2016 Honda Civic Engine Problems
Owners have filed 95 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2016 Honda Civic, 9% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 26,754 miles. The words owners use most often: “hot air” (7% of reports).
- 95engine complaints
- 26,754median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $2,200typical repair cost reported by owners
- 33%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Hot air: mentioned in 7 of 95 complaints (7%)
- Stop sale: mentioned in 6 of 95 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the 2016 Honda Civic at $2,200, and half of them between $1,200 and $5,150.
Based on 11 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2017–2025), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 57 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 95 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 2 a fire.
Honda Civic engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Civic | 5 | 16% | — |
| 2025 Civic | 5 | 7% | — |
| 2024 Civic | 3 | 2% | 26,000 |
| 2023 Civic | 8 | 3% | — |
| 2022 Civic | 11 | 1% | — |
| 2021 Civic | 5 | 3% | — |
| 2020 Civic | 12 | 5% | 40,776 |
| 2019 Civic | 32 | 7% | 10,600 |
| 2018 Civic | 57 | 8% | 11,750 |
| 2017 Civic | 66 | 11% | 20,000 |
| 2016 Civic | 95 | 9% | 26,754 |
| 2015 Civic | 31 | 8% | 14,000 |
| 2014 Civic | 23 | 8% | 39,000 |
| 2013 Civic | 22 | 7% | 11,000 |
| 2012 Civic | 32 | 7% | 25,000 |
| 2011 Civic | 7 | 4% | 39,000 |
| 2010 Civic | 19 | 5% | 64,443 |
| 2009 Civic | 27 | 7% | 90,500 |
| 2008 Civic | 156 | 17% | 107,740 |
| 2007 Civic | 170 | 14% | 105,500 |
| 2006 Civic | 227 | 16% | 117,000 |
| 2005 Civic | 14 | 4% | 99,873 |
| 2004 Civic | 10 | 3% | 95,000 |
| 2003 Civic | 8 | 2% | 175,000 |
| 2002 Civic | 17 | 2% | 92,000 |
| 2001 Civic | 19 | 2% | 118,500 |
| 2000 Civic | 4 | 1% | 124,500 |
| 1999 Civic | 14 | 4% | 144,000 |
| 1998 Civic | 3 | 1% | 160,000 |
| 1997 Civic | 3 | 1% | 45,000 |
| 1996 Civic | 2 | 1% | 157,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The check engine light came on the car had no power. The head gasket was blown.
2016 Honda Civic EX-T 1.5L turbo. Coolant is disappearing with no visible external leak. Diagnosed by mechanic as likely head gasket failure. This is a known defect affecting 2016-2022 Civics with the 1.5T engine. There is an active class action lawsuit (Alcantara et al. v. American Honda Motor…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2016 Honda Civics have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 95 owner complaints about engine for the 2016 Honda Civic (9% of the 1,081 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Honda Civic engine?
Yes: 1 safety recall list engine. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 26,754 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the 2016 Honda Civic?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,200 (half paid between $1,200 and $5,150), from 11 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2016 Honda Civic?
The most frequent phrase is “hot air”, in 7 of 95 complaints, followed by “stop sale” (6).
Other 2016 Honda Civic problems
- Steering problems (445)
- Electrical System problems (119)
- Service Brakes problems (92)
See all 2016 Honda Civic problems or engine problems across all Civic years.