The contact owns a 2016 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer, but the dealer was unable to duplicate or diagnose the failure. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle shut off without warning. The driver safely maneuvered the vehicle to the shoulder of the highway with the assistance of another motorist, and the vehicle was towed to the residence. Upon further research, the owner discovered Technical Service Bulletin: 21-047. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer, who diagnosed a failure with CVT transmission, but stated that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered financial assistance in repairing the vehicle. The failure mileage was 132,972.
The worst 2016 Honda HR-V problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Transmission77
- Electrical57
- Brakes25
- Engine23
- Body22
- Acceleration14
- Airbags13
- Lights10
- Seats8
- Suspension6
- Driver assistance5
- Wheels5
- Visibility4
- Fuel system3
- Steering3
- Seat belts2
- Tires2
Specific symptoms reported on the 2016 Honda HR-V
Transmission failure 31CVT failure 28Check engine light 17Warning lights 12Won't shift 10Loss of power 9No deployment 7Jerking 7Won't start 7ABS 6Key fob 6Fuel gauge 5Stalling 5
Trouble codes owners of the 2016 Honda HR-V mention
P271E 4B12C5 2U0401 2U0402 2
Recalls 2
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 18V777000 · Recall details
Equipment: other: labels
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 15V472000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2016 Honda HR-V 109
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Due to the possibility of early deterioration of the Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) drive belt,...
- Servicenews article
- Dealer message
- Dealer message
- Dealer message
- Customer letter
- Dealer Message
- Due to the possibility of early deterioration of the Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) drive belt,...
- An incorrect value in the PCM may
- Due to the possibility of early deterioration of the Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) drive belt,...
2016 Honda HR-V fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4‑cyl | FWD | 25-28 | 33-34 | 28-31 |
| 1.8L 4‑cyl | AWD | 27 | 32 | 29 |
What 2016 Honda HR-V owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Transmission blew while on highway in 2025
Odometer Fraud. The contact owns a 2016 Honda HR-V. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle advertised mileage was 92,340. However, after the purchase, the contact noticed that the mileage was approximately 83,000. While driving at a later date, the contact noticed an odometer malfunction and discovered that the current mileage was 194,000.
Vehicle: 2016 Honda HR-V Approximate Mileage: 114,400 miles Incident Description: While driving at highway speeds on the freeway, the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic loss of motive power and dropped into an emergency "limp mode." The vehicle suddenly refused to accelerate and could not maintain highway speeds, forcing me to navigate across active lanes of traffic to the shoulder to avoid being rear-ended. My minor child was present in the vehicle during these instances. This dangerous event has occurred twice, both times on high-speed roadways, presenting an immediate and severe risk of a high-speed collision to myself, my child, and other motorists. This dangerous event has occurred twice, both times on high-speed roadways, presenting an immediate and severe risk of a high-speed collision to myself, my child, and other motorists. A diagnostic scan of the vehicle's OBD-II system revealed error code P271E, which indicates Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) steel belt deterioration. This is a known, documented engineering defect with the metal drive belt fracturing inside the transmission, as outlined in Honda's official Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 21-047. Because the vehicle completely loses propulsion without warning in live traffic due to a known manufacturing flaw, this constitutes an extreme, life-threatening safety hazard. I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate this component failure, as the current time-limited warranty extension does not adequately protect owners from sudden, dangerous highway failures of this defective drivetrain.
Description of Safety Defect: This vehicle represents an immediate public safety hazard and total safety certification invalidation due to an unauthorized, mismatched engine model swap executed by Camelback Toyota Collision Center under Workfile ID: XXX. The facility utilized official manufacturer network credentials under a certified status to secure a premium repair contract, but secretly outsourced the vehicle. According to the shop's Final Bill (RO Number: XXX) and the corresponding parts supplier records (LKQ of Arizona Invoice No. XXX), the facility purchased a cheap, unserviced, recycled 2016 Honda HR-V base-model LX engine assembly (Engine VIN: [XXX]) for a raw cost of only $276.00. They forced this base LX block into my premium EX vehicle trim model (Vehicle VIN: [XXX]). The 8th character '5' on my vehicle's authentic VIN confirms an EX trim, while the 8th character '3' on the installed engine block confirms an incompatible LX trim. This intentional component mismatch caused severe, ongoing communication conflicts with the main vehicle computer modules while driving, causing total critical system failure that ultimately destroyed the transmission. Installing a completely incorrect engine model block compromises the vehicle's electrical configuration, onboard computer logic, and basic operational safety. The vehicle has been preserved intact as physical evidence of a dangerous corporate bait-and-switch scheme and gross negligence. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The factory white paint on my 2016 Honda HR-V is severely peeling, and delaminating from the vehicle body panels. The paint failure has exposed bare metal beneath, resulting in rapid corrosion and rust formation. Large flakes of paint have detached while driving at highway speeds, creating a dangerous flying debris hazard for vehicles behind me and distracting other drivers.My local authorized Honda dealership has inspected the damage but refused to repair or address the factory defect, citing the age of the vehicle. American Honda has denied my case 165-37949 saying the age of the car excludes it from warranty repair.
