2016 Honda HR-V Electrical System
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
The instrument panel that shows the odometer is blank when the temperature is cold (usually below 60 degrees). It seems to be a very common issue.
The information display panel on the instrument cluster goes blank or gibberish when it is cooler outside. The car does this when it is cold. After the car warms up it gets better. This looks to be a common problem
My daughters 2016 Honda HRV (59k) has continual electrical issues. First it's the battery sensor $617. Then the keyless access control module $1100 but given a discount. Something is also wrong with the heated seat it burned a hole in the seat. Honda says it's 10 years old it's gonna start falling apart. Numerous complaints online with all of the electrical issues mentioned and the service manager says Honda doesn't have to issue recalls until there's class action lawsuit filed for vehicles. All of this stuff has happened in the last 8 months.
I am having difficulties with my engine push start/stop button. It takes multiple tries to get the car to turn on. There is a recall for my exact car, year, and model but my vin is not included. I am wondering how I am able to get my vin included in the recall? Thank you very much for you help!!
Instrument cluster fuel gauge become garbled or blank (lower right side). Happens more often when the outside temperature drops. This has been happening for years now but corrects itself when the engine has warmed. There are multiple complaints on the Honda forums and complaints issued with NHTSA also for this issue.
Whenever it is cold, 45 degrees or colder, the right front display goes black. This is the display that gives fuel in fuel tank amount, mileage, and rpm. The display stays black until the car heats up, and this can be as long a 20-30 minutes. This is a dangerous situation, because you do not know how much fuel is in your tank. Additionally, if it turns out that you have low fuel, you risk running out of gas and being stuck in cold weather. Other issues can occur as well. This problem is widely reported online, and Honda has apparently done nothing. I went to my local Honda dealer and spoke to two people. The first one brushed me off and treated me as if it was "too bad." The second person was nicer, acknowledged that she had heard of the problem. Further, this apparently affects latter HRV's as well. Please do something and make Honda fix this known problem.
Won’t display mileage/gas guage during temps below 65 degrees.
Door lock actuators fail in quick succession (at only 60K miles). Vehicle can not be opened quickly from outside as, except for the driver's door, there is no physical keyhole. Replaced remote batteries, no change. Took it to Honda service. They diagnosed and replaced two actuators ($700+). A third one failed a month later. US Honda says the vehicle is off warranty. As far as I can tell, the replacement actuators are the same as the failing ones so I expect they will fail again.
The screen that presents the odometer, temperature, and other travel metrics for the HR-V becomes scrambled and flashes in and out. This is a distraction while driving and appears to reflect a malfunctioning electrical issue. I am concerned that my vehicle may be a danger to drive and not properly record mileage and/or pass inspection. My understanding that this is a very common issue with HR-Vs but that Honda will not acknowledge or correct this issue.
Bad BCM in the HRV cause the vehicle to stall out. Also the vehicle ignition process would turn on while the vehicle was off in the garage posing a fire risk
Dashboard went blank and it was determined that the Gauge Control Unit malfunctioned. Brought it to Honda - the cost to repair was $2098.62. This should not happen to a 2016 HRV with only 24000 miles!
My push to start and key fobs have both stopped working intermittently. I have had my battery replaced. There are times when I cannot start my car.
The front dash with electronic optometry, mileage, and gas gage will flicker and delay coming up clearly it is more noticeable in cooler climates.
Cars on/off push button doesn't always turn on with key fob! Turns on then shuts off sometimes! Key indicator light on dash turned on! Notified dealership. Ohio Valley Honda brought it down to shop. They give me run around even though there is a bulletin out. It might stop as I'm driving.
Dashboard light goes dark when driving, I’m told by Honda it is a cluster malfunction not under warranty or recall, my vehicle has under 14,000 miles original owner.also the tire light indicator stays on
My push start button isn't working properly. It takes several times pushing the button for it to start my vehicle. Very frustrating!!
Pressing the start button isn't automatically turning on or off the car. I have to keep pressing it in order for it to do either. I can't rely on the vehicle if the start button isn't doing what it should do. This has been happening consistently for about 2 months now. The consumer stated he wanted to rescind the complaint, the vehicle is under warranty and will be taken into the dealer to be fixed.
The start button does not turn on or turn off the vehicle. Unable to rely on the vehicle. Service states to replace the FOB that did not alleviate the issue.
