2018 Honda CR-V · symptom sheet
Battery dies or the car will not start
- 70owner reports
- 28,500median miles
- $1,000median quote
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Aug 10, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
284 of the 2,145 complaints on this car are about the electrical system. 70 of those describe dead battery.
Tick what matches of 70 reports
Dead battery on other CR-V years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
These owners walk out to a car that's dead. Some find it drained after sitting only a day or two, some need a jump start every week, and some have had the battery replaced more than once without the problem going away. A good number describe the dealer testing the battery, calling it fine, and sending them home.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (65 reports) and the module (13 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the electrical system covers the 2018 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into the electrical system on the CR-V
Low beam headlights stop illuminating. Closed sep 17, 2012, led to recall 12V-136.
Low beam headlights stop working. Closed sep 23, 2011.
Driver's power window master switch. Closed oct 24, 2012, led to recall 11V-456.
Driver's master power window switch. Closed apr 15, 2011, led to recall 11V-456.
Ignition-park interlock system. Closed nov 13, 2003, led to recall 03V-422.
Ignition-park interlock system. Closed sep 9, 2003.
None of these investigations covers the 2018 model year.
What owners paid
5 of the 70 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $1,000 to $1,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 16,000 and 48,419 miles, from the 31 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 1 service bulletin or notice for the 2018 Honda CR-V that deal with this problem. 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.
American Honda Motor Co, Inc. (AHM) has been collecting batteries from certain models under certain conditions. If you have replaced an OEM battery on a qualified vehicle, please follow the procedure below.
What owners wrote
“New battery dies after sitting for one night. Had checked after driving a couple of miles to autozone. Battery test Good. Next morning battery was dead again. There is some sort of peristent drain on the battery that kills the battery overnight.”
Filed Sep 29, 2025
“I have 54,000 miles and this is the second battery and second set of tires. I understand a battery but 2 already , that shouldnât be. And tires cupping on 2 sets of tires. And alignment was not the issue and I also have them rotated.”
Filed Dec 6, 2024 · 54,000 miles
“All warning lights appearing on the dashboard unexpectedly which then prevents the cruise control and other features from working. This issue comes and goes and makes it unsafe to drive. A new battery was installed but that did not solve the issue and no one has a solution. There are many websites stating this exact same problem. Different years and both CR-V and Pilots.”
Filed Nov 23, 2024
“Keyless start system problem. The car turns on accessory mode without the key being inside. The battery drains which triggers the anti theft alarm. The car is not able to be opened with the keyless remote. You have to use a manual key. During the day the car won't unlock or the trunk won't open unless you use the manual key to open the car and then start the engine.”
Filed Oct 28, 2024
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 70 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Brakes on its own (automatic emergency braking) 244 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 219 reports
- Steering sticks, feels notchy or jerks 212 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 196 reports
- Burns oil or oil level rises 130 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 128 reports
- Engine rattles or ticks 126 reports
- Multiple warning lights come on at once 109 reports
- Forward collision warning goes off or the camera drops out 96 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 94 reports
- Fuel pump failure 89 reports
- Adaptive cruise or lane keeping misbehaves 84 reports
- Power steering cuts out or goes heavy 80 reports
- Fuel smells, leaks, or the gauge reads wrong 77 reports
- Turbo failure or loss of boost 73 reports
- A/C blows warm or the compressor fails 58 reports
- Engine overheats or leaks coolant 51 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 46 reports
- Steering wheel clicks, clunks or grinds when I turn 44 reports
- Seat belt or seat problems 32 reports
- Traction control or StabiliTrak light comes on 30 reports
- Windshield cracks or distorts 29 reports