2016 Honda CR-V: doors won't lock, open or latch

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 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 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 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.

Filed Aug 30, 2024 · Electrical · OH

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.

Filed Jun 5, 2024 · Electrical · MI

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.

Filed Dec 22, 2023 · Electrical · CA

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)

Filed Oct 9, 2023 · Brakes, Transmission · IN · 1 injury

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.

Filed May 27, 2023 · Electrical · IL

I have a 2016 Honda CRV EXL. I have been trying to find out information on why my locks are not working. Most of the time the back door locks and the hatch/rear tailgate do not unlock. The tailgate will unlock only when I touch the door but not with the key fob. Every time I have taken the car to be looked at it doesn't have the issue that they can find so I feel CRAZY! Then I drive home and again the locks will not lock or unlock so I have to reach in and unlock or lock them manually. I saw that there was an issue with 2007-2011 CRV's and a class action law suite. I just want my stupid car fixed.

Filed Sep 7, 2019 · 23,530 miles · GA

Door lock on the passenger side door is locking and unlocking erratically on its own, and the event is randomly happening, making it thereby harder to reproduce.