THE START/STOP BUTTON STOPS WORKING. LEFT ME STRANDED AWAY FROM HOME. BATTERY IN KEY FOB WAS REPLACED AND CAR BATTERY IS NEW. THE BUTTON HAS TO BE PRESSED MULTIPLE TIMES TO START THE CAR. THE BUTTON HAS STOPPED TURNING OFF THE CAR AS WELL. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO PRESS THE BUTTON TO TURN OFF THE CAR ARE NEEDED AS WELL.
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THE THIRD ONE TO THE RIGHT MILEAGE GAS FILL UP DECODES AT YOU WHEN IT'S COLD OR WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING START A HAPPENING WHEN I REACH 20,000 MILES HAD THE CAR SINCE 2016
AS I TRY TO START CAR USING PUSH BUTTON STARTER, ROOF LIGHTS, DASH LIGHTS, AND TOUCH SCREEN STARTS FLASHING AND BEEPING. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE AND THIS TIME IT WAS 2 WEEKS AFTER A SERVICE WHERE EVERYTHING WAS CHECKED.
A DAY AGO, MY SON WAS STRANDED AT OUR LOCAL WALMART ABOUT 6 MILES AWAY AT MIDNIGHT. HE GOT IN THE HRV AND IT WOULD NOT START. I CHANGED THE BATTERY AND STILL NO START. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE BATTERY TERMINAL WHICH LOOKS LIKE IT HAS FUSES CONNECTED TO IT. THE COST TO REPLACE THE PART IS OVER $300. I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR 60 DAYS AGO. MY SON COULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED 100 MILES AWAY FROM HOME BECAUSE OF A DEFECT IN THE ELECTRICAL BATTERY TERMINAL CABLES. I WAS TOLD THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY WITH THE HONDA VEHICLES WITH THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM. YET THERE ARE NO RECALLS OR FIXES. HONDA JUST WANTS THEIR CUSTOMERS TO KEEP BUYING NEW CABLES???
SMART START WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON, CAR HESITATED, BUT DID EVENTUALLY START. THREE TIMES IN THE NEXT FOUR DAYS, OVER A WEEKEND (OF COURSE), THE VEHICLE HESITATED BEFORE STARTING AGAIN AND AGAIN, TWICE AT NIGHT IN A DARK PARKING LOT! TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED AND HAS HAD ALL MAINTENANCE WORK PERFORMED. THEY REPLICATED THE PROBLEM, "INSPECTED AND FOUND CODE B12C5 STORED IN THE PCM. DIAGNOSED AND FOUND A *DEFECTIVE* ENGINE START/STOP SWITCH." IN EVERY INSTANCE, THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, IN PARK, ON A LEVEL, DRY SURFACE. SINCE THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY BY ONE YEAR AND 10,000 MILES, I HAD TO PAY TO REPLACE A DEFECTIVE PART!
WHEN PRESSING THE PUSH START/STOP IGNITION SWITCH IN MY CAR , THE CAR WILL NOT START NOR STOP THE ENGINE. REPEATED PRESSING ON THE SWITCH AND THE BRAKE IS REQUIRED FOR THE VEHICLE TO START AND STOP.THE FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH SIGN HAS BEEN COMING ON AND OFF ON MY DASHBOARD FOR THE PAST 5-6 MONTHS. I HAVE CHANGED THE CAR BATTERY AND THE BATTERY IN MY KEY FOB IN THE LAST MONTH HOPING THAT THIS WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. IT WAS DIAGNOSED BY THE HONDA DEALER ON 09/12/20 THAT THE PROBLEM LIES WITH THE PUSH BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH. DUE TO THE TREMENDOUS DEMAND FOR THIS SWITCH THIS PART IS ON BACK ORDER, WHICH POINTS TO THE FACT THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HONDA HR-V. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE USING THE PUSH TO START/STOP BUTTON, SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE NEEDED TO START AND SOMETIMES TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SMART ENTRY SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AND THE CONTACT INFORMED THAT THE START/STOP SWITCH ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A LOCAL DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND WAS AWAITING A CALL BACK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 51,961. *BF CONSUMER SAYS THAT LOCAL DEALER DID NOT CONTACT THEM. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DAVE'S IMPORT SERVICE, INC (MEDFORD, OR) ON 06/19/20 AND REPAIRED. *DL
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2016 Honda HR-V has 30 Electrical System complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.