Honda
Honda CR-V years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2017, 2018 and 2019. Best years: 2016.
The 2017, 2018 and 2019 Honda CR-V draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 1,771 complaints (177 for each year on the road), 2018 has 2,145 complaints (238 for each year on the road) and 2019 has 1,101 complaints (138 for each year on the road), against a median of 56 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2018 is phantom braking (244 reports).
- 8,824complaints
- 21recall campaigns
- 13model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2017
Most reported: phantom braking (187 reports, median 30,000 miles) and stalling (180 reports, median 22,000 miles).
2018
Most reported: phantom braking (244 reports, median 25,000 miles) and stalling (219 reports, median 20,000 miles).
2019
Most reported: phantom braking (186 reports, median 18,000 miles) and brake wear (100 reports, median 10,000 miles).
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2018 has the most complaints of any Honda CR-V year here: 2,145 of 8,824 (24%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Sticky steering leads in 4 of the 13 model years and has the most reports overall, 843. Pooled across the years, half of the 245 owners who gave a mileage for sticky steering were under about 34,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 5% of Honda CR-V complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2025, 39 of its 252 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 5 of the 9 model years where owners report sticky steering have a recall on the same system: 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024 and 2025. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2024 at 1,482 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 1,149. So far in 2026, 1,057 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: IFCAR, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
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Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fifth generation
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 avoid | 1,771 | 177 | 7 | Brakes on its own (automatic emergency braking) (187) | 20,800 |
| 2018 avoid | 2,145 | 238 | 5 | Brakes on its own (automatic emergency braking) (244) | 18,371 |
| 2019 avoid | 1,101 | 138 | 8 | Brakes on its own (automatic emergency braking) (186) | 24,000 |
| 2020 | 353 | 50 | 7 | Airbag warning light or recall (47) | 29,000 |
| 2021 | 332 | 55 | 4 | Steering sticks, feels notchy or jerks (85) | 36,000 |
| 2022 | 261 | 52 | 3 | Steering sticks, feels notchy or jerks (111) | 24,582 |
Photo: HJUdall, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Year by year
2026 Honda CR-V
144 owner complaints so far; too new to call. Most reported: windshield (24 reports), stalling (20 reports) and infotainment (20 reports). 10 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. No recalls.
2025 Honda CR-V
252 owner complaints so far; too new to call. Most reported: brake wear (31 reports), windshield (23 reports) and phantom braking (16 reports). 29 reports involved a crash and 23 people were hurt. 1 recall: 24V-744 on the steering system.
2024 Honda CR-V
392 owner complaints, 131 for each year on the road (2.4 times the model median). Most reported: sticky steering (47 reports, median 5,000 miles), infotainment (32 reports) and windshield (30 reports). 28 reports involved a crash and 16 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 24V-744 on the steering system and 24V-508 on the tires.
2023 Honda CR-V
515 owner complaints, 129 for each year on the road (2.3 times the model median). Most reported: sticky steering (238 reports, median 8,000 miles), power steering loss (63 reports, median 9,000 miles) and brake wear (29 reports). 21 reports involved a crash and 21 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 24V-744 on the steering system and 23V-858 on the fuel system.
2022 Honda CR-V
261 owner complaints, 52 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: sticky steering (111 reports, median 27,000 miles), steering noise (32 reports) and phantom braking (26 reports). 5 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 26V-332 on the airbags and 23V-858 on the fuel system.
2021 Honda CR-V
332 owner complaints, 55 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: sticky steering (85 reports, median 40,000 miles), phantom braking (50 reports, median 19,000 miles) and false collision warning (28 reports). 14 reports involved a crash and 13 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 26V-332 on the airbags and 24V-064 on the airbags.
2020 Honda CR-V
353 owner complaints, 50 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (47 reports, median 35,000 miles), phantom braking (42 reports, median 25,000 miles) and sticky steering (29 reports, median 54,000 miles). 21 reports involved a crash and 17 people were hurt. 7 recalls, including 26V-332 on the airbags and 24V-064 on the airbags.
