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2016 Honda CR-V

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Honda CR-V do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 400.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

235 reports with mileage · 157 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 101 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 65 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 64 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

40 crash reports4 fire reports28 injury reports

Fuel/propulsion System complaints

65 reports
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6,553 miles · Mar 20, 2017
Fuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other

IN LATE NOVEMBER/EARLY DECEMBER, I BEGAN TO SMELL GASOLINE FUMES IN THE CABIN OF MY 2016 HONDA CRV. THE PROBLEM HAS REPLICATED AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR AT LEAST 20 MINUTES AND THEN LEFT IDLING. ON JANUARY 7TH WHEN MY CAR WAS DROPPED OFF AT LIA, I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL WITHIN AN HOUR STATING THAT THEY REPLICATED THE …

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IN LATE NOVEMBER/EARLY DECEMBER, I BEGAN TO SMELL GASOLINE FUMES IN THE CABIN OF MY 2016 HONDA CRV. THE PROBLEM HAS REPLICATED AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR AT LEAST 20 MINUTES AND THEN LEFT IDLING. ON JANUARY 7TH WHEN MY CAR WAS DROPPED OFF AT LIA, I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL WITHIN AN HOUR STATING THAT THEY REPLICATED THE SMELL. LIA HONDA HAD MY CAR FOR 35 DAYS. ON FEBRUARY 10TH, THEY CONTACTED ME AND TOLD ME THEY HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPLICATE AND I NEEDED TO PICK UP MY VEHICLE. ON FEBRUARY 21, I MET WITH THE DISTRICT MANGER WHO STATED THAT IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH 2016 HONDA CRVS BUT THERE IS NOT CURRENTLY A FIX.AFTER SPEAKING WITH HIS FIELD ENGINEER, THE DM SAID THEY CURRENTLY HAVE 46 CASES OF GASOLINE FUMES ENTERING THE PASSAGER CABIN. HONDA CORPORATE ALSO ADMITTED THAT THEY CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE A FIX FOR THE FUMES BEING RELEASED INTO THE PASSENGER CABIN. LIA HONDA REPLACED THE CHARCOAL CANISTER IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIX THE RELEASE OF FUMES INTO THE VEHICLE. ON MARCH 18, THE FUMES RETURNED AFTER AN ATTEMPTED REPAIR. ON MARCH 20, LIA REFUSED TO SERVICE MY VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI #10967388

13,000 miles · Mar 17, 2017
EngineFuel/propulsion System

GASOLINE SMELL COMES INTO A CABIN: -WHILE DRIVING, -WHEN THE ENGINE STARTS AFTER 5-10 MIN OF RESTING GASOLINE SMELL COMES OUTSIDE OUT OF THE ENGINE. THE CAR WAS INSPECTED AT HONDA AUTHORIZED SERVICE AND THE ISSUE WAS CONFIRMED. THE ISSUE IS NOT REPAIRABLE ON MARCH 2017. THERE ARE FOLLOWING CONCERNS: - THE CAR MAY BLOW ON…

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GASOLINE SMELL COMES INTO A CABIN: -WHILE DRIVING, -WHEN THE ENGINE STARTS AFTER 5-10 MIN OF RESTING GASOLINE SMELL COMES OUTSIDE OUT OF THE ENGINE. THE CAR WAS INSPECTED AT HONDA AUTHORIZED SERVICE AND THE ISSUE WAS CONFIRMED. THE ISSUE IS NOT REPAIRABLE ON MARCH 2017. THERE ARE FOLLOWING CONCERNS: - THE CAR MAY BLOW ON A RODE WHILE DRIVING - MAY CAUSE A FIRE WHILE STORED IN A GARAGE - MAY CAUSE HEALTH ISSUES DUE TO BREATHING GASOLINE FUMES

NHTSA ODI #10966493

9,600 miles · Mar 9, 2017
Fuel/propulsion System

OFTEN THERE IS A STRONG FUEL ODOR INSIDE THE CABIN. THIS SEEMS TO OCCUR UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE WHEN WARM AFTER RECENTLY BEING DRIVEN; NOTICEABLE BOTH WHEN STATIONARY AFTER ENGINE START AND UPON STARTING TO DRIVE.

NHTSA ODI #10959892

19,746 miles · Mar 7, 2017
Fuel/propulsion System

STRONG GASOLINE SMELL IN CABIN OF VEHICLE,CAUSING HEAD ACHE BURNING EYES AND NAUSEA WHILE OPERATING.

