2016 Honda CR-V Electrical Problems

November 2024 I had a new battery and tires put on my 2016 Honda CRV. 14 months later my car would not start. I had to have a jump start. I had to have it jump started a few times more than took it to have it checked out. They put in a new battery February 2026. A month later my car would not start. I took it to a mechanic who found the door handle sensor bad. I have seen many other owners having the same problem. I also found out that it costs upward of $1,000 to fix. This should be a recall since so many had this problem, and I am sure you are aware of it. Please help us.

NHTSA ID

11727756

Incident

Feb 6, 2026

Unknown electrical problem. Both headlights will go out simultaneously without warning while driving. Frequent malfunction of running lamps, headlamps, break lamps.

NHTSA ID

11706740

Incident

Dec 1, 2024

2016 Honda CR-V’s smart locking system failed. The smart locking system caused the car battery to drain if it wasn’t driven within 24 hours. After numerous car battery replacements, a Honda auto repair replaced the door handle and repaired the smart locking system. If $639 was not paid for the needed repair, the car battery would drain and therefore the car would not function. After reaching out to Honda for a reimbursement, they declined. This is frustrating because I have researched online and several others have experienced this issue with their Honda CR-V. The issue simply happened one day and was not caused by a vehicle accident.

NHTSA ID

11703960

Incident

Oct 21, 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while approaching a stoplight and decelerating, the vehicle suddenly shut off. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally. During the failure, the battery warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the failure mostly occurred on very hot or rainy days. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate that failure. The cause of the failure was not yet been determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID

11665012

Incident

Jun 5, 2021

Mileage

45,000 mi

I first noticed this issue in October of 2023. When approaching the passenger side of my 2016 fwd Honda Cr-v it would unlock without touching the door or the key fob. This caused my car to be left unlocked multiple times without noticing it which is a major safety concern. Additionally I would go to get in the driver's seat and before the car was on the seat adjusted itself to the full upright position. Those two issues paired with the battery dying 7 times in the 8 years I have had it makes me think the electric is failing and causing the battery to constantly run which drains it. One time when the battery was not working they said it was the starter and charged $700 to fix it yesterday this is still happening. Another time this left me in dangerous situation when returning from work travel to the airport over an hour from my home and my car not starting. I had to call a tow truck to get it jumped. I called a Honda service center and the person I spoke with had never heard of these issues before. There are no warning messages when this is happening. I do not have $1000 for them to look into it.

NHTSA ID

11655605

Incident

Apr 18, 2025

The drivers and passenger smart door handles have failed this year. It caused parasitic battery drain over 3 days and the doors would unlock automatically just by walking within 5 feet of the car. I have disconnected them for now because 800 in parts only is rediculous. Very dissapointed the reliability of the 2016 CRV.

NHTSA ID

11654834

Incident

Apr 8, 2025

While driving on my lunch hour on January 14,2025 on busy street my car slowed down almost to a complete stop and I lost power and acceleration. My engine light came on and I had to pull off the road at a very slow speed. It was almost like I lost power in my gas pedal. It was pretty scary because it was over the lunch hour and it was busy. This could have been bad had I not been on the right lane to be able to pull off to a side street. I was concerned about being rear ended due to my car slowing down so fast and I had very little acceleration when pushing on the gas pedal.

NHTSA ID

11636165

Incident

Jan 14, 2025

I have a 2016 Honda CRV. Approx 2 years ago several electrical problems started. 1. )Radio started turning on and off on its own. 2. ) Car locks would lock and unlock on their own. I will be sitting in car and the car would lock and unlock on its own approx 4-5 times and then stop. It would also happen when I would get out of the car and lock the door and as soon as I walked away I could hear it unlock again and it did not matter if I locked it on the door panel or use the key FOB. I thought at first maybe I am doing something wrong, but it has also happened to my husband multiple times. This could be a safety issue, not knowing if its locked or unlocked my child could open the door while I am driving. Also someone could get into my car. 3.) My car battery started losing juice frequently. I would have to jump it, and now this is happening approx every 6 weeks. 4.) The Key FOB also juices out frequently and I have had to replace it multiple times and batteries are not cheap. I have been stranded 4 times at night and I beleive it was a risk to my personal safety. I have taken it to a independent service for the locks but they could not duplicate and told me it would be expensive to check the electrical system to first see if there were any electrical recalls first. I have read all the complaints on your site and there are over 60 electrical complaints. Many in regards to the Car's Battery discharging. One person talked about the seat position would move on its own, another said their headlights would turn off and on. Although there are many different electrical complaints they are all electrical related and warrant an investigation. As a consumer it is very fustrating as the price for buying and fixing a car is expensive. I don't know what it takes to have a recall but I hope NHTSA does the right thing especially when people are losing faith in big companies/agencies. Thank you

