Most common 2016 Honda CR-V problems
Share of the 394 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Honda CR-V complaints by model year
Best CR-V years: 2001, 2000, 1999. Years to avoid: 2018, 2017, 2025, 2024, 2023. Compare all years →
2016 Honda CR-V recalls (3)
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
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…
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.
Engine
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.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2016 Honda CR-V:
Electrical overstress
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events.
What 2016 Honda CR-V owners say
Engine & cooling all 103 →
The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle started to independently accelerate. The contact had taken her foot off the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle was still accelerating. The contact depressed the brake pedal; however, the vehicle was still accelerating. The contact had not observed any warning lights being illuminated. The contact entered a parking lot and depressed the brake pedal with force due to the vehicle independently accelerating. The contact was able to stop and shifted the vehicle into park(P). The contact observed that the vehicle was still revving, and the RPM was rising with the engine was revving. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle several times and was finally able to drive the vehicle under normal operating conditions. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred. …
The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undetermined speed, there was an abnormal odor of smoke detected. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where they informed her the coolant had mixed with the CVT transmission fluid. The vehicle was diagnosed and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed her that the catalytic convertor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer where they informed contact the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. While driving from the dealer, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the residence. …
Fuel & propulsion system all 72 →
The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the vehicle stalled and jerked. The contact stated that the failure occurred several times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with fuel pump failure. The contact was informed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with fuel pump failure. The contact was informed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. In addition, the contact stated that the failure was persistent. …
The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling in park(P), the vehicle shut off. The contact made several attempts to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was jump-started and there were several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact attempted to drive the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 20 MPH. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated and jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with a defective high-pressure fuel pump. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. The failure mileage was 85,000.
Electrical system all 64 →
The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while approaching a stoplight and decelerating, the vehicle suddenly shut off. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally. During the failure, the battery warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the failure mostly occurred on very hot or rainy days. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate that failure. The cause of the failure was not yet been determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000. The VIN was not available.
I have submitted this complaint before. We sold the car rather than deal with a potential t-bone accident. When starting from a stop, as you would accelerate into a traffic lane the car without warning would suddenly act as if the key was turned off, ceasing to accelerate. Exiting our neighborhood onto a thoroughfare with typical 35-50 mph traffic, my wife & I both had frequent instances of this failure to accelerate or dead throttle response. With 50+ years of driving, 5 years of SCCA road racing, 5 years of teaching defensive driving, I'm still not sure what I've done to get the car to accelerate & avoid getting t-boned. Several Honda dealerships have acted as if this is an unknown situation/condition. Actually talked to 5 different Honda service writers who all denied that the problem existed. …
2016 Honda CR-V engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | CVT | FWD | 26 / 32 / 29 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | CVT | AWD | 25 / 31 / 27 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2016 Honda CR-V a good car?
Based on 394 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2016 CR-V rates average: 1.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the CR-V at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Honda CR-V?
The engine & cooling — 103 complaints, 26% of all complaints for this model year, most often about cooling system › pump. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (72) and electrical system (64).
How many recalls does the 2016 Honda CR-V have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2016 Honda CR-V, the most recent from December 18, 2023 (fuel pump). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Honda CR-V?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2001, 2000 and 1999. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2018, 2017, 2025, 2024 and 2023. See the full Honda CR-V years comparison.
At what mileage do 2016 Honda CR-V problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 19,000 miles; 83% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.