2020 Honda CR-V
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Forward collision avoidance is the leading concern among 353 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 21st highest complaint count among 26 CR-V model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 21 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 17 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
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerFeb 1, 2024
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.
An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 24V064000 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
Equipment, other, labelsJul 27, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017, 2020, and 2022 CR-V vehicles. 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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
An incorrectly sized tire may cause premature tread wear, or a tire blow out, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will install a new corrected label, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 18, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is CF7.
Campaign 23V524000 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, storage, tank assemblyMay 26, 2022
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020 CR-V vehicles. The clip for the absorber inside the fuel tank was not secured properly and may detach, which can cause an inaccurate fuel gauge reading.
An inaccurate fuel gauge may result in the vehicle unexpectedly running out of fuel and stalling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 5, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is RCB.
Campaign 22V380000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, frame and membersDec 5, 2019
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 CR-V vehicles. The rear subframe bolts were improperly manufactured and may loosen, allowing the rear subframe to separate.
A separated rear subframe reduces vehicle handling and can suddenly disable the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear subframe bolts and retorque them or replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is R6M.
Campaign 19V865000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: forward collision avoidance
73 reports, newest first. Show all
Forward collision avoidance, Lane departure, Aug 20, 2026
All of the ADAS lights, check engine, and brake lights come on every 2-3 weeks. Has been taken to the shop multiple times now. So far have had the battery changed, spark plugs changed, and fuel injectors.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Jul 17, 2026
I have experienced four instances of my vehicle braking (two very extreme) when nothing was nearby or in front of my vehicle. Two of these happened when passing through an intersection, but no other vehicles were nearby. Fortunately, no one was following close behind during two occasions, or I would have been rear ended. I mentioned this today while having my car serviced at the dealership(White’s Auto Mall in Hopkinsville, KY) but they wanted to charge me 207.00 for an inspection, which I didn’t think I should be responsible for paying. I have researched and found “phantom braking” to be a problem in my vehicle make and model.
Forward collision avoidance, Jul 13, 2026
I was exiting the freeway driving south about 110-115pm in [XXX] when suddenly my car seemed to stall or stop and brake orange light came on. It all happened very quickly and without any warning. The nearest vehicle ahead of me was very far away, at the stop turning left and I was entering the exit. Initially I thought the engine cut out but it didn't it was that the car had braked. It was very jarring and thankful no one was tailgaiting me because it could have caused an accident. I don't believe the car came to a complete stop but it reduced speed considerably. Later that day I went to an auto shop to use their digital check to see if there were any error codes etc. Nothing came up as flagged. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance, Jun 9, 2026
There is a known Recall for my vehicle and Honda has been negligent in attempting to fix the Recall.
Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, May 27, 2026
Almost all lightsnlitenup on dash and Honda attempted to claim i was in accident and daid the entire radar system had to be replaced at expense of 3300.oo dollars. The fault had to be intheir craftmenship not my handling car.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, May 6, 2026
On multiple occasions, this vehicle has initiated automated braking with no other vehicles in the immediate proximity. On 2 occasions, the automated braking has resulted in near misses of rear end collisions. This is an intermittently occurring fault that has become more frequent as of late. The vehicle has <100k on the odometer. The vehicle was taken to the local Honda dealer and their investigative procedure included an 8 min test drive of less than 5 miles and reported that there was nothing wrong with the system. No attempt to make any corrections or improvements was attempted.
Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, May 4, 2026
tHE VEHICLE IS ACTIVATING EMERGENCY BRAKE ASSIST WITH NO OBJECT IN FRONT OF IT CAUSING THE BRAKES TO SLAM ON WHILE DRIVING. LANE DEPARTURE WARNING IS TRYING TO CORRECT/MOVE VEHICLE INTO A DIFFERENT LANE
Power train, Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance, May 3, 2026
In November 2025 a new transmission was installed Curry Honda in Atlanta GA on my 2020 Honda CR-V. The new transmission came with a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. In March 2026 my vehicle broke down and was towed to Tameron Honda in Daphne Al where a speed sensor was replaced at my expense of 388.44. The adaptive cruise control was not working prior to this repair. Within two weeks the vehicle experienced further issues and had to be driven in a compromised condition back to Curry Honda in Atlanta where the transmission wire harness was diagnosed as corroded and replaced at a cost of 1696.99. My vehicle has been garage-kept its entire life except when in the care of a dealership. Corrosion on a recently replaced transmission in a garage-kept vehicle cannot be attributed to environmental exposure or owner neglect. It points directly to a defective part of improper installation at Curry Honda. These failures occurred within months of a new transmission installation with no prior history of issues. I believe this is a safety defect as the vehicle broke down unexpectedly and had to be driven in a compromised condition posing a safety risk.