2019 Honda CR-V avoid
1,101 owner complaints, 138 for each year on the road (2.5 times the model median). Most reported: phantom braking (186 reports, median 18,000 miles), brake wear (100 reports, median 10,000 miles) and stalling (95 reports, median 51,400 miles). 31 reports involved a crash and 35 people were hurt. 8 recalls, including 26V-332 on the airbags and 23V-858 on the fuel system.
2018 Honda CR-V avoid
2,145 owner complaints, 238 for each year on the road (4.3 times the model median). Most reported: phantom braking (244 reports, median 25,000 miles), stalling (219 reports, median 20,000 miles) and sticky steering (212 reports, median 57,000 miles). 46 reports involved a crash and 47 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 26V-332 on the airbags and 23V-858 on the fuel system.
2017 Honda CR-V avoid
1,771 owner complaints, 177 for each year on the road (3.2 times the model median). Most reported: phantom braking (187 reports, median 30,000 miles), stalling (180 reports, median 22,000 miles) and brake wear (174 reports, median 20,000 miles). 42 reports involved a crash and 36 people were hurt. 7 recalls, including 26V-332 on the airbags and 23V-858 on the fuel system.
2016 Honda CR-V best
393 owner complaints, 36 for each year on the road (0.6 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (45 reports, median 70,000 miles), airbag (32 reports, median 32,500 miles) and dead battery (29 reports, median 34,000 miles). 40 reports involved a crash and 36 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 23V-858 on the fuel system and 17V-305 on the engine.
2015 Honda CR-V
667 owner complaints, 56 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (85 reports, median 30,000 miles), seat belt (42 reports, median 3,500 miles) and dead battery (40 reports, median 36,100 miles). 38 reports involved a crash and 23 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 23V-858 on the fuel system and 17V-305 on the engine.
2014 Honda CR-V
498 owner complaints, 38 for each year on the road (0.7 times the model median). Most reported: engine rattle (55 reports, median 50,000 miles), wheels (38 reports, median 15,030 miles) and timing chain failure (30 reports, median 59,974 miles). 32 reports involved a crash and 29 people were hurt. 1 recall: 23V-858 on the fuel system.
Recalls that cover several model years
The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
A manufacturing issue with the front seat belts may cause the seat belt buckle channel to interfere with the release button, preventing the seat belt buckle from latching.
The steering gearbox assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause excessive internal friction and lead to difficulty steering the vehicle.
The certification label on the driver's side door states incorrect Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR), and tire size information.
The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Compare the CR-V with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- CR-V vs Toyota RAV42014 to 2025
- CR-V vs Nissan Rogue2014 to 2026
- CR-V vs Mazda CX-52014 to 2026
- CR-V vs Subaru Forester2014 to 2026
- CR-V vs Hyundai Tucson2014 to 2026
- CR-V vs Kia Sportage2014 to 2026
- CR-V vs Subaru Outback2014 to 2026
- CR-V vs Volkswagen Tiguan2018 to 2026
Questions
What Honda CR-V years should you avoid?
The 2017, 2018 and 2019 Honda CR-V draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 1,771 complaints (177 for each year on the road), 2018 has 2,145 complaints (238 for each year on the road) and 2019 has 1,101 complaints (138 for each year on the road), against a median of 56 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2018 is phantom braking (244 reports).
What are the best years for the Honda CR-V?
The 2016 draws the fewest complaints for its age: 393, or 36 for each year on the road. Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Honda CR-V?
Sticky steering, with 843 reports across the 13 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
How many recalls does the Honda CR-V have?
21 recall campaigns cover the Honda CR-V model years 2014 to 2026 on this site. The widest, 23V-858 on the fuel system, covers 10 model years.
How many Honda CR-V complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
5% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2025 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for sticky steering on the Honda CR-V?
On 5 of the 9 model years where owners report it: 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024 and 2025.