2016 Honda Civic Complaint Log

The steering “locks”. To make a small steering adjustment, the car JERKS to the right. A “clicking” has also recently started at the same time of the steering and jerking motion of the car. I was stopped for suspicious DUI. I had to provide the officer with multiple forums discussing the EXACT problem. I reported the problem more than a year ago to the dealership.

The steering is sticky. When driving the car the steering wheel will stick and the driver has to force the wheel. This causes a very scary driving experience.

The steering is very sticky when driving at higher speeds on the highway. It seems to start after hot days or after 15 to 30 min. of driving. The over correction when it gets stuck and having to force it back to center makes it swerve while driving. I have read many forums with the same model reporting the same issues with their EPS system and steering rack system. This is a huge safety issue and should be recalled and fixed as soon as possible.

Turbo charger malfunctioned went out

“Sticky steering” The steering wheel will “stick” while driving causing the driver to over compensate to “unstick” it. I have owned the vehicle since new from dealer and it has always been a problem to some degree. In the beginning it would happen very sporadically maybe 1 or 2 times a year for very short periods. The longer it has gone the worse it has gotten and is now to the point of happening every time it is driven. It will starting pulling slightly in one direction and then when you jerk it to pull it back it wants to pull in the other direction. It’s a constant fight to keep it on the road and I have had many close calls so much that I am not comfortable driving it and took it to the Honda dealership for diagnosis. They came back stating that the steering gearbox had an internal fault and needed to be replaced. Honda is aware of the issue with this make and model but is not willing to correct the it. This, needs to be addressed as it is truly a safety hazard not only for the driver of the vehicle but also other drivers on the road.

Car suffers from sticky steering like the other newer civics and it is a very scary issue. My car does not drive straight and as it is getting hotter in Louisiana my car is acting up more. I am constantly swerving to keep it straight. Almost hit car in another lane and I have to fight against the wheel to make it stay straight. There are no warning lights. I have regular maintenance done. It also tried to turn another way when I go from a slow to fast speed, making merging or turning into an interstate feel dangerous. Honda dealership checked it and found “no issues” they just did an alignment and said that was it. Well the sticky steering still exists and is getting worse. Please make a recall I do not feel safe.

When jacking car to change tire, the lift point crumbled due to corrosion causing the car to fall back to the ground. There was no obvious evidence of extreme corrosion; it rusted from the inside. It is unknown how much more structural rust is inside the unibody but the car may no longer be safe for the road.

Driving the car home at 6pm on a highway, and heard a loud pop sound, but there were no rocks or objects hitting the vehicle. It turn out that the sunroof glass had exploded from the center for no reason. I am only glad the sunroof was not in use/open at the time, otherwise, the shattered glass will definitely lead to some serious consequences.

Steering becomes “sticky” intermittently. Steering wheel requires additional force beyond what is normal to change direction and turn wheels. Issue seems most prevalent at highway speeds when navigating bends in the road that require 10-20 degrees of steering deflection in either direction of center. Once the steering wheel is held at such an angle for a few seconds consecutively it takes substantially more force than normal from the driver to move the steering wheel back towards center. This results in over correction and makes it difficult to control the vehicle and keep it in one lane. Issue is also observed occasionally when making minor corrections to keep the vehicle in its lane on straight stretches of highway. Issue occurs with VSA system on and off. Turning the LKAS on or off has no effect. Issue is intermittent but seems more prevalent during warmer weather.

Sticky and jerky steering at all speeds requiring overcorrection left or right from center and left at about 10 o'clock. No warning lights on dashboard. Dealer confirmed symptoms and replaced steering rack assembly part #53650-TBC-A22.

The steering wheel, when turning either left or right, even slightly, gets stuck almost feels like it locks and when steering to opposite side, you need to tug/jerk the steering wheel to get it unstuck. When you jerk the wheel to get it unstuck, the car wants to veer sharply in the the direction being pulled. There were several close calls evading striking a car in the lane next to my car due to the veering trying to unstick the steering wheel. This locking happens in all modes of driving - straight, fast, slow, and on curves. It does not appear at speeds under 25 mph. The sensation of losing total control of the steering is overwhelming especially when traveling on the highway at highway speeds. The sensation of losing total control is enhanced when in a curve. There is also the sensation of potential total loss of the steering. My first car was purchased in 1968 and over the years I have learned to take notice of potential dangerous conditions in vehicles. I am not a happy camper with the steering on this vehicle. The internet gossip is that it is a known issue. I do not want to wind up injured or causing injury to others because of a manufacturers defect.

