Your vehicle report
2016 Honda HR-V
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 243
- Received Jul 2015 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Transmission fails or loses power while driving27 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips20 complaints · 8.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3CVT transmission fails or loses power18 complaints · 7.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #18V777000Honda (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."
- Recall #15V472000Honda (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."
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Transmission fails or loses power while drivingFirst signal: Jan 2019
- Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slipsFirst signal: Jun 2019
- CVT transmission fails or loses powerFirst signal: Sep 2021
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 13 crashes, 1 fire, 11 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
- Engine won't start or cranks intermittently
- Instrument cluster or speedometer fails
- Ignition key sticks or will not turn
1 more problem
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 9 |
| 2016 | 15 |
| 2017 | 12 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 28 |
| 2020 | 39 |
| 2021 | 29 |
| 2022 | 11 |
| 2023 | 30 |
| 2024 | 23 |
| 2025 | 21 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 18 |
| Total | 243 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 27 | 11% | 4.6× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jan 2019 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.8% |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 20 | 8.2% | 3.4× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jun 2019 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.6% |
| CVT transmission fails or loses power | 18 | 7.4% | 89.1× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Sep 2021 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.3% |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 12 | 4.9% | 31.1× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Nov 2020 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.3% |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 9 | 3.7% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 9 | 3.7% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 8 | 3.3% | – | |
| Instrument cluster or speedometer fails | 8 | 3.3% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 5 | 2.1% | – | |
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 5 | 2.1% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own | 3 | 1.2% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 3 | 1.2% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 1.2% | – | |
| Parking brake fails to hold or release | 3 | 1.2% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #18V777000November 1, 201864,785 vehicles affected
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."
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 recall #15V472000July 28, 201511,511 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels; tires
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."
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2016 Honda HR-V.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN