2016 Honda HR-V Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2016 HR-V most often describe CVT transmission problems, usually a sudden loss of drive with warning lights, reported from roughly 60,000 to 120,000 miles but sometimes lower. Other recurring themes in complaints are push-button start and smart-entry faults, water collecting in the rear hatch and tail lights, and occasional brake complaints. Many reports say the vehicle had been maintained and gave little or no warning before the transmission issue appeared.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   CVT transmission failure or loss of drive

   • 126 complaints (52%)
   • median 68,982 mi at 4.2 yrs old (59 state mileage)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $6,800 (median of 19 quotes)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Complaints describe the engine revving as if in neutral, the car losing forward motion, shuddering or being unable to exceed about 30-40 mph, sometimes with many dash lights on. Several owners say the dealer found metal debris in the transmission fluid and replaced the transmission, in some cases at the owner's expense. A rattle or buzz on light acceleration sometimes came before the failure. Mostly reported between about 60,000 and 120,000 miles, often during highway or merging driving.

   9 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the CVT product update and PCM software were applied, and whether the CVT fluid was changed on schedule; check for service records mentioning transmission noise, shuddering, or metal debris.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving on the highway and my dash lights all lit and my car stopped working. I checked under the hood and a plug had been blown off my transmission and spilled fluid all on the inside of the car. Got a tow to the closer Honda dealer and they said my transmission was destroyed with bits of metal all inside and my start/stop switch went out.”

   NHTSA complaint #11407608, filed 2021-04, 85,000 miles

   “I was leaving work and driving down a busy, high speed road when the car experienced a total transmission failure. There were no warning lights or change in performance prior to the incident. Car has been dealer maintained and up until that moment had performed well. Police had to stop traffic and assist me out of busy intersection.”

   NHTSA complaint #11383502, filed 2020-12, 76,000 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Push-button start and smart entry faults

   • 69 complaints (28%)
   • median 51,641 mi at 4.2 yrs old (40 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $6,340 (median of 11 quotes)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Owners describe the car not starting or not shutting off on the first press of the ENGINE START/STOP button, with a KEYLESS START SYSTEM ERROR or smart entry warning showing. Some reports say the dealer replaced the start/stop switch, and others mention battery terminal or battery cable issues leaving the car unable to start. Reported from low mileage up to about 90,000 miles, typically while parked and level.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask if the start/stop switch was replaced under the warranty extension, and test starting and shutting off the car several times before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My vehicle is parked when this occurs: I have cloth interior and the upholstery material and foam on the passenger side gets pushed down into the seat and collapses, I have to have a dealer pull it out and one time the seat had to be replaced. It is off warranty and I will have to pay for it next time, I am so disappointed in this vehicle. It has also had two stop start switches replaced. I am so sorry I bought this vehicle!”

   NHTSA complaint #11354183, filed 2020-09, 34,000 miles

   “Vehicle smart entry indicator light is on. This light has been very intermittent, lighting <1 time per week for about the last year, and goes away with vehicle restart. Today the dealership replaced my battery, and gave the car back to me with the light on, and it will not go away. They want to charge me $150 to scan the car and discover what the problem is. There wasn't actually a problem until now that they light won't shut off.”

   NHTSA complaint #11307914, filed 2020-02, 59,000 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brake pedal weak or unresponsive

   • 39 complaints (16%)
   • median 64,612 mi at 4.2 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $4,750 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Owners report the brake pedal going down without stopping the car, needing repeated pumping, and in some cases a collision. Some describe ABS or brake warning lights coming on while stopped, and dealers sometimes could not find a fault. Reported from about 60,000 miles up to very high mileage, sometimes after rain.

   Recall 18V777000

   What to check: Ask whether the rear brake caliper recall (18V777000) was performed, and have a mechanic check pedal firmness and brake fluid condition on a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The ABS in our 2016 Honda HR-V does not seem to work at all. When attempting a hard stop, we have had to pump the brakes ourselves since the system does not do that automatically. Recently, I was traveling at 35 MPH on a rain-slick street (after hours of rain), hit the brakes to avoid a stopped vehicle and could not stop. I pumped the brakes hard, only slowed a bit, swerved and still bumped into the car ahead of me.”

   NHTSA complaint #11389224, filed 2021-01, 83,000 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 2020-01, 52,011 miles
4. 4
   Body and structure

   Water in rear hatch and tail lights

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe water sloshing inside the rear hatch or collecting in the tail lights, sometimes with condensation or lights that stop working. Owners say the dealer suspected a bad seal but often did not repair it, and some linked the water to a tail light safety concern. Mostly reported between about 40,000 and 80,000 miles.

   What to check: Open the hatch and listen for sloshing, inspect the tail light housings for moisture, and check the hatch weather seal for cracks or gaps.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving a long 80 miles from my home with my two children, thankfully I had just exited a congested major highway south of dc. With zero warning I lost all power, lights on dash were on and flashing and could barely get from the left lane to the side of the road about 5 miles from any station as there was only commuter parking lots and sand dunes and a distant neighborhood. I had to wait for a tow truck as it got dark, luckily I was able to have it towed home. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11364264, filed 2020-10, 77,000 miles

   “A few months ago I started noticing water swishing in my trunk hatch. I took it to the dealership and they said they can look at it for $129 but they thought it was a bad seal. He asked if it had been in an accident but it hasn't. I looked on the hrv online forum and there has been many people complaining about this very same thing. I think this should be a defect from the manufacturer and should be repaired or replaced at their cost. It could really cause damage to the hatch or the tail light safety. I bought this vehicle new in 2016.”

   NHTSA complaint #11312258, filed 2020-02, 56,000 miles
5. 5
   Body and structure

   Paint peeling near sunroof and on doors

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe paint cracking and peeling down to bare metal near the sunroof, on the roof and on the doors below the window trim, on cars with no accident history. Owners note it on regularly washed cars and describe it as a known cosmetic issue for this model. Reported between roughly 20,000 and 60,000 miles.

   What to check: Inspect the roof, sunroof surround and door edges below the windows in good light for chalking, cracking, or lifting paint.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The open trunk lid hasn't stayed up recently, and while I'm accessing items, it crashes down in my head. I didn't see it and it hit me hard. This has begun happening more than once now, as recently as today. Because I didn't expect it or see it, it's dangerous and hurt my head. Perhaps a mild concussion.”

   NHTSA complaint #11395455, filed 2021-02, 63,000 miles

   “My sunroof on my Honda spontaneously exploded while I was driving. My car had been parked in my driveway for months due to covid19 until saturday when I decided to drive on the highway. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11353460, filed 2020-09, 77,500 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase inspection focused on the CVT, start/stop switch and brake system is worthwhile, along with records showing the CVT software updates and fluid changes were done. Check the rear hatch and roof seams for water or paint damage, since owners describe those as ongoing annoyances.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.