Honda

Civic (10th)

2016-2021 · Compact Sedan · 6 engines
Best Engine ⚠️ Caution (2.8)
6,626 NHTSA Complaints
13 Recalls
38 Fire Reports
321 Crash Reports
Includes data from: CIVICCIVIC HATCHCIVIC HATCH TYPE-RCIVIC HATCHBACKCIVIC SICIVIC TYPE R
View all 5 generations of the Honda Civic → 📋 Inspection checklist

Engine Reliability Ratings

LFX

3.6L 6-cyl
⚠️ Caution (2.8)
43 complaints 21.5 per year Gasoline
View details

R18A1

1.8L 4-cyl / 140 hp
⚠️ Caution (2.4)
10 complaints 2.7 per year Gasoline
1 fire report
View details

K20C1

2.0L 4-cyl Turbo / 306 hp
Avoid (1.3)
105 complaints 21.0 per year Gasoline
4 fire reports
View details

Complaint Breakdown

electrical
25
engine
23
transmission
16
suspension
14
fuel system
12

Known Issues

Electrical System Issues (25 complaints)
Engine Issues (23 complaints)
Transmission Issues (16 complaints)

Same engine used in

L15B7

1.5L 4-cyl / 174 hp
Avoid (1.2)
2,045 complaints 340.8 per year Gasoline
7 fire reports
View details

Complaint Breakdown

steering
638
other
324
fuel system
320
electrical
271
safety systems
205

Known Issues

Steering Issues (638 complaints)
Typical onset: 59,277–75,000 mi Est. repair: $3,000–$4,250 (62 reports)
Fuel System Issues (320 complaints)
Typical onset: 30,000–81,000 mi Est. repair: $1,400–$2,000 (11 reports)
Electrical System Issues (271 complaints)
Typical onset: 7,475–51,815 mi Est. repair: $1,625–$4,188 (10 reports)

Same engine used in

K20C2

2.0L 4-cyl / 158 hp
Avoid (1.0)
2,989 complaints 498.2 per year Gasoline
14 fire reports
View details

Complaint Breakdown

steering
969
fuel system
649
other
485
safety systems
344
electrical
337

Known Issues

Steering Issues (969 complaints)
Typical onset: 31,879–60,000 mi Est. repair: $3,000–$4,000 (81 reports)
Fuel System Issues (649 complaints)
Typical onset: 35,000–80,000 mi Est. repair: $275–$5,000 (16 reports)
Safety Systems Issues (344 complaints)
Typical onset: 5,000–40,000 mi Est. repair: $385–$3,500 (22 reports)

L15BA

1.5L 4-cyl Turbo / 174 hp
Avoid (1.0)
1,249 complaints 249.6 per year Gasoline
12 fire reports 3 fatalities
View details

Complaint Breakdown

steering
293
other
243
fuel system
228
electrical
170
safety systems
144

Known Issues

Steering Issues (293 complaints)
Typical onset: 30,000–94,000 mi Est. repair: $1,250–$4,500 (35 reports)
Fuel System Issues (228 complaints)
Typical onset: 30,136–80,000 mi Est. repair: $90–$1,900 (7 reports)
Electrical System Issues (170 complaints)
Typical onset: 4,900–28,000 mi Est. repair: $375–$3,750 (23 reports)

1 additional engine variant with fewer than 10 complaints not shown.

Vehicle-Level Issues

These issues affect the Honda Civic regardless of engine variant.

Steering Issues (1,919 complaints)
steering critical
Fuel System Issues (1,209 complaints)
fuel_system critical
Electrical System Issues (810 complaints)
electrical critical
Safety Systems Issues (699 complaints)
safety_systems critical
Engine Issues (359 complaints)
engine critical

Recalls (13)

24V064000Jan 1, 2024serious
Air Bags

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.

23V458000Jun 28, 2023serious
Service Brakes

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.

