2016 Honda HR-V: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
238 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2023 and 2024 HR-V, which score 37 and 47; the 2023 has 685 complaints at 228.3 per year on the road, the highest rate in the nameplate's record, with Visibility/Wiper at 319 and Steering at 77. Buy a 2017 (92 on 121 complaints), a 2020 or 2021 (81 and 85), or a 2016 or 2018 at 79 each. Read the full note on the model page. 2016 specifically: a year the record favours — 238 complaints, score 79/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Honda Civic, Fit and HR-V: what the record says year by year, including 2016 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 238 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 23.8
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owned a 2016 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving at 12 MPH, the vehicle experienced a brake failure, resulting in a frontal collision with a utility vehicle. The airbag deployed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a private salvage auto auction yard. The contact stated that the vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. There was no property da…
My vehicle paint is peeling and it is the NH788P. ( Orchid Pearl White). I am the second owner of this car as of 2021. It started on the roof and has continued to doors etc. No recalls were shown on the CarFax at the time of purchase.
Car went into limp mode far from home. Lots of lights on the dash lit up. I scanned the OBD and it came back with code P271E to replace the automatic transmission assembly. This was confirmed by a transmission repair shop. This is a known issue by Honda and they have issued service bulletins 21-046 and 21-047. However, my vehicle is outside of the warranty extension and they will not provide assistance with the rep…
Recalls: 2 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 18V777000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Caliper | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Acura MDX, 2017-2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda HR-V and Honda Odyssey, and 2016 Honda HR-V vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating, causing gas pockets to form, reducing brake performance. |
| 15V472000 | Equipment:Other:Labels | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2016 HR-V vehicles manufactured January 12, 2015, to May 20, 2015. The affected vehicles may be missing the required tire placard indicating "Tire and Loading Information." These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 110, "Tire Selection… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 31 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,000
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Power Train74 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Electrical System56 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other44 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Service Brakes25 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Structure22 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
- Engine22 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
Other Honda HR-V years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Honda HR-V?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (74 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2016 Honda HR-V a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 79/100, computed from 238 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2016 Honda HR-V's most common problem?
74 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2016 Honda HR-V sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2016 Honda HR-V cost to run per year?
About $4,521 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $22,608 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2016 Honda HR-V have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2016 Honda HR-V, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 01/11/2018. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other compact suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2016 Honda HR-V really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 238 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 238 NHTSA complaints on record (23.8/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (22.5/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems