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: steering
327 reports, newest first. Show all
Steering, Apr 25, 2023, crash
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, the steering wheel became stiff without any warning, causing the contact to strike the vehicle parked next to the contact, causing damages to the front end of the contact’s vehicle and damages to the rear end of the other vehicle. The contact shut down the vehicle and then restarted the vehicle and the steering wheel started operating normally. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 25,000.
Steering, Apr 7, 2023
A gap or space of no steering for 1 to 2 seconds. Happen after 30 min on highway seems dangerous, I told my dealer and they said I had too much air in one tire. That was at 25000 miles.now at 32000 miles it starts to happen after 15 min driving.
Steering, Apr 5, 2023
Over a period of time the electronic steering and rack & pinion became stiff and resistant to turns and lane changes. I called the Honda dealer and they confirmed that Honda has a partial recall for this issue but my car vin number was not part of the recall. I requested a call from their service department several times for a quote to repair it but they never returned my call. I had an independent mechanic check it and order the parts from Honda. He successfully repaired it. I also had to get the car alignment done after the repair. Everything has been working as it should after the repair. I spent $2407.50 for the steering repair and $105.00 for the alignment for a total of $2512.50.
Steering, Mar 24, 2023
Steering gets stuck and hard to steer
Steering, Feb 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the steering wheel was making an abnormal creaking sound while driving at various speeds. Over time, the steering wheel started to seize while turning. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with steering rack failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering) and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and she was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Steering, Jan 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel was firm while turning to the right. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the vehicle needed to be inspected to determine the cause of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering) which he linked to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
Steering, Oct 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the steering wheel seized and the vehicle veered into the right lane. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed of an unknown recall for the steering. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a steering recall. The approximate failure mileage was 79,000.
Steering, Sep 2, 2022
Responses to bullet questions above: - steering wheel started sticking, especially noticeable at low speeds, kept getting worse - we were afraid that the steering would eventually lock up while we were driving - many people complaining about the same problem online, but no dealer recall (yet) - dealer had to replace the electronic rack & pinion assembly ($3300) - there were no warning lamps or indicators of a problem
Steering, Aug 27, 2022
When driving down the highway or street, making a turn large or small the steering catches and seems to stick at any speed from15 to 75. Then it will act normal. I was doing 25 mph on a left turn corner and the steering wheel stuck turning left. I was able to turn back to right and get it to unstick but it was scary. At least I was not going real fast when it totally stuck. I called Superstion Honda in Mesa and have made an appointment to have them check it out. I did look up about what may cause this and found a recall on the steering but my VIN says no recalls on it. I definetly have a problem and hope to find out what it is. It was suggested to me to file a report on this as it could be a serious safety problem. We went on a road trip this summer July 2022 and really noticed it when we were on the freeways. And last week it actually stuck on the left turn. So we decided this is more than our imagination.
Steering, Aug 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the steering wheel began to turn left and right independently. The contact stated that the failure occurred at various speeds. The contact stated that the failure was more frequent. The contact stated that to keep the vehicle in the correct lane, continuous corrections had to be made to the steering wheel. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering gear box and rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
Steering, Lane departure, Jul 27, 2022
Steering wheel feels like it almost locks up and driver must give a slight jerk to turn wheels! Makes a clicking or rattling noise when car is stopped when starting to turn the steering wheel. Very scary and dangerous when driver has to jerk the steering wheel traveling on the highway to keep vehicle in the safe lane. A wreck will happen which is what I told our local Honda Dealership!
Steering, Jul 19, 2022
When turning right, heard popping noise from wheel and right front wheel stuttering action. Upon inspection found right front CV axle joint to BE blown apart and boots torn. This could result in loss of steering power and result in a crash. Mechanic said had 3 other 2018 Honda CR-V's with approximately all the same mileage with the same exact problem. Clearly this is a mechanical defect. What are the odds of the same mechanic having multiple incidents of the same problem in the same model car within the same week? How many other exact incidents across the country is this occurring?
