2016 Honda HR-V Brakes Problems

The contact owned a 2016 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving at 12 MPH, the vehicle experienced a brake failure, resulting in a frontal collision with a utility vehicle. The airbag deployed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a private salvage auto auction yard. The contact stated that the vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. There was no property damage. A police report was filed. The contact was transported by ambulance to the ER, and the contact was moved to a level 1 trauma unit, where she was treated for multiple injuries, including hematomas on the abdomen, fractured ribs, and several body bruises and lacerations. The failure mileage was approximately 64,612.

NHTSA ID

11743317

Incident

May 12, 2025

Mileage

64,612 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while stopped, the ABS, Brake, traction control, and several other warning lights flashed on the instrument panel. The contact called the dealer and was informed that the vehicle was safe to drive to the residence, but not for regular daily use. Once the contact was at the residence, the contact repeatedly restarted the vehicle after the warning lights turned off; however, the warning light returned after additional restarts. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the mechanic discovered DTC: 3211, which was related to the ABS solenoid valve malfunction. The contact was informed that the failure did not need immediate service, and the vehicle could be driven for short-range trips; the vehicle was reset, and the warning lights were cleared. The contact stated that upon driving to the residence, the warning lights flashed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was driven back to the dealer where a reset was attempted but failed. The contact was informed that the solenoid valve needed to be replaced; however, the part for the repair was on backorder. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 195,000.

NHTSA ID

11723568

Incident

Mar 5, 2026

Mileage

195,000 mi

I am writing to formally file a complaint regarding a serious safety issue affecting Honda vehicles — specifically the widespread failure of the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) module — and Honda's failure to issue a recall despite extensive evidence and customer reports. A recent YouTube video titled "Why Honda Hasn’t Recalled This Dangerous Problem" [XXX] ) highlights that many Honda owners are experiencing identical issues: ABS warning lights appearing on the dashboard, inconsistent braking behavior, and in some cases, total brake failure. This is a major safety hazard, especially in emergency braking scenarios or on wet or slippery roads. I personally experienced this issue with my own Honda vehicle. After taking it to a Honda dealership, I was quoted $3,000 to replace the defective ABS module — a steep and unfair out-of-pocket expense for what clearly appears to be a design or manufacturing defect. The dealership acknowledged that this is a common problem, yet I was told there is no recall, leaving me with the financial burden and a compromised vehicle. From numerous reports, it's evident that this issue spans across different Honda models and production years. Yet, Honda continues to ignore the risk, even though a faulty ABS system directly compromises vehicle control and passenger safety. I respectfully urge the NHTSA to conduct a formal investigation into these ABS module failures and compel Honda to issue a recall and reimburse affected owners. Allowing these vehicles to remain on the road in unsafe condition poses a danger not only to Honda drivers but to everyone sharing the road with them. Thank you for your attention to this urgent safety matter. Please feel free to contact me if any additional information is needed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11663171

Incident

May 23, 2025

I press down on the gas pedal and it seems to not go. I have the transmission light, the parking light and brake lights on the dashboard

NHTSA ID

11660870

Incident

May 6, 2025

The problem started after sitting and talking on a phone with car running while waiting for groceries. About a week later, I started having on and off electrical system issues. and all the lights came on the dashboard with ABS as the main one. If I locked my trunk over and over it would go away. During this time, I got locked in my car and out of my car. The key would not work properly. The trunk would not lock properly. The brakes would get stuck and I could not release them. The car would not move. This happened on and off for about two weeks. I took it to my mechanic. He ran the diagnostic test and nothing came back. He charged the battery and the problem went away for a couple of weeks. The problem started again and was especially frightening when I could not get out of my car. I took it to the dealer. They told me I needed new locks for the trunk, the door and that the car needed a new computer for the ABS. I told them how is that possible. My mechanic did not find an issue and my car at that time didn't even have 100,000 miles and was a Honda. I switched from Nissan with transmission issues at 130,000 miles to a Honda which has great safety and performance reviews. They said there was no recall. I do not understand how a car with less than 100,000 miles has all of these safety issues that can trap me in the car and not allow me to brake properly at high speeds. I have done research online and find there are many complaints about the computer system ABS sensor online and have heard this from a second mechanic who indicated he was dealing with the same issue for another customer. He disabled my ABS system so I would not continue to have braking issues where it holds or does not seem to release properly, where there are on and off electrical issues with locks, locking, phone, etc. And the Landmark Honda dealer in Alexandria VA wants to charge 3000 for a new computer for a car that is supposed to be safe and reliable and does not even have 100,000 miles.