NHTSA ODI #10959084

3,900 miles · Mar 2, 2017
Fuel/propulsion System

CR-V CABIN INTERMITTENTLY FILLS WITH GASOLINE FUMES, STONG GASOLINE ORDOR CAUSES EXTREME RESPIRATORY DISTRESS, INCLUDING BURNING, COUGHING, AND CHOKING. HONDA SAID THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND THERE IS NO FIX AT THIS TIME. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR AND THEY OFFER NO SOLUTION. IT HAPPENS UPON STARTING, IDLING, DRIVING, IT …

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CR-V CABIN INTERMITTENTLY FILLS WITH GASOLINE FUMES, STONG GASOLINE ORDOR CAUSES EXTREME RESPIRATORY DISTRESS, INCLUDING BURNING, COUGHING, AND CHOKING. HONDA SAID THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND THERE IS NO FIX AT THIS TIME. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR AND THEY OFFER NO SOLUTION. IT HAPPENS UPON STARTING, IDLING, DRIVING, IT CIRCULATES THROUGH THE CABIN, CLOSING THE VENTS HELPS SLIGHTLY, STRONG GASOLINE SMELL ALSO VERY PROMINENT COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AT TIMES. YOU CAN ALSO SMELL IT OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. IT IS SO STRONG IT FORCES YOU TO OPEN THE WINDOWS TO BREATH, AND PULL OVER AND OPEN THE DOORS. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND CONTACTED ANOTHER HONDA SERVICE DEPARTMENT THE DEALERSHIPS AND HONDA AMERICA ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT HAVE NO FIX. I WAS TOLD TO CALL HONDA AMERICA, I DID AND I WAS TOLD THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND HAVE OFFERED NO SOLUTION. THE CAR IS NEW 3900 MILES AND AT FIRST WAS TOLD TO DRIVE IT TO BURN OFF THE SMELL, PART OF BEING A NEW CAR, BUT IT IS GETTING WORSE.

NHTSA ODI #10958324

Mileage unknown · Feb 24, 2017
Fuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other

AT RANDOM TIMES THERE IS A STRONG FUEL SMELL/ EXHAUST SMELL IN THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR WHEN VEHICLE IS RUNNING. SMELL IS NOTICED ON SOME START UP COMING FROM VENTS. OTHER TIMES WHILE IN MOTION OR STATIONARY, A STRONG FUEL SMELL/EXHAUST SMELL IN INTERIOR OF VEHICLE. ODOR FIRST NOTICE AROUND AUGUST 2016 AND STILL CONTINUES. MILE…

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AT RANDOM TIMES THERE IS A STRONG FUEL SMELL/ EXHAUST SMELL IN THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR WHEN VEHICLE IS RUNNING. SMELL IS NOTICED ON SOME START UP COMING FROM VENTS. OTHER TIMES WHILE IN MOTION OR STATIONARY, A STRONG FUEL SMELL/EXHAUST SMELL IN INTERIOR OF VEHICLE. ODOR FIRST NOTICE AROUND AUGUST 2016 AND STILL CONTINUES. MILEAGE ON VEH WHEN FIRST NOTICED AROUND 15000

NHTSA ODI #10956874

2,156 miles · Feb 22, 2017
Fuel/propulsion System

THE VEHICLE HAS A VERY STRONG SMELL OF FUEL (GASOLINE) IN THE PASSENGER CABIN AFTER THE ENGINE HAS WARMED UP. IT IS ESPECIALLY STRONG WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN REFUELED, WHEN THE ENGINE IS WARM AND YOU ARE MAKING FREQUENT STOPS OR ARE BACKING UP. HONDA SERVICE STAFF STATE HONDA AMERICA IS AWARE OF THE COMPLAINTS WITH THE 2016 CRV …

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THE VEHICLE HAS A VERY STRONG SMELL OF FUEL (GASOLINE) IN THE PASSENGER CABIN AFTER THE ENGINE HAS WARMED UP. IT IS ESPECIALLY STRONG WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN REFUELED, WHEN THE ENGINE IS WARM AND YOU ARE MAKING FREQUENT STOPS OR ARE BACKING UP. HONDA SERVICE STAFF STATE HONDA AMERICA IS AWARE OF THE COMPLAINTS WITH THE 2016 CRV BUT THEY HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM NOR DO THEY HAVE A FIX. THEY DID HAVE ME COMPLETE A QUESTIONAIRE AT THE DEALERSHIP REGARDING THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAID HONDA IS HAVING ENGINEERS LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM. IN THE MEAN TIME, THE SMELL OF GASOLINE CAN BE SO STRONG THAT IT MAKES ME NAUSEOUS AND GIVES ME A HEADACHE. I AM QUITE SURE BREATHING IN THE SMELL OF TOXIC CHEMICALS IN A CONFINED SPACE IS HAZARDOUS TO A PERSON'S HEALTH AND I AM QUITE SURE THE HEAD OF HONDA WOULD NOT RIDE IN A VEHICLE THAT WREEKS OF GASOLINE INSIDE. I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE 3 MONTHS AND IT HAS 2156 MILES ON IT. IN THE BEGINNING, I THOUGHT IT WAS EXHAUST FROM CARS IN TRAFFIC AROUND ME. THEN I THOUGHT I MUST HAVE SPILLED GAS ON THE GAS WHEN I FILLED THE TANK, BUT CLEARLY IT IS NOT EITHER OF THESE ISSUES. THE GAS SMELL IS COMING FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM OF THE CAR AND IT NOT SAFE TO RIDE IN IT. THE GARAGE SMELLS LIKE GASOLINE AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING IN IT AND TURNED OFF. THE CAR DOES NOT USUALLY SMELL LIKE GAS WHEN I FIRST TURN IT ON OR IF I DRIVE IT A VERY SHORT DISTANCE. WHEN I DRIVE TO WORK (2 MILES) AND GET OUT AND IT SITS FOR 8 HOURS, I DO NOT SMELL GAS WHEN I GO HOME AT THE END OF THE DAY. IT IS WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR 15 OR MORE MINUTES AND MAKING MULTIPLE STOPS. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAVE HAD OTHER CUSTOMERS WITH SIMILAR COMPLAINTS BUT NO IDEA HOW TO FIX IT. MEANWHILE, I HAVE A 3 MONTH OLD $28,000 VEHICLE I CANNOT DRIVE SAFELY. IS THERE A WAY TO MEAUSURE NOXIOUS FUMES IN THE PASSENGER CABIN?

