Honda · CR-V · 2016
2016 Honda CR-V: problems & reliability
NHTSA has logged 395 owner complaints and 3 safety recalls for the 2016 Honda CR-V. The most-reported problem area is the engine (26% of complaints), followed by fuel system and electrical system. Make sure every open recall has been fixed by a dealer before you buy.
Common 2016 Honda CR-V problems
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Engine problems
102 owner complaints to NHTSA (26% of all complaints for this model year) involve the engine, including 6 crashes, 3 fires, 4 injuries. One owner reported: “Honda CRV E-XL bought in 2016 from Coral Springs Honda, FL and always maintained at Honda Dealership died on freeway on 08/06/2021 in approximately 5 years. When towed in nearest Firestone they routed to Honda as they suspect the coolant…”
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Fuel system problems
72 owner complaints to NHTSA (18% of all complaints for this model year) involve the fuel system, including 2 injuries. One owner reported: “My daughter left her house to go to an appointment in statesboro, an hour away. When she proceeded onto HWY 196, the dashboard lit up with: check engine light, TMPS light, Traction Control light, Power steering control light. The speed…”
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Electrical system problems
64 owner complaints to NHTSA (16% of all complaints for this model year) involve the electrical system, including 5 crashes, 2 fires, 1 injury. One owner reported: “I have a 2016 Honda CR-V. I few days ago, pulled into a parking spot, stopped my car and placed the gear into park. I was sitting in the parking spot for a few minutes while waiting to pick someone up when I hear a strange noise come from…”
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Transmission & powertrain problems
45 owner complaints to NHTSA (11% of all complaints for this model year) involve the transmission & powertrain, including 1 crash, 3 injuries. One owner reported: “This safety issue was not revealed to me at purchase. Vehicle is a push button start and stop and does not have an electronic parking break. Vehicle can be turned off while in Drive, however the gear train does not remain engaged…”
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Airbags problems
32 owner complaints to NHTSA (8% of all complaints for this model year) involve the airbags, including 16 crashes, 18 injuries. One owner reported: “Vehicle was stopped at a light, and received front crash from incoming vehicle. Air bags did not work, and seatbelt broke. Passenger received significant bodily injury”
Owner complaints by area
| Area | Complaints | Share | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 102 | 26% | |
| Fuel system | 72 | 18% | |
| Electrical system | 64 | 16% | |
| Transmission & powertrain | 45 | 11% | |
| Airbags | 32 | 8% | |
| Speed control & acceleration | 28 | 7% | |
| Brakes | 19 | 5% | |
| Body & structure | 17 | 4% |
395 complaints filed with NHTSA in total, reporting 40 crashes, 4 fires, 36 injuries. A complaint can involve more than one area.
2016 Honda CR-V recalls
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Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Full recall summary
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.
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Engine
Risk: The reduced performance may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Full recall summary
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.
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Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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.
Full recall summary
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.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. To check whether a specific car’s recalls have been repaired, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
2016 Honda CR-V crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2016 Honda CR-V SUV FWD. Ratings can differ between body styles and drivetrains (2 versions tested or listed).
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Specifications
- Drivetrains
- FWD, AWD
- Body styles
- SUV
Other Honda CR-V years
About this data
Problems, complaint counts, recalls and crash-test ratings come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public databases, last checked 2026-11-03. Complaints are reports from owners and have not all been verified by NHTSA.
How we score reliability: every model year starts at 100. Points come off for the number of owner complaints (on a log scale, up to 40 points), for each safety recall (2 points each, up to 15) and for complaints involving crashes, fires, injuries or deaths (up to 15). Popular vehicles get more complaints simply because more are on the road, so compare scores between similar vehicles. More about our method.
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