2016 Honda CR-V electrical problems

Filed Aug 28, 2026 · Electrical · OH

While I was driving on I-75 in Cincinnati OH my vehicle suddenly lost all power with no advanced warning. My car was working fine on the way to work and even when I began my commute home but then suddenly every light on my dash illuminated, my steering wheel became almost impossible to steer and the car stalled. I was on a bridge overpass with little shoulder and I had to call 911 to get a ODOT truck to help protect me from the traffic. I then waited over an hour to get a tow. When I got it to the dealer, I was informed I needed a new alternator but the alternator failed due to a faulty key fob actuator. Apparently, the constant active sensor overworked the battery and alternator causing this potential deadly situation for me. It is ridiculous that Honda knows this is an ongoing issue for this year vehicle but doesn't recall it because the key fob not working isn't deadly, but my car stalling on a highway where people are distracted with phones while drive 70+ miles per hour could be deadly. I will never buy another Honda.

Filed Mar 29, 2026 · Electrical · DE

November 2024 I had a new battery and tires put on my 2016 Honda CRV. 14 months later my car would not start. I had to have a jump start. I had to have it jump started a few times more than took it to have it checked out. They put in a new battery February 2026. A month later my car would not start. I took it to a mechanic who found the door handle sensor bad. I have seen many other owners having the same problem. I also found out that it costs upward of $1,000 to fix. This should be a recall since so many had this problem, and I am sure you are aware of it. Please help us.

Filed Dec 23, 2025 · Electrical · MO

Unknown electrical problem. Both headlights will go out simultaneously without warning while driving. Frequent malfunction of running lamps, headlamps, break lamps.

Filed Dec 9, 2025 · Electrical · NC

2016 Honda CR-V’s smart locking system failed. The smart locking system caused the car battery to drain if it wasn’t driven within 24 hours. After numerous car battery replacements, a Honda auto repair replaced the door handle and repaired the smart locking system. If $639 was not paid for the needed repair, the car battery would drain and therefore the car would not function. After reaching out to Honda for a reimbursement, they declined. This is frustrating because I have researched online and several others have experienced this issue with their Honda CR-V. The issue simply happened one day and was not caused by a vehicle accident.

Filed Jun 5, 2025 · Electrical · 45,000 miles · NH

The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while approaching a stoplight and decelerating, the vehicle suddenly shut off. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally. During the failure, the battery warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the failure mostly occurred on very hot or rainy days. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate that failure. The cause of the failure was not yet been determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000. The VIN was not available.

Filed Apr 19, 2025 · Electrical · OH

I first noticed this issue in October of 2023. When approaching the passenger side of my 2016 fwd Honda Cr-v it would unlock without touching the door or the key fob. This caused my car to be left unlocked multiple times without noticing it which is a major safety concern. Additionally I would go to get in the driver's seat and before the car was on the seat adjusted itself to the full upright position. Those two issues paired with the battery dying 7 times in the 8 years I have had it makes me think the electric is failing and causing the battery to constantly run which drains it. One time when the battery was not working they said it was the starter and charged $700 to fix it yesterday this is still happening. Another time this left me in dangerous situation when returning from work travel to the airport over an hour from my home and my car not starting. I had to call a tow truck to get it jumped. I called a Honda service center and the person I spoke with had never heard of these issues before. There are no warning messages when this is happening. I do not have $1000 for them to look into it.

Filed Apr 15, 2025 · Body, Electrical · PA

The drivers and passenger smart door handles have failed this year. It caused parasitic battery drain over 3 days and the doors would unlock automatically just by walking within 5 feet of the car. I have disconnected them for now because 800 in parts only is rediculous. Very dissapointed the reliability of the 2016 CRV.

Filed Jan 15, 2025 · Electrical, Fuel system · NE

While driving on my lunch hour on January 14,2025 on busy street my car slowed down almost to a complete stop and I lost power and acceleration. My engine light came on and I had to pull off the road at a very slow speed. It was almost like I lost power in my gas pedal. It was pretty scary because it was over the lunch hour and it was busy. This could have been bad had I not been on the right lane to be able to pull off to a side street. I was concerned about being rear ended due to my car slowing down so fast and I had very little acceleration when pushing on the gas pedal.

Filed Oct 9, 2024 · Electrical · CA

I have a 2016 Honda CRV. Approx 2 years ago several electrical problems started. 1. )Radio started turning on and off on its own. 2. ) Car locks would lock and unlock on their own. I will be sitting in car and the car would lock and unlock on its own approx 4-5 times and then stop. It would also happen when I would get out of the car and lock the door and as soon as I walked away I could hear it unlock again and it did not matter if I locked it on the door panel or use the key FOB. I thought at first maybe I am doing something wrong, but it has also happened to my husband multiple times. This could be a safety issue, not knowing if its locked or unlocked my child could open the door while I am driving. Also someone could get into my car. 3.) My car battery started losing juice frequently. I would have to jump it, and now this is happening approx every 6 weeks. 4.) The Key FOB also juices out frequently and I have had to replace it multiple times and batteries are not cheap. I have been stranded 4 times at night and I beleive it was a risk to my personal safety. I have taken it to a independent service for the locks but they could not duplicate and told me it would be expensive to check the electrical system to first see if there were any electrical recalls first. I have read all the complaints on your site and there are over 60 electrical complaints. Many in regards to the Car's Battery discharging. One person talked about the seat position would move on its own, another said their headlights would turn off and on. Although there are many different electrical complaints they are all electrical related and warrant an investigation. As a consumer it is very fustrating as the price for buying and fixing a car is expensive. I don't know what it takes to have a recall but I hope the federal safety agency does the right thing especially when people are losing faith in big companies/agencies. Thank you

Filed Oct 5, 2024 · Electrical · IN

The drivers side door unlocks on its own after I have locked the door and start walking away from the vehicle. It is not suppose to open until after I have grasped the handle to open it when it has been locked. I can hear it unlock when I am outside the vehicle and somewhere in the vicinity of 10 feet away from the vehicle. I can have it available for inspection at any time. This problem causes the battery to drain and the vehicle won't start. The dead battery has happened to me twice (once in an airport parking lot and once at home). I have researched this on the internet and it is a common problem for the vehicle (both the unlocking and subsequent draining of the battery). The safety issue is, if this were to happen in a situation where conditions were such that I couldn't get my car started and I needed to escape an assailant that's trying to do harm to me or other passengers (children) in my vehicle. Another scenario could be needing to be able to drive away from any dangerous situation (stuck in a desert in extreme heat, a forest fire, etc...). The list could be endless. You need to be able to start your car when necessary. It hasn't been inspected by a dealer but I have contacted them twice about this issue. I haven't had it inspected by anyone. Many people have had this same problem and the repair at dealer is roughly $700 dollars. I think they have to replace the door lock actuator. There were no warnings, messages or other symptoms before it first happened. The problem first happened in April/May of 2024.