Driving down the road while at higher speeds the steering wheel sticks in one spot for minor adjustments. This can cause over corrections on the drivers part and may cause a wreck involving other vehicles. It has been documented on many forums online, about others having problems with the steering with the 2016 Honda civics. This is no exception.

Over the past year, the steering became increasingly stiff and difficult to ;control, particularly at higher speeds. When we took it to our local Honda dealership, we were told that this is a common (and expensive) problem with this year and model. They also said not to take it on long trips, as the steering could lock if turned hard. The needed repair parts (see attached repair bill) were on backorder for nearly 2 months and cost over $4,000 to install.

The steering sticks and causes me to overcorrect to stay in my lane. I see that later models of Honda have been recalled for the same issues as my car has been having for some time now. I feel it is dangerous.

My civic (2016) is having the same 'sticking steering wheel' issue as the later year cars that are currently being recalled. This is well documented in the Honda civic forums and YouTube videos. This can lead to a very serious accident as the car can be uncontrollable. The steering wheel 'sticks' then to get it unstuck you have to apply more pressure to 'unstick' the steering wheel which results in the car swerving in the lane, it is very dangerous...

The steering becomes sticky after driving for about 15 minutes or so and seems to occur more on warmer days (above 70F). this occurs both at highway speeds and also at lower speeds. For example when making a slight turn to the left or right the wheel will stick at that position and you will need to force the wheel to go back to center. This can cause you to over steer and end up out of your lane. Additionally at highway speeds making the steering whell will get stuck when making slight adjustments to keep the car in its lane. forcing the wheel each time causes you to ping pong within your lane and sometimes veer out of your lane. This is very dangerous and also makes it look like you are distracted or drunk driving. Issue was confirmed by a honda dealer and indicated that the entire rack needed to be replaced. No warning lights or codes stored for the issue.

* Having to adjust the wheel to maintain a straight path while driving * Steering resistance for minor adjustments while driving at highway speeds * The wheel sticks, causing the driver to need more force than usual to turn * When more force is applied to break the wheel free from its stick, the car may overcompensate in that direction * When turning, the wheel will maintain its position, not slide back to center, if hands are removed from the steering wheel

The steering becomes sticky or stuck in position at higher speeds causing me to have to jerk the wheel back and forth to keep the car in the lane. It's very unsafe at highway speeds.

While going down the highway the wheel will stick you have to push it to put back in line with the road. Kinda like sticky steering.

Sticky steering have to over correct and not really safe to drive. Went to the Honda dealership and they quotes me 3500 for repair but I have no warranty! It isn't safe for my kids and I to drive but it's my only transportation. I've read many complains of these cars having this issue and having to have rack replacements.

While driving the steering wheel becomes sticky. It is difficult to turn and requires varying levels of force, reducing accuracy and resulting in jerky movements, difficulty staying in the lines, and increasing risk of crash. No warning lights or errors are coming up for this issue. No other symptoms. Issue has been going on for about a year. If necessary I can get supporting documentation from a mechanic for this issue. No inspection from insurance or police.

There is steering problem especially in high way. The steering is stiff and a little stuck. The car can not go in straight, either left or right, it will over correct. I have to hold the steering wheel to overcome the stuck force to keep in a straight line, then it will over turn. I have to do it again from the other side. And it keeps left to right, right to left.

My steering wheel is very sticky. Doesn't happen until I've been driving at highway speeds for at least 15 minutes. It's also worse when it's warmer. My steering wheel is so sticky to the left to the point where I don't feel safe and feel like I could fly off the curves if don't drive under the speed limit (ie feel need to drive 60mph around bends on a 70mph highway).

Few years ago I fix (pay about $1300 no body give this money back ) air Conditioning Problem in LAMACCHIA HONDA , Syracuse , NY. and [XXX] again fix air Conditioning Problem( Cover warranty from HONDA Corp.) in LAMACCHIA HONDA Syracuse, NY...now I have same Problem NO WORKING AIR CONDITIONER ..WHAT NOW ? ONE TIMES I PAY ... bellow pictures from my car Hot air coming INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The steering sticks in the middle when driving on the expressway in warmer weather. When trying to make slight adjustments when driving, the steering wheel sticks around the 12 o'clock position. I have not noticed this problem unless the weather is warmer (55 degrees and up).

When driving at high speeds on straight roads, the steering wheel “catches” or feels sticky when it hits the middle and makes it hard to keep the car straight and requires extra effort to turn it further. This can be quite dangerous.