Steering, Jul 16, 2022
* Electric steering rack malfunctioned; the replaced part is not available. * I felt unsafe driving the vehicle at highway speed. The steering was very stiff, requiring extra effort to allow lane correction. After enough pressure was applied the vehicle would abruptly move in the direction input by approximately one to two feet. * The problem was diagnosed and confirmed by my local Honda dealership as a failed electric steering rack. The dealership replaced the rack outside of manufacturer warranty. I paid for a new Honda rack and labor to install. * Because there was not an accident, the vehicle was not inspected by the police or insurance. I am not aware if the manufacturer inspected the part that was left at the Honda dealership. * There were no warning lights or messages. Symptoms appeared gradually in March 2022. Driving locally at lower speeds was noticeable but not unsafe. A trip at interstate highway speeds was unsafe and required correction.
Steering, Jul 11, 2022
2018 Honda CRV with approximately 29,000 miles when I started to notice a slight sticking in the steering that required extra manual effort to overcome. Situation only seemed to occur on longer extended driving trips. When steering is held in a constant, short momentary position, whether from a neutral straight center wheel position or a turning position required for a sweeping corner, the steering sticks and requires extra steering effort to overcome, it’s a little frightening to experience. Took it to the local Honda selling dealer where all of our maintenance is performed 6-10-22, 29,369 miles for this complaint. Dealer could not recreate during short road test, said the newer tires were lower rolling resistance and were slightly over inflated to 40 psi, although tires were warm at time of testing? Ask us to take the car and return if condition continued. We made another multi-day trip and the steering is intermittently much worse depending on the miles driven during each leg. Feels like the steering gets stuck in a detent position and extra force must be applied to override. At one point after about 4 hours of nearly continuous driving and after pulling off to refuel, the steering motion became very erratic at low speed operation, sticky & audibly popping up through the column. Enough so that it could be heard and witnessed from the passenger seat. Both my wife and I have experienced this defect. We made another appointment with our local dealer and took it back on 7-9-22, it now’s has slightly over 30,000 miles. We told the dealer this steering malfunction is dangerous and we don’t want anyone getting hurt. Of course, during the short trip to the dealer it did not act up. I did some research & found a recall (18V-663000) in which the manufacturers suppling vendor identified 4 CRV’s with an internal defect but there are many more similar complaints logged with the NHTSA that are not covered in the recall. We need some Honda intervention.
Steering, Jul 11, 2022
MY 2018 HONDA CRV HAS BECOME VERY HARD TO STEER, MAKING IT VERY HARD TO STAY IN MY LANE. IT MAKES A CLICKING POPPING SOUND WHEN STEERING WHEEL IS TURNING. IT HAS LOCKED COMPLETLY ONCE WHILE DRIVING, ALMOST CAUSING ME TO WRECK BEFORE I COULD GET IT TO TURN LOOSE. THIS STARTED ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO, LESS THAN 50,OOO MILES ON IT. OF COURSE WARRANTY IS OUT AND THERE SEEMS TO BE ALOT OF PEOPLE WITH SAME ISSUES EVEN A RECALL ON SAME PROBLEM JUST NOT ON MY VIN#
Steering, Jun 24, 2022
Part affected is the electronic steering gearbox assembly. Vehicle has been diagnosed by Bob Lindsay Honda of Peoria Illinois. This also shows up as a recall #P20 NHTSA 18v663000, but does not list my VIN. Steering wheel sticking has happened multiple times but never could reproduce when taken in. Finally 6/22/2022 it was diagnosed as a complete replacement of the electronic steering gearbox and rack assembly for a $3053.95 repair for a vehicle with only 48026 miles and the same recall that is out there for other vehicles in the 2018 CRV models. This has not caused any incidents yet, but as steering gets worse it may. The problem started showing up in June 2020 shortly after I purchased it but the dealer could never get it to reproduce when taken in. Finally they did in June 2022 with the above mentioned repair.
