2016 Honda CR-V
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 393 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 17th highest complaint count among 26 CR-V model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 40 involved a crash and 4 involved a fire. 36 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpDec 18, 2023
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.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 23V858000 on NHTSA.gov
EngineMay 4, 2017
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.
The reduced performance may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 17V305000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator moduleOct 29, 2015
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.
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.
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.
Campaign 15V714000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
393 reports, newest first.
Other or unspecified, Sep 13, 2024
Unknown Paint is peeling above hatch
Power train, Engine, Sep 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lunged forward and stalled. While depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was choking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that on several occasions the vehicle was difficult to start. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, who determined that the failure was due to a failure with the transmission. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.
Electrical system, Aug 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the vehicle had failed to start, causing the battery to be replaced several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed several times; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Spitzer Honda Euclid (915 E 200th St, Euclid, OH 44119); where it was diagnosed that the front driver's side outer door handle was experiencing an electrical short circuit; however, the part to do the repair was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine, Aug 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that on several occasions while stopped, the vehicle vibrated abnormally. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on several occasions however, the cause of the failure was not able to be duplicated on the first occasion. The contact stated that on the second occasion, the vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the motor mounts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred a day later. The vehicle was then taken to the same dealer and the contact was informed that an unknown part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred within approximately 14 hours. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 23, 2024
I was driving up a hill and the car started chugging and didn't want to finish going up the hill. Several indicator lights went on: Malfunction (check engine), Tire Pressure monitoring system, Electric Power Steering, Vehicle Stability Assist, and the All Wheel Drive. A slight burning smell started coming from the engine. I took it for auto repair and found that I need a new high pressure fuel pump and fuel injector. After searching on the Internet, I see that this is an issue in Honda vehicles and there are many recalls for it but not my vehicle. I also called the Honda dealership to check with them but my VIN number is not covered. Considering I have under 80,000 miles on my vehicle, I don't think this should be having this issue. Plus, it looks like there are several people across the US with the same model as me having the same issue. Considering how quickly it happened, that it is a safety issue, how expensive it is to repair, and that many people are having the same issue in chat forums across the Internet, I think it should be on the recall list.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 14, 2024
Vehicle stalling, AWD light suddenly appears goes off after driving a few miles reappeared and then engine light comes on.
Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 2, 2024
Smelled gasoline while driving but not sure of source. 10 min into drive fumes were very strong and then all light came on and engine shut down. A fire safety vehicle noticed fuel pouring out from under the vehicle. Because of the fuel spill the police came and called a tow truck. The car was towed to Firestone where they determined that the fuel line on top of gas tank was spilling fuel. I noticed the 2017 CRV Honda have a recall on this fuel supply and my car was a late 2016 model. They will not honor my vin number.
Electrical system, Aug 1, 2024
IF CAR IS NOT DRIVEN FOR A FEW DAYS THE BATTERY WILL BE DEAD. CAR HAS NEW BATTERY. DOING MY RESEARCH THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR 2011-2019 HONDA CRV WHY IS THERE NO RECALL FOR THIS. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE APPARENTLY IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE VSA SYSTEM. IS HONDA PAYING THE NHTSA NOT TO RECALL THIS
Air bags, Aug 1, 2024, crash
The contact owned a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH and attempting to avoid colliding with a second vehicle the driver lost control of the steering and crashed into a utility pole. During the crash, the front end of the vehicle was severely damaged but the air bag partially deployed and did not protect the driver. The contact sustained back and neck injuries which later required medical treatment. A police report was taken at the scene. The vehicle was destroyed and towed away. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 158,000.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Jul 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Civic. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 65 MPH, the fuel system message was displayed, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was eventually towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the fuel pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The fuel pump was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 81,000.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up after several attempts. There was no warning light illuminated. Once the vehicle was started, the vehicle jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal while driving at various speeds. There was no warning light illuminated. One day, several warning lights appeared on the instrument panel soon after starting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic test was performed; however, no defect was found with the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Electrical system, Jun 5, 2024
Part 74800-TF0-J02, Honda Door Lock Actuator. It appears there have been issues for years with the door lock actuator parts. This has been reported online at Honda blog sites, complaints, reviews, etc. that I've seen. Why doesn't this get resolution. It's a difficult part to replace, and harder to find someone to do it. It's a safety factor, for the door cannot be opened. I was rear-ended by a car in the past, and mine was totaled. The only escape was the back hatch. In this case, I would have been unable to get out, and could succomb to explosion and death. In the least, it is extremely frustrating to be unable to load a cart of groceries, etc into the back. We leave a backseat down now, since it has failed after three repairs. We have to sling groceries into the back, and crawl in to retrieve them. We are looking for the part and service once again. Many have said this occurs in cold weather. We have found that weather is just a coincidence, and it occurs any season. I wonder if it can't handle the wattage from the Honda wiring panel or if it's just a defective part with a short lifespan.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, May 27, 2024
This vehicle has intermiitent stalling when accelerating and has died in the middle of an intersection several times leaving me vulnerable to oncoming traffic. This has been happening on a daily occurence for months.
Engine, Feb 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was idling extremely rough. The contact also stated that occasionally the vehicle turned off independently. In addition, the contact stated that while stopped at a light or stop sign, the vehicle was idling rough, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the vehicle was operating normally. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Air bags, Jan 30, 2024, crash
The contact owned a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped at a red light, it was rear-ended by another vehicle traveling above the posted speed limit. As a result, the vehicle was sent careening 80 feet forward through the intersection before coming to a complete stop. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The driver and passenger were transported to an area hospital by EMT. The driver was treated for unspecified injuries to her head and lower back, while the passenger was treated for unspecified injuries to his head, neck, and lower back. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by insurance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,000.
