2016 Honda CR-V: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 389 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine (19% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 3 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Dec 2023
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 389 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Spontaneously shattered sunroof. I was driving on the freeway going 50mph and I heard an extremely loud 'bang' and then glass was falling down on me and my passenger. The sunroof had completely shattered with no explanation or prior indication of cracks, etc. No extreme temperatures fluxes - this was in San Francisco on June 23, 2026. I know there are over 50,000 reports of this exact same thing happening with Honda vehicles.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jun 2026
“Front passenger airbag light is on and I have been told it is the sensor. This has been recalled on other 2016 CRVs. I think more cars may be affected than those that are recalled.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jun 2026
“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.”Owner report · Electrical System · Feb 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“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.”Owner report · Electrical System · Oct 2025
“My car has had trouble starting when sitting for long periods of time or in moderate heat. I've also noticed the gas per mile has decreased. The 2017 year of my car has a recall for the fuel pump. Mine is just one year earlier but my mechanic says it could also be the fuel pump. I have less than 80K miles on the car and I've seen that on the 2017-2022 years with the recall, this problem happens around the 75K-80K mile mark on the car. I think my 2016 should also be recalled for the fuel pump.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Aug 2025
“Level for oil change was at 30%, took it in and it only had 2.5 quarts of oil. No indication I was low, no oil leak, and it affected the valves. Honda of Lisle said this is common issue with 4 cylinder models, yet there is no recall. Now I have to check my oil every week and add as needed, and will have an large bill to replace the engine. The vehicle has only 61,000 miles.”Owner report · Engine · Aug 2025
“The 2016 CR-V was operating normally, when trying to accelerate from a stop at a stoplight the vehicle began to hesitate and would not accelerate at a normal or acceptable rate if I had needed to maneuver out of the way. the engine recovered briefly after that and allowed me to slowly accelerate to 45Mph when it repeated to hesitate and stop accelerating feeling like it was about to shut off. The check engine light along with others came on at this point. I was able to make it to a shop where they diagnosed fuel pump failure at 127,619 miles (we are the second owner buying the car from family so we know that it is the original fuel pump in the vehicle.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Jun 2025
“CVT complete transmission failure consistent with Service Bulletin 16-053 from Honda, dated September 9, 2016. I was not the owner of the car at this time, so a recall notice was never received by me. Currently, Transmission is being fully replaced at 94,000 miles at a cost of $5700. It is a safety issue, due to the car not being able to drive over 30mph, nearly stalling at traffic lights and stop signs. A rear end collision would be imminent.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2025
“The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for an alignment, the contact was informed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was moving and bouncing abnormally. The contact stated that the failure was more significant while driving at faster speeds. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer to be repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,699.”Owner report · Steering · May 2025
“I was in a very low speed fender bender and hit the vehicle in front of me square in the tail end. The airbag needlessly deployed leaving me with a burn and disabled my vehicle. It was a collision that should have been driven away from after the exchange of information. Instead my vehicle which has very little damage required a tow truck die to the deployed airbag.”Owner report · Air Bags · Apr 2025
When filing, owners marked a crash in 40 of these complaints and injuries in 36 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
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.
Remedy: 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.
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.
Remedy: 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.
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.
Remedy: 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.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
How other years compare
Check your exact CR-V by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2016 Honda CR-V reliable?
NHTSA has 389 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2016 Honda CR-V. The most complained-about area is engine (19% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2016 Honda CR-V problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 20,479 miles or less.
Does the 2016 Honda CR-V have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.