2016 Honda Civic engine problems
99 of the 1,082 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Honda Civic name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 67 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 99 reports a crash · 3 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2016: 16 · 2017: 7 · 2018: 5 · 2019: 20 · 2020: 21 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2024: 10 · 2025: 6 · 2026: 4
Half of the 54 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 14,000 and 55,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
1,082 complaints in all about the 2016 Honda Civic, 4 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Honda Civic engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
I have a brand new 2016 Civic 1.5t ex-l with 1,000 miles and a cracked engine block. We noticed the engine oil all over our garage. It's been leaking for a while, probably since we got it, but we didn't realize until today that the oil was coming from our brand new car.
I leased a brand new 2016 Honda Civic on friday, february 26, 2016 and drove off the lot with 5 miles on the odometer. On monday, february 29, 2016, my car started to shake, the engine light came on as well as other indicators on the car, I was not able to accelerate or properly operate the vehicle.
Today I found out that Honda issued a recall of approximately 45,000 model year 2016 civics in the u.s. And canada because the engine can stall while the car is in motion. This is due to a piston clip that was not installed or may have been improperly installed into the piston during assembly.
I purchased the new car on 11/30/2015. Since then, it has been driven 22 miles. I learned of recall on 2/9/16 on news. I was not contacted by dealer or Honda about it. I contacted dealer on 2/11/16 who in turn contacted Honda.
I was sold a 2016 Honda Civic on the day (january 29, 2016) that american Honda notified NHTSA of a 'stop-sale' and I AM forced to drive a vehicle that may have a potentially life threatening defect until they fix it. Honda was aware of the problem, and I should not have been sold a vehicle with a safety concern as great as engine failure
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall filed under this heading
- 16V074000 HighFeb 9, 2016 · 42,129 vehicles
- 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.
67 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- A26-099 Service bulletinSep 25, 2026
- Service Bulletin - Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may cause vehicles to experience overheating, coolant loss, and/or misfire. In some cases, DTCs P0300 through P0304 may also be stored (DTCs are not required for repair).
- A26-097 Service bulletinSep 25, 2026
- Service Bulletin - Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may cause vehicles to experience overheating, coolant loss, and/or misfire. In some cases, DTCs P0300 through P0304 may also be stored (DTCs are not required for repair).
- A26-009 Service bulletinSep 25, 2026
- Service Bulletin - Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may cause vehicles to experience overheating, coolant loss, and/or misfire. In some cases, DTCs P0300 through P0304 may also be stored (DTCs are not required for repair).
- A26-008 Service bulletinSep 25, 2026
- Service Bulletin - Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may cause vehicles to experience overheating, coolant loss, and/or misfire. In some cases, DTCs P0300 through P0304 may also be stored (DTCs are not required for repair).
- A26-099 Service bulletinAug 28, 2026
- Service Bulletin - Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may cause vehicles to experience overheating, coolant loss, misfire, and/or DTCs P0300 thru P0304 stored.
- A26-097 Service bulletinAug 28, 2026
- Service Bulletin - Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may cause vehicles to experience overheating, coolant loss, misfire, and/or DTCs P0300 thru P0304 stored.
- AEBM08262026901 OtherAug 26, 2026
- Dealer Message - Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may cause vehicles to experience overheating, coolant loss, misfire, and/or DTCs P0300 through P0304 stored.
- A26-099 Service bulletinAug 26, 2026
- Service Bulletin - Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may cause vehicles to experience overheating, coolant loss, misfire and/or DTCs P0300 thru P0304 stored.
The 8 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2016 Honda Civic names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2016 Honda Civic
Source: the same files- electrical problems 120 complaints
- visibility and wiper problems 67 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2016 Honda Civic?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 99 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (9% of everything owners filed about it), and 67 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2016 Honda Civic?
Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 16V074000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do engine problems show up on the 2016 Honda Civic?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 30,000 miles; half of them between 14,000 and 55,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.