Air bags, Seat belts, Other or unspecified, Jan 30, 2024
Driver side and left back side airbags deployed while driving on the highway in the fast lane. No impact to the car occurred to lead this to happen. No damaged to the car occurred. No other vehicles were involved. Turned I hard turned the wheel and all left side window and driver seat airbags deployed. No warning or messages problem was seen prior to accident. Sustained a TBI as a result.
Other or unspecified, Jan 10, 2024
I have a 2016 Honda CR-V. When temperatures are very cold, near and below freezing, the tailgate will not open until temperatures warm up or handwarmers are used for about 5 minutes or the use of heat from the hands eventually allows the tailgate to open. This is reported in Honda Bulletin 16-063. However, even after replacement of the tailgate opener switch by the dealer, the problem has reoccurred. No manual release exists. This can be safety issue when transporting children that require larger equipment, like strollers, or the elderly which requires wheelchairs. I went camping with the boys, and temperatures had fallen along with rain when we arrived at our campsite. It took a good 5-10 minutes using handwarmers for the tailgate to open and thus allowing the camping equipment and tents to be removed to be setup for the weekend. I believe this is a safety issue, because, what if an emergency had occurred and we had to pack and leave quickly. What if I was transporting a child or elderly person that required wheelchair that was needed right away. This issue with opening the tailgate does not occur when temperatures are warmer, or in very cold, thus I believe this to be a major design flaw that results in a safety issue.
Engine, Jan 5, 2024
Engine failed unexpectedly with no warning and no warning lights on the dashboard. Car will not start and needs replacement engine.
Electrical system, Dec 22, 2023
Beginning on the first of December 2023, the battery has drained every 24 to 48 hours. I have used up the annual roadside assistance I am allowed in the policy year October 2023 through October 2024. The roadside assistance technicians kept telling me I was not driving it enough or I was leaving something on. The tow truck driver I called for a jump this Thursday, in order to drive to the repair facility, suggested the mechanic needed to check every circuit in order to determine what function was draining the battery. The first and potentially not the last drain is the front passenger side door handle. No door handles are currently available from Honda. I have seen complaints, at [XXX] , regarding "parasitic" battery drain on this model year. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Engine, Dec 22, 2023
The contact's husband owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that she turned on the hazard lights. The contact then turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the failure could not be duplicated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 24, 2023
On cold start and when you start driving the car will shut off while driving/ when coming to stop
Visibility/wiper, Nov 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the front windshield wipers suddenly became inoperable while it was raining. The failure occurred intermittently. The contact stated while the wipers were being used to spray and wipe the windshield, or while defrosting the windshield the failure would not occur. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 96,000.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Oct 9, 2023
I parked the car and left it running. I exited the car and left the front door standing open. I unbuckled my children and helped my four year old out of the car. I went back to the driver's door, leaned in with my right knee on the seat, and took out the keys. My left leg was still on the ground outside the vehicle. After a few moments the car started rolling. I was dragged backwards down the driveway and into the street. I was able to brace myself between the door handle and the steering wheel, keeping the door from pushing shut and shoving my leg under the car. This also allowed me to maneuver my right leg off the driver's seat and slam on the brake. I managed to keep my leg from getting caught under the wheel, but it was an extremely near thing. As far as I know at the moment I only have bruising and scrapes/road burn. If I had leaned in with my left leg, been wearing sandals, or lacked upper body strength I would've been unable to stop myself from getting dragged under the car and run over. If my 6 year old had been a bit faster stepping out of the car he would've been knocked over by his door and potentially dragged under as well. We both could have been seriously injured or died if this had gone even slightly differently. I'm extremely lucky and extremely terrified.
Power train, Sep 28, 2023
The vehicle has been diagnosed with transmission problem even though it has only 39835 miles and I'm the original owner. Yes, it could be available for inspection. So far, my issue seems to not be a risk yet, only that the problem is there. It would be a risk if problem gets worse. One can read about other CR-V owners issues on various sites. There is a rather lengthy list. My particular issue is a loud whining when I am trying to accelerate to 40 mph, then whining continues along with road noise and vibration. It was confirmed at an independent service center. It has not been inspected by manufacturer, police or insurance. There are no warning lamps or messages yet. It is a recurring issue every time I drive the vehicle
Electrical system, Sep 26, 2023
I just purchased this vehicle in June 2023. For the first couple of months, I had no problems. Then on August 25, the battery was dead and I needed a jump. I took it to my local auto parts store who tested my less then 2 year old battery and said it was fine. They also tested the alternator and starter, both were fine. Then, on September 5, another dead battery. I waited 3 hours for roadside assistance to come and give me a jump. Next incident, September 19. Again, needed a jump and again on September 25. This is my only car so I need it to be reliable. I have only purchased Hondas for the last 20 years, but I will never again buy a Honda. My car is now at the shop to see if they can determine what is causing the parasitic drain to my battery in the hopes of fixing it but after looking this issue up online, I can see there are 100's if not 1,000's of people experiencing this same issue. Additionally, there was a class-action lawsuit for 2017-2020 model years for the same issue: battery won't hold a charge. With as much money as we hard-working people spend to buy a Honda, we should at least be able to expect that it will start!