NHTSA ID

11591131

Incident

Apr 1, 2024

Driving slowly to garage, sudden unintended acceleration and brakes stopped working. My car crashed into the rear wall of the garage. The front end of my car was damaged. The wall of my garage was damaged as well. I went to the doctor due to pain in my chest and arms.

NHTSA ID

11562154

Incident

Dec 21, 2023

The parking brake engages on and off when the car is turned off. There are 3 lights flashing -check engine light -the word “park” - the parking brake light I have had the code read and it says it is the evap canister purge valve which has already been replaced, the light went off temporarily and it’s back on again. The transmission is noisy when accelerating. The purge valve keeps going bad for no apparent reason and the parking brake randomly engaging and disengaging when the car is turned off leads me to believe there is an issue overall with the build of the car. I am worried the emergency brake will engage when driving.

NHTSA ID

11561611

Incident

Nov 9, 2023

Original tires, breaks & shocks were on the vehicle. The dealership told me they were new. I had this car for a year. The car was sold 19,000.00 overpriced and now it's worth 13,000.00.

NHTSA ID

11508258

Incident

Feb 20, 2022

I was driving on a Nevada highway and getting into an off ramp with mild traffic. I attempted to break so I could stop behind another driver and realized my breaks weren't working. I then put my entire body weight on the breaks and they failed to stop or slow down my vehicle. I ended up colliding into the vehicle ahead at 50 mph. Even with an impact of 50mph not a single airbag went off. I sustained head injuries. This could have been lethal. Myself and my passenger could have died. The breaks failed resulting in a collision and the air bags did NOT go off. My vehicle was totaled on the spot and i spent over 7 hours in the hospital due to my vehicles failing to keep me safe. I did reasrch and almost every other 2016 Honda HRV has a recall for the breaks and somehow mine did not when the breaks failure could have killed me.

NHTSA ID

11470320

Incident

May 30, 2022

The contact owns a 2016 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving up an incline an abnormal scraping sound was coming from the vehicle while depressing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted about the issue and the contact was informed of an unknown recall on the transmission. The VIN tool showed no recalls on her vehicle. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11464167

Incident

May 1, 2021

The contact owns a 2016 Honda HR-V. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed several times, but the vehicle failed to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that he veered to the side of the road and rubbed the tires of the vehicle against the curb and the vehicle slowed down. The contact pulled into a parking lot and switched gears to park and the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to his insurance company for assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 61,000.

NHTSA ID

11442546

Incident

Nov 20, 2021

Mileage

61,000 mi

THE ABS IN OUR 2016 HONDA HR-V DOES NOT SEEM TO WORK AT ALL. WHEN ATTEMPTING A HARD STOP, WE HAVE HAD TO PUMP THE BRAKES OURSELVES SINCE THE SYSTEM DOES NOT DO THAT AUTOMATICALLY. RECENTLY, I WAS TRAVELING AT 35 MPH ON A RAIN-SLICK STREET (AFTER HOURS OF RAIN), HIT THE BRAKES TO AVOID A STOPPED VEHICLE AND COULD NOT STOP. I PUMPED THE BRAKES HARD, ONLY SLOWED A BIT, SWERVED AND STILL BUMPED INTO THE CAR AHEAD OF ME.

NHTSA ID

11389224

Incident

Jan 21, 2021

Mileage

83,000 mi

TODAY AT 1:30PM THE CAR COMPLETELY STOPPED. WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED ON THE LIGHTS AND ELECTRONIC PANEL WAS SHOWING IN YELLOW AND FLASHED RAPIDLY. THE CAR COMPLETELY STOPPED, BUT THE LIGHTS AND ELECTRONICS KEPT FLASHING. THE SYSTEMS ON THE ELECTRONIC PANEL KEPT FLASHING AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. ONE WEEK AGO, I NOTICED WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, THE CAR SHOOK AND THE ENGINE STRUGGLED TO START, THE LIGHTS ON THE ELECTRONIC PANEL FLASHED BUT THEY STOPPED AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT I NOTICED THE FLASHING LIGHTS, IN ADDITION, I NOTICED FOR A FEW MONTHS THAT DURING DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL HAS BECOME MORE DIFFICULT TO TURN WHEN I WAS MAKING TURNS. IT WAS AS IF THE CAR HAD NO WOWED STEERING CAPABILITIES AND IT CONTINUED UP TO THIS POINT. ALSO, I NOTICED THAT THE CAR DROVE AS IF IT WAS LOSING ITS BRAKES. I'M SORELY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE IT IS FAIRLY NEW WITH LESS THAN 8200 MILES ON IT. I BOUGHT IT FOR MY RETIREMENT AND NOW I THINK THAT IT WILL BECOME THE EARLY DEATH OF ME. I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE FOR THESE VERY ISSUES AND I NEED MY CAR FIXED ASAP.

