Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Honda Civic owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I pressed my automatic start key from the window of the building , while I was getting ready ,(washing my face, brushing teeth) after a couple seconds later I heard the sound of the alarm , which would usually turn on if there is a hit or impact or loud sound . When I came downstairs, about 5-10 minutes later . I noticed the front window was shattered , I figured maybe one the neighbors was playing ball and hit my window, when I opened my door I realized there was a fire inside coming directly from the dashboard, everything was melted and my dashboard was also sunk in. I checked if there was an outlet connected or USB ports and did not find an answer. …
The front wheels are going to fall off..throwing codes for stability malfunction assist, electric parking brake, electric power steering..I have been treated awful by 3 Honda dealership and I refuse to pay for this vehicle that I'm going to die in..brush guard fell down being held with bailing twine
I purchased my 2016 Civic ex in November 2015. Very soon after I noticed 4 notifications on the touchscreen regarding brake system failure. I brought the vehicle in to the service department and was told those notifications were from manufacturing and were most likely not cleared during intake walkthrough. In June I started noticing a relay clicking noise coming from under the steering column that persisted while driving. It happens while the vehicle is in motion, or when I remove my foot from the brake pedal while at a stop. As soon as I depress the brake petal the click stops. As of today I have had my vehicle in for service 4 times to correct the issue and it continues. First they replaced the brake light switch and as soon as I left the parking lot the vehicle began clicking. They replaced the vsa modulator and insisted the clicking had ceased. …
While driving my 2016 Honda ex-t dashboard lights started lighting up -emmision, EPS, brake hold, etc the car immediately went into" limp mode" while traveling at 70 on the highway. I am told this caused a turbo problem and the turbo will have to be replaced. While researching on the internet this seems to be a common and reoccurring problem that is not being addressed. Since it is a common problem it seems with out Honda addressing the problem this will occur again with a new turbo. I am unsure if the multiple warning lights for problems that did not exist caused the turbo problems but it seems likely. Since when these lights come on the car is designed to go into limp mode. This needs to be addressed. Luckily I am an experienced driver and was able to handle the automatic drastic decline with out breaking while driving and coming to an almost complete stop. …
There are three problems I want to complain: 1) information screen flickers for 10 minutes after starting the engine. I sent it to dealer shop, but they said that they never heard of such a problem, and had no solution. The problem happened at least three times per week in the past two months. 2) information screen shows six different warning messages after starting the engine, including ABS failure, vsa failure, low battery level, collision mitigation failure, adaptive cruise control failure etc. I took it to the dealer, the reason they told me is that they had one of my tires replaced one week before and TPMS had not been reset correctly. However, why it took two weeks for the system to give the warning messages instead of right after tire got changed? 3) TPMS failed to detect flat tire. …
I was driving the freeway at 70mph when suddenly all the indicators went berserk with 6 different problems appearing all at the same time. I went from 70 to 40mph without doing anything. I went to the shoulder to stop and these problems appeared: power steering system (EPS), vehicle stability assist (vsa), hill start assist, emissions system, brake system and brake hold system. It scared the hell out of me coz the cars behind me started honking at because of the sudden reduced speed. It could've cost me my life! It was only at 1195miles when that happened and did nothing that May have caused the defects. I am on a three year lease and it has only been less than 2months since I had the car. I don't want that car anymore so if you cant give me another one (without additional costs), then I would want a full refund and cancel my lease.
A rodent crawled up into the engine compartment and chewed up the wires to coil connector. It made all of the dashboard warning lights to come on and the engine was shaking due to the mis-firing coil. It is Honda fault because they covered/made the wires with soy, which attracts rodents. My 2016 Civic is less than 2 years old with 9,500 miles, Honda claims it is not covered under the warranty. Honda then, wanted to sell me a $500 engine wiring harness, this is ridicules, because it doesn't resolve the problem, the rodents will be attracted to the new wire harness too. They also wanted to sell me spicy rodent tape for $48, this is a scam, Honda needs to fix this problem, they will be losing loyal customers. If this happened on the freeway, it could have resulted in a fatal accident.
The vehicle experienced an intermittent but sudden and complete loss of braking power while driving on the highway moving at around 40mph. In part due to the low speed, the vehicle was safely maneuvered off the road once braking power was regained. The car dealership was able pin the issue to an electrical circuit failure in the brake control unit (Honda error codes v300-49 and v3003-68) and recommended changing the vsa modulator unit. Regular scheduled maintenance done on the vehicle just a month prior to the incident at the same dealership indicated no observed issues with braking. Attached is the invoice of the vsa unit replacement work performed as recommended.
Vehicle has been in the service shop 5 times for "brake system failure", "anti-lock brake system failure", "tire pressure monitor system failure", "tire pressure low", and "charging system failure" with no resolve by the dealership. These messages were all on the radio display prior to today to which the dealership said they are false flags. I am not sure how a "brake system failure" anywhere on a dash is a false flag. These messages generally occurred upon startup but many times while driving. Last night, error messages appeared in the instrument cluster and the vehicle refused to start. The vehicle was stationary and would not start up at this time.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. While driving 70 MPH, the vehicle became difficult to steer and voluntarily drifted into the other lanes. The contact had to use force to steer the vehicle. The lane departure and steering required warning indicators illuminated. The dealer was unable to locate a failure. The failure recurred. In addition, there was a three second delay for the acceleration and ABS. After the delay, the vehicle surged with power and accelerated at a rapid speed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but was not diagnosed. The failure mileage was 40.
Traction Control complaints in other Civic years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2016 Honda Civic?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2016 Honda Civic, 2% of the model year's 1,082 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 Honda Civic traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control recall for the 2016 Honda Civic, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2016 Honda Civic traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 13,000 miles, and 61% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to stability & traction control problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.