Model record
Honda CR-V Years to Avoid: Reliability and Recalls
Every Honda CR-V model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2025: how many complaints each year drew, the problem owners named most, and the recalls to check before you buy.
NHTSA owner complaintsChecked Oct 2, 202610,465 complaints16 model years
The Honda CR-V years with the most owner complaints are 2018, 2017 and 2019. Owners named the engine most for 2018 and 2017, and the automatic emergency braking for 2019.
It's a count of reports, not a failure rate, and the newest years have had less time on the road to collect them.
The jump starts with the 2017, the first CR-V with a turbocharged engine, and many 2017 and 2018 engine complaints describe fuel in the oil. Honda answered with software updates and a warranty extension.
Honda CR-V complaints by model year
Every Honda CR-V model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2025. Years with 2,000 or more complaints are dark; beside each bar is the system owners named most that year.
- 2010Airbag system45%480
- 2011Airbag system53%552
- 2012Engine22%400
- 2013Engine25%381
- 2014Engine32%586
- 2015Engine36%668
- 2016Engine25%389
- 2017Engine30%1,756
- 2018Engine25%2,122
- 2019Automatic emergency braking24%1,081
- 2020Automatic emergency braking19%348
- 2021Steering34%321
- 2022Steering52%252
- 2023Steering63%512
- 2024Steering32%378
- 2025Steering21%239
Best Honda CR-V years by complaint count
Of the years with at least five years on the road, these drew the fewest owner complaints. Fewer reports is not a clean bill of health: check the recalls for the exact car, and remember 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 have had less time to collect complaints. 2020 drew few complaints but has 7 recall campaigns, so check its recalls first.
- 2021Steering · 4 recalls321
- 2020Few complaints, but 7 recalls348
- 2013Engine · 2 recalls381
Most common Honda CR-V problems
The systems owners named most across all 16 model years, counted from each year's six most-named systems.
- EngineNamed most in 7 of 16 years2,077
- SteeringNamed most in 5 of 16 years1,353
- Electrical systemNever the top system in a year1,344
- Automatic emergency brakingNamed most in 2 of 16 years1,034
- Fuel and power deliveryNever the top system in a year971
Our guides for these problems
Check engine codes Honda CR-V owners name
The OBD-II codes owners wrote into their complaints for the CR-V years we have read in full (2017, 2018 and 2019), one count per complaint. Tap a code to read our guide; grey codes have no guide yet.
Honda CR-V years to avoid by generation
Honda calls the 2012 CR-V all-new, the 2017 fully redesigned and the 2023 the sixth generation, so the years in the file fall into four groups. NHTSA's file starts at 2010.
2010–2011
Last years before the all-new 2012
2011 most complaints · airbag system
- 2010480
- 2011552
1,032 complaints · 2 model years
2012–2016
All-new for 2012
2015 most complaints · engine
- 2012400
- 2013381
- 2014586
- 2015668
- 2016389
2,424 complaints · 5 model years
2017–2022
Fully redesigned for 2017
2018 most complaints · engine
- 20171,756
- 20182,122
- 20191,081
- 2020348
- 2021321
- 2022252
5,880 complaints · 6 model years
2023–2025
Sixth generation from 2023
2023 most complaints · steering
- 2023512
- 2024378
- 2025239
1,129 complaints · 3 model years
Honda CR-V recalls by year
Recall campaigns NHTSA lists for each model year, read Oct 2, 2026. A campaign that covers several years counts in each of them. Recall repairs are free at the dealer; check one car with its VIN.
Not a recall: Honda extended the head gasket warranty on the 2017 to 2022 CR-V (bulletin 26-016) and the 2023 to 2026 CR-V (26-017) to 10 years from purchase or 150,000 miles, for overheating, coolant loss, misfire or codes P0300 to P0304, and on the 2017 CR-V 1.5L turbo to May 31, 2027, regardless of time in service or mileage (26-098). A Honda dealer checks eligibility by VIN.
- 2010Most often: airbag system15
- 2011Most often: airbag system13
- 2012Most often: equipment3
- 2013Most often: powertrain2
- 2014Most often: fuel system1
- 2015Most often: engine3
- 2016Most often: engine3
- 2017Most often: fuel system7
- 2018Most often: fuel system5
- 2019Most often: fuel system8
- 2020Most often: fuel system7
- 2021Most often: airbag system4
- 2022Most often: equipment3
- 2023Most often: seat3
- 2024Most often: tires2
- 2025Most often: steering1
Honda CR-V crash test ratings by year
NHTSA's overall star rating for each model year, with the frontal, side and rollover stars beside it.
- 2010No overall rating—
- 2011Frontal 4 · Side 4 · Rollover 44/5
- 2012Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2013Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2014Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2015Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2016Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2017Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2018Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2019Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2020Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2021Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2022Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2023Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2024Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2025Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
Federal investigations
NHTSA's defect office has opened 7 investigations into 6 problems that cover Honda CR-V model years from 2010 to 2025. An investigation looks into a possible defect; it is not a finding.
Common questions
What are the Honda CR-V years to avoid?
The years with the most owner complaints are 2018, 2017 and 2019. Treat them as the years to inspect hardest, not as a verdict on every car: run the VIN for open recalls and have the systems owners named checked before you buy.
What year is the most reliable Honda CR-V?
Complaints can't name a most reliable year, because the file counts reports, not failures per car sold. Of the years with at least five years on the road, 2021 drew the fewest complaints: 321. Newer years have fewer still, but they have had less time to collect them.
What is the most common problem with the Honda CR-V?
Across every year in the file, owners named the engine most, in 2,077 complaints, then the steering, in 1,353.
Which Honda CR-V years have the most recalls?
2010, 2011 and 2019, with 15, 13 and 8 recall campaigns.
CR-V year pages
20182,122What the complaint record can't tell you
Sources
Show all 8 sources
Counts by system and year cover vehicles with at least 10 complaints.