I have noticed my steering wheel sticking consistently for the past year or so. I mostly notice this when driving on the highway at higher speeds. It requires a forceful tug in the right direction, which causes the car to jerk slightly.

Beginning in April 2024, I noticed that my steering wheel would catch slightly when I was driving straight ahead, so that I needed to overcorrect left and right, with resistance in the steering wheel (like it was moving between two notches). This would happen whenever I drove my car straight ahead. I took my car to the local dealer and, after the first visit where they said I should get four new tires in case stretched bands in my tires were causing the steering problem, on a second visit they diagnosed an internal rack problem and advised a steering rack replacement. The car mileage was slightly under 33,000 miles at this time. I reached out to American Honda about the problem, and after they reviewed my case, they provided some goodwill toward the steering rack replacement, they said in part because I've routinely taken my car to the local dealership for service. The steering rack was replaced in September 2024.

Went over railroad tracks just like any other car and the airbag blew for no reason. The front of the car was not hit.

The contact's parent owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while the parent was parking into a parking space, and straightening the steering wheel; the brake pedal depressed but the vehicle continued to drive. Several warning messages were displayed "Vehicle Stability Assist Problem", "Power System Steering Problem", "Hill Start Assist Problem", "Emissions Systems Problem", "Brake Hold System Problem", and "Brake System Problem". The driver noticed that the brake pedal failed to respond and the vehicle rapidly accelerated, causing the vehicle to crash into two medians and crash into a parked and unoccupied Ford Edge vehicle at unknown speeds. The stationary vehicle was pushed halfway out of the parking spot. No air bags deployed, and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was unknown if the vehicle was diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

Steering wheel sticks noticeably above 40 miles per hour. Mostly sticks whenever the steering wheel is straight, but happens otherwise as well. Trying to make minor or major corrections results in needing to fight the steering wheel to do necessary movements. Is consistent at this point and has been reproduced by an independent service center. No warning lamps are on and no DTCs (diagnostic trouble codes) either.

Steering is stiff and Jerky when making slight corrections

Experiencing the same sticky steering issue that a number of other customers have also reported. After driving the vehicle on the highway for 15+ minutes you will start to feel the steeling wheel stick at the center position when turning the wheel from the center position to the right. Have not had the vehicle inspected yet. No lights or sensors indicate any issue.

The problem is with the steering. When driving in a straight line and just normal driving, correcting from left to right to keep the vehicle in the lane, when moving the steering wheel, it seems to be sticking, and it causes one to overcorrect, and then causes the car to sway in the lane, and it seems to do it more turning to the right then to the left. I’m taking to have it inspected by a Honda dealer but after reading some reviews online, it could be a $4000 repair and apparently it is something that has been going on for a while, and a manufactured defect with these vehicles, and there is no recall about it , and there are several videos on YouTube showing The inside of the gearbox of the steering rack and pinion, and that the grease was not applied to the gears correctly, and that is what’s causing it to stick.

The past few weeks I’ve been taking my vehicle for service to the Honda Dealership located in Daphne, Alabama and I’ve been complaining about suspension problems and my main concern is my tie rod end and the dealership refuses to repair, then yesterday when I brought it in for service they charged me for a diagnostics without my permission and I asked for the report and won’t hand it over and today [XXX] they did the diagnostic again and won’t hand over the report then lied and said it’s my Mass airflow sensor and there no check engine light on. For the past for weeks I’ve been wondering why the dealership has been mistreating me and it is because of the Honda manufacture, today I called the Honda manufacturer and ask if I’m listed as the vehicle owner in their systems because my vehicle is a 2016 and I haven’t had any open recall associated with my vin in the 4 years I’ve owned it. The Honda dealership gave me a document for a vin check and I’m not listed as the owner so perhaps the recalls aren’t being inserting into the proper file. I called the manufacturer and asked to speak to a supervisor and the representative refused to do so and I have a recorded conversation that I would like to forward to you once an investigation is opened. I also asked if my vehicle is apart of the national recall on the fuel pump and the manufacturer agent said no. Reference number: [XXX] I spoke with Elmer today [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Steering wheel stocks after about 20 miles of highway driving. Very hard to maintain lane. Major safety issue. Purchased for teen driver now I’m scared to death to let her drive. No warning lights. Lots of complaints on line. This is a major safety concern and should be investigated and a recall for repair. This is unfair to consumers

Transmission shifted out of gear into neutral driving down the highway with no available gear options no warning lights nothing.