NHTSA ODI #10956335

1 miles · Feb 16, 2017
Fuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other

STRONG FUEL SMELL IN THE CABIN OF THE CAR WHEN I FIRST START DRIVING. BEEN NOTICING IT DAILY OVER PAST SEVERAL WEEKS.

NHTSA ODI #10955141

3,200 miles · Feb 11, 2017
Fuel/propulsion System

STRONG GASOLINE ODOR IN CABIN UPON ENTERING VEHICLE, WHILE DRIVING, OR WHILE IDLING. HAPPENS WHEN STATIONARY, IN MOTION, ON CITY STREET, OR HIGHWAY. CAN BE DISSIPATED BY TURNING ON THE A/C OR OPENING WINDOWS BUT WILL RETURN AFTER CAR IS PARKED OR VENT FAN IS USED.

NHTSA ODI #10954007

1,000 miles · Jan 23, 2017
Fuel/propulsion System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HONDA CR-V. AT VARIOUS TIMES, THE CONTACT ENCOUNTERED A STRONG FUEL ODOR COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000.

NHTSA ODI #10947235

Official recalls

3

23V858000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Dec 18, 2023

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

17V305000 · Engine

May 4, 2017

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

15V714000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

Oct 29, 2015

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

EA19001 · Electrical Overstress

Opened Apr 19, 2019 · Closed Sep 19, 2024

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module

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. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications.  The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V-668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU.  In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment.  FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle.  Other FCA vehicles that also used the subject ACU, but were not equipped with cross-car harnessing, had not experienced EOS failures, despite similar time in service. During the course of this investigation, ODI sent two separate Information Request (IR) letters to six vehicle manufactures (including FCA, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Toyota) and one IR letter to ZF-TRW.  These IR letters resulted in ODI receiving comprehensive data from these manufacturers and suppliers. Studies of this data found that the DS84 ASIC does not have sufficient protection against negative electrical transients or electrical overstress (“EOS”) that can be generated in certain severe crashes.  An electrical transient occurs when the electrical power supplied to a circuit changes momentarily over a short duration of time.   In these severe crash cases, the crash sensors and other powered wiring can be damaged and short circuited so as to create a negative electrical transient of sufficient intensity and duration (that are outside the vehicle manufacturer's specification) to damage the ASIC before the restraint device deployment signal is received by the SRS ECU.  This damaged signal can lead to incomplete or nondeployment of the air bags and/or pretensioners.  Airbag non-deployment and/or lack of pretensioner operation can increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash.A total of 8 fatalities and 14 injuries were associated with known EOS events. The common element in all investigated manufacturers vehicles is the SRS ECU containing a DS84 ASIC manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The risk associated with the ASIC is equally shared among all OEMS involved in the investigation.  The actual real-world risk can be mitigated by other factors which were assessed by ODI during this investigation. The first mitigating factor involves protections built into the ACU design which protect the DS84 ASIC from damage.  There are multiple strategies and levels of protection employed by different OEMs that provide effective EOS mitigation.  The two most common strategies at the ACU level are circuit protection diodes on the remote senor signal lines, and current limiting resistors that protect critical components. The second mitigating factor is found at the vehicle level and involves the location and routing of the wires leading from the crash sensors to the SRS ECU.  If the wires are well protected in a crash and are not routed with other power wires carrying large currents, the risk for an EOS event is significantly reduced or eliminated. These design specific factors combine to produce a spectrum of risk for the vehicles equipped with ACUs using the DS84 ASIC.  Given the many of years of field exposure, it is possible to divide the subject population into two groups; vehicles which have experienced EOS events, and vehicles which have not experienced EOS field events. Four of the six OEMs involved in this investigation have experienced EOS field events on at least one of their models equipped with a DS84 ASIC.  All vehicle models (including the Toyota models identified in the Failure Report Summary of the opening resume for this investigation) with field events have been recalled.  In an abundance of caution, ODI kept this investigation open five years to monitor field performance and did not identify any field events on vehicles not included in existing safety recalls. Given the spectrum of risk identified in this investigation and that all vehicles with a demonstrated unreasonable risk have been recalled, ODI is closing this investigation. ODI is closing this investigation with the following manufacturer safety recalls: 16V-668, 18E-043, 18V-137, 18V-363, and 20V-024.  With the recall actions taken by the subject vehicle and equipment manufacturers, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exists on other model or model year vehicles outside of the recall scopes. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.

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