[HRV_Rob]

Having the same issue… We have a 2016 HRV, never had any issues with water in the rear gate until yesterday. I went to close the hatch and heard the slosh! I live in Portland, OR and we had record rainfall the past few days that might have something to do with it. I had an issue with our sunroof leaking last year into the floor board that was an easy fix I cleaned out the drain plugs in the sunroof opening, haven’t had a problem since. The rear gate is a new one I also noticed today water building up inside the right side taillight. I will call Honda to let them know I’m having the same issue and reference this forum doubt they’ll help but doesn’t hurt to try! I’ll check out the suggestions y’all have given in this discussion and report back on what I find.

 

[Hadleys Taxi]

Just a suggestion for those experiencing water filling the rear hatch.

Take the rear hatch interior plastic trim off and line the interior with tissue paper or something similar. Get a pressure washer and give the rear hatch from the rear screen down a 5 - 10 minute going over with the pressure washer. Leave it a while and then remove the rear interior panel and see if there is any water on the tissue. If there is, then the issue may lie with either the body coloured plastic panel directly below the rear screen (with the Honda logo) being loose, or the seal between the rear screen and that panel.

There was an issue with the hatchback variant of my last vehicle where rain water would build up in the gap between the rear screen and bodywork, this would run into the interior of the car whenever the hatch was raised. Some people reported the water eventually ended up in the spare wheel well, whilst others stated it managed to find its way into the rear panel resulting in issues with rear lights, or a musty smell. It was recommended to either fill the gap with a silicone sealant which seemed to work, or open the hatch very s-l-o-w-l-y to allow the water build up time to run off before it got into the interior.

If no joy with that, repeat all of the above, but concentrate the pressure washer around the rear spoiler and see if the tissue is damp or not. When I first purchased the car I found it a little disconcerting to see just how much I could get the rear spoiler to wiggle whilst cleaning the car. It was one of the main reasons I got a tow bar fitted, as there was no way I could trust the spoiler it to support the weight of my two bikes on a conventional rear hatch bike rack.

Well aware that all of the above will be a right PITA, however, if you are currently not getting any joy with Honda, then the problem is not going to go away, unless you sell or trade the car. If any of the above do prove what the cause is, then it will provide you with the opportunity to take your vehicle straight round to Honda and hopefully get them to address the issue on more favourable terms; repair, compensation, extended warranty, better trade in, or what ever floats your boat.

 

[Nannica]

I am having the same problem. I bought the car new in July 2016 and for the past 2 months I am having this problem. It’s very frustrating.

 

[CalgaryHRV]

I used silicone sealant in this area and problem solved : )

^^ My wife somehow popped loose that same plastic hatch panel below the rear window the other day.
She said her hand slipped off the hatch release button/handle.

I removed it fully, cleaned it all up, replaced a couple of the green plastic clip/fasteners and had a close look at the hatch.
Just like the rear hatch spoiler, it's all very cheap and chintzy.
IMO, the entire HRV rear hatch is very cheap and chintzy.

Neither the hatch rear spoiler nor that rear plastic panel under the rear window are designed to prevent water from getting under them.
But there are plenty of ways for water to get into the rear hatch and flow directly over rear hatch taillights once water gets under them.
There are numerous holes for the clips, numerous other holes, plus once water gets under that rear plastic panel, it's running directly to the rear hatch taillights.

Preventing water from getting under the rear spoiler and that rear plastic panel is the 1st step for preventing water getting into the rear hatch and the hatch taillights.
While sealing the top edges of the rear spoiler and the plastic panel with silicone sealer is simple, getting those parts off in the future would be a challenge.

We have never had water in our rear hatch nor any of the rear taillights but when we bought our used 2016 HRV 2 years ago, I put peel and stick foam on the top edge of the rear spoiler to prevent rattling and looseness.
I just did the same with the plastic panel under the rear window. 1/4" wide, 1/4" thick foam weather stripping on the top edge.
Good quality closed cell dark grey foam, comes on a roll from Home Depot.
This prevents most water from getting underneath but you can still remove the panels for service.

The rear hatch spoiler is easy to remove but has unique plastic clips/fasteners. Call your local Honda dealer to make sure they have local stock before attempting to remove the rear spoiler.
The plastic panel under the rear window uses the standard green plastic clips which are readily available.

Of course this won't help with water getting into the main rear taillights on the quarter panels.

 

[Hadleys Taxi]

It doesn't take much pressure to make the tailgate wobble when I'm wiping down the edges during cleaning.

As for water ingress in the rear quarter lights, I removed them when installing the rear indicators. I'm not sure if it was foam patches installed at the factory to prevent them running against the bodywork, or whether dirt and debris had managed to work its way in, but there was quite a build up of crud around the screw holes and various other locations there. I cleaned it up and I now pay particular attention there when cleaning the car to ensure no water or dirt gets in.

