2018 Honda CR-V
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 2,145 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the highest complaint count among 26 CR-V model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 46 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 47 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerMay 21, 2026
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.
Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 26V332000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpDec 18, 2023
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, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Campaign 23V858000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, front, buckle assemblyMar 9, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2020 CR-V, 2018-2019 Accord and Accord Hybrid, 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019 Insight, and 2019-2020 Acura RDX vehicles. 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.
An unlatched seat belt cannot properly restrain the seat occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger seat belt buckle release buttons or the buckle assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 18, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are NDA, QDB, BDC, MDD, LD9. TDF, FDG, ODH, YDI, ZDE.
Campaign 23V158000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpMar 25, 2021
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 18, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-314.
Campaign 21V215000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, electric power assist systemSep 27, 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Honda Civic and CR-V vehicles. The magnet that controls the torque sensor output signal for the electronic power steering system may not be properly secured, allowing the magnet to become dislodged. During a full lock turn, the dislodged magnet may cause steering assist to be applied in the opposite direction.
The unintended steering input reduces vehicle maneuverability and increases the risk of a crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gearbox assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are C2N, P2O.
Campaign 18V663000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: forward collision avoidance
394 reports, newest first. Show all
Forward collision avoidance, May 30, 2023
Was driving around 57 mph on a 2 lane road with no cars in front or obstacles when the car suddenly flashed the brake warning on the dash board and quickly slowed the car. It only lasted a second or two then I was able to accelerate the car. Luckily there was no cars in front or behind me. It has happened twice before but this time was the most sudden braking.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, May 30, 2023
Several times, the vehicle will brake without an obstacle in the road. It is extremely scary - at one time, it forced me to react unexpectedly and almost got into an accident. This is scary.
Forward collision avoidance, May 30, 2023
I was driving at 45mph down a straight two lane road that has a left turn lane in the middle. There were no cars in front of me nor any cars coming toward me in the opposite direction. Also there were no upcoming curves or stop lights/signs. Suddenly my Honda CR-V flashed the BRAKE warning signal on the instrument panel and then proceeded to brake hard on its own. This lasted for about 1-3 seconds. Afterward the car resumed normal operation. Luckily there were no cars behind me either during the event. My right foot was on the accelerator the entire time. My left foot was near the seat and nowhere near the brake pedal. The weather was sunny, temperature about 75 degrees F. The sun was directly overhead as it was near noon. I am the original owner and this is the first time this has happened with this vehicle since purchasing it in 2018.
Forward collision avoidance, May 28, 2023
Had just pulled out of my local hardware store and was going home when the brakes suddenly came on bringing me to a very sudden stop while traveling on a main road. Luckily the car behind me had time to stop. I didn't apply the brakes or the parking brake. I don't know what caused it. No cars were directly ahead of me. After the stop I was able to move again. I pulled off of the road to see if I could figure out what happened. Nothing seemed wrong and I went home without further problems.
Forward collision avoidance, May 26, 2023
Since the summer of 2021, I have experienced numerous instances of the Collision Mitigation Braking System "Brake" warning light coming on for no apparent reason. There has been no one in front of me and no reason for me to brake. This has happened numerous times and at varying (freeway and slow) speeds, but the system did not actually initiate braking. I reported this problem to Honda during a regular service appointment in July of 2021 and it is documented. I have had other discussions with service personnel since then, but I do not have any further documentation. Recently, they tried changing the CMBS settings to make it "less sensitive." This was actually shortly before my most recent incident. On May 19, 2023, the CMBS system actually engaged the brake. Fortunately, I was traveling at a low speed and there was no one behind me. There was no reason for the car to come to an abrupt stop. Honda has suggested previously to come to the service department right after these incidents without turning off the car. I have not been able to do that. I did however notify the service department of this new development but they did not ask to see or test the vehicle. I don't know if they have documented this latest incident. I did research the problem online and found that there have been other reported instances of a problem with the CMBS. I provided some of the articles I found and expressed my (safety) concerns about driving a vehicle that initiates braking for no apparent reason to my local service advisor. He did reach out to a regional representative in Northern California on my behalf. The regional rep had nothing to offer.
