2016 Honda HR-V problems: recalls, complaints and whether this is a year to avoid
The 2016 Honda HR-V has 239 owner complaints on record with NHTSA, which ranks it 2 of 5 Honda HR-V model years by complaint volume. The worst year is 2023 (686); the cleanest is 2022 (88). 2 recall entries cover this year.
Is 2016 a good year for the Honda HR-V?
The spread across this nameplate is wide: the 2023 draws 8 times the complaints of the 2022. On a run like that the model year you buy matters more than the badge, and 2016 sits in the middle of it.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recall entries |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 109 | 4 |
| 2023 | 686 | 3 |
| 2022 | 88 | 3 |
| 2019 | 235 | 7 |
| 2016 ← this page | 239 | 2 |
Older years have been on the road longer and collect more complaints for that reason alone, and a year that sold in higher volume collects more while being no worse.
This retrieval holds 5 of the nameplate’s model years. 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021 are absent, which means no records came back for them — not that they were clean. The ranking above is among the years shown.
The 2016 accounts for 18% of every complaint filed against the Honda HR-V in this retrieval, which works out to 23.9 complaints per year on the road across the 10 years since it was sold new — the figure to compare against other years, because it removes the advantage a newer car gets simply from having had less time to accumulate reports.
Which recalls cover the 2016?
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating, causing gas pockets to form, reducing brake…
Free 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.
Equipment
The affected vehicles may be missing the required tire placard indicating "Tire and Loading Information." These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of…
Free 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.
Take the campaign number to any franchised Honda dealer. Recall repairs are free with no mileage or ownership limit, and they follow the car rather than the owner, so a used 2016 with an unrepaired campaign is a free repair you can claim. How recalls work.
Recall text is abridged from the NHTSA record. Search the campaign number at nhtsa.gov/recalls for the full notice and affected VIN ranges.
What do owners report on the Honda HR-V?
Across every Honda HR-V year, not the 2016 alone — NHTSA does not split component totals by model year.
- Visibility/Wiper — 269 reports
- Unknown or Other — 261 reports
- Electrical System — 174 reports
- Steering — 149 reports
Which other Honda HR-V years should you compare?
2019 Honda HR-V → · All Honda HR-V years
If you are deciding between years, the table above is the short answer and the Honda HR-V page carries the full run with the component breakdown. Before money changes hands, run the VIN for open recalls and read the inspection checklist — ten minutes in the seller’s driveway finds most of what matters.
Check a 2016 before you commit
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