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Honda · NHTSA safety record

2016 Honda HR-V

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 239 safety complaints about the 2016 Honda HR-V with the US government. Of those, 13 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 11 people were injured and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the hydraulic brakes and equipment.

The most complained-about system is the power train, named in 74 complaints, 31% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 53,000 miles, the median across the 117 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers July 2015 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

239 complaints on file

239

Complaints

13

Describe a crash

1

Mention fire

11

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

Complaints rose 41% year on year: 24 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 17 in the twelve before.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
POWER TRAIN 74 · 31%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 56 · 23%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 45 · 19%
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%
SUSPENSION 6 · 3%
WHEELS 5 · 2%
0 31 62

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 239.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2020 at 39.

44 33 22 11
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2015 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2016 Honda HR-V, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 13.5% 15.3%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

2 on file

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

18V777000 · November 1, 2018

The defect
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."
The risk
A reduction of braking performance increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy
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.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 64,785 vehicles across all model years covered

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

15V472000 · July 28, 2015

The defect
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."
The 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.
The remedy
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.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 11,511 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 29,900 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED 2016 HONDA HRV. WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH IN THE MIDDLE OF A THREE LANE HIGHWAY, ANOTHER VEHICLE MADE AN IMMEDIATE LEFT CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO THE VEHICLE HEAD ON. THE OTHERS VEHICLE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WAS DAMAGED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT RETRACTED CAUSING THE CONTACTS STOMACH TO BECOME SWOLLEN AND BRUISED, A NECK AND SHOULDER INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE CONTACT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THEY SENT THE VEHICLE TO CLAIMS DEPARTMENT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,900.

NHTSA complaint 11219789. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 52,011 miles

DECEMBER 27, 2019 MY DAUGHTER CAITLYNN WAS DRIVING HER 2016 HRV LX ON IRA HICKS BLVD NEAR 341 EAST IN FT VALLEY GEORGIA. A SEMI-TRUCK PULLING A LOWBOY TRAILER WAS STOP AT A RAIL SPUR CROSSING WITH THE RAIL ARMS DOWN AND RED LIGHTS FLASHING. THE BRAKES FAIL CAUSING HER CAR TO CRASH INTO THE REAR OF THE SEMI-TRUCK. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN THE CRASH. CAITLYNN SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES TO THE FACE AND NECK.

NHTSA complaint 11292427. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

I HAVE BEEN IN TWO CAR ACCIDENTS AND NONE OF MY AIRBAGS WENT OFF . IN 2017 I TRIED TO KEEP FROM HITTING A DEER . MY CAR WENT DOWN A EMBANKMENT AND I HAD 10,000 DOLLARS OF FRONT END DAMAGE. MY AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY I HAD HEAD INJURIES AND A BROKEN NOSE DUE TO HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL. 2ND ACCIDENT I WAS STUCK IN TRAFFIC A STAND STILL. 10/2019 I WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BY TWO CARS WHO PUSHED ME INTO A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. NO AIRBAGS WENT OFF. I NOW HAVE SPINAL INJURIES AND PERMEATED NECK INJURIES.

NHTSA complaint 11396896. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

I was driving on a Nevada highway and getting into an off ramp with mild traffic. I attempted to break so I could stop behind another driver and realized my breaks weren't working. I then put my entire body weight on the breaks and they failed to stop or slow down my vehicle. I ended up colliding into the vehicle ahead at 50 mph. Even with an impact of 50mph not a single airbag went off. I sustained head injuries. This could have been lethal. Myself and my passenger could have died. The breaks failed resulting in a collision and the air bags did NOT go off. My vehicle was totaled on the spot and i spent over 7 hours in the hospital due to my vehicles failing to keep me safe. I did reasrch

NHTSA complaint 11470320, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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 dangerous flying debris hazard for vehicles behind me and distracting other drivers.My local authorized Honda dealership has inspected the damage but refused to repair or address the factory defect, citing the age of the vehicle. American Honda has denied my case 165-37949 saying the age of the car excludes it from warranty repair.

NHTSA complaint 11761338. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
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 come on. Had it diagnosed at a mechanic and they found transmission codes: P0717 – Input/Turbine Speed Sensor "A" Circuit No Signal P0843 – Transmission Fluid Pressure Sensor/Switch "A" Circuit High P0796 – Pressure Control Solenoid "C" Performance or Stuck OFF P0717 – CVT Input Shaft (Drive Pulley) Speed Sensor "A" Circuit No Signal ABS Module Codes: 83-16 – Malfunction of Shift

NHTSA complaint 11751182, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

1 injured · crash · towed · 64,612 miles

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 stated that the vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. There was no property damage. A police report was filed. The contact was transported by ambulance to the ER, and the contact was moved to a level 1 trauma unit, where she was treated for multiple injuries, including hematomas on the abdomen, fractured ribs, and several body bruises and lacerations. The

NHTSA complaint 11743317, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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.

NHTSA complaint 11740693. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Car went into limp mode far from home. Lots of lights on the dash lit up. I scanned the OBD and it came back with code P271E to replace the automatic transmission assembly. This was confirmed by a transmission repair shop. This is a known issue by Honda and they have issued service bulletins 21-046 and 21-047. However, my vehicle is outside of the warranty extension and they will not provide assistance with the repair.

NHTSA complaint 11739182. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

towed · 133,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle would not accelerate past approximately 35MPH while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was towed to the same local dealer on several occasions, where it was diagnosed as needing a battery, an unknown belt, and torque converter replacement. The vehicle was repaired at the consumer's expense. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer (Performance Kings Honda|9131 Fields Ertel Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45249) where it was diagnosed with a Transmission failure related to NHTSA Campaign:10236086 (Power Train); however, the coverage

NHTSA complaint 11736543, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Honda HR-V

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 45 1 —
2024 109 4 —
2023 686 3 —
2022 88 3 —
2021 63 4 —
2020 84 5 —
2019 235 7 —
2018 157 3 —
2017 123 0 —

Other 2016 Honda models

Pilot 1,709 Civic 1,081 Accord 607 CR-V 393 Odyssey 270 FIT 120

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Honda on this site — 192 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst