YearToAvoid

2016 Honda HR-V Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

67/100

#4 most-complained of 10 HR-V years

The 2016 Honda HR-V has a complaint index of 67, ranking 4th-worst among 10 model years, with a Caution verdict. It has 239 complaints, 2 recalls, and the top problem area is Transmission & Powertrain at 31% of complaints.

Complaints
239
Recalls
2
Crashes / fires
13 / 1
Injuries / deaths
11 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
29
27 city / 33 hwy

Top 2016 Honda HR-V problems

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

  1. Transmission & Powertrain74 (31%)
  2. Electrical System63 (26%)
  3. Other45 (19%)
  4. Engine30 (13%)
  5. Structure & Body29 (12%)
  6. Brakes26 (11%)
  7. Airbags13 (5%)
  8. Suspension, Wheels & Tires12 (5%)
  9. Visibility & Wipers4 (2%)
  10. Collision Avoidance & Cameras3 (1%)

What owners report

  • Owners report the ABS failing to engage automatically during hard stops, forcing manual pumping of the brake pedal.
  • Some describe sudden brake failure at low speeds, including one case ending in a frontal collision at 12 mph.
  • Airbags reportedly failed to deploy in multiple frontal and side-impact crashes despite visible vehicle damage.
  • One owner reported the engine catching fire while the vehicle was parked, with about 300 miles on the odometer.
  • A rear tire reportedly exploded while driving at 70 mph, leading to a loss of control and a guardrail collision.
2016 Honda HR-V complaints: complaints filed per quarter182015 Q32017 Q12018 Q32020 Q12021 Q32023 Q12024 Q32026 Q1
307 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2015 Q3 to 2026 Q3; peak 2020 Q4 (18).

2016 Honda HR-V recalls

2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. 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.

  2. 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

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2016Caution67239229
2017Best22122029
2018Good33156329

All Honda HR-V years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Honda HR-V reliable?
NHTSA data gives the 2016 HR-V a complaint index of 67, ranking 4th-worst out of 10 model years, with a Caution verdict relative to other HR-V years.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Honda HR-V?
Transmission & Powertrain issues make up 31% of complaints, followed by Electrical System problems at 26% and Engine complaints at 13%.
Does the 2016 Honda HR-V have any recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 2 recalls: one for rear brake caliper pistons (campaign 18V777000) and one for a missing tire placard label (campaign 15V472000).
At what mileage do 2016 HR-V problems typically show up?
NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage at failure of 53,000 miles overall, with Transmission & Powertrain issues showing up at a median of 78,000 miles.
How does the 2016 HR-V compare to other years?
The 2016 HR-V's complaint index of 67 is worse than 2017 (22), 2018 (33), 2020 (11), 2021 (0), and 2025 (44), but better than 2019 (78), 2023 (100), and 2024 (89).

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.