Diagsheet

Fifth generation

2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid

The most reported problem on the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid is misfire, with 20 complaints, usually around 60,000 miles.

  • 103owner complaints
  • 3recalls
  • 5involved a crash
  • 40,000median miles at failure

Newest report Sep 9, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026

miles

2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid
Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Problem sheets

No single problem on the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid has enough owner reports for a sheet of its own yet. The counts below still cover every complaint on file.

Is the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid reliable?

The 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid has 103 owner complaints on file with NHTSA, less than half the median of 216 for 2021 SUVs on this site. Of the 6 CR-V Hybrid model years since 2020, it has the 2nd most complaints. Complaint counts rise with sales as well as faults, so read what owners report below before deciding.

At a glance

Next to the 2020 and 2022
At 17 complaints for each year on the road, the 2021 runs above the 2020 (12) and close to the 2022 (15).
Top problem
Two problems run close. Misfire has 20 complaints and hybrid system has 16, out of 103 in all. A quarter of the 8 owners who gave a mileage for misfire saw it by about 15,000 miles, and half by about 60,000.
Crash, fire and injury reports
6 of the 103 complaints (6%) report a crash, a fire or an injury, about the 6% typical of vehicles on this site. Counted separately (one report can carry more than one), 5 reports mention a crash and 5 people were hurt. The most crash reports, 3 of 5, fall under brake wear.
Recalls behind the top problems
3 recalls are on file, but no problem here has enough reports to set against them.
When owners filed
Filings peaked in 2024 at 35 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 26. So far in 2026, 4 more have come in.

When each problem shows up

Each bar covers the middle half of the mileages owners reported for that problem. A quarter saw it earlier, a quarter later. The tick is the median. Most reported: check engine light or misfire, 20 complaints.

0k25k50k75k100k125k150kyou
Every complaint with a mileage21 of 103
21 complaints state a mileage. The most, 5, fall between 0 and 10,000 miles.
Check engine light or misfire20 reports

middle half of reports, median tick. The heavier grey bars have 75 or more reports.

Behind you

    Around your mileage

      Ahead of you

        How this compares

        2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid103
        Median 2021 model here (80 vehicles)190
        Median 2021 SUV here (50)216

        103 complaints is 1.8 times fewer than the median 2021 model on this site and 2.1 times fewer than the median 2021 SUV. Among the 5 CR-V Hybrid model years here it ranks 2nd for complaints. Counts follow sales volume as much as reliability, so a truck that sells 700,000 a year draws more reports than a sedan that sells 200,000.

        Service bulletins for the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid

        Honda filed 45 bulletins and other notices with NHTSA that list the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid. 1 of them deal with a problem owners have reported on this car. Newest first.

        Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.

        Engine misfire 1 bulletin · 8 complaints

        • Service bulletinA26-018Aug 26, 2026

          Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may cause vehicles to experience overheating, coolant loss, misfire and/or DTCs P0300 thru P0304 stored.

        Complaints filed by year

        Complaints by the year NHTSA received them: 2021: 7, 2022: 17, 2023: 14, 2024: 35, 2025: 26, 2026: 47'2117'2214'2335'2426'254'26

        35 complaints came in 2024, 2.5 times the year before. Owners file in waves when a problem gets press or an investigation, so a spike measures attention as much as failures.

        NHTSA investigations

        PE25-016opened Oct 28, 2025
        Engine · model years 2020 to 2022

        Loss of motive power. Open.

        NHTSA summary
        The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 48 Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) reports and some Early Warning Reporting (EWR) field reports alleging intermittent loss of motive power in Model Year (MY) 2020–2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid vehicles. These incidents are alleged to occur without warning at highway speeds and are accompanied by a flashing check engine light immediately before the loss of motive power occurs. Motive power can be restored by turning the ignition off and back on. However, this action also clears the check engine light and any fault codes that were set. The fault’s intermittent nature, combined with the lack of fault codes, often results in many visits to repair facilities yielding no repairs. Honda indicated it was unaware of any related complaint or repair trends. ODI is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to determine the scope and severity of the alleged fault and to fully assess the possible safety consequences. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
        EA24-002opened Apr 15, 2024
        Collision avoidance · model years 2020 to 2022

        Inadvertent automatic emergency braking. Open.

        NHTSA summary
        On February 21, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE22003) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system, in model year 2017-2019 Honda CR-V and 2018-2019 Honda Accord vehicles. The reports allege that activation of the AEB system occurs while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Honda indicated that they were aware of a total of X,XXX reports that may relate to the alleged defect. Honda provided analysis of the alleged defect and alleges that some customers possibly had an inadequate understanding of the CMBS and its limitations. However, many consumer complaints allege that Honda dealerships were unable to reproduce the condition or state that they were informed that this is considered normal CMBS operation. To date, ODI has received a total of 1,294 consumer complaints of inadvertent activation of CMBS in 2017-2022 Honda CR-V and 2018-2022 Honda Accord vehicles. A total of 31 complaints alleged a crash and 50 alleged an injury. The Total column in the Failure Report Summary removes duplicate reports and shows the total number of reports with unique VINs from all Manufacturer, ODI, and EWR data sources. In some cases, there were multiple reports associated with a particular vehicle in which recurring failures were alleged. In total, there were X,XXX reports
        DP22-005opened Jan 27, 2023
        Electrical · model years 2020 to 2022

        Pedestrian alert sounds. Closed aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V-063.

        NHTSA summary
        NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

        Recalls that include the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid

        Whether your car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

        26V-332May 21, 2026
        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, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

        Risk and remedy
        Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
        Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
        24V-064Feb 1, 2024
        Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger

        Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.

        Risk and remedy
        Risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
        Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
        23V-844Dec 13, 2023
        Electrical System:12V/24V/48V Battery:Cables

        Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid vehicles. The 12-Volt battery cable routed outside of the body frame is missing a fuse on the power circuit, which can allow the battery cable to short circuit or overheat during a crash.

        Risk and remedy
        Risk: An overheated battery cable or short circuit can increase the risk of a fire or injury in a crash.
        Remedy: Dealers will replace the battery cable, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 29, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is FGB.

        All 3 recalls on the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid, with the owner complaints on each recalled system

        Guide NHTSA has an open investigation on this car. What the investigation stages mean

        Questions

        What is the most common problem on the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid?

        Misfire, with 20 of the 103 complaints. Owners who gave a mileage for it put the median at about 60,000 miles.

        At what mileage do 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid problems start?

        Of the 21 complaints that give a mileage, a quarter came by about 10,000 miles and half by about 40,000.

        Is the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid better or worse than the 2020 and 2022?

        Counted per year on the road, the 2021 has more complaints than the 2020 and about as many complaints as the 2022: 17 a year against 12 and 15.

        How many 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?

        6 of them (6%). The typical vehicle on this site is at 6%.

        Is there a recall for misfire on the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid?

        No recall on file for the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid is on the same system as misfire. Another recall may still cover your car, so check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

        Other model years