NHTSA ID

11375955

Incident

Nov 23, 2020

Mileage

8,150 mi

RIGHT REAR ROTOR HAD GROOVES IN IT AFTER ABOUT 22,000 MILES. BRAKE PADS HAVE A LOT OF MATERIAL LEFT. DON'T KNOW IF THE ROTOR OR THE PADS ARE THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11301730

Incident

Sep 14, 2019

DECEMBER 27, 2019 MY DAUGHTER CAITLYNN WAS DRIVING HER 2016 HRV LX ON IRA HICKS BLVD NEAR 341 EAST IN FT VALLEY GEORGIA. A SEMI-TRUCK PULLING A LOWBOY TRAILER WAS STOP AT A RAIL SPUR CROSSING WITH THE RAIL ARMS DOWN AND RED LIGHTS FLASHING. THE BRAKES FAIL CAUSING HER CAR TO CRASH INTO THE REAR OF THE SEMI-TRUCK. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN THE CRASH. CAITLYNN SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES TO THE FACE AND NECK.

NHTSA ID

11292427

Incident

Dec 27, 2019

Mileage

52,011 mi

THIS IS INDEED WHAT HAPPENED WHY I'M WRITING THIS COMPLAINT CONCERNING MY CAR SAFETY AGAIN FOR THE CAN'T COUNT HOW MANY COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THIS CAR I BOUGHT IN MONTH OF MAY TO JUNE OF YEAR 2016 THIS CAR HONDA HRV 2016 WAS A DISPLAY CAR HAS NO NICE FEATURES IN IT AT ALL ONLY DOOR CONTROLS WHICH ALREADY STOPPED WORKING ONCE THIS PASS WEEK MAKING THIS CAR VERY UNSAFE FOR ME TO DRIVE BUT INITIALLY WHEN I BOUGHT CAR I NOTICED A DENT ON BACK CAR DOOR I JUST FOUND OUT CAR NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN SOLD AS NEW CAR WITH DENT ALREADY TO BE REPAIRED THE PRICE I NOTICED AS WELL OF TWENTY THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS WAS WAY TOO HIGH HIGHEST PRICE I EVER SAW WAS EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS PLEASE HELP ME GET THIS CAR BACK TO DEALERSHIP WHERE IT BELONGS COMMUNITY HONDA IS THE NAME OF THE DEALERSHIP OTHER IMPORTANT PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR WAS THE BRAKE PEDAL DAY TWO RETURN OF CAR TO DEALERSHIP WHEN I SAW ON TELEVISION THAT THIS MAN HAD FIVE DAYS TO RETURN CAR FOR FULL REFUND AND YET HONDA REFUSED TO LET ME RETURN THIS HONDA HRV YEAR 2016 ALSO I CALLED THE ONE RIGHT HUNDRED NUMBER THAT'S UNIVERSAL FOR HONDA AND THEY RELATED THE FRONT SEAT HAD SOME DANGEROUS MATERIAL THE WORD BEGAN WITH THE LETTER P NEVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE I HAVE ASKED SEVERAL TIMES TO RETURN THIS CAR TO THE GENERAL MANAGER AT COMMUNITY HONDA DEALERSHIP IN ORLAND PARK, ILLINOIS WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR THIS CAR IS A HAZARD ON THE ROADS PLEASE QUICKLY HELP ME GET THIS CAR SAFELY BACK TO THEM AND HAVE HONDA REFUND MY MONEY OF ALMOST FOURTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS TODAY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THIS HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE FOR ME MY NAME (XXXX) EMAIL ME WITH FAVORABLE RESPONSE TODAY QUICKLY EMAIL (XXXXX) PLEASE PLEASE HURRY. REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

11230388

Incident

May 18, 2016

CAR'S BREAKS REQUIRE HARD STEP TO FUNCTION AND SEEM TO "FAIL" WHEN BACKING UP IN THE MORNING. SEEMS TO FUNCTION NORMALLY DURING THE REST OF THE DAY. HAVE NOT TESTED FORWARD BREAKS IN MORNING SINCE WE ALWAYS BACK OUT OF DRIVEWAY.

