OEM battery failures. Car would not start. Stopped on city street. Safety issue. Failed at home too. Manufacturer defect.
2016 Honda CR-V electrical problems
severe 58 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $850 · see electrical across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
58
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$850
5crashes
2fires
1injury
When does it fail?
Of the 58 electrical complaints filed for the 2016 Honda CR-V, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Owners have filed 58 electrical complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
No new NHTSA electrical complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 8 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
What owners are reporting 8 most recent
Vehicle was sitting idle at a stop light, after being driven for approximately 15 minutes at speeds ranging from 25-50mph. The instrument panel flashed, then went dark, though the vehicle was still running with no other issues immediately noted. Driver pulled into a parking lot about 300' away, put the vehicle into park, and upon exiting saw fire coming from the front of the engine compartment.…
Unknown electrical problem. Both headlights will go out simultaneously without warning while driving. Frequent malfunction of running lamps, headlamps, break lamps.
The rear trunk release switch does not work once the outside temperature falls below about 40 degrees fahrenheit. And there is no inside trunk release so the trunk cannot be accessed for about 3-4 months of the year due to cold weather.
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…
Lock-out with key fob inside the car, car was not running, parked at work. The car basically 'locked' me out when I put my purse and keys into the car, opened the hood so I could fill the wiper fluid reservoir , closed the door to get wiper fluid out of the back and the car locked the doors. According to the locksmith that opened my car, this is a well known problem - and not just with Honda…
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.
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…
Had electrical trouble with your 2016 Honda CR-V?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the electrical problem on the 2016 Honda CR-V?
It's a meaningful issue. 58 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $850.
At what mileage does the electrical typically fail?
Across the 27 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most electrical failures cluster between 11,600 and 40,000 miles, with the median around 25,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 11,600; a quarter make it past 40,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $850 for electrical repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to electrical?
No active recalls currently cover electrical issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2016/Honda/CR-V.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.