The Lemon Index
Honda's 1.6-liter inline-4, DOHC VTEC, naturally aspirated. This page covers the versions we have sourced so far: the Honda Civic Type R, model years 1997–2000. The engine is used in other cars too; those aren't covered here yet.
A safer bet: YouTube owner tone None/100, #22 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); no engine-related recall on record, 3 known issues listed below.
Known issues on record
- Oil use and blue smoke (Outlet report). evo says some EK9s had a hunger for oil that not all owners kept up with, and to treat puffs of blue smoke as a sign the engine needs serious care. JDM Buy Sell suggests a compression or leak-down test.
- Timing belt history (Outlet report). The B16B has belt-driven cams. JDM Buy Sell’s buyer’s guide says to ask for dated proof of the last belt change and have a mechanic inspect the car.
- Swapped or wrong engine (Outlet report). JDM Buy Sell says to confirm the chassis code reads EK9, the engine is a real B16B and the car still has its helical limited-slip differential.
What YouTube owners say Tone 0-100, higher = more praise than trouble.
Average owner tone 56/100 across 4 model years, from 165 videos about this engine and its cars (#22 of 165 engines with a YouTube study).
Most-watched videos
- B16B ベンチエンジン カム切り替え VTEC作動その２ 1,873,800 views
- [ENG CC] Spoon Civic EG6 B18C vs. Civic Type R EK9 B16B in Ebisu 1998 1,853,205 views
- [ENG CC] 11,000 Rpm B16B Spoon Civic Type R EK9 HV39 1,574,256 views
- 2000 Civic Type R EK9 build part 2 of 2 920,832 views
- Awesome Affordable Cars: Legendary EK9 Honda Civic Type R 849,548 views
Counted from video titles and captions: praise words against trouble words, weighted by views. Videos only count when the title names this engine or a car that had only this engine in those years.
Owner complaints and recalls
The cars on this page were never sold new in the US, so NHTSA has no owner complaints or recalls for them.
| Car | Years | Owner complaints | Recall campaigns | NHTSA files it as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EK9 Civic Type R | 1997–2000 | – | – | Never sold new in the US |
Specs by generation
Honda B16B: EK9 Civic Type R, 1997–2000
- Layout: Inline-4, DOHC with VTEC, belt-driven cams; VTEC switches over at 6,100 rpm
- Output: 185 PS (182 hp) at 8,200 rpm, 160 Nm (118 lb-ft) at 7,500 rpm
- Bore x stroke: 81 x 77.4 mm, 1,595 cc, 10.8:1 compression
- Redline: 8,400 rpm (rev limit 8,600 rpm)
- Output per liter: About 114 bhp per liter, with no turbo
- Build: Hand-ported; uses the taller Integra Type R block, in effect a short-stroke B18C Type R engine
What we don't have yet
- The engine's other cars: only the versions above are sourced so far.
Quick answers
What cars have the Honda B16B engine?
On this site so far: the Honda Civic Type R, model years 1997–2000. It is used in other cars we haven't covered yet.
Is the Honda B16B reliable?
Mostly yes. YouTube owner tone None/100, #22 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); no engine-related recall on record, 3 known issues listed below. Owner complaints are filed by car, not engine, and cover the whole car, so none of these numbers is an engine failure rate.
How much horsepower does the Honda B16B make?
182 hp in the versions on this page (factory figures).
Sources: Wikipedia: Honda B engine · JDM Buy Sell: Honda Civic Type R EK9 buyer’s guide (Christopher Weydert, updated Oct 2026) · Wikipedia: Honda Civic Type R · evo: Honda Civic Type R (EK9, 1997-2000) review (Richard Meaden, Apr 2026). Complaints and recalls: NHTSA (api.nhtsa.gov).