NHTSA ID

11175908

Incident

Jan 15, 2019

Mileage

58,000 mi

I HAVE HAD BOTH REAR CALIPERS FAIL TO INCLUDE THE EPB UNIT. THE RIGHT REAR CALIPER FAILED AT APROX 48K ALONG WITH THE EPB UNIT. THE SECOND, LEFT REAR CALIPER FAILED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH AT APROX 58K WHICH GROUND DOWN THE NEW ROTOR AND BREAK PADS CAUSING THE REPLACEMENT OF BOTH ROTORS AND BREAK PADS. THESE PARTS SHO ULD NOT FAIL AT THIS LOW MILEAGE.

NHTSA ID

11175757

Incident

Feb 6, 2019

Mileage

58,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING 80 MPH WITH THE CRUISE SET I NOTICED THE VEHICLE START TO HEAVILY ACCELERATE. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE CRUISE OFF AND APPLIED THE BRAKE. THE BRAKE DID NO STOP THE CAR FROM ACCELERATING. I MANAGED TO SLOW DOWN ENOUGH TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. ALL DASH BOARD LIGHTS CAME ON. I STARTED THE CAR UP AGAIN AND IT STARTED JERKING AS IF THE BRAKE AND GAS WERE BEING PRESSED AT THE SAME TIME. THE CAR WAS TOWED VIA HONDA CARE.

NHTSA ID

11076481

Incident

Mar 5, 2018

Mileage

46,000 mi

FOOT BRAKE BECOMES FROZEN SOLID AT START UP. UNABLE TO START CAR. I WAS TOLD TO PRESS VERY HARD AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO START CAR. HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TOO. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 9 TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF 2 YEARS. (NEW ISSUE) 2 DAYS AGO I HAD ISSUES TRYING TO START THE CAR UP(THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE BATTERY RELATED) ALL THESE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON (BRAKE, TIRE PRESSURE, ENGINE LIGHT (TOTAL OF 6 LIGHTS) I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE SO I WENT DIRECTLY TO DEALER. I WAS TOLD I HAD RODENT DAMAGE AND THE COST WAS $424. I STILL HAVE NOT PICKED THE CAR UP AS INSURANCE NEEDS TO SEE REPAIRS. I LEARNED THAT HONDA IS NOW INVOLVED W A LAWSUIT DUE TO THE CHANGE FROM PLASTIC WIRE COATING TO SOY BASED PRODUCT WHICH IS DRAWING RODENTS TO FEAST ON WIRING. I CONTACTED CORPORATE AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR THIS UNDER WARRANTY. I.M STILL PAYING OFF A HEFTY LOAN (2 YEARS LEFT) AND I HAVE NO GUARANTEE THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. WHAT A NIGHTMARE. SEEMS TO ME IF COMPANY CREATED THIS ISSUE THEY NEED TO COME UP WITH SOLUTION TO ASSIST CUSTOMERS BECAUSE THIS IS A FINANCIAL NIGHTMARE AS WELL AS A SAFETY NIGHTMARE. HOW DO YOU KNOW YOUR WIRES ARE PARTIALLY EATEN OR IN THE PROCESS OF BEING EATEN WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING. YOU DONT!

NHTSA ID

11074003

Incident

Feb 19, 2018

Mileage

6,780 mi

NOTICEABLE CLUNKING NOISE DURING BRAKING OVER BUMP(S)

