Emergency Brake will not engage. Automatic emergency brake sensor needs replaced. Unable to set emergency brake.
2016 Honda HR-V
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most HR-V years
Owner complaints for the 2016 Honda HR-V are substantially higher than the model-year median of 97.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all HR-V years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
117 reports with mileage · 122 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.
- Power Train. Review the 74 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 56 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
239 reportsTires were purchased from Discount Tires a few years back and on 6/08/2021 I went back to them due to a flat back passenger tire and they stated they are unable to patch and replaced the tire with a cost of $122. On Sunday October 31, 2021 I am driving on I-75 and the same tire explodes and takes out the wheel well and all the …
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Tires were purchased from Discount Tires a few years back and on 6/08/2021 I went back to them due to a flat back passenger tire and they stated they are unable to patch and replaced the tire with a cost of $122. On Sunday October 31, 2021 I am driving on I-75 and the same tire explodes and takes out the wheel well and all the trim around the tire and damages the bumper of my Honda. Tire in question is Kumho Solus 215/55 r17.
The contact owns a 2016 Honda HR-V. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle was unable to accelerate. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing transmission and transfer case replaced. The manufacturer was informed o…
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The contact owns a 2016 Honda HR-V. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle was unable to accelerate. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing transmission and transfer case replaced. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
I have a 2016 HR-V A large amount of water gets trapped inside the rear tail light which can short out the lights if not repaired. I noticed it after hearing water sloshing around every time I opened the rear trunk. This is a manufacturing defect and a definite safety issue for Honda. Problem has been an issue since at least 20…
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I have a 2016 HR-V A large amount of water gets trapped inside the rear tail light which can short out the lights if not repaired. I noticed it after hearing water sloshing around every time I opened the rear trunk. This is a manufacturing defect and a definite safety issue for Honda. Problem has been an issue since at least 2017 but nothing has been done. Others have reported this as well. Took it to Honda dealer who claimed no knowledge of any issues like this
My car suddenly stopped going into gear. When the hood was opened by a mechanic, he found that the transmission plug was sitting on top of the transmission. Honda issued a Service Alert in September of 2019 that the cap for the fill plug was known to dislodge from the transmission for Honda Civic, Honda Fit and Honda HR-V. F…
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My car suddenly stopped going into gear. When the hood was opened by a mechanic, he found that the transmission plug was sitting on top of the transmission. Honda issued a Service Alert in September of 2019 that the cap for the fill plug was known to dislodge from the transmission for Honda Civic, Honda Fit and Honda HR-V. For my vehicle, the issue was known to affect HR-V models 2016-2018. This is on top of the recent recall notice I recently received concerning the CVT Transmission. I now need a new transmission as my car will not go into gear despite having the transmission flushed and refilled. Honda knew about the defect and warned no one of this issue other than their internal people. My car had roughly 85k miles on it at the time of the incident.
(August 2021, mileage less than 68000) I was experiencing some type of transmission squeaking/slipping and at the same time received a notice from Honda Motor to go to a dealer and perform a SW upgrade to fix the transmission issue that was Honda fully aware , I went to the dealer and performed a SW upgrade for my HR-V. Right a…
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(August 2021, mileage less than 68000) I was experiencing some type of transmission squeaking/slipping and at the same time received a notice from Honda Motor to go to a dealer and perform a SW upgrade to fix the transmission issue that was Honda fully aware , I went to the dealer and performed a SW upgrade for my HR-V. Right after the upgrade I notice that my transmission became much more rigid/stiff. I thought it will go away after some driving. After driving less than 300 miles the transmission belt broke while I was at a stop light waiting and the moment I start to move and press gas pedal, my transmission belt broke and I could not move, Immediate it came to my mind that it must have been for the Soft Ware upgrade. The car engine revs but not moving at all. I was stuck on the road. No warning lamp or nothing warned me before this situation happened. It was really a scaring moment. I took the car right to dealership and after inspection they told me that the transmission is gone and I need new transmission. They found metal shaving in the transmission.