NHTSA ID

11618817

Incident

Jan 1, 2022

The drivers side door unlocks on its own after I have locked the door and start walking away from the vehicle. It is not suppose to open until after I have grasped the handle to open it when it has been locked. I can hear it unlock when I am outside the vehicle and somewhere in the vicinity of 10 feet away from the vehicle. I can have it available for inspection at any time. This problem causes the battery to drain and the vehicle won't start. The dead battery has happened to me twice (once in an airport parking lot and once at home). I have researched this on the internet and it is a common problem for the vehicle (both the unlocking and subsequent draining of the battery). The safety issue is, if this were to happen in a situation where conditions were such that I couldn't get my car started and I needed to escape an assailant that's trying to do harm to me or other passengers (children) in my vehicle. Another scenario could be needing to be able to drive away from any dangerous situation (stuck in a desert in extreme heat, a forest fire, etc...). The list could be endless. You need to be able to start your car when necessary. It hasn't been inspected by a dealer but I have contacted them twice about this issue. I haven't had it inspected by anyone. Many people have had this same problem and the repair at dealer is roughly $700 dollars. I think they have to replace the door lock actuator. There were no warnings, messages or other symptoms before it first happened. The problem first happened in April/May of 2024.

NHTSA ID

11618219

Incident

May 26, 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the vehicle had failed to start, causing the battery to be replaced several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed several times; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Spitzer Honda Euclid (915 E 200th St, Euclid, OH 44119); where it was diagnosed that the front driver's side outer door handle was experiencing an electrical short circuit; however, the part to do the repair was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11611807

Incident

Oct 4, 2023

Smelled gasoline while driving but not sure of source. 10 min into drive fumes were very strong and then all light came on and engine shut down. A fire safety vehicle noticed fuel pouring out from under the vehicle. Because of the fuel spill the police came and called a tow truck. The car was towed to Firestone where they determined that the fuel line on top of gas tank was spilling fuel. I noticed the 2017 CRV Honda have a recall on this fuel supply and my car was a late 2016 model. They will not honor my vin number.

NHTSA ID

11606200

Incident

Aug 1, 2024

IF CAR IS NOT DRIVEN FOR A FEW DAYS THE BATTERY WILL BE DEAD. CAR HAS NEW BATTERY. DOING MY RESEARCH THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR 2011-2019 HONDA CRV WHY IS THERE NO RECALL FOR THIS. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE APPARENTLY IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE VSA SYSTEM. IS HONDA PAYING THE NHTSA NOT TO RECALL THIS

NHTSA ID

11605989

Incident

Jul 16, 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up after several attempts. There was no warning light illuminated. Once the vehicle was started, the vehicle jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal while driving at various speeds. There was no warning light illuminated. One day, several warning lights appeared on the instrument panel soon after starting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic test was performed; however, no defect was found with the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11596469

Incident

Jul 1, 2023

Part 74800-TF0-J02, Honda Door Lock Actuator. It appears there have been issues for years with the door lock actuator parts. This has been reported online at Honda blog sites, complaints, reviews, etc. that I've seen. Why doesn't this get resolution. It's a difficult part to replace, and harder to find someone to do it. It's a safety factor, for the door cannot be opened. I was rear-ended by a car in the past, and mine was totaled. The only escape was the back hatch. In this case, I would have been unable to get out, and could succomb to explosion and death. In the least, it is extremely frustrating to be unable to load a cart of groceries, etc into the back. We leave a backseat down now, since it has failed after three repairs. We have to sling groceries into the back, and crawl in to retrieve them. We are looking for the part and service once again. Many have said this occurs in cold weather. We have found that weather is just a coincidence, and it occurs any season. I wonder if it can't handle the wattage from the Honda wiring panel or if it's just a defective part with a short lifespan.

