Honda CR-V Reliability
Quick answer
The Honda CR-V has 2.65 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold across the 2015–2022 model years. In CarWhere's ranking of 26 SUVs by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022, serious complaints weighted double and adjusted for vehicle age), the CR-V places 10th: a lower complaint rate than most. Across model years 2008–2026, owners filed 12,733 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and the electrical system, and NHTSA lists 48 recall campaigns. CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2015, 2017–2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024 as years to avoid. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
By CarWhere Research · Last reviewed 2026-11-10 · Source: NHTSA
2.65
Complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022)
12,733
NHTSA owner complaints (2008–2026)
48
Recall campaigns
7
Years to avoid
Most-reported Honda CR-V problems
NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2008–2026, by the component owners named, filed 2008–2026. A complaint can name more than one component. The last three columns count complaints that report a crash, a fire or an injury.
| Component | Complaints | Share | Crash | Fire | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 2,294 | 18% | 53 | 22 | 24 |
| Electrical system | 1,835 | 14% | 47 | 16 | 29 |
| Steering | 1,786 | 14% | 41 | 0 | 22 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 1,425 | 11% | 56 | 0 | 56 |
| Air bags | 1,394 | 11% | 212 | 4 | 152 |
| Fuel / propulsion system | 1,236 | 10% | 28 | 7 | 14 |
| Service brakes | 902 | 7% | 149 | 2 | 65 |
| Powertrain / transmission | 871 | 7% | 41 | 3 | 19 |
Of all 12,733 complaints, 575 (5%) report a crash, 54 (0%) a fire and 368 (3%) an injury.
For 2020-and-newer models (2,849 complaints), the most-reported areas are steering (952), automatic emergency braking (432), the electrical system (290), the engine (276).
Honda CR-V complaints by model year
Where problems concentrate. Year flags come from CarWhere's years-to-avoid analysis, which compares each CR-V model year with the model's other years. The full year-by-year verdicts are on the years-to-avoid page.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 963 | 11 | Air bags | — |
| 2009 | 386 | 12 | Air bags | — |
| 2010 | 483 | 15 | Air bags | — |
| 2011 | 555 | 13 | Air bags | — |
| 2012 | 403 | 3 | Engine | — |
| 2013 | 382 | 2 | Engine | — |
| 2014 | 588 | 1 | Engine | — |
| 2015 | 674 | 3 | Engine | Avoid |
| 2016 | 395 | 3 | Engine | — |
| 2017 | 1,781 | 7 | Engine | Avoid |
| 2018 | 2,166 | 5 | Engine | Avoid |
| 2019 | 1,108 | 8 | Forward collision avoidance | Avoid |
| 2020 | 448 | 9 | Forward collision avoidance | — |
| 2021 | 448 | 5 | Steering | Avoid |
| 2022 | 351 | 6 | Steering | — |
| 2023 | 634 | 8 | Steering | Avoid |
| 2024(new) | 485 | 5 | Steering | Avoid |
| 2025(new) | 296 | 5 | Steering | — |
| 2026(new) | 187 | 2 | Electrical system | — |
Raw counts are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints. Years marked "new" have had less than three years on the road. — = not flagged either way.
Honda CR-V recalls
NHTSA lists 48 recall campaigns across Honda CR-V model years 2008–2026. The ones below cover the most model years. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Model years | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23V858000Dec 19, 2023 | 2013–2023 | Fuel system — delivery / fuel pump | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight,… |
| 26V332000May 22, 2026 | 2017–2022 | Air bags — sensor / occupant classification / front passenger | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight,… |
| 26V663000Oct 9, 2026 | 2023–2026 | Tires — temporary/emergency spare tire | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2026 CR-V Hybrid, Accord Hybrid, and 2025 CR-V Fuel Cell EV vehicles that were previously remedied under NHTSA recall number 26V366. When using the tire repair kit, pressure may… |
| 26V366000Jun 5, 2026 | 2023–2026 | Tires — temporary/emergency spare tire | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2026 CR-V Hybrid, Accord Hybrid, and 2025-2026 CR-V Fuel Cell EV vehicles. When using the tire repair kit, pressure may build within the sealant bottle, causing the bottle cap to… |
| 23V228000Mar 30, 2023 | 2008–2011 | Body structure — frame and members | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2007-2011 CR-V vehicles that were sold, or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,… |
Best and worst CR-V years
- Years to avoid: 2015, 2017–2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024.
- No model year stands out as clearly better than the rest.
- 2024–2026: too new to judge fully; complaint counts are still building.
Honda CR-V years to avoid: the verdict for every model year →
What to inspect on a used Honda CR-V
Based on the components owners report most. None of these replaces an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Steering: check for a steering warning light, heavy or notchy steering and clunks over bumps; power-steering faults show up at low speed.
- Driver aids: ask about false automatic-braking events and check for warning messages on the dash.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
- Recalls: check the VIN for open recalls; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any Honda CR-V can be better or worse than the model's record. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
Honda CR-V reliability FAQ
Is the Honda CR-V reliable?
The Honda CR-V has 2.65 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold across the 2015–2022 model years. In CarWhere's ranking of 26 SUVs by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022, serious complaints weighted double and adjusted for vehicle age), the CR-V places 10th: a lower complaint rate than most. Across model years 2008–2026, owners filed 12,733 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and the electrical system, and NHTSA lists 48 recall campaigns. CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2015, 2017–2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024 as years to avoid. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
What are the most common Honda CR-V problems?
In NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2008–2026, the most-reported areas are the engine (2,294), the electrical system (1,835), steering (1,786) and automatic emergency braking (1,425). For 2020-and-newer models, the most-reported areas are steering, automatic emergency braking and the electrical system. One complaint can name more than one component, and complaints are unverified owner reports.
What years of the Honda CR-V should you avoid?
CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2015, 2017–2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024 as years to avoid. Each model year is compared only with other CR-V years: complaints are adjusted for time on the road, and serious ones (engine, transmission, brakes, steering, fuel system, or a reported crash, fire or injury) count double, with a smaller adjustment for recall campaigns.
How long does a Honda CR-V last?
In CarWhere's lifespan study, 2.9% of 42,498 used CR-V listings in the US had passed 200,000 miles and 12.2% had passed 150,000. Among those 10+ years old, 9.5% are past 200,000 miles. Maintenance history matters more than the model average for any one car.
How many recalls does the Honda CR-V have?
NHTSA lists 48 recall campaigns covering Honda CR-V model years 2008–2026. The one covering the most model years is 23V858000 (fuel system, 2013–2023). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How do I check a specific used Honda CR-V?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
How we measure CR-V reliability
- Complaints are every NHTSA owner complaint filed for the Honda CR-V, model years 2008–2026, across all the body-style and trim names NHTSA files them under, de-duplicated by complaint number. They are unverified owner reports.
- Complaints per 1,000 sold divides the 7,371 complaints for the 2015–2022 model years by 2,776,986 vehicles sold in the US in those calendar years (published sales figures), times 1,000.
- The SUVs ranking uses the same complaints and sales, weights serious complaints double and adjusts for vehicle age, then compares 26 models. See the full ranking.
- Year flags compare each CR-V model year only with other CR-V years, so they say which years to prefer, not how the CR-V compares with other models.
- This is federal complaint and recall data, not a survey and not comparable to Consumer Reports or J.D. Power ratings. It does not estimate repair costs.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints and NHTSA recall campaigns (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-11-10; published U.S. sales figures; CarWhere years-to-avoid analysis.