NHTSA ID

11003759

Incident

Jun 1, 2017

Mileage

3,700 mi

WHILE DRIVING ON A COSTA MESA STREET AT 30 MILES PER HOUR, THE CAR BRAKES CAME ON HARD WITHOUT ME TOUCHING THE BRAKE PEDALS. ALSO A VOICE FROM THE SPEAKER SYSTEM CAME ON AND SAID: BRAKES ARE SET. THE PROBLEM LASTED FOR ABOUT 3 TO 4 SECONDS AND THEN THE BRAKES WERE RELEASED BY THEMSELVES. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT I WAS DRIVING ON THE STREET WITH VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC AT THAT TIME. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT FREEWAY SPEED, THE CONSEQUENCES COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS, I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED AND I COULD HAVE INJURED OTHERS. I PROCEEDED TO TAKE THE CAR IMMEDIATELY TO HONDA COSTA MESA TO HAVE THEM FIND THE DEFECT AND CORRECT IT. AFTER HONDA COSTA MESA REPAIR FACILITIES KEPT MY CAR FOR THREE DAYS, THEY CALLED ME TO INDICATE THAT THEY HAVE FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH MY HYDRAULIC BRAKES AND THEY DID NOT THINK THE BRAKES COULD DO A HARD BRAKE ALL BY THEMSELVES.. I ASKED THE PERSON WHO CALLED ME IF THEY HAD CHECKED THE ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE FOR POSSIBLE MALFUNCTION. THE PERSON ON THE LINE SOUNDED SURPRISED AT MY QUESTION AND SAID, NO WE DID NOT CHECK THAT, BUT WE CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH YOUR CAR, YOU CAN COME AND PICK IT UP. IT APPEARS THAT HONDA HAS ELIMINATED 100% THE POSSIBILITY OF THE ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE MALFUNCTIONS AND GENERATES THE VOICE SYSTEM TO COME ON THE SPEAKERS WITH A STATEMENT: THE BRAKE IS SET.

NHTSA ID

10968854

Incident

Mar 17, 2017

Mileage

5,100 mi

IN MOTION. COULD NOT STOP AT 2 REDLIGHTS. TOOK IT TO MY GARAGE AND WOULD NOT STOP AGAIN, CAUSING ME TO CRASH THROUGH LAUNDRY ROOM WALL, DEMOLISHING WASHER, DRYER UTILITY SINK ETC.

NHTSA ID

10865827

Incident

Mar 12, 2016

Mileage

67 mi

PEDAL BRAKE MAKES A "CLICK" SOUND WHEN IS PRESSED DRIVING AT OVER 35 MPH. HONDA SERVICE TECH AT LOCAL DEALER SAYS IS EXPECTED AS THE PEDALS HAS LINKS AND SWITCHES AFTER BRAKE PEDAL. LOUDER "CLICK" SOUNDS AT THE AREA OF GEAR SHAFT PLASTIC COVER IN PARKING POSITION WHEN CAR IS STATIONED AND BRAKE PEDAL IS PRESSED. HONDA SERVICE TECH. SAYS IS EXPECTED ONCE THIS MODEL HAS ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE WITH SWITCHES IN THAT AREA. AT FRONT OF THE PASSANGER SIDE IN THE DASHBOARD A VISIBLE LINE THAT RISES A STRUCTURE UNDER THE PLASTIC LINER IN A RECTANGULAR SHAPE WHIT A LINE CROSSIN FROM SIDE TO SIDE, INCREASING ITS APPEARENCE WITH THE HEAT BY SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE. HONDA SERVICE TECH. EXPLAINS IS EXPECTED IN ALL THIS MODELS ONCE THE AIR BAG WOULD DEPLOY THROUGH THAT APPARENT WINDOW WHEN IS PROPERLY TRIGGERED. REAR CAMERA IMAGES SCREEN SPORADICALLY BLURS AND TREMBLE WHEN IS DARK AND LOW OUSIDE ILLUMINATION IS PRESENT. IF WINDOW SWITCH IS DEPPRESSED AT THAT MOMENT EITHER UP OR DOWN AND KEEP EXTRA PRESSING WOULD SHOW IN THE CAMERA SCREEN A LOW AND HIGH DISCRETE ILLUMINATION, LIKE THAT SEEING IN A VOLTAGE VARIATION IN LIGHT BULBS. SINCE ALL SCANS,INSPECTIONS, AND COMPARISONS WITH ALIKE VEHICULES, DONE AT THE LOCAL DEALER SERVICE DEPARMENT, PASSED AS EXPECTED, IS MY PERSONAL CONCERN OF SAFETY AND QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT TO POST AND OR SHARE THIS INFORMATION FOR POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUES THAT MAY ARISE RELATED TO THIS OBSERVATIONS.

NHTSA ID

10781269

Incident

Sep 18, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HONDA HR-V. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A DEEP LINE ON THE ROTORS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 600.

NHTSA ID

10775356

Incident

Jun 30, 2015

Mileage

600 mi