Steering, Jun 14, 2022
Suddenly, without any warning or signals, my steering wheel turns itself right and left and I have to give it a tug to get it straight. At higher speeds, on a highway, it is terrifying, pulling me left and right in the lane. I took it to the dealer I bought it from, Braman Honda of Palm Beach, to have it checked out. They told me I must replace the rack and pinion steering unit because it’s bad. It is not under warranty because the car is 4 years old although it only has 26,000 miles on it. They can only estimate the cost at $2,700 plus a wheel alignment. Steering shouldn’t go bad at 26,000 miles. THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS CAR FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM, but my vin number doesn’t come up on the recall list. Clearly this car has the bad component also and should be subject to the recall. Can’t drive the car because IT’S UNSAFE, can’t afford to fix it.
Steering, Jun 11, 2022
There is a dead spot in the power steering assist near the center position. It is intermittent.
Steering, Jun 5, 2022
Steering wheel feels sticky when turning right or left from center position. I can hear/feel a small click/jerk when moving the steering wheel a little to the left or right.
Steering, May 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while merging onto the highway at approximately 30 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the steering. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with steering failure associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V663000 (Steering). The contact was informed that the steering gear box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 53,058.
Steering, May 27, 2022
When driving on the freeway for a longer distance the steering wheel will stick when attempting to stay in my lane. It will come loose after a little harder pull, but an over correction could cause an accident. Also, the inability to properly stay in my own lane could endanger others. My husband drove the car on a recent trip and experienced it for the first time himself. We have had the vehicle to the dealer 3 times. They still have the car right now, but say they have been unable to reproduce the event and that nothing is showing up on their testing. This issue may not be enough to trigger the computer as an issue, but I can assure you my inability to stay in my lane is scary. This problem (at this time) is not a lock up of the steering wheel, but rather a stiffing and a temporal slight stick of the steering wheel. At one point in slow traffic after the car had been drive. For about 5 hours on a trip, you could hear a click when I had to pull a little harder to get it to unstick. The problem initially started a few years ago, but the dealership was able to calibrate the car and possibly oiled something and it was fine from that time forward; until recently. I took it to the dealer. They said they could not duplicate the issue, but recalculated the car. Told me to drive it and see if the problem was fixed. I had left my car overnight. It seemed to be okay, so we went out of town. The problem came back and was more prevalent than before and my husband experienced it. We took the car in and left it overnight again. This brings us to today. They still have my car and can’t (according to them) duplicate the problem.
Steering, Apr 9, 2022
UPDATE TO REPORTED PROBLEM FROM 2/14/2022 - After Coggin Honda said that I should have the 2018 CR-V rack and pinion steering box replaced at a cost of $3,000.00, I considered selling the car but I tried to fix the problem myself. I found that the steering column has a bushing behind the steering wheel that I thought was causing the steering to be stiff and be unsafe and made a noise as the steering wheel was moved from a stationary position. All of this I showed to a service writer at the dealership. So I removed the cowl under the steering wheel and used WD-40 to lubricate the bushing as much as I could access it and then turning the wheel several turns to work in the lube. The unsafe steering problem was FIXED and the dealer was very willing to charge me for an expensive replacement repair that would NOT have fixed it!
Steering, Feb 25, 2022
While on a trip of about 600 miles noticed that the steering felt "sticky"; there was a miniscule hesitation in the steering when turning or changing lanes. Upon arrival at destination I took vehicle to nearest Honda dealership where they diagnosed "a problem with the electronic steering" and advised that the vehicle not be driven until repaired. Part to repair was not available. After $500 spent on rental car to get home and flight back 2 weeks later the car seems fine with the replaced rack and pinion assembly.
Steering, Feb 14, 2022
the steering wheel sticks or has some resistance when returning to straight position from a right turn position. It has been doing this for several months. I have to give it a pull to center which is enough to swerve into the left lane of traffic. This happens at any speed but at high speed this is dangerous! I went to the dealer Coggin Honda in Ft Pierce, FL to have the service dept. confirm this symptom. A service writer told me that the Rack and Pinion Steering unit is malfunctioning and should be replaced. This car has 11,000 miles on it and the steering unit CAN'T be worn out so it must be defective and will be very unsafe as it seems that it is getting worse.
Steering, Electrical system, Service brakes, Nov 29, 2021
All the alerts are going off on the car. Brakes, safety, transmission you name it.