The contact stated that at the time of purchase, the odometer reading was 109,000; however, the Carfax Report indicated that the mileage was 172,000 in 2023.

Fuel door is making a noise when I unlock my vehicle and sometimes fuel door doesn’t unlock.

Blown Head gasket failure due to coolant leak into cylinders Evaporator Leak for A/C due to condenser and compressor shaft.

Steering wheel seems to get stuck with minor corrections, and then “gives way” causing a serious over correction. This is mostly noticeable at high way speeds (45+) but can be felt even when the vehicle is stopped. Vehicle is Not lane assist equipped. Appears to be a sticky Rack or Pinion gear.

- The engine failed. The engine block warped and both had to be replaced. I have pictures from the dealer. The cost was $8,194.56 at the dealer for a replacement engine with 89K miles on it. - My son's safety was put at risk because he is in a rural area. Every warning lamp on the dashboard turned on after Indy Honda replaced the coolant (Maintenance minder A125). Then the lights would turn off. Then Andy Mohr Honda inspected it (for the first time) and their diagnosis was a pvc pipe crack. We paid for that repair. The second time was the head gasket and the engine was destroyed. - The problem was confirmed by Andy Mohr Honda and Indy Honda in the state of Indiana. Andy Mohr confirmed the turbo engine for the Honda Civic has a known issue and than we should have purchased the 2.0 liter instead of the 1.5 liter because of the load the turbo puts on the engine. American Honda Motor Co., Inc disagrees and stated there was no issue. - The vehicle was inspected by the manufacturer via pictures taken at Andy Mohr Honda. - Prior to the coolant service in June 2025 there were no warning lamps. There were no symptoms. The Civic has only been maintained by Honda Dealers. The first time (approximate date) we noticed the issue: [XXX]. My son videoed it. Please note the text from Andy Mohr Honda stating the engine was overheated. The coolant was replaced by Indy Honda a week prior to the overheating. It should not have occurred. This is the link to the engine replacement invoice: [XXX] IN

The CVT transmission causes the car to stall when gaining acceleration past 20 mph-40 mph from a complete stop and when slowing down and then trying to gain rpm with flow of traffic whether on streets or highways. This can cause a safety concern for the driver if the car stalls out in the middle of oncoming traffic in the streets or highways that could potentially lead to death of owner and others. The car was taken to the dealership and no warning lamps were on. The tech had mentioned that they see this problem a lot with this model containing the CVT transmissions.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring the steering wheel to be manually returned to center after completing a turn. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,000.

Component that failed: The air conditioning system evaporator core failed, causing refrigerant leakage. The vehicle was inspected and diagnosed by a Honda dealership, which confirmed the failure and provided a written quote for replacement. The component is still installed and available for inspection. Safety risk: When the evaporator leaks, the A/C system loses refrigerant and stops cooling. This prevents the defrost/defog system from working properly, which can lead to poor visibility through the windshield in humid or rainy weather. In hot conditions, lack of cooling can also cause driver fatigue and heat stress, creating a safety risk for occupants. Confirmation of problem: Yes, the problem was confirmed by a Honda dealership after the condenser was already replaced under Honda’s extended warranty. Inspection by manufacturer/others: Yes, the vehicle was inspected by a Honda dealership. Honda corporate was contacted but declined to cover the evaporator, even though the condenser was covered under warranty due to a known defect in the A/C system. Warning lamps or symptoms: There were no warning lamps or dashboard messages. The only symptom was a loss of A/C cooling. After recharging the system, the A/C worked temporarily but will lose effectiveness again as refrigerant continues to leak. Summary: This is a premature failure of a critical climate control component that is widespread among 2016–2018 Honda Civics. Honda already extended warranty coverage for defective condense

I purchased my '16 civic in 2018. The following summer, I started to notice that the steering wheel would "stick" in straight or shallow turn positions, requiring excessive force to break free and start turning. This is especially noticeable during highway driving, when the sticking steering wheel results in minor corrections being impossible. The end result is the car is impossible to keep in the center of the lane all the time, and must continuously be corrected, over-corrected, and over-corrected again. Being unable to correctly control the car is a major safety problem, especially for older drivers that may have difficulty overcoming the force of the steering wheel "sticking." This problem has reappeared every spring. 11th generation civics have this problem and a recall/warranty for the offending components, but not the 10th generation. There are no warning lights or messages from the vehicle about this problem.

After about 30mins of driving car would start pulling to left even if the steering wheel was straight. When trying to correct it the steering wheel would feel stuck like to magnet and when it would release car would over correct to the right. Found out its a common issue among hondas 2015 and above no matter the model, took my car in to the dealer to replace the gearbox and the rack and pinion which fixed the problem. There are no warning lights or codes for this.

Body: underneath part came unsecured out of nowhere on my collage daughters car. It was scary for her as it scraped bottom and rattled out of no where on highway. She stopped and since nothing on hand, she had to push it up with feet and it bent to hold till she got to shop. They quick fix with zip tie or something. Someone hit her from back and she took to shop. I mentioned it that some noise coming after the fix and was supposed to to bring it to them this week. It just rattled but nothing else. Drivable still. Than middle of no where, that bottom popped again and she panicked. It was Sunday so no one is open. I had to have her park at work and pick her up which is an hour away. This is very dangerous as when we googled, this has happened to soooo many Honda civic owners! Need to do recall and fix this issue for good. It’s underneath the car so hard to tell till it drops to flow. We love the car but this issue is greater. Also, she has tire sensor light always comes up. We got new tires also!

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, there was an abnormally loud pop coming from the sunroof. There was no warning light. Illuminated. Upon inspection, the contact became aware of a large hole in the sunroof glass. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 166,655.

2016 Honda civic has 28 000 miles and the air conditioning went out. took it to Honda dealership, compressor, and evaporator and gasket is not working. everything but the evaporator is covered. Been driving in hot weather and unable to maintain comfortable temperature. Unsafe during hot weather to be driving in a car that has no air conditioning, may lead to heat related illness such as heat stoke in long drives. this is a well documented issue with these Hondas. Has been inspected by Honda dealership. unknown.