What's Wrong with the 10th Generation (2016–2020) Civic?

Civic owners have made 471 complaints about the 2016–2020 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 47th out of 58 Honda generations in overall reliability, with real interior and hvac concerns.

Compare With Other Civic Generations

Common 2016-2020 Honda Civic Problems

Some of the worst issues 10th generation Civic owners have to deal with.

  1. Denso Fuel Pump Failure

    The impellers inside of Denso branded fuel pumps may have been excessively exposed to a drying agent during manufacturing. This leads to them cracking, absorbing fuel, and deforming so badly that they stop sending fuel to the engine. Honda …

    Continue reading article "Denso Fuel Pump Failure"

  2. Oil Dilution in Honda's 1.5L Engine

    Excess fuel vapors in Honda’s 1.5-liter engine aren’t burning off and diluting the engine’s oil. This raises the oil level, triggers warning lights, creates a terrible smell, and brings into question the prospect of long-term damage caused …

    Continue reading article "Oil Dilution in Honda's 1.5L Engine"

  3. TPMS Warning Light

    TPMS, or tire pressure monitoring systems, are a mildly controversial feature of some modern cars. While it's nice to have quick access to the current PSI readings of your tires from the comfort of your driver's seat, some manufacturers (he…

    Continue reading article "TPMS Warning Light"

  4. Honda's Extremely Uncomfortable Seats

    An alarming number of people have complained that their late-model Honda has the most uncomfortable seats of any car they've ever owned. The problem seems to affect the 2008-2014 model years with a particular, back-crippling emphasis on the…

    Continue reading article "Honda's Extremely Uncomfortable Seats"

  5. Rodents Chew Soy Wiring

    Honda switched to a soy-based coating for their wiring that is more biodegradable. It sounds like a pro-Earth move by the automaker, but the real reason is probably a little less triumphant: the coating costs less than plastic. Still, less …

    Continue reading article "Rodents Chew Soy Wiring"

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

10th Generation (2016–2020) Civic Key Numbers

  1. 4 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 471 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 47th in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 58 eligible generations.

Recent 10th Generation (2016–2020) Civic News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  2. Honda will extend the powertrain warranty on more than 1 million vehicles in the US that continue to have oil dilution problems.

    The 1.5-liter Earth Dreams engine is notorious for gasoline diluting the oil, which triggers warning lights, hurts performance, and creates an awful smell inside the cabin. The extended warranty is available to owners in all 50 states despite Honda’s insistence that the issue only happens in extreme cold weather.…

    keep reading article "Honda Extends Powertrain Warranty for 1 Million Vehicles With Oil Dilution Problems"

  3. There’s a fix coming for rising oil levels in the CR-V and Civic, but your eligibility largely depends on where you live.

    Honda’s N60 service campaign will attempt to fix the oil dilution problem with software updates to the transmission control module and electronic fuel injection system. Additionally, drain plug washers and climate control units may be replaced.…

    keep reading article "Honda Has an Oil Dilution Solution, For Some"

  5. Honda is recalling a small number of 2017-2018 Civics and CR-Vs] because of a loose magnet in the electronic power steering system.

    How bad can a loose magnet be? “Unless it's properly secured, the magnet can dislodge and during a turn where the wheel is as far as it can go, the power steering assist will be applied in the opposite direction.”

    Oh. I’m guessing that’s a jarring and unwelcome surprise.

    keep reading article "Loose Magnet in Electronic Power Steering System"

  7. In the least surprising news imaginable, Honda has been sued for rising oil levels in their engines with Earth Dreams technology.

    The class-action lawsuit says Honda has concealed its knowledge the Earth Dreams engines are prone to defects that cause fuel to enter the engine oil, damaging the bearings and engines permanently. Decreased oil viscosity and premature wear allegedly cause the CR-V SUVs and Civic cars to stall and fail while driving.…

    keep reading article "It Was Only a Matter of Time Before Honda Got Sued For Rising Oil Levels in the Earth Dreams Engine"

  9. There is something funky about Honda's new Earth Dreams engine, especially in cold-weather climates.

    A growing number of complaints involve high oil levels and the strong smell of gas inside the cabin of the CR-V and, to a lesser extent, the Civic.

    The automaker says the cold climate and short trips cause condensation and excess fuel vapors if the engines don't have time to reach temperatures that would normally burn off the contaminants.

    Honda says excess fuel builds up and stays in the oil pan where it would normally evaporate and recycle through the combustion chamber of the engine.…

    keep reading article "China Rejects Honda’s Recall Plan for CR-Vs With High Oil Levels and Fuel Odors"

  10. The 2016 Civic has an electronic parking brake. Oh wait, let me fix that – the 2016 Civic has an electronic parking brake that doesn't always work.

    There, that's better. Or worse (depending on how you look at it). Honda has issued a recall says they aren't aware of any Civics rolling away due to the issue.

    "The automaker says the software can keep the parking brake from working when it is applied immediately after turning off the ignition. However, Honda says the parking will continue to work if it's applied before turning off the ignition."

    keep reading article "2016 Civic Electronic Parking Brake Problems"

  11. Have you ever hired a moving company? If you have, you know it's unlikely everything is going to make it to the destination in one piece. I guess we shouldn't be surprised when the same thing happens while moving cars.

    Honda is recalling the 2016 Civic 2-door because the side marker LED lights were damaged during shipping.

    "Honda discovered the problem in May when five cars in Canada were found to have faulty rear side marker lights, then 15 more vehicles were found during an investigation of in-house Civics."

    The recalled Civics were built between 02/23/2016 and 05/20/2016.

    keep reading article "2016 Civic LEDs Damaged During Delivery"

  12. The 10th generation Civic is off to a rough start.

    Honda is telling its dealerships to stop selling the 2016 model year until their engines can be fixed. The Civics have problems with the piston pin snap rings, and in some situations the cars were manufactured with missing piston pin snap rings. Owners of 1.5-liter turbocharged cars are not affected and the recall of the 2-liter cars hasn't been officially announced.

    Mechanics are being told to inspect the engine's 4 cylinders using a borescope. There's two issues, however. 1) There aren't enough borescopes to go around and 2) If any problems are found Honda doesn't have replacement parts ready. Other than that, this recall is going swimingly.

    keep reading article "Piston Snap Rings Recalled in the 2016 Civic"