2016 Honda HR-V Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other HR-V years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 241 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Honda HR-V. That ranks 2nd out of 12 HR-V model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (75 complaints, 31%), typically at around 78,000 miles. Complaints mention 13 crashes, 1 fire, 11 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 241owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 13complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 Honda HR-V problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 75 | 31% | 78,000 | “cvt transmission” (19%) | $8,450 |
| Electrical System problems | 56 | 23% | 45,000 | “push start” (13%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 45 | 19% | 15,250 | — | — |
| Engine | 23 | 10% | 66,135 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 23 | 10% | 27,075 | — | — |
| Structure | 22 | 9% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 14 | 6% | 69,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 13 | 5% | 17,600 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 10 | 4% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 8 | 3% | 27,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 6 | 2% | 19,919 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 2% | 682 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 2% | 6,425 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 1% | 9,809 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 1% | 14,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 46,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 1,200 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 1% | 129,806 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 29,500 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Honda HR-V recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Acura MDX, 2017-2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda HR-V and Honda Odyssey, and 2016 Honda HR-V vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating, causing gas pockets to form, reducing brake performance. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Risk: A reduction of braking performance increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners will be notified, and Honda or Acura dealers will bleed the brakes, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are C31 and L30.
Equipment:other:labels; tires
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2016 HR-V vehicles manufactured January 12, 2015, to May 20, 2015. The affected vehicles may be missing the required tire placard indicating "Tire and Loading Information." These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 110, "Tire Selection and Rims and Motor Home/Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity Information for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or less."
Risk: If the tire placard is missing the driver or owner may not know at what pressure to inflate the tires, resulting in over or under tire inflation which potentially increases the risk of a tire failure and crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle, and apply a new label, free of charge. The recall began on September 18, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JT2, or JT4.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Vehicle: 2016 Honda HR-V Approximate Mileage: 114,400 miles Incident Description: While driving at highway speeds on the freeway, the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic loss of motive power and dropped into an emergency "limp mode." The vehicle suddenly refused to accelerate and could not…
Description of Safety Defect: This vehicle represents an immediate public safety hazard and total safety certification invalidation due to an unauthorized, mismatched engine model swap executed by Camelback Toyota Collision Center under Workfile ID: XXX. The facility utilized official manufacturer…
The factory white paint on my 2016 Honda HR-V is severely peeling, and delaminating from the vehicle body panels. The paint failure has exposed bare metal beneath, resulting in rapid corrosion and rust formation. Large flakes of paint have detached while driving at highway speeds, creating a…
CVT has gone into safety/limp mode. June 7 2026 First sign was the EPB not releasing. Became drivable after warm up period. Replaced EPB switch and vehicle drove normally. There was still a parking brake caution light. On July 12, 2026 the issue repeated. This time the check engine light and…
The contact owned a 2016 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving at 12 MPH, the vehicle experienced a brake failure, resulting in a frontal collision with a utility vehicle. The airbag deployed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a private salvage auto…
Other Honda HR-V years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 HR-V | 3 | 0 |
| 2026 HR-V | 18 | 0 |
| 2025 HR-V | 47 | 1 |
| 2024 HR-V | 109 | 4 |
| 2023 HR-V | 687 | 3 |
| 2022 HR-V | 88 | 3 |
| 2021 HR-V | 63 | 4 |
| 2020 HR-V | 84 | 5 |
| 2019 HR-V | 236 | 7 |
| 2018 HR-V | 158 | 3 |
| 2017 HR-V | 123 | 0 |
| 2016 | 241 | 2 |
See all Honda HR-V problems by year, every Honda model, or the Honda VIN decoder.
Similar Honda models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Honda HR-V?
Owners most often report power train, electrical system, unknown or other problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 75 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Honda HR-V?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 Honda HR-V a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other HR-V model years, the 2016 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.