The Mexican-made, American-sold Honda HR-V is a reasonable and practical family crossover with great fuel economy and enough gadgets to keep you entertained while behind the wheel. They also have a very long lifespan. Even though Honda is known for making some of the most reliable cars on the market, all cars come with faults, and the HR-V is no different. In this blog, we will go in-depth about all the issues the HR-V tends to suffer from, but before we do that, here is a quick recap!
2016 and later Honda HR-V models tend to suffer from various powertrain issues, which include issues with the car losing power or accelerating by itself and issues with the transfer case and flywheel. Other issues include electrical issues causing warning lights to illuminate, faulty fuel pumps, and low-quality brakes.
Now it’s time to go more in-depth since we´re going to discuss these problems in greater detail. So, if you are in the market for a 2016 and later Honda HR-V, be sure to read this article!
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Powertrain Issues
The name powertrain refers to a collective of mechanical and certain electrical components which are tasked with pushing your car forward or backward. When some of these fail, it usually means that your car could leave you stranded. These issues include the car either losing power or accelerating without any driver input, all sorts of issues with the transmission, the transfer case, and the flywheel.
The Car Loses Power Or Accelerates By Itself
A few owners of the 2016-2017 Honda HR-V complained that the car started struggling and could not accelerate. This issue also seems to be common on particular 2021 and 2022 models, as all of these drivers complained about the car losing speed even on level ground. These tend to point toward catalytic converter issues or sometimes even to a clogged fuel filter.
Regarding the “car accelerates by itself” issue, it seems like this issue had decent coverage with NHTSA and various Honda owner’s forums for HR-V models made between 2016 and 2019. Believe it or not, the issue seems to be caused by the driver’s floor mat getting stuck and accidentally pressing the acceleration pedal.
Transmission Issues
Transmission-related issues seem extremely common across earlier Honda HR-V models made between 2016 and 2018. A few owners of 2016 and 2017 Honda HR-V models complained about a deteriorated transmission belt.
These also tend to be accompanied by strange noises and excessive vibrations. One owner of a 2016 HR-V said that this issue was also accompanied by severe loss of power and that the car needed a new transmission belt and a computer system update.
Another fairly usual issue with the 2016-2018 Honda HR-V is one where the transmission explodes. It seems like the problem is caused by contaminated transmission fluid, as a few 2016, 2017, and 2018 Honda HR-V models said they found metal shavings within the transmission. If you hear a loud bang and if your engine keeps revving without forwarding motion, chances are that your transmission just blew.
Transfer Case and Flywheel Issues
Issues with the transfer case are often associated with the abovementioned issue, but these can also happen on their own with the 2016-2018 Honda HR-V models. The symptoms are usually strange noises and possible leaks underneath the transfer case location.
On the other hand, a few 2016 and 2017 Honda HR-V owners also complained about flywheel issues where the transmission slips gears, you sense excessive vibrations coming from underneath the car, and the transmission cannot select a gear.
Engine Issues
Even though the engine is technically part of the powertrain system, we will mention engine issues in this separate part so you can understand them a bit easier. These issues include problems where rodents can eat away at your engine wiring harness, as reported for some 2018 models.
Apparently, Honda used soy-based materials to make the engine harness. Sadly, this repair was not covered by a 3-month-old warranty, but Honda did offer to sell repellant covers.
The 2018 Honda HR-V is often plagued by a vehicle speed control sensor that prevents you from going over 15mph. However, some data indicates that these issues were also reported for the 2017 and 2019 HR-V models.
Electrical Issues
Electrical issues are common in all modern cars because an abundance of technology typically leads to many electrical issues. The most common ones include problems with the start/stop button, the gauge cluster lights, the infotainment system, and the door locks.
Start/Stop Button Issues
Electrical issues might be the most common in the 2016-2022 Honda HR-V models. The most common and downright stressful problem with various 2016, 2017, and 2018 Honda HR-V models is one where the start/stop button fails to either start or turn the car off.
Some say this issue is down to a weak battery that comes with the key fob. Therefore, many owners said this issue was resolved when they replaced the battery in the key fob.
However, one owner of a 2017 Honda HR-V said that his 12V lighter also stopped functioning while the start/stop button failed to start the car. It is said that these can also be down to the car’s battery which ought to be replaced if the key fob battery replacement does not solve the issue entirely.
