2016 Honda Civic Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
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 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] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
[XXX] a/c didn,t work blowing hot air needed freon, cost $293.96 , ,GERMAIN HONDA told me some 2016 civic,s a/c compressors & componets needed to be replace but not mine. today [XXX] a/c blowing hot air again. was there a recall on a/c on 2016 honda civics. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Air conditioner stopped working - I heard the condenser has a 10 year warranty extension - regardless of mileage. Please assist [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Went to my local dealer on January 11 to have my car checked due to a possible knock in my engine or transmission. They checked it but was not able to find a code or the actual cause after changing the oil of transmission and running it. It still continues to have issues They told me “might need to leave your car overnight because their master technician is not here until Monday “ To me I didn’t like much that answer because I spend too much for a no fix or cause. Also they could not provide me a loaner as well which was not a good idea No codes in the system or lights in the dashboard , it started a day before I took it to the shop
I have been experiencing engine and transmission issues for nearly 2 years. I have under 90k miles and am the 2nd owner since 2017. There is lack of power, speed inconsistencies, sputtering and hesitation upon acceleration. It feels unsafe. I have taken the vehicle in for a diagnosis and they stated it was an issue with the turbo and it has failed. This should not have occurred as the vehicle is under 120k miles. I have since paid to have it repaired at the cost of $5678.00
Lost Transmission fluid cap, don’t turn on any sensor light. I realized only because a friend just replace his. He shared the information I check it was gone. I had to buy a new one at Honda. High risk since temperature is super high in California, potential risk to lose all the transmission oil and brake.
Driving on highway to work when check engine light came on in addition to "Emissions System Problem", "Hill Start Assist", "Power Steering Issue", etc. When scanned for codes it showed misfire codes P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304. When spark plugs and coils were changed one set showed signs of rust. The misfires persisted after changing out these parts. When taken to the dealership they stated that the powertrain warranty had been extended to 6yrs from the original date of purchase because of an oil dilution issue. My car was outside of this warranty and the dealer did not offer to help with repairs. I called Honda of America and explained the situation - they also stated that it was outside of warranty. My mechanic has recommended an engine replacement and estimates repair costs over $4000+ for a used engine. Radiator fluid had been topped off 3-4 times this year but we did not realize it was leaking into the engine. A full recall should be issued for this, it is a known issue and Honda is aware of it. The warranty extension is not enough if the issue is going to keep occurring.
I bought my Honda new in 2016 from Space Coast Honda in Cocoa, Florida. It had 0 miles. Since 2016 I have had 5 separate issues with the air conditioner, and have had to repeatedly go back to Space Coast Honda. They released a warranty for the condenser, but refuse to acknowledge problems with the evaporator. There are many many people with a 2016-2018 Honda Civic who experience issues with the evaporator and Honda wants people to pay over $2000 to fix the issue. I find it hard to believe that these issues aren’t all related. Honda needs to be held accountable for manufacturing faulty models of the 2016 Honda Civic.
I love my Civic and I debated if reporting the issue, but in the interest of safety here it is: When you have to brake hard and suddenly (someone cuts you off) the car loses power (will not accelerate just coasts) for a second or two, but it seems like an eternity if you are in an intersection trying to get out of the way of aggresive traffic. After that power is back and the car is as excellent as it always has been. Incident has happened 3 or 4 times since I got the car in 2016.
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to 5 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact returned the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the catalytic convertor had failed and that the inner cooler with gaskets was defective. The catalytic converter was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact had returned the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 236,000.
Received recall notice on my vehicle per cylinder 2 & 3 misfiring. I brought my vehicle into service and I was told this recall did not apply to my vehicle as it was specific civics that had this problem (with my VIN on this recall) Honda then took this notice and disposed of it. I received another recall for drivability of my vehicle, still nothing done. About a year later my car was in and out of Honda due to my check engine light being illuminated. This was the trend from at least October 30, 2021 to present time. When my vehicle was brought in due to the check engine light being illuminated and the vehicle juddering, Honda replaced the solenoid purge valve as it was misfiring ($147). October 29, 2021 preformed a transmission fluid service ($159.95) and brake system fluid flush ($129.87) which I never approved of as I have never done any flush on any of my vehicles. December 10, 2021 my car was loosing power while car had only been running for less than 5 minutes, then died out in the middle of the road. Had car towed to Honda for diagnostic once again.. they performed a valve adjustment and replaced the gasket cover ($408.10). Which did not fix the problem but I was still responsible for the bill. Resulting in a “cracked engine” block per Honda’s diagnosis after all this extra work was put into my vehicle. I was giving a diagnosis of cylinders 2 and 3 being below specification (exact recall on vehicle, cylinders 2 and 2 under specification) resulting in the car needing a new engine, priced out to about $10,000 for a used engine and labor. Honda refuses to do anything about this problem.