I have noticed for a while now. When the light turns green or I'm at a stop and I have enough time to take off the car does not move when I apply the gas. It stalls and that scares me. I have noticed my cruise control shut off the other day when driving on the freeway. And I could not turn it back on. Now when I try to apply the parking bake when I'm parked the parking brake does not turn on nor the brake hold. The lights keep flashing than turn odd My headlight in the front and back passenger don't work. I've switched out the bulbs and it's an electrical problem. I see recalls on some of these matters but honda won't do nothing because it's not on their system when I bought this car in 2016.

UNKNOWN

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the steering wheel malfunctioned and failed to immediately respond while turning the in either direction while attempting to switch lanes. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who performed a steering module software update, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 65,000.

The front windshield glue holding it on the car has failed. The windshield can be pushed out completely with only a pinky finger. This should not happen and is very dangerous. This windshield could of came off easily from sudden stopping or collisions and caused serious bodily injury to the driver. Safelite auto glass came out to inspect and replace the window due to this defect. They stated it is a factory installed front windshield and they had never seen anything like it. The windshield started coming off less than a week ago. There were no warnings. We knew there was a problem when we heard wind sound coming in while driving. I have tried to upload a PDF documentation, but the website will not let me upload it.

Steering wheel is ongoing stiff and jerky when going above 45mph. It has been almost two years of dealing with it. We have tried troubleshooting but it seems to be a common issue as well as AC system keeps failing. We are repairing for 2nd time within a year and half. While AC failure isn't a safety issue the faulty steering is. It makes car hard to control and can cause an accident because minor adjustments can't be made while driving. There dozens of complaints besides mine.

Our steering has started to be “sticky” and needing over correction for over a year now. It is progressively getting more prominent and is worse when driving on the highway (causing swerving). There is currently a recall for Hondas with this problem, but only from 2022-2025. Mine is a 2016 Honda civic and many others have the same problem with older models and needing to pay $4000+ to get it replaced.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact research and learned that it was a known issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

My 18 year old daughter's 2016 Honda Civic has been having problems with her steering wheel where while driving on the highway or driving straight for a while, the steering wheel gets stuck and in order to stop it from sticking, she would have to jerk the car a little bit which causes her to swerve and it is a big problem if it happens while there are other cars around her. I have read numerous articles about this same problem with the same year, make and model of the car.

The contact owned a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked unattended, it caught fire. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. There were no reported injuries. A police report was filed. The air bags did not deploy. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number 16V074000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). 

Over a several month period the car was losing radiator fluid. I figured it was probably a stuck thermostat and the fluid was coming from the overflow. But only once did I see a minimal amount of fluid. Not near the amount that had been lost in the cooling system. Fast forward a few months and I am driving home. Top speed starts out at the speed limit of 70 and slowly slips to 65 then 60. Giving it more gas would increase the rpms but no power or forward thrust was making to the tires. It was as if, it was falling into neutral. The next morning drive to work was much worse. starting with a top speed of 65 within 10 miles on the highway the top speed went to 55 then to 45 then 35. When the top speed was 45 mph I took the first exit and made it through a stop sign on the service road. With a crawling speed of 10 mph it limped into a strip-center parking lot. Once it was stopped, pushing the gas pedal would increase rpms but no forward movement. So, I assumed a new transmission (CTV) was in my future and had it towed to a local dependable, honest, five-star reviewed auto shop. They found it misfiring and upon investigation find radiator fluid in the oil. So, they tell me the engine died and they could not even check the transmission. In the end, a used engine with 40K miles was put in it, a newer used transmission, and a new turbo (it was bad too). $14,000 + dollars is what the shop charged in June of 24 and Dec of 23. I tried to no avail to have the turbo covered under a lifetime warranty of an autobody shop that had replaced it following a road hazard claim that damaged it.

Honda knew of an issue with their Electronic Parking Brake system which required a software update per service bulletin 17-007 since January 17, 2017. Honda claims that the issue was not associated with my 2016 Civic Coupe EXL VIN however on Oct 29, 2023 my Civic threw this error which then cost me $112 for the service center to diagnose and an additional $150 for the software update to be installed. Total cost of $262 for an item that Honda knew was an issue and never addressed on my vehicle. This issue creates a dangerous and possibly life threatening situation which Honda is fully aware and should be held liable. American Honda states that my vehicle was not effected however I disagree as the photos and failure occurred. I was expecting more fro Honda.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and attempting to adjust the steering wheel, the steering wheel was sticking. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was test-driven, and the failure was replicated. The dealer determined that further diagnostic testing was required. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

Rear view mirror is peeling and discoloration is occurring. Causes impaired view while driving.