Instrument Cluster Lights Flashing
We also need to discuss a particular issue reported for the newest 2022 Honda HR-V and the older 2016 and 2019 HR-V models. Owners complained about the car flashing all of its instrument cluster warning lights, preventing the car’s electrical systems from operating. It seems like this issue is down to a faulty vehicle stability assist modulator module, which will have to be replaced to solve this issue.
To make matters worse, two 2022 Honda HR-V owners reported that their cars locked their brakes on their own while many of the instrument cluster lights flashed. It is not 100% clear whether these two issues are related, but similar symptoms suggest that.
Infotainment System Goes Blank
The 2019 Honda HR-V comes with a reasonably well-designed and responsive infotainment system that houses a whole host of functions needed to operate the car fully. However, one owner stated that the entire infotainment screen went blank after the car went over a speed bump.
This issue was also reported for the 2016 HR-V, and it seems like specific intermittent connectors were the cause, as these could disconnect while going over a bump.
Either way, one owner reported he successfully solved this issue by disconnecting the negative battery cable for 30 minutes and plugging it back in afterward.
Door Locks Failing
One owner of a 2019 Honda HR-V stated that upon reaching his destination, he tried to lock all the doors, but the HR-V stubbornly refused to after giving up a while later. He also adds that the automatic parking brake had failed. The car was taken to a Honda dealership, but no specific issue was diagnosed nor repaired, as the dealership could not replicate the issue.
Fuel System Issues
Fuel system issues are sadly common with the HR-V, especially 2016, 2018, and 2019 models, but other model years are likely to suffer from similar issues. These include a failed fuel pump and even potential fuel leaks.
Also read: The Types Of Gas A Honda HR-V Takes (Explained)
Fuel Pump Failure
If you hear any whining noises from the fuel tank or have continuous difficulty starting up the car, chances are that your fuel pump is to blame. This was also why Honda recalled specific 2018, 2019, and 2020 Honda HR-V models, as a failed fuel pump can leave you stranded or even cause your car to stall while driving at higher and lower speeds. These recalls go as follows:
- 20V314000: Honda recalled specific 2018-2019 Honda HR-V models back in May of 2020 due to faulty low-pressure fuel pumps, which could fail while driving and cause the car to stall.
- 21V215000: Honda recalled specific 2019-2020 Honda HR-V models back in March of 2021 due to faulty low-pressure fuel pumps, which could fail while driving and cause the car to stall.
Fuel Leaks
One owner of a 2016 Honda HR-V complained about a problem with the fuel tank assembly in which the car seemed to have leaked fuel and left a large puddle of fuel underneath. Another owner complained about strong fuel odors around the car, and it looks like these were down to fuel injectors that were leaking fuel, especially when it’s cold.
Issues With The Brakes
Various 2016, 2018, and 2019 Honda HR-V owners reported problems where even a fully depressed brake pedal led to zero braking, which even caused accidents in certain situations.
Owners of 2017 Honda HR-V models said they were involved in accidents where the car failed to engage the brakes, and the steering wheel locked itself. These issues resulted in Honda recalling specific 2016-2019 Honda HR-V models back in November of 2018 (18V777000) due to insufficient coating on the brake caliper.
We also need to mention that a few 2021 Honda HR-V owners complained about the car engaging brakes while driving on the highway for no apparent reason. One owner took the car to a dealership, but the car was not fixed because the dealership could not duplicate the issue. Be that as it may, some HR-V owners state that this issue is down to a faulty emergency auto-braking system.
Conclusion
Any vehicle can have common problems. Whether you’re dealing with the budget-friendly Honda HR-V or the luxury Mercedes CLA there’s no vehicle without issue. But knowing what’s coming can make all the difference and you should now feel more prepared for everything your HR-V can throw your way.
If you’re looking to pick up a used HR-V sometimes soon, check out our list of the 50 largest Honda dealers with every state on the list.
Marko´s interest in cars runs in the family. His father was a car trader and regularly took him to car dealerships when he was younger.
These days, when he isn´t watching Drivetribe or Doug DeMuro videos, he´s building up quite a resume as an automotive writer since he´s also a regular contributor on Cararc.com, Tirehungry.com, and Luxurycarsa2z.com.