The 2016 Honda CR-V compact crossover was named KBB’s Best Buy in the Compact SUV category. However, no car is perfect, and the CR-V has some reported airbag and engine problems that affect passenger safety.
Key Points
- The 2016 Honda CR-V has only two recalls, one open investigation, and less than 300 complaints, with the most serious problems stemming from a faulty airbag system.
- The compact SUV’s airbag unit could rupture in a crash and result in metal pieces hitting and injuring vehicle occupants.
- There is an open investigation over a potentially unreliable airbag crash sensor that may not deploy the airbags appropriately.
- Of the nearly 300 registered consumer complaints, there are multiple cases of engines stalling and either a sudden loss or burst of acceleration.
- In online forums, owners of 2016 Honda CR-Vs share common problems with battery issues and a malfunctioning A/C system that blows out warm air.
2016 Honda CR-V’s Weakest Point Is an Unreliable, Recalled Airbag System Made With Faulty Components
The 2016 CR-V has two National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recalls. One recall involves certain 2016 Honda CR-Vs that received a replacement engine, which may have the wrong pistons, potentially affecting performance.
The more concerning recall is focused on an unreliable airbag system. A driver’s-side airbag inflator may rupture in a crash, with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in injury or death.
There are also a number of consumer complaints about the airbag system, with many of them mentioning the airbags failing to deploy in an accident. Even scarier, some drivers mention the airbags randomly deploying without a crash.
The airbag issue also led to an open NHTSA investigation over a faulty airbag crash sensor that could fail during certain front-end collisions and cause non-deployment. In total, just 530 CR-V units from 2015 and 2016 are included in either airbag recall.
Owner Complaints Registered with the NHTSA About the 2016 CR-V Mention Stalling Engines, Faulty Fuel System, and Erratic Acceleration
Almost 300 complaints have been registered against the 2016 Honda CR-V, reports the NHTSA. Of these, many mention vehicle speed control problems and drivers experiencing either a failure to gain speed or having sudden acceleration bursts. The same issue is mentioned in nearly 100 engine-related complaints.
Some of the mechanics mentioned in the NHTSA complaints are convinced the problem has to do with faulty throttle position sensors. Looking through a 2020 thread on CR-V Owner’s Club, owners do seem to be reporting quite a few problems with the throttle body.
“If [I] press the [accelerator] pedal the rpm goes where it should be, when I release the pedal it goes down to around 800 rpm… but after that it goes up again and down one time,” reports one forum member. “That happens every time I press the pedal.”
Additional NHTSA complaints mention owners experiencing engine stalls while driving or upon startup, and reports of fuel system issues resulting in gas fumes entering the cabin.
Lastly, 16 CR-V units with replacement engines have been recalled. These were reported to have the wrong pistons installed and would have affected performance. Since this only affects a few units, this is a negligible issue but still worth mentioning.
In Online Forums, 2016 CR-V Owners Share Common Problems With Weak Batteries, Malfunctioning A/C System
Reports of the air conditioning unit blowing warm air make up an overwhelming number of consumer complaints mentioned on Repair Pal. Some 2016 Honda CR-V models may have an A/C problem that reportedly stretches across 19 model years.
The A/C’s loss of cold air could indicate that the compressor failed and lead to expensive repairs.
Many CR-V Owners Club forum members commenting in a thread about “Common issues with the 2016 Honda CR-V Touring” seem to agree that the vehicle’s battery is also a common issue of contention.
“Only problem so far is that the battery is too small; I upgraded mine to a 24F-AGM battery,” says one 2016 CR-V owner, prompting others to begin mentioning similar battery problems.
“Mine has a larger battery too,” adds another 2016 CR-V owner.
“130,000 miles, two sets of tires, runs like it was new,” mentions a CR-V Owners Club forum member. “Only issue is the 24-30-month battery.”
2016 Honda CR-V Has a Few Safety-related Problems, but Overall, It’s Still a Safe Bet
Sure, airbag problems and sudden acceleration issues are a recipe nobody wants to mix. But if you consider that the number of 2016 Honda CR-Vs associated with its problems and recalls is less than one percent of the 357,335 units sold, it is safe to say that the 2016 Honda CR-V is a quality vehicle worth the money.
Photos: Honda
