2016 Honda HR-V Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2016 Honda HR-V carries a complaint index of 67 and ranks 4th-worst out of 10 model years, earning a Caution verdict. Owners most often reported transmission and powertrain issues (31% of complaints) and electrical problems (26%), with two recalls covering brakes and a tire placard issue.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 67/100
- #4 of 10 HR-V years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 239
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 2
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 13
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 11
- Top issue
- Transmission & Powertrain
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 29
- 27 city / 33 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 11 / 0
Top 2016 Honda HR-V problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain74 (31%)
- Electrical System63 (26%)
- Other45 (19%)
- Engine30 (13%)
- Structure & Body29 (12%)
- Brakes26 (11%)
- Airbags13 (5%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires12 (5%)
- Visibility & Wipers4 (2%)
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras3 (1%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Brakes reportedly fail to stop the vehicle during hard braking, sometimes requiring repeated pumping before slowing down.
- Owners describe airbags failing to deploy during frontal or rear-end collisions, in some cases with injuries to the driver.
- One owner reported the engine compartment caught fire while the vehicle was parked in a driveway with very low mileage.
- A rear tire reportedly exploded while driving at highway speed, causing loss of control.
- Owners describe sudden unintended acceleration paired with brake failure while parking or maneuvering at low speed.
2016 Honda HR-V recalls
2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 18V777000Nov 1, 2018Brakes64,785 vehicles
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper
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.
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.
- NHTSA 15V472000Jul 28, 2015Other11,511 vehicles
Equipment:other:labels
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.
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.
2016 Honda HR-V fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 27 MPG
- Highway
- 33 MPG
- Combined
- 29 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,250
- 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 HR-V years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2016 Honda HR-V reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2016 HR-V a complaint index of 67, the 4th-worst of the 10 model years tracked, resulting in a Caution verdict relative to other HR-V years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2016 Honda HR-V?
- Owners most often reported transmission and powertrain issues, making up 31% of complaints, followed by electrical system problems at 26%. The median mileage at failure across all reported problems was 53,000 miles.
- Does the 2016 Honda HR-V have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists two recalls for the 2016 HR-V: one for rear brake caliper pistons (campaign 18V777000) and one for a missing tire load placard (campaign 15V472000). Neither is a do-not-drive recall.
- Which HR-V model years are better than 2016?
- According to NHTSA complaint data, 2017, 2020, 2021, and 2025 all earn Best or Good verdicts with complaint indexes of 11, 22, 0, and 44 respectively, all well below the 2016 model's index of 67.