23V858000Dec 17, 2023serious
Fuel System

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

21V215000Mar 24, 2021serious
Fuel System

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

20V314000May 27, 2020serious
Fuel System

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura NSX, 2019 Acura RDX, RLX and RLX Sport Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R and HR-V, 2019-2020 Insight and 2019 Fit vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

18V663000Sep 26, 2018serious
Steering

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Honda Civic and CR-V vehicles. The magnet that controls the torque sensor output signal for the electronic power steering system may not be properly secured, allowing the magnet to become dislodged. During a full lock turn, the dislodged magnet may cause steering assist to be applied in the opposite direction.

18V266000Apr 25, 2018serious
Air Bags

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback and Civic Type R vehicles. Driver and front passenger seatback pads sold as replacement service parts were made without slit openings for the seat-mounted side air bags. In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, the seatback pad would interfere and adversely affect air bag performance. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 214, "Side Impact Protection."

18V421000Jun 19, 2018serious
Equipment

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018 Honda Civic vehicles. The manufacturing date area of the certification labels may have random characters which can affect the owner's ability to determine if a safety recall includes their vehicle.

18V817000Nov 15, 2018serious
Equipment

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Honda Civic Hatchback and Civic Type R vehicles. The owners guide in these vehicles may not have been included or if included, the owner's guide may not have been properly provided required information. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."

17V706000Sep 10, 2017serious
Powertrain

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017 Honda Civic Sedan and Coupe vehicles. The right halfshaft may have been improperly heat treated, reducing its strength.

16V725000Nov 9, 2016serious
Parking Brake

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2016 Honda Civic two door and four door 1.5L turbo and 2.0L vehicles. The electric parking brake (EPB) may not engage if it is applied immediately after turning the ignition off.

16V526000Nov 6, 2016serious
Exterior Lighting

American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2016 Civic 2-Door vehicles manufactured February 23, 2016, through May 20, 2016. The affected vehicles may have a damaged LED side marker light circuit board inside the taillight assembly, making the marker light inoperable. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Assoc. Equipment."

16V074000Sep 1, 2016serious
Engine & Cooling

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.

Alternatives in Compact Sedan

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most common 2016-2021 Honda Civic problems?

The 2016-2021 Honda Civic has accumulated 6,626 NHTSA complaints. The most frequently reported problem areas are Steering, Fuel System, Electrical System. As with any used vehicle, a pre-purchase inspection and vehicle history report are recommended.

Which Honda Civic engine is most reliable?

The 2016-2021 Honda Civic was offered with 7 engine options. Based on NHTSA complaint data, the 2.0L 4-cyl has the lowest complaint density and is considered the most reliable choice for buyers.

Is the 2016-2021 Honda Civic a good used car?

The 2016-2021 Honda Civic can be a solid used car purchase depending on trim, mileage, and maintenance history. With 6,626 total NHTSA complaints on record, prospective buyers should review the known problem areas and check for open recalls before buying.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2016-2021 Honda Civic have?

The 2016-2021 Honda Civic has 6,626 complaints filed with NHTSA as of our latest data pull. Complaint counts reflect owner-reported issues and do not necessarily indicate defects or safety risks on their own.

What recalls affect the 2016-2021 Honda Civic?

There are 13 NHTSA recalls affecting some 2016-2021 Honda Civic vehicles. Recall status varies by VIN — check the NHTSA recall database at recalls.nhtsa.dot.gov with your specific VIN to confirm which campaigns apply.

What should I check before buying a used Honda Civic?

Before buying a used Honda Civic, verify all open recalls are completed via the NHTSA VIN lookup tool. Pay particular attention to Steering, Fuel System, Electrical System, which are the most commonly reported problem areas. Request maintenance records, have an independent mechanic inspect the vehicle, and run a vehicle history report to check for prior accidents or title issues.

Does the Civic have NHTSA crash test ratings?

NHTSA has not published crash test ratings for the 2016-2021 Honda Civic. Not all vehicles are tested each year. For the latest NHTSA safety information, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Data from NHTSA federal complaints database. 6,626 complaints analyzed. Data confidence: high. Last updated: 2026-04-07.

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