AC STOP COOLING ABOUT ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASE , CHECK FOR LEAKS ( NO LEAKS FOUND).
EVERY TIME I CHANGE OR CHECK MY OIL, THERE IS A STRONG GASOLINE SMELL. WHEN I TAKE THE DIP STICK OUT AND SMELL IT, ALL I SMELL IS GASOLINE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HONDA CIVIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THROUGH THE LIGHT, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT COASTED INTO A PARKING LOT, LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND BECAME AWARE OF FLUID LEAK. THE CONTACT REACHED OUT TO HENDRICK HONDA BRADENTON (5515 14TH ST W, BRADENTON, FL 34207) AND INFORMED THE DEALER OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT A TOW TRUCK WAS SENT TO TOW THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION RESERVOIR TOP DETACHED UNDER PRESSURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 197,001.
THIS CAR HAS THE INFAMOUS 1.5 LITER TURBOCHARGED EARTH DREAMS ENGINE FROM HONDA. EVEN AFTER THE PRODUCT UPDATE APPLIED TO THE CAR ON JAN 2019 WHILE IT WAS OWNED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER, IT STILL HAS A HIGH AMOUNT OF OIL DILUTION ISSUE WHICH WILL SEVERELY IMPACT THE CAR IN THE LONG RUN. PARKING THIS CAR IN A GARAGE AFTER A DRIVE MAKES THE WHOLE GARAGE SMELL LIKE GAS. AND A POINT TO NOTE IS THAT IT'S SUMMER HERE IN OHIO NOW. AFTER A FRESH OIL CHANGE RIGHT AFTER I BOUGHT IT AND DRIVING A MERE DISTANCE OF 50 MILES ALREADY HAD DUMPED SO MUCH OF GAS INTO THE ENGINE THAT THE DIPSTICK HAD HIGH OIL LEVEL. TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP RESULTED NO RESOLUTION AS THEY INSISTED THAT IT'S NORMAL. IT'S NOT NORMAL TO HAVE THAT AMOUNT OF GAS IN THE ENGINE SO I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT HONDA SHOULD MAKE A RECALL ON THIS CAR.
ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO MY A/C STOPPED WORKING. IT ONLY BLOWS OUT LUKEWARM OR HOT AIR ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE. I HAVE ONE MUCH RESEARCH BEING AS THE CAR IS BARELY 4 YEARS OLD AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. IT SEEMS THAT HONDA HAS FAULTY CONDENSER AND/OR COMPRESSOR. *TR
I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 4 YEARS AND KEPT UP ON MAINTENANCE; THE LAST MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED IN MARCH 2020. I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A CITY STREET (2-WAY STREET) AND STARTED HEARING A CLICKING NOISE AND SMELLED SMOKE. THE FRONT PASSENGER THEN NOTICED FLAMES OUTSIDE OF HIS WINDOW. I TRIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE BUT THE BREAKS WOULDN'T WORK. I WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE TO A NEARBY STREET OPENING AND WE WERE LUCKILY ABLE TO ESCAPE. THE VEHICLE WENT UP IN FLAMES AND EXPLODED AT LEAST ONCE BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. THE VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS. ACCORDING TO THE FIRE REPORT, THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS, "FAILURE OF EQUIPMENT OR HEAT SOURCE"; THE LISTED AREA OF FIRE ORIGIN IS, "ENGINE AREA, RUNNING". *TR