Forward collision avoidance, May 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. The brake warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted, causing the vehicle to brake abruptly. On one occasion, another vehicle almost rear-ended the vehicle. The vehicle had not yet been taken to an independent mechanic or a local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Forward collision avoidance, May 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 35-40 MPH, the brake malfunction message was displayed, and the vehicle experienced phantom braking. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Forward collision avoidance, May 11, 2023
While I was driving on the highway without any cars ahead of me, the emergency braking system engaged for a few seconds. Fortunately there was not a car behind me and I was able to continue driving. I have an upcoming appointment with a Honda dealer to examine the issue. There was no prior warning of a malfunction.
Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance, May 7, 2023
Today, as I was driving my automatic braking system activated without need. There was no obstacle. It was a clear and sunny day. I was driving the speed limit of 50 mph. The brakes activated so hard that if I wasn’t wearing my seatbelt I would’ve been injured. Currently my neck and back do hurt but I did not seek medical attention. This has not happened before and I have owned this vehicle for over 2 years. I have not reported the incident to my dealership yet because it is Sunday and they are not open.
Forward collision avoidance, May 3, 2023
First, the forward camera failed and was replaced at cost of $1800. There were no problems with the original camera until it failed. The replacement camera has since three times initiated an emergency stop at a particular road location where there is no hazard.
Forward collision avoidance, Apr 28, 2023
I was driving In Milwaukee WI at about 5 mph and drover over a metal plate in the road that was covering road construction, there were no obstacles in front of my car but the emergency braking system flashed the brake warning light about 3 times then immediately applied the brakes full force and stopped the car very abruptly - thankfully we a had seat belts on and were going slow. If we had been going faster who know what would have happened. As I said there was nothing in front of the car it just emergency braked for no reason.
Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 26, 2023
Driving on freeway at approx 65 mph when the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) notification flashed on the dash, and the car automatically hard braked on its own, while my foot was on the gas.Only lasted a few seconds but I felt the lag and it resumed back to normal. This is my second experience of this happening since purchasing the car in February of 2022. The first time however, was at a much slower speed (>20mph), and I did not notice the ACC indication beforehand. The vehicle hard braked while in traffic but resumed back to normal seconds after. I believe the brake indicator flashed on the dash the first time , despite being a fair distance behind the vehicle in front of me. The incidents were approximately 1 year apart from each other.
Forward collision avoidance, Apr 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 20-25 MPH, the vehicle experienced phantom braking with the brake fault message displayed. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 28,700. The VIN was unavailable.
Forward collision avoidance, Apr 12, 2023
I am getting intermittent BRAKING happening on my car, slowing me down while in motion. There is no object in front on me. This is a safety issue!
Forward collision avoidance, Apr 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that on two separate occasions, the vehicle abruptly stopped without incident. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where he was informed that unless they could duplicate the failure, they could not determine the cause for the failure. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Round Rock Honda (2301 N Interstate Hwy 35, Round Rock, TX 78664) where the mechanic lowered the braking mitigation system sensitivity. The contact was also advised to turn the braking mitigation system off upon starting the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 14,000.
Forward collision avoidance, Mar 28, 2023
Driving approximately 35mph at 6:30 pm while still daylight outside, the automatic braking system engaged for no reason, with the “brake” warning appearing on the dash. No other cars around thank goodness, but the unexpected, sudden braking was scary and I’m grateful no car was behind me, as I’m sure it could have resulted in a collision. I have not taken the car in as of yet to have the breaking system checked. I’m very concerned this could happen again and if it were to occur on a highway or bridge I don’t want to think of the possible outcome. Others with 2018 CR-V’s have reported similar incidents and it seems that Honda needs to address this matter now. I purchased this car in May 2022 with 33,000 miles on it, and I did so, due to the excellent reputation of Honda vehicles. They need live up to that reputation.
Forward collision avoidance, Mar 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, without incidence, the vehicle abruptly stopped. During the failure, no vehicle nor objects were nearby. There were no warning lights illuminated nor messages displayed. The contact stated that the failure occurred a second time and the vehicle was taken to the local dealer who performed a software update on the braking mitigation system. The contact was advised to turn the braking mitigation system off after starting the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 33,700.