7/10: On a highway, the car lost speed, and all warning lights on the dashboard started flashing. The car would not change gears, decided to place it to the side of the road and tow it to Westshore honda. The start button was replaced, and there was no charge due to a recall that covered the fees. No other urgent action required…
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7/10: On a highway, the car lost speed, and all warning lights on the dashboard started flashing. The car would not change gears, decided to place it to the side of the road and tow it to Westshore honda. The start button was replaced, and there was no charge due to a recall that covered the fees. No other urgent action required my attention, and I left.was About 15-20 minutes after leaving, while on a busy highway plus it was raining, the same issue happened. It was terrifying to lose the power speed. I drove home safely using offside roads and flashing emergency lights at less than 40 miles. On 7/13-14, I was able to book time at Lakeland's Regal Honda to have my car checked once again. No one called me back until the following day. Regal honda gave an estimate of over 7000. No explanation on what the issue was, just that my transmission needed to be replaced. My car is about 65000 miles and just passed the 5-year mark, so I do not have a warranty. The car is only used on the weekends and I have done all the service needed since I bought it, I've been the only owner. I expressed my shock that a car with this many miles is having issues with the transmission, the service provided said he was going to contact Honda corporate to see what they could do. They charge me $89. I then took my car to Joyce Automotive repair in Lakeland, their diagnostic found codes U0401-68 ECM FAILURE and U0402-68 TCM FAILURE. Unfortunately, they cannot program Honda computers and I have to bring the car back to the dealership. Cost $71 7/15 After extensive research online, (ie https://www.hrvforum.com/threads/transmission-problems.40399/) I discovered this is a popular issue for many honda customers, especially in 2016 owners. I am in fear of my safety and others that do not know or do not get support from honda. Now I have a parked car with no feasible and economical solution and it is frustrating Honda can get away with this. My ask, is for you to do a thorough investigation, Thanks
Pressing the start button isn't automatically turning on or off the car. I have to keep pressing it in order for it to do either. I can't rely on the vehicle if the start button isn't doing what it should do. This has been happening consistently for about 2 months now. The consumer stated he wanted to rescind the complaint,…
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Pressing the start button isn't automatically turning on or off the car. I have to keep pressing it in order for it to do either. I can't rely on the vehicle if the start button isn't doing what it should do. This has been happening consistently for about 2 months now. The consumer stated he wanted to rescind the complaint, the vehicle is under warranty and will be taken into the dealer to be fixed.
I have replaced my catalyst converter and my check engine light and parking brake light and the safety key light has turned on. The warranty on my vehicle was over the miles before they sent me the notice on the push start button key but I had issue with this before it had passed the warranty miles. The notice was sent to late…
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I have replaced my catalyst converter and my check engine light and parking brake light and the safety key light has turned on. The warranty on my vehicle was over the miles before they sent me the notice on the push start button key but I had issue with this before it had passed the warranty miles. The notice was sent to late after I went over. The other lights I had a auto parts hook up the machine and its indicating the engine control module (ECM) detects a catalytic converter problem, it might record DTC P0420, defined as “Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold.” I am so fed up with this and bought my Honda new and never had issues with it until I bought this Honda HRV model. I love my care but if it wasn't for this.
The start button does not turn on or turn off the vehicle. Unable to rely on the vehicle. Service states to replace the FOB that did not alleviate the issue.
Official recalls
218V777000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper
Nov 1, 2018
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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A reduction of braking performance increases the risk of a crash.
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. Honda's numbers for this recall are C31 and L30.
15V472000 · Equipment:other:labels; Tires
Jul 28, 2015
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 and Rims and Motor Home/Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity Information for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or less."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the tire placard is missing the driver or owner may not know at what pressure to inflate the tires, resulting in over or under tire inflation which potentially increases the risk of a tire failure and crash.
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. Honda's number for this recall is JT2, or JT4.
Additional source detail variants (2)
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 and Rims and Motor Home/Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity Information for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or less."
Consequence: If the tire placard is missing the driver or owner may not know at what pressure to inflate the tires, resulting in over or under tire inflation which potentially increases the risk of a tire failure and crash.
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. Honda's number for this recall is JT2, or JT4.
Tires
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 and Rims and Motor Home/Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity Information for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or less."
Consequence: If the tire placard is missing the driver or owner may not know at what pressure to inflate the tires, resulting in over or under tire inflation which potentially increases the risk of a tire failure and crash.
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. Honda's number for this recall is JT2, or JT4.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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