What breaks most · 2016 to 2019 model years
Honda HR-V problems by year
Owners have filed 97 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Honda HR-V across model years 2016 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2016 for electrical system complaints, 2017 for electrical system complaints and 2018 for brakes complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2016, 2017, 2018
- Complaints on file
- 972016 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 201653 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 141 fires · 7 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 9kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 12Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 4 | 2 | Unknown or other (14) | |
| 27 | 6 | 0 | Electrical system (7) | |
| 16 | 4 | 3 | Brakes (5) | |
| 1 | 0 | 7 | Fuel system (1) |
What fails on the 2016 Honda HR-V
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown or other | 26% |
14 | 0 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 19% |
10 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2016 Honda HR-V |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 17% |
9 | 1 | Shop brakes parts for the 2016 Honda HR-V |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 11% |
6 | 0 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2016 Honda HR-V |
| Air bags | 9% |
5 | 2 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 9% |
5 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2016 Honda HR-V |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 9% |
5 | 2 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2016 Honda HR-V |
| Wheels | 8% |
4 | 1 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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The rear hatch door has water inside of it. Both taillights have condensation in them and you can hear water sloshing around when you open and close the door. Electrical components have started to malfunction due to the water and HONDA doesn't care because the warranty has expired.
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I was rear-ended as i was stationary waiting to make a left hand turn on a highway none of my airbags deployed my car is a total loss. Fault the 17 year was tailgating a tractor and slammed into my car.police came i was transported to a local hospital
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I was parking vehicle going less than 5mi/hr entering into parking space. When i pressed the brakes instead of stopping the vehicle accelerated and i hit a post. Please see attached documentation of state farm claim and recall repair completed
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Honda HR-V years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2016, 2017, 2018 carry the most filings on the Honda HR-V. The 2016 alone has 53 complaints, led by unknown or other.
What is the most common Honda HR-V problem?
On the 2016 model year, the most-reported component is unknown or other with 14 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Honda HR-V problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Honda HR-V complaints that include mileage is about 9,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.