Forward collision avoidance, Mar 9, 2023
On two separate occasions when driving, my vehicle slammed on the brakes by itself with no obstructions or vehicles in front of me. When it happens the instrument cluster says brake. Luckily no one was behind me or I would have been rear-ended.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle experienced unintended braking. The contact stated that the brake warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he had experienced the failure twice while driving the vehicle. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
Forward collision avoidance, Feb 23, 2023, crash
Stopped at a red light then proceeded to drive through the intersection on the green light. No cars or pedestrians in front of the car. Driving about 15 - 20 mph when the automatic braking system engaged and slammed on the brakes for no reason. The jeep behind me rear-ended me then drove off.
Forward collision avoidance, Feb 18, 2023
I was driving around 50 mph there was no car in front of me then all of a sudden the car braked very hard. My son got scared so did I. I’m glad there was no one behind me cause if it did they would have hit me. I did not put my foot on the brakes, it did it automatically. Like I said I was driving regular at 50 mph. There should be a recall on this issue and see if the emergency braking sensor can be deactivated. I’m scared driving my Honda CR-V cause of that incident.
Power train, Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 13, 2023
While driving all dash lights warning started flashing disabling forward crash avoidance power steering stability control tire pressure everything is blinking and flashing. Had to pull to side of road and almost got run over
Forward collision avoidance, Feb 13, 2023
Driving to work this morning approximately 6:40am, it was pretty dark out. Road conditions were fine (dry, no rain or snow, etc.). My CR-V automatically slammed on the brakes without warning for maybe 1/2 of a second and then released them as the screen flashed bright and then immediately kicked to an error about the auto-high beam detection system. Luckily there was no one behind me. There was one vehicle approaching me from the other side of the road but they did not have their high beams on. I was looking ahead the whole time and did not see any other errors before or after it happened, and I was applying the gas pedal the whole time as well. In case it's a contributing factor, my car is fairly dirty from road salt spray (dry) and I was going run it through the car wash this afternoon.
Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 6, 2023
We had just gotten off the freeway and were sitting at a stoplight. When the light turned green, all of a sudden several of the yellow warning lights on the dashboard started to flash: emergency braking, electronic parking break, tire pressure, lane-keep assist, and others. The car became sluggish and moved forward haltingly and slowly. It feels like the breaks or the parking break are cycling on and off. We pulled over as soon as we could. Turning the car off didn't clear the warning lights. We called AAA and they came and checked the battery -- which was at 100% and working fine. The parking break works fine; we can hear it turn on and off using the lever. We had it towed to a Honda dealer nearby and are having it evaluated. It is undriveable in this state, and we are concerned that even if the dealer gets the warning lights to shut off, it could happen again at any time. There are reports all over the NHTSA website that this is a common issue -- please investigate!
Forward collision avoidance, Lane departure, Jan 29, 2023
While in line to park the car in the del mar fairgrounds, (San Diego, CA) after a 25-minute ride and 59 F degrees outside, main display start sending all type of 'Problem' messages, one after another, as follow: - Brake Hold System Problem, - Power Steering System (EPS) Problem, - Vehicule Stability Assist (VSA), - Hill Start Assist, - Adaptative Cruise Control, - Collision Mitigation System, - Road Departure Mitigation System, - Electric Parking Brake, - Tire Pressure Monitor, - Emissions System, Brake System. Despite all Messages, the car keeps running and is able to go off and start again. Perhaps, the electric parking brake may prevent you to go if connected, since you have no control of it (happened once). This is the second time in two weeks that this failure occurs. It may or may not be related to another consistent issue regarding the side display (the one used for radio control, brightness, car setup, etc.) which becomes unstable and change/beep with no control from one screen to another, starting with the brightness control. This case requires the car to turn off and restart, solving the issue for a couple of weeks, and up to two months. I'm writing down this complaint because other owners express the same issue in forums, with no official statement from Honda so far. Countermeasures recommended by other users are: Exchange the battery for new one Drive around and apply brakes firmly. The above fixed the issue for me. A cell video of this issue is available. Attached picture shows all warning alerts with car engine idle. Thank you.