YearToAvoid

2016 Honda CR-V Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

30/100

#15 most-complained of 21 CR-V years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2016 Honda CR-V has 393 owner complaints and 3 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 30 out of 100 — #15 highest of 21 CR-V model years (verdict: Good). The most reported problem area is engine (123 complaints, 31% of the total). Complaints report 40 crashes, 4 fires, and 36 injuries.

Complaints
393
Recalls
3
Crashes / fires
40 / 4
Injuries / deaths
36 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
28
25.5 city / 31.5 hwy

Top 2016 Honda CR-V problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Engine123 (31%)
  2. Other85 (22%)
  3. Fuel System72 (18%)
  4. Electrical System66 (17%)
  5. Transmission & Powertrain45 (11%)
  6. Airbags32 (8%)
  7. Structure & Body26 (7%)
  8. Suspension, Wheels & Tires23 (6%)
  9. Brakes20 (5%)
  10. Steering17 (4%)
2016 Honda CR-V complaints: complaints filed per quarter402016 Q12017 Q32019 Q12020 Q32022 Q12023 Q32025 Q12026 Q3
535 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2016 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2017 Q1 (40).

2016 Honda CR-V recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 23V858000Dec 18, 2023Fuel System2,490,460 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

    Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

  2. NHTSA 17V305000May 4, 2017Engine16 vehicles

    Engine

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Honda CR-V vehicles that recently received a replacement engine. The replacement engine may have been built with the wrong pistons, potentially affecting the engine's performance.

    Risk: The reduced performance may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engines and replace the incorrect components, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KF6.

  3. NHTSA 15V714000Oct 29, 2015Airbags515 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    American Honda Motor Company, Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2016 CR-V vehicles manufactured October 12, 2015, to October 19, 2015. The metal housing surrounding the driver's air bag inflator in these vehicles may have been manufactured incorrectly.

    Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began in November 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda'a number for this recall is JV9.

2016 Honda CR-V fuel economy and fuel cost

City
25.5 MPG
Highway
31.5 MPG
Combined
28 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,325
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2016 compared with other CR-V years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2014Caution50587125.5
2015Caution65670328.5
2016Good30393328
2017Avoid951,768728.5
2018Avoid1002,141528.5

All Honda CR-V years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Honda CR-V a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2016 Honda CR-V ranks #15 of 21 among CR-V model years (Complaint Index 30/100, verdict: Good). It has 393 complaints and 3 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Honda CR-V?
The most reported problem areas are engine (123 complaints), fuel system (72 complaints), and electrical system (66 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 19,000 miles.
Does the 2016 Honda CR-V have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2016 Honda CR-V, most recently reported 2023, covering fuel system, engine, and airbags.
What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Honda CR-V?
EPA rates the 2016 Honda CR-V at 28 MPG combined (25.5 city / 31.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,325. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.