CVT has gone into safety/limp mode. June 7 2026 First sign was the EPB not releasing. Became drivable after warm up period. Replaced EPB switch and vehicle drove normally. There was still a parking brake caution light. On July 12, 2026 the issue repeated. This time the check engine light and transmission light have come on. Had it diagnosed at a mechanic and they found transmission codes: P0717 – Input/Turbine Speed Sensor "A" Circuit No Signal P0843 – Transmission Fluid Pressure Sensor/Switch "A" Circuit High P0796 – Pressure Control Solenoid "C" Performance or Stuck OFF P0717 – CVT Input Shaft (Drive Pulley) Speed Sensor "A" Circuit No Signal ABS Module Codes: 83-16 – Malfunction of Shift Position Signal 83-14 – Malfunction of Electric Parking Brake System Electric Parking Brake Module Codes: U0401-68 – Invalid Data Received from Powertrain Control Module (PCM) U0402-68 – Invalid Data Received from Transmission Control Module (TCM) CVT and rear diff fluid appear dirty and burned. Apparently there was a TSB issued that extended the CVT warranty to 7 years or 150,000 miles. We did not receive that notice. We purchased the vehicle used from Honda in 2019. Currently has a total of 39,831 miles. Mechanic is recommending replacement of CVT system for approximately $11,000. The value of the vehicle with repairs is only about $14,000 We were lucky that this occurred parked at our house. Had it occurred while driving, it would have caused immediate stop in traffic with no brake lights lit. Honda knew there was an issue with the CVT drive belt and the PCM. Honda really should have made the effort to communicate this issue to customers and extend the warranty based on mileage rather than years of service. Needing a new CVT at less than 40K miles of light driving is not reasonable wear and tear. Unfortunately, this has likely ended our 40 year history of purchasing Honda autos.
The contact owned a 2016 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving at 12 MPH, the vehicle experienced a brake failure, resulting in a frontal collision with a utility vehicle. The airbag deployed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a private salvage auto auction yard. The contact stated that the vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. There was no property damage. A police report was filed. The contact was transported by ambulance to the ER, and the contact was moved to a level 1 trauma unit, where she was treated for multiple injuries, including hematomas on the abdomen, fractured ribs, and several body bruises and lacerations. The failure mileage was approximately 64,612.
My vehicle paint is peeling and it is the NH788P. ( Orchid Pearl White). I am the second owner of this car as of 2021. It started on the roof and has continued to doors etc. No recalls were shown on the CarFax at the time of purchase.
Car went into limp mode far from home. Lots of lights on the dash lit up. I scanned the OBD and it came back with code P271E to replace the automatic transmission assembly. This was confirmed by a transmission repair shop. This is a known issue by Honda and they have issued service bulletins 21-046 and 21-047. However, my vehicle is outside of the warranty extension and they will not provide assistance with the repair.
Compare the 2016 Honda HR-V
HR-V vs Chevrolet TrailblazerHR-V vs Kia SoulHR-V vs Jeep RenegadeHR-V vs Ford EcosportHR-V vs Ford Bronco SportHR-V vs Subaru CrosstrekHR-V vs Chevrolet TraxHR-V vs Hyundai Kona
Other model years
Questions about the 2016 Honda HR-V
Is the 2016 Honda HR-V reliable?
Owners have filed 244 complaints about the 2016 Honda HR-V, 1.5 times a typical HR-V model year.
What is the 2016 Honda HR-V year score?
The 2016 Honda HR-V scores 60 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Honda HR-V: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Honda HR-V?
Transmission and drivetrain, with 77 complaints, typically around 79,000 miles. Next is electrical (57).
How many recalls does the 2016 Honda HR-V have?
2 recalls, covering service brakes, hydraulic and equipment.
What year does the Honda HR-V have bad transmission?
The Honda HR-V model years with the most transmission complaints are 2016 (77 complaints), 2017 (33 complaints) and 2022 (20 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2016 Honda HR-V get?
Official estimates for the 2016 Honda HR-V range from 28 to 31 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.8L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 25-28 city and 33-34 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2016 Honda HR-V?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history