NHTSA ID

11592735

Incident

May 1, 2024

Beginning on the first of December 2023, the battery has drained every 24 to 48 hours. I have used up the annual roadside assistance I am allowed in the policy year October 2023 through October 2024. The roadside assistance technicians kept telling me I was not driving it enough or I was leaving something on. The tow truck driver I called for a jump this Thursday, in order to drive to the repair facility, suggested the mechanic needed to check every circuit in order to determine what function was draining the battery. The first and potentially not the last drain is the front passenger side door handle. No door handles are currently available from Honda. I have seen complaints, at [XXX] , regarding "parasitic" battery drain on this model year. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11561545

Incident

Dec 1, 2023

On cold start and when you start driving the car will shut off while driving/ when coming to stop

NHTSA ID

11556637

Incident

Nov 24, 2023

I just purchased this vehicle in June 2023. For the first couple of months, I had no problems. Then on August 25, the battery was dead and I needed a jump. I took it to my local auto parts store who tested my less then 2 year old battery and said it was fine. They also tested the alternator and starter, both were fine. Then, on September 5, another dead battery. I waited 3 hours for roadside assistance to come and give me a jump. Next incident, September 19. Again, needed a jump and again on September 25. This is my only car so I need it to be reliable. I have only purchased Hondas for the last 20 years, but I will never again buy a Honda. My car is now at the shop to see if they can determine what is causing the parasitic drain to my battery in the hopes of fixing it but after looking this issue up online, I can see there are 100's if not 1,000's of people experiencing this same issue. Additionally, there was a class-action lawsuit for 2017-2020 model years for the same issue: battery won't hold a charge. With as much money as we hard-working people spend to buy a Honda, we should at least be able to expect that it will start!

NHTSA ID

11546537

Incident

Sep 25, 2023

I have a 2016 Honda CRV EXL. I have been trying to find out information on why my locks are not working. Most of the time the back door locks and the hatch/rear tailgate do not unlock. The tailgate will unlock only when I touch the door but not with the key fob. Every time I have taken the car to be looked at it doesn't have the issue that they can find so I feel CRAZY! Then I drive home and again the locks will not lock or unlock so I have to reach in and unlock or lock them manually. I saw that there was an issue with 2007-2011 CRV's and a class action law suite. I just want my stupid car fixed.

NHTSA ID

11524147

Incident

May 31, 2020

These cars have had this problem for years according to an independent Honda garage. Wife complained the car wouldn't accelerate when the accelerator pedal was mashed. I thought it was a mistake she had caused. A week or so later, I experienced the same issue. I mashed the gas, entered a 4 lane 45 mph street & the car wouldn't accelerate. With cars bearing down, I don't know what I did, but managed to finally get the car to move. I've taught defensive driver training, road raced in SCCA & have well over a million miles behind the wheel, NEVER have I had this occur before. I'd heard of unintended acceleration, but I had just experienced non-intended acceleration. I talked to 4 different Honda service writers at different dealers, none admitted being aware of this problem. After multiple occurrences of the same issue, I went into an independent Honda garage, started explaining what had happened. The owner's wife came out from behind her desk, picked up 1 of 5 boxes on the counter & said, "This is your problem & why we keep this many cause it's a common & frequent problem," The box contained an Accelerator Position Sensor. She explained it is a common problem with Honda vehicles equipped with these position sensors. I've reported this problem before & wrote a letter to Honda America. I haven't heard of a resolution to replace these defective electronic sensors. If someone with my experience is almost hit by oncoming vehicles due to these defective accelerator position sensors, I wonder how many people have been injured or killed because their Honda would not accelerate when needed. It is something NHTSA needs to investigate. Enlist independent garages to determine how much of a problem these sensors pose, dealerships are not viable responders As a result of this continuing problem, we wanted to get rid of the vehicle, had an opportunity to sell the vehicle & did.