One other thing I noticed when I removed the light cluster it would appear either the factory didn't do a good enough job whilst painting, or someone had scratched it, however, there was at least a 1cm bare metal area in the rear quarter light indent in the bodywork. This has now been dealt with.

 

[Patrick48]

I'm having this same problem. Bought a 2016 used 18 months ago and have just now heard a lot of water in the hatch door.
If I took the spoiler off, do I then have to seal the holes from the pins?

I had this problem. Dealer says the leak(s) were around the taillights, bad seal. Fix was $1000 ne lights!

 

[Lunatrix]

I had this problem. Dealer says the leak(s) were around the taillights, bad seal. Fix was $1000 ne lights!

In the 85 previous posts in this thread, several members have successfully remedied and documented their methods for alleviating this problem. Paying the dealer $1 thou is no guarantee that it will ultimately solve the problem. Examine the more practical, and less expensive, solutions previously documented.

 

[Dr Honda]

Having the same issue… We have a 2016 HRV, never had any issues with water in the rear gate until yesterday. I went to close the hatch and heard the slosh! I live in Portland, OR and we had record rainfall the past few days that might have something to do with it. I had an issue with our sunroof leaking last year into the floor board that was an easy fix I cleaned out the drain plugs in the sunroof opening, haven’t had a problem since. The rear gate is a new one I also noticed today water building up inside the right side taillight. I will call Honda to let them know I’m having the same issue and reference this forum doubt they’ll help but doesn’t hurt to try! I’ll check out the suggestions y’all have given in this discussion and report back on what I find.

I know this may be a little late but on 3 HRV's now I have found the flexible wiring loom grommet at fault either partially out/lifted or cracked and deformed.... Pics attached(2015 hrv) but before removing panels pop this out on the body side clean and dry cover with white ceramic grease pop back and wipe clean.... Job done! probably easiest port of call without striping things apart . also know fault high level center brake light wiring loom grommet too!. Good luck. pic 1 grommet not secure and letting in water right under the water gutter. 2 Clean grommet and surface 3 Spray with white grease fit and wipe off.

 

[Martin375]

^^ My wife somehow popped loose that same plastic hatch panel below the rear window the other day.
She said her hand slipped off the hatch release button/handle.

I removed it fully, cleaned it all up, replaced a couple of the green plastic clip/fasteners and had a close look at the hatch.
Just like the rear hatch spoiler, it's all very cheap and chintzy.
IMO, the entire HRV rear hatch is very cheap and chintzy.

Neither the hatch rear spoiler nor that rear plastic panel under the rear window are designed to prevent water from getting under them.
But there are plenty of ways for water to get into the rear hatch and flow directly over rear hatch taillights once water gets under them.
There are numerous holes for the clips, numerous other holes, plus once water gets under that rear plastic panel, it's running directly to the rear hatch taillights.

Preventing water from getting under the rear spoiler and that rear plastic panel is the 1st step for preventing water getting into the rear hatch and the hatch taillights.
While sealing the top edges of the rear spoiler and the plastic panel with silicone sealer is simple, getting those parts off in the future would be a challenge.

We have never had water in our rear hatch nor any of the rear taillights but when we bought our used 2016 HRV 2 years ago, I put peel and stick foam on the top edge of the rear spoiler to prevent rattling and looseness.
I just did the same with the plastic panel under the rear window. 1/4" wide, 1/4" thick foam weather stripping on the top edge.
Good quality closed cell dark grey foam, comes on a roll from Home Depot.
This prevents most water from getting underneath but you can still remove the panels for service.

The rear hatch spoiler is easy to remove but has unique plastic clips/fasteners. Call your local Honda dealer to make sure they have local stock before attempting to remove the rear spoiler.
The plastic panel under the rear window uses the standard green plastic clips which are readily available.

Of course this won't help with water getting into the main rear taillights on the quarter panels.

Pictures of the product you used and the areas you sealed would be helpful.

 

[CalgaryHRV]

Pictures of the product you used and the areas you sealed would be helpful.

1/4" wide, 1/4" thick foam weather stripping on the top edge.
Good quality closed cell dark grey foam, comes on a roll from Home Depot.

^^ I typed 1/4" wide on my above post but I'm sure it was 1/2" wide.
Home Depot/Lowes/Canadian Tire weather-stripping department.


The hatch spoiler is tricky plus it uses very unique push pins to hold it in place.
Call your local Honda dealer parts department to see if they have some of the spoiler push pins in stock locally before removing the hatch spoiler.
Also make sure you have a roll of duct tape to tape up all the holes in case you have to drive the car without the hatch spoiler installed.

Closely examining the rear hatch assembly really shows where Honda cut costs on the HRV.

 

[Mark]

I’ve had the water in the back hatch for almost two years. I just unscrew the two rubber stoppers, and I drain it once a month or so.

