What ownership is like, what breaks at what mileage, what the repairs cost, and what to check before you buy one.
NHTSA complaints per catalog listing fall from 4.57 for 2016 (1,083 complaints across 237 listings) to 1.14 for 2020 (240 across 211), against a generation median of 1.94. 2016 is 2.4 times that median and 6 of 165 enriched ads (3.6%) mention a problem against a 1.2% median with the 'rust' flaw excluded. 2018 is 1.2 times the median, 2019 1.0 times. NHTSA owners name steering most often; for 2016 it is 408 of 1,083.
| Miles | Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not verified | A/C condenser failure (warranty extension 19-091) | $586-$728 (RepairPal condenser replacement); owner quotes of about $1,100 for the condenser and $1,840 for compressor and clutch work (Reddit, TorqueNews) | Honda extended the A/C condenser warranty to 10 years from original purchase with no mileage limit, covering 2016-2020 sedans and coupes and 2017-2021 hatchbacks (Avturo, NHTSA TSB). A 2016 car bought new in 2016 is at or past that 10-year line. Ask whether the condenser was replaced, and have the dealer confirm coverage by VIN. |
| Not verified | 1.5L turbo oil dilution (2016-2018) | Not verified - sources describe the warranty fix, not a priced repair | Consumer Reports and WardsAuto report that Honda extended the warranty on certain 2016-2018 1.5L Civics to six years with no mileage limit. Honda calls the problem rare. A 2020 class settlement added reimbursement and a cold-weather software update (LawsuitWatch). Check the oil level and smell, and ask about the software update. |
| any | Recalls on file: 2.0L piston assemblies (16V074000, 2016), electric parking brake (16V725000, 2016), right halfshaft (17V706000, 2017), steering torque sensor magnet (18V663000, 2017-2018) | Free at a Honda dealer when open | Confirm each by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 23V858000, a fuel system recall that lists Civics among other Honda models and is recorded under 2016-2021, is also on file. |
A year is flagged by our rule only when all three hold: (1) its NHTSA complaints per catalog listing is at least 2.0x the median for its generation, (2) the share of ads that mention a problem is above the generation median, and (3) we track at least 30 listings for that year. The cutoff was fixed before we looked. Ad mentions are not failures, and a flag is a reason to inspect harder, not a verdict on any one car.
Complaints add up over a car's whole life, so older years in a generation can look worse here than they are. Read this flag next to the complaint details below.
| Year | Complaints | Top components | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1,083 | Steering, Unknown Or Other, Engine | |
| 2017 | 606 | Steering, Unknown Or Other, Electrical System | |
| 2018 | 602 | Steering, Fuel System, Gasoline, Unknown Or Other | |
| 2019 | 460 | Steering, Fuel System, Gasoline, Fuel/propulsion System | |
| 2020 | 240 | Power Train, Steering, Air Bags | |
| 2021 | 162 | Steering, Air Bags, Forward Collision Avoidance |
source: NHTSA complaints database (api.nhtsa.gov). Complaints are owner reports, not confirmed failures.
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We don't tell you to skip a year; we flag by a fixed rule, and two Civic years trip it: 2006 and 2016. 2006 has 9.77 NHTSA complaints per catalog listing (1,466 across 150 listings) against a 2006-2011 median of 2.79, and 7 of 98 enriched ads (7.1%) mention a problem against a 5.6% median with the 'rust' flaw excluded. 2016 has 4.57 (1,083 across 237) against a 2016-2021 median of 1.94, and 6 of 165 ads (3.6%) against 1.2%. 2001 has the highest rate of the 2001-2005 years (19.80 per listing, 1,089 across 55) but only 2 of 31 ads (6.5%) mention a problem against a 26.0% median, so it is not flagged.
PulsCar ties cracked engine blocks to 2006-2009 cars with the 1.8L. CarComplaints counts 183 complaints for the 2006 Civic with an average repair of $2,910 at 98,250 miles, and 79 for the 2007 with $2,640 at 84,000 miles. One owner reported an $8,500 dealer quote for an engine replacement (VehicleHistory). Those are complaining owners' costs, not shop quotes.
Condensers on 2016-2021 Civics have been failing. Honda's warranty extension 19-091 covers the condenser for 10 years from original purchase with no mileage limit on 2016-2020 sedans and coupes and 2017-2021 hatchbacks (Avturo, NHTSA TSB). Outside coverage, RepairPal lists $586-$728 for a condenser replacement, and owners report about $1,100 for the condenser and $1,840 for compressor and clutch work. Ask a Honda dealer to check coverage by VIN.
Fuel can get into the oil on some 2016-2018 Civics with the 1.5L turbo. Consumer Reports and WardsAuto report that Honda extended the warranty on certain cars to six years with no mileage limit, and Honda calls the problem rare. A 2020 settlement added reimbursement and a cold-weather software update (LawsuitWatch). We found no source that priced a repair, so we show none.
PulsCar names the 2001-2005 automatic as that generation's weak point. CarComplaints counts 683 complaints for the 2001 Civic with an average repair of $2,320 at 104,750 miles, and 15 for the 2005 with $2,900 at 101,950 miles. Ask for transmission service records and test it hot and cold.
Yes, NHTSA files them under separate names, and many complaints are listed under more than one. For 2007, CIVIC HYBRID holds 1,268 complaint records against 1,204 for plain CIVIC, but they overlap, so the union is 1,276. We count each complaint once, which is why our totals can be lower than adding the name lists.