2016 Honda CR-V Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 22,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

Vehicle: 2016 Honda CR-V EX-L AWD Mileage: Approximately 135,000 miles Description of Safety Complaint I purchased my 2016 Honda CR-V brand new and have maintained it regularly. My most recent oil change was in August 2026. For approximately two to three weeks before the incident, I noticed a rattling noise coming from the engine…Owner complaint, filed 2026

My 2016 Honda CR‑V has only had one driver since purchase and currently has approximately 86,000 miles. It has been properly maintained, yet it is experiencing the same symptoms described in Honda’s recent warranty extension concerning head-gasket failures. Despite its relatively low mileage and limited use, the vehicle appears to have…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 12,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

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 limit on this road is 40MPH she was unable to accelerate over 20 mph. She immediately took it to an…Owner complaint, filed 2026

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…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 23,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

While I was driving on I-75 in Cincinnati OH my vehicle suddenly lost all power with no advanced warning. My car was working fine on the way to work and even when I began my commute home but then suddenly every light on my dash illuminated, my steering wheel became almost impossible to steer and the car stalled. I was on a bridge…Owner complaint, filed 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…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 22,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

The vehicle has been diagnosed with transmission problem even though it has only 39835 miles and I'm the original owner. Yes, it could be available for inspection. So far, my issue seems to not be a risk yet, only that the problem is there. It would be a risk if problem gets worse. One can read about other CR-V owners issues on various…Owner complaint, filed 2023

My car began stalling in the middle of driving. Multiple warning lights came on the dash and have continued to stay on. It struggles to go up hills as well as going over approximately 40MPH. It seems to be unable to shift gearsOwner complaint, filed 2023

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 30,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

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 complaint, filed 2026

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…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 9,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

Last night I was stopped at a light with my foot on the brake waiting for the light to turn green. The car suddenly wanted to move forward and was fighting the brake. I'm not a two-footed driver, so only my right foot was on the brake. I took my foot off the brake for a second and the car lurched forward on its own, so I had to apply the…Owner complaint, filed 2026

I have experienced either failure to gain speed or sudden acceleration burst when I accelerate step by step from around 30 to 40 miles/hr or 40 to 50 miles/hr.Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 11,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

This isn't related to an accident. This issue is about the rear brakes on my 2016 Honda CR-V. I currently have only 22,275 miles approx. on this vehicle but I'm told that I need to replace the rear brakes for frozen calipers once again. The rear brakes and calipers first presented a problem in July 2018 when the rear brake pads and…Owner complaint, filed 2022

The contact owns a 2016 honda cr-v. The contact stated that while driving and approaching a stop sign, the brake pedal was depressed and the contact stated they felt a vibration in the vehicle. The contact stated that the vibration ceased when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was not…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 63,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 24,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

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…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 134,699 miles

Just picked up new to me used vehicle 8/21/20. 8/22/20 the eps light came on and extremely hard to drive. Took it straight to the dealer's. I did receive a loaner car. Picked it up on 8/26/20. Got about 1/2 mile from home and the eps came on. This means you have no power steering. Very difficult to turn. Called dealer back. They are…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 38,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 26,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (16).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

Driving down the highway at around 60 mph and the hood became unlatched. Hood started to vibrate excessively. Hood had to be re-seated when it was safe to do so. - Hood latch/striker malfunctioned. Component is still on vehicle. Vehicle can be inspected if required. - Issue has not been reviewed with dealer or independent service center.…Owner complaint, filed 2022

The contact owns a 2016 honda cr-v. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the driver's side sun visor clip fractured causing the sun visor to detach from the roof, causing a visibility hazard to the driver. The contact used duct tape to secure the sun visor in place. The vehicle was taken to shockley honda (7400 shockley dr…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 45,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 11,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

I purchased Cooper Evolution Tour tires (DOT U92Y VN 1820, Size 225/65R17) on August 10, 2020. Since then, I've only put 16,000 miles on them. I've been consistently losing air and recently brought them into my dealer for inspection, and they located a bulge in the sidewall in all four of my tires. (I have pictures of each of the buldges…Owner complaint, filed 2022

The tire pressure warning light keeps coming on even though the tires are properly inflated. My daughter also has a 2016 honda crv which she purchased new and just replaced the tires for the first time and her pressure light keeps coming on as well. I spoke to the honda dealer and they said the tpms system is sensitive. Never heard of…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 51,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 12,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

Vehicle: 2016 Honda CR-V Mileage: ~133,120 miles Component: Driver-side seat belt retractor The driver-side seat belt retractor failed during normal use and became mechanically locked and unusable. There was no crash, no collision, no misuse, no airbag deployment, and no SRS warning light at the time of failure. This failure rendered the…Owner complaint, filed 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while fastening the driver’s side seat belt, the seat belt failed to fully retract or secure the contact in the driver’s seat. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the contact was advised to rub the seat belt mechanism…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 46,564 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 14,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

Upon going out to my vehicle noticed that the moonroof had shattered the glass is pointing upwards and I found information reduarding a possible lawsuit claiming Honda knows of this the vehicle is a 2016 Honda crv I have video and multiple photos of the vehicle to use for a claimOwner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the front windshield wipers suddenly became inoperable while it was raining. The failure occurred intermittently. The contact stated while the wipers were being used to spray and wipe the windshield, or while defrosting the windshield the failure would not occur. The vehicle was…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 96,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 10,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2016 honda cr-v. The contact stated that when he took the vehicle in for servicing and an alignment at 10,000 miles, northside honda (9100 san pedro ave, san antonio, 78216, tx (210) 729-5619) informed him that the rear wheels were bent inward. Due to the failure, the mechanic was unable to get the rear wheels to align…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 10,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 honda cr-v. While idling at a stop sign/ light the vehicle vibrated roughly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to braman honda of palm beach 5200 lake worth rd, greenacres, fl 33463 (561) 790-8570 where the failure was unable to be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 5,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

Approximately three months ago, all advanced safety features stopped working. I took the vehicle to the nearest Honda dealer and their troubleshooting indicated a defective windshield camera which is used by all the advanced safety features. They ordered a replacement camera but unfortunately the camera is on back order and the dealer…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Rear backup camera failed after less than 5 years of very light use, I only have less than 9,000 miles in my vehicle. Backup camera is completely off, for example, wide angle is now displaying ground angle, normal angle is now out of alignment. I bought and replaced it with a brand new backup camera, but the problem persists that tells…Owner complaint, filed 2021