2016 Honda HR-V problems & reliability
238 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Honda HR-V, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
11 complaints report injuries (11 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2016 Honda HR-V vehicles were involved in 49 fatal crashes with 25 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 74 | 31% |
| Electrical System | 56 | 24% |
| Unknown OR Other | 44 | 18% |
| Service Brakes | 23 | 10% |
| Engine | 22 | 9% |
| Structure | 22 | 9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 14 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 13 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 10 | 4% |
| Seats | 8 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 58,000 miles (middle 50% between 18,340 and 77,875 miles), based on 106 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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 transmission light have…”
Power Train · filed Jul 17, 2026
“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 auction yard. The contact…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Jun 10, 2026
“My vehicle paint is peeling and it is the NH788P. ( Orchid Pearl White). I am the second owner of this car as of 2021. It started on the roof and has continued to doors etc. No recalls were shown on the CarFax at the time of purchase.”
Unknown OR Other · filed May 28, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
109 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Honda HR-V. The 10 most recent:
Service Bulletin - Due to the possibility of early deterioration of the Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) drive belt, American Honda is extending the warranty coverage on these CVT models to 7 years from the…
A21-047 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 20, 2025
Service Bulletin - Due to the possibility of early deterioration of the Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) drive belt, American Honda is extending the warranty coverage on these CVT models to 7 years from the…
A21-047 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 3, 2023
Servicenews article - If you are inspecting an HR-V and notice oil residue on the A/C condenser, it's not always an indication that the condenser is leaking refrigerant. The source of oil residue can potentially come…
A22080B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 25, 2022
Dealer message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2016-2021 HR-V that exhibits a leak at the A/C Condenser. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to inspect the…
ATI&07112022902 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 11, 2022
Dealer message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2016-2021 HR-VS that exhibit a leak at the A/C Condenser. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to inspect the…
ATI&06032022901 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 3, 2022
Dealer message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2016-2021 HR-V that exhibits a leak at the A/C Condenser. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to inspect the…
ATI&05252022901 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 25, 2022
Dealer message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2016-2021 HR-V that exhibits a leak at the A/C Condenser. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to inspect the…
ATI&05202022901 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 20, 2022
Dealer message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2016-2021 HR-V that exhibits a leak at the A/C Condenser. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to inspect the…
ATI&05162022901 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 16, 2022
Dealer message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2016-2021 HR-V AWDs with a customer complaint of inaccurate fuel gauge reading; less fuel remains in the fuel tank than indicated on the…
ATI&04122022902 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 12, 2022
"Customer letter - Our records indicate that a PRODUCT UPDATE has not been completed on this vehicle. The current continuously variable transmission (CVT) software does not properly monitor internal fluid pressure and…
PUD - 2016-20 HR · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 5, 2022
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2016 Honda HR-V has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2016 Honda HR-V?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 58,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.