NHTSA ID

11495021

Incident

Nov 27, 2022

Engine starting problem, for 3 weeks I would push the start button and the engine would not start on the first, second, third or fourth try. Finally the engine would start. I took the car to the dealer for repair and they told me the starter solenoid was falling apart mechanically. The dealer replaced the starter/solenoid assy and now there is no trouble starting. I have 45000 miles on the car and this should not have happened. I have owned many cars over the years and have never had a solenoid come apart on a starter. This is a serious defect and the dealer says it happens a lot on these Honda cars. I still had to pay $956.00 to get the car repaired.

NHTSA ID

11482724

Incident

Aug 30, 2022

I have to keep a solar panel attached to my front visor or my new batteries will go dead. This is a problem for other vehicles the same as mine. 2016 Honda CRV. I understand that the electrical, battery parts are very faulty. I was going through batteries, and the Honda dealership never figured this out. A friend of mine attached the solar panel so I won't have a dead battery every day. Thanks for reading.

NHTSA ID

11464139

Incident

May 20, 2020

I have a 2016 Honda CR-V. I few days ago, pulled into a parking spot, stopped my car and placed the gear into park. I was sitting in the parking spot for a few minutes while waiting to pick someone up when I hear a strange noise come from the car, not even a second later my car suddenly accelerated on its own without me pressing the gas pedal or touching anything. I was completely caught off guard. The car shot forward at such a rate of speed, so fast that it threw me back in my seat. I suddenly reached to grab the steering wheel, and tried to take control of the wheel, but the steering wheel would not turn, it was completely locked. I placed both feet on the brake pedal and pushed as hard as I could but the car would not stop. It was like the car suddenly had a mind of it's own and someone else was controlling it. It literally accelerated on it's own. I couldn't stop it or steer it, everything was disabled. My car jumped a curb and slammed into a pole. Upon the first impact, none of the airbags deployed even though my entire chest slammed the steering wheel, it was only when I hit the pole did the airbags deploy. I sustained injuries to my head, back, chest and hands. Witnesses at the scene quickly pulled me out of the car, closed my door and took me away from the car because it was leaking oil and fluids everywhere and they were afraid it would explode. The entire front end of my car was completely destroyed. Nobody else was hurt other than me, but it could've been much worse if someone was walking or standing in front of my car. The way it shot forward on it's own could've killed someone. There was no way to control the car. Police, fire and ambulance showed up to the scene. Witnesses took pictures of the damage both inside and outside my car. People at the scene said it was possibly the cars computer gone bad. When I looked back at the photos, I can see that my car was in park. Thankfully I had my seatbelt on so I survived it.

NHTSA ID

11453617

Incident

Feb 15, 2022

ELECTRONIC TRUNK SYSTEM/HATCH BACK DOOR SWITCH REPEATEDLY DOES NOT OPERATE IN COLD CONDITIONS . THERE IS NO WAY FOR A CONSUMER TO MANUALLY OPEN HATCH BACK DOOR WHEN IT FAILS.

NHTSA ID

11449457

Incident

Jan 30, 2022

I have submitted this complaint before. We sold the car rather than deal with a potential t-bone accident. When starting from a stop, as you would accelerate into a traffic lane the car without warning would suddenly act as if the key was turned off, ceasing to accelerate. Exiting our neighborhood onto a thoroughfare with typical 35-50 mph traffic, my wife & I both had frequent instances of this failure to accelerate or dead throttle response. With 50+ years of driving, 5 years of SCCA road racing, 5 years of teaching defensive driving, I'm still not sure what I've done to get the car to accelerate & avoid getting t-boned. Several Honda dealerships have acted as if this is an unknown situation/condition. Actually talked to 5 different Honda service writers who all denied that the problem existed. Went to an independent Honda garage who had 5 boxes of the offending part-Throttle Position Sensor-on their office counter. I was told it is a common problem, as evidenced by the number of TPS boxes they had. This is an extreme hazard & danger to anyone driving a Honda that uses this particular piece of hardware. I would urge a recall to force Honda to re-design this sensor to eliminate the potential non-acceleration issue.

NHTSA ID

11449420

Incident

Apr 1, 2021

Battery will drain overnight and will not retain enough charge to even unlock the doors. Battery tested by two auto part stores and determined the battery is ok. Took vehicle to Honda and said they found no problem. Problem occurred again the same night.

NHTSA ID

11443411

Incident

Dec 10, 2021