I RECENTLY PURCHASED MY 2016 HONDA CIVIC EX SEDAN ON FEBRUARY 5TH, 2020. THE AC ALMOST IMMEDIATELY DOESN'T WORK AND I THINK NOTHING OF IT BECAUSE I HAVE WINDOWS AND THEN WHEN I FINALLY HAVE TIME TO TAKE IT TO A SHOP TO GET CHECKED OUT, THEY RECHARGE THE AC FREON AND WHEN IT RUNS IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S LEAKING A LOT AND I DIDN'T THINK THINK OF IT UNTIL THE AC NO LONGER WORKS AFTER A DAY, I TAKE IT BACK AND THEY SAY IT ALL LEAKED OUT AND TO REPLACE THE COMPRESSOR WHICH IS LEAKING IT, THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME $1800 AND I DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY SO I'VE BEEN GOING ALONG WITH AC AND ITS GETTING REALLY HOT IN CALI SUMMER. I JUST THINK THAT'S A HUGE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SAFETY ISSUE AND HONDA AMERICA SHOULD DEFINITELY PAY FOR IT BECAUSE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE COMPLAINING, FORUMS ALL OVER THE STATES HAVE PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT IT AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE EVEN REPLACED THEIR COMPRESSOR 2 OR 3 TIMES(AND PAYED FOR IT THEMSELVES). THIS IS AN ISSUE AMONG ALL OF THE 10TH GEN CIVIC SEDANS AND COUPES. YOU MAY SHARE ALL OF MY INFO WITH THE MANUFACTURER OR ALL INVESTIGATIVE PARTIES FOR ANY REASON THEY NEED IF NEEDED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HONDA CIVIC. UPON TAKING THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE WAS LEAKING FREON. THE CONTACT INFORMED ATLANTIC HONDA (1375 SUNRISE HWY, BAY SHORE, NY 11706, (631) 665-0005) OF THE DEFECT AND WAS INFORMED THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY; THEREFORE, THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.
ENGINE OIL LEVEL ABOVE MAXIMUM LEVEL, AND THE ENGINE OIL SMELLS LIKE GASOLINE.
I HAVE A HONDA CIVIC 2016 AND MY AC WAS NOT WORKING SINCE LAST YEAR 2018. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER SHIP AND BEING TOLD THAT I NEED TO PAY $295 FOR THE DIAGNOSIS WHICH I REFUSED TO DO IT. I DID SOME RESEARCH TO SEE IF ANYONE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND YESS THEY DO AND A LOT. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER SHIP TODAY AFTER I GOT RECALLED LETTER FOR THE CONDENSER. AFTER 6 HRS, THEY CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT MY CONDENSER IS GOOD, BUT MY COMPRESSOR IS NOT AND THE REPAIR FEE WILL BE UP TO $1200. IF I REFUSE TO FIX IT, I STILL NEED TO PAY $395 FOR THE DIAGNOSIS FEE WHICH IS STUPID. I LOOKED IT UP AGAIN AND HAD READ A LOT OF COMPLAINT ABOUT THE COMPRESSOR. I AM PAYING OFF MY CAR WHICH I OWN FOR ALMOST 4 YEARS AND NOW EVERYTHING IS ALREADY BROKEN. THIS IS MY FIRST HONDA CAR AND I REGRET THAT I CHOSE HONDA. I HOPE HONDA DO SOME RESEARCH AND READ ABOUT PEOPLE COMPLAINT AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. NEVER BUY HONDA AGAIN.
ENGINE OIL LEVEL CONTINUOUSLY CREEPING ABOVE MAX FILL LINE AFTER EVERY OIL CHANGE. NOTE: OIL MEASURED AT SAME LOCATION IN GARAGE AND AT SAME TEMPERATURE, AND OIL ALLOWED SUFFICIENT TIME TO DRAIN BACK INTO OIL PAN.
MY AIR CONDITION COMPRESSOR IS DEFECTIVE AND LEAKING THE NEW VERY FLAMMABLE REFRIGERANT R1234YF GAS OUT FROM THE COMPRESSOR ITSELF. THE SHAFT SEAL SEEMS TO BE WHERE IT IS LEAKING. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND HONDA SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL TO REPLACE ALL OF THE DEFECTIVE COMPRESSORS THEY INSTALLED IN THEIR CARS.
ENGINE STALLED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT SCANNED THE VEHICLE THAT THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REFLASHED HONDA STATED NO RECALL BUT MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ONLINE ALSO ON HONDA MECHANIC WEBSITE STATES COMPUTER ISSUE
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2016 Honda Civic has 50 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.