Today I was detailing the car. I pulled all of the plastic covers off, and had my neighbor spray the car with a hose. It’s coming in around the tail lights. I’m gonna remove the lights and just caulk around the openings.

if you could actually see the amount of water that comes in with light water being applied with a hose.

 

[mad2heal]

I took mine to the dealer and was told it's not covered under my warranty because I was outside my warranty period. The told me my driver side tail light needed silicone to be sealed.. Wanted to charged me $300 to do it. I said no. I'd do it. Problem is that one of the bolts is very hard to get to. I did discover that if you unscrew the rubber stoppers at the bottom of the tailgate, the water will drain out.

Yeah, I do the same for now unless there is something else to try...?

 

[Martin375]

There are supposed to be drain holes (or slots) in the bottom of the rear hatch (and side doors too, for that matter) that allow water to drain out. Over time, debris such as pollen can block these drains.

They should be in the inside seam indicated by the arrows.
View attachment 30189
You could verify that they are clean by inserting a pipe cleaner into them (WAIT! Are pipe cleaners still available? 🤨 ) or a plastic zip-tie.

This is one of the best tips so far. I too have the sloshing water in the hatch. It triggers the car alarm until it dries out. I pulled the two rubber stoppers where indicated and they were definitely wet (I was away for a week so most of the water had obviously trickled out and the car alarm is working again). Is there any reason we can't leave these stoppers out permanently so the rain water can't accumulate? Not sure if there will be metal-on-metal without the stoppers.

 

[SSRICH]

So here is the reason the HRV rear hatch leaks excluding damage and other things that would make checking the tail lights or removing the spoiler a consideration. I did all that myself as well with no success. It’s the windshield wiper motor. The shaft goes through a gromet in the rear glass. $32 from honda. Not difficult to replace since we have had everything apart already. The wiper shaft wears out the grommet which on the outside of the window forms a cup shape. This holds water when it rains. It then runs down the wiper motor shaft into tie hatch. Water Builds up in the hatch lock latch on the floor and runs into the spare tire well. This gromet has no lubrication at all and actually corroded the wiper motor shaft. I steel wooled it clean. Put dielectric grease on shaft and grommet. No more leaks since. Hope this helps

 

[SylvainQuebec]

So here is the reason the HRV rear hatch leaks excluding damage and other things that would make checking the tail lights or removing the spoiler a consideration. I did all that myself as well with no success. It’s the windshield wiper motor. The shaft goes through a gromet in the rear glass. $32 from honda. Not difficult to replace since we have had everything apart already. The wiper shaft wears out the grommet which on the outside of the window forms a cup shape. This holds water when it rains. It then runs down the wiper motor shaft into tie hatch. Water Builds up in the hatch lock latch on the floor and runs into the spare tire well. This gromet has no lubrication at all and actually corroded the wiper motor shaft. I steel wooled it clean. Put dielectric grease on shaft and grommet. No more leaks since. Hope this helps

Found the leak before reading this post and after removing the hatch plastic panel you could tell from the dried up spots that water was coming in from the wiper grommet.
Added a small rubber grommet on both sides with lots of Mountain bike grease (good for plastics and rubber).
Solved !

 

[SFN]

View attachment 32542 View attachment 32543
I used silicone sealant in this area and problem solved : )

Nice! How has it held up? Any leaks? What kind of silicon should I look for, outdoor only I would assume, but what brand? Thank you.

 

[kmayfield2020]

Found this same problem today with our 2016 Honda HRV. Major sloshing after days of heavy rain. Absolutely crazy. I pulled the L shape plug at the bottom of the hatch and most ran out but not all. I will try the two on the sides tomorrow. I cannot believe there hasn't been a recall.

 

[SSRICH]

While using silicone may help this issue I think it may be a Band aid fix. If I were to make a repair by not replacing the gromet I would use the grease method as silicone with dry and create friction for the motor. I would get waterproof grease. Remove wiper arm and kind of pack the cup area where the shaft comes through. You may want to remove the interior hatch pannel and put grease on back side as well. I feel at this point you should then just replace the grommet. But anyway I get it. You may be able to get grease under the wiper arm without removing it. The wiper arm is press fit on and hard to get off. I improvised a puller to get it off. Let me know how it works out.
be well

 

[Richardgerardi]

Has anyone had any water accumulation in the rear hatch door? When opening and closing the hatch we can hear water sloshing around. We pulled one of the panel clips loose and were able to drain off most of the water any ideas out there?

Yes same happened to me. It caused the locks to fail and turned the alarm on. I just cleaned the rubber at the door and it helped.

 

[erwingirl2006]

Has anyone had any water accumulation in the rear hatch door? When opening and closing the hatch we can hear water sloshing around. We pulled one of the panel clips loose and were able to drain off most of the water any ideas out there?

I have had the same thing happen recently. We had severe, almost continuous rain for several days and water started leaking out when I lifted the trunk door. I went thru a car wash a couple of days ago and I hear the water again but can't get it to drain. This is the first time this has happened.