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Honda HR-V brake failure problems

15 of the 1,890 owner complaints about the Honda HR-V describe brake failure, most of them for the 2016 model year.

owner complaints
15
worst model year
2016
typical mileage
11,735
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below

By model year

  • 2026
    1
  • 2024
    1
  • 2022
    2
  • 2021
    1
  • 2020
    2
  • 2019
    2
  • 2018
    1
  • 2017
    2
  • 2016
    3

What owners say

Filed Oct 3, 2026 · Brakes, Driver assistance · CA

Brake System Problem warning, an issue with the Lane Keeping Assist, the vehicle pulling to the right, and, most importantly, an incident where the brake pedal went all the way to the floor while braking.

Filed Sep 22, 2026 · Acceleration, Brakes · OH · crash

I was at my workplace’s parking garage today and was attempting to park my 2019 Honda HR-V. While I was slowly attempting to park, the vehicle suddenly accelerated without my intention, and the brakes became unresponsive. The vehicle continued to accelerate uncontrollably despite my attempt to stop it. The vehicle crashed through/into the metal barrier cable at the edge of the parking garage. The barrier cable ultimately prevented the vehicle from going over the edge of the garage. If the barrier had not stopped the vehicle, I could have fallen several levels from the parking garage and potentially died. The vehicle eventually came to a stop after making contact with a neighboring parked vehicle. That vehicle was damaged during the incident. I am extremely fortunate that no one else was injured. I also did not sustain any major injuries, although my left knee is currently aching because my seat slid completely forward during the sudden acceleration. The vehicle is currently at a towing facility. Immediately following the incident, I was extremely shaken and was not in a condition to take the vehicle to a Honda dealership or independent mechanic. As of the time of this report, the vehicle has not been inspected by a Honda dealership, mechanic, or independent service center, so the cause of the incident has not yet been determined. Prior to the incident, the vehicle had been operating normally. There were no warning lights or other warnings displayed on the dashboard, and there was no indication of a problem with the vehicle before the incident. The vehicle appeared to be functioning normally as it had on previous days. I am reporting this incident because of the serious safety concern involving the sudden acceleration and apparent loss of braking effectiveness. I believe it is important for the federal safety agency to have a record of this incident, particularly because the consequences could have been fatal if the parking garage barrier had not stopped the vehicle.

Filed Jun 10, 2026 · Brakes · 64,612 miles · IL · crash · 1 injury

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.

Filed Apr 20, 2026 · Electrical · LA

My husband and I were driving down the road on the way home from dinner in the rain when the car suddenly started braking very hard but very quickly. I thought at first that my husband had braked a little too hard all of a sudden, but he said he did not. Before he could tell me that though the dash started lighting up. Brake system failure, electronic parking brake failure, hill start assist problem, power-steering problem, and many others - pretty much every safety sensor that could come on. I then worried we would not be able to brake when needed, but luckily we made it home. As soon as we were able to this morning, my husband brought it to the Honda Service to be checked out. We have to heard from them yet other that $230 to diagnose the problem. We were very lucky there were not others close to us when it happened. This could have been a very serious wreck if we were in traffic or going an even higher speed on the interstate(which we had been doing earlier).

Filed Feb 28, 2026 · Brakes · CA

2019 Honda HRV with 14,539 miles has been showing on the instrumentation brake failure; this warning only lasts 1/2 to 1 second with a chirp warning . Took to vehicle Honda dealership twice under warranty and could not be replicated. August 2025 took the vehicle to a local repair garage; replaced the two rear caliber motors and the electric power parking brake after the local garage conducted research on this problem on the internet. All replaced equipment are OEM equipment manufactured by Honda Motors. Solve the brake failure warning for 6 months before the brake failure warning appears on the instrumentation counsel.

Filed Feb 10, 2026 · Brakes · 9,000 miles · IN

The contact owns a 2022 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving in the snow or icy conditions, the brakes failed to function as intended. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The vehicle continued rolling forward before coming to a stop. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.

Filed Jan 5, 2026 · Brakes · IN

12/7/2025 at about 7:20pm and about 17518 miles: grandparent were driving home and brakes failed as grandpa was parking in the driveway. He said after applying the brakes the car keep rolling forward and hit the garage door then rolled backwards, brake did not stop backward movement for over a minute. No injuries. Inspection from insurance and collisions repair center found no cause for brake failure. 01/4/2026 at about 8:16pm and approximately 18122 miles: as my mom was approaching a main road with 55 mph traffic to turn left the brakes failed to bring the car to a complete stop at the intersection causing the car to roll into on coming traffic. She said when she applied the brakes they seem to engage at the start and slowed the vehicle a little bit but did not seem to apply “full braking” to actually stop the car. Oncoming traffic did manage to swerve around car as mom maneuvered it into the middle lane, while it continued to coast down the road for a short distance the brakes failed did come back enough to drive home. Will be sending to Honda deal for though inspection.

Filed May 27, 2025 · Brakes, Electrical · TX

I am writing to formally file a complaint regarding a serious safety issue affecting Honda vehicles — specifically the widespread failure of the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) module — and Honda's failure to issue a recall despite extensive evidence and customer reports. A recent YouTube video titled "Why Honda Hasn’t Recalled This Dangerous Problem" [XXX] ) highlights that many Honda owners are experiencing identical issues: ABS warning lights appearing on the dashboard, inconsistent braking behavior, and in some cases, total brake failure. This is a major safety hazard, especially in emergency braking scenarios or on wet or slippery roads. I personally experienced this issue with my own Honda vehicle. After taking it to a Honda dealership, I was quoted $3,000 to replace the defective ABS module — a steep and unfair out-of-pocket expense for what clearly appears to be a design or manufacturing defect. The dealership acknowledged that this is a common problem, yet I was told there is no recall, leaving me with the financial burden and a compromised vehicle. From numerous reports, it's evident that this issue spans across different Honda models and production years. Yet, Honda continues to ignore the risk, even though a faulty ABS system directly compromises vehicle control and passenger safety. I respectfully urge the federal safety agency to conduct a formal investigation into these ABS module failures and compel Honda to issue a recall and reimburse affected owners. Allowing these vehicles to remain on the road in unsafe condition poses a danger not only to Honda drivers but to everyone sharing the road with them. Thank you for your attention to this urgent safety matter. Please feel free to contact me if any additional information is needed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Nov 1, 2024 · Brakes · IL · crash

Brakes failed Yes it is available for inspection (Until Tues Nov 5th as it may be towed from body shop) Car would not stop while trying to park in a parking space and kept moving forward while having foot on break pedal. Therefore the car hit a building wall which is approx. 36ft from the raises parking space curb. The problem has not been reproduced as it was inspected by the insuranced and was considered totaled. To my knowledge the car has been only beed inspected by the insurance company, not the manfacturer. To my knowledge there were no warning lamos or meesages prior to the failure.

Filed Dec 27, 2023 · Acceleration, Brakes · TX · crash · 1 injury

Driving slowly to garage, sudden unintended acceleration and brakes stopped working. My car crashed into the rear wall of the garage. The front end of my car was damaged. The wall of my garage was damaged as well. I went to the doctor due to pain in my chest and arms.

Related recalls

Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliperReported November 1, 2018 · 64,785 vehicles affected
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

Questions about the Honda HR-V brake failure

Which Honda HR-V years have brake failure problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2016 (3 complaints), 2017 (2 complaints) and 2019 (2 complaints).

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