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 26, 2026
I was driving on the freewayin the night time on several occasions and the Emissions light and check engine light comes on and the car lost speed and would not accelerate. I had to put my hazards on to exit the freeway slowly to pull over turn the car off, sometimes this corrects the problems. but this has happened on several occasions. the vehicle is now at the dealer being diagnostic, they end up keeping the vehicle and haven't told me yet what the issue is.
Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Dec 30, 2025
Every dashboard light came on. Engine, brake and all the adaptive controls were flashing. The whole dash was lit up and my cruise control and lane assist wouldn’t work. Among other things I’m sure. I want to know if this is going to happen again and what about the head gasket now? Can you do the update/ thermostat on my vehicle since obviously it is defective? The car only has 65,000 miles on it. I always heard Hondas were the best vehicles. This is now very concerning. Please advise.
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 3, 2025
Facing the sun, driving through an intersection with a green light. No cars ahead or behind me, and no pedestrians in sight. As I passed under the light, the car slammed on the brakes once, let up a little, and then slammed on the brakes again. It flashed the BRAKE indicator on the dash. Then driving resumed as normal. If there had been a vehicle behind me, it would have rear ended me, no question.
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there were no other vehicles or objects nearby however, the Forward Collision Avoidance system inadvertently activated. During the failure, the Collision Mitigation Braking System engaged and brought the vehicle to a complete stop. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The Forward Collision Avoidance warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: EA24002 (Forward Collision Avoidance). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Forward collision avoidance, Jun 14, 2025
6/14/25 - automatic emergency braking system engaged twice without any impediments in road while driving 40 miles of non-freeway driving. Mileage of vehicle is 30460 miles. AEBS engaged at 45 mph and 50 mph. Scary incidents but no accident or injury today. Concerned about continued driving and future incidents. Will contact Honda dealership. Need to issue a recall.
Forward collision avoidance, Jun 10, 2025
While driving the vehicle the collision avoidance activated on its own. The brakes automatically applied when I was not near a vehicle in front of me. When over railroad crossing and the system activated. My speed was around 28 to 30 mph. The system slowed me down to 24 mph. This has occurred twice. First occurrence was on [XXX], and second on [XXX]. Dash camera footage inside and outside is available to both occurrences. Ide Honda in Penfield, NY was notified after the first instance. The vehicle was not brought in to have it looked at. The vehicle is scheduled for service on June 12, 2025 at Ide Honda in Penfield, NY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Forward collision avoidance, Jan 21, 2025
The vehicle seems to get a mind of its own and around turns on the highway or by curved roads with a barrier, the vehicle slows down. This has happened quite a few times in different scenarios.
Forward collision avoidance, Dec 3, 2024
While driving on the road and passing through an intersection, my car suddenly applied the brakes automatically, attempting to stop the vehicle. During this time, there were no obstacles in front of the car, and I did not step on the brakes.
Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Oct 30, 2024
Car suddenly breaks without my control, and wheels do not recognize new paved roads. Traction light stays on. Car pulls me outside of lane and I have to force the wheel to drive straight and stay in the lane.
Forward collision avoidance, Oct 26, 2024
1) “Collision Mitigation Braking System” (CMBS); CMBS still exists on this car. 2) Potential for getting rear-ended. 3) My brother with similar CR-V reports random CMBS braking. 4) No 5) CMBS first brake warning only after I started letting up off the brake pedal. CMBS produced 2nd brake warning just as it slammed on the brakes - AFTER distance between my car and car in front was already increasing (ie - no chance for collision). First appearance: I've been getting false CMBS brake alarms since purchase of car - this was the first time CMBS slammed on the brakes. I've heard other stories about CMBS type systems causing wrecks, etc... - I believe CMBS type systems need to be removed from all cars.
Forward collision avoidance, Oct 9, 2024
I get a random warning to brake when nothing is in front of me. It doesn't happen often, but it happens. P.S. I can not answer the questions below for some unknown reason. The dates vary and the car had approximately 30,000 miles.
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 15, 2024
On August 15, 2024, around noon, I was stopped at a red light waiting for the light to turn green. When it finally did, I released my foot from the brake pedal and proceeded to accelerate. Not even 2 seconds later, I heard a beeping sound (from collision mitigation system) and my car abruptly stopped. There was no car in front of me and the car behind me was 2 car distances away. My car abruptly stopped on its own with no obstruction in sight in front or behind. I am very concerned to say the least and now feel unsafe driving my car especially since I drive my children around all the time. The automatic braking system/collision mitigation braking system on my 2020 Honda CRV, although meant to increase safety seems to do the exact opposite. I did some research and learned how to turned the collision mitigation braking system off. I trust my fight or flight response more than this automatic braking system. It seems this is more likely to cause an accident. My vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer for this matter, however, I do plan on scheduling a service appointment to ensure the ABS system is working properly. The vehicle only has 38000 miles and has been driving smoothly, no warning messages or vehicle problems that I am aware of. As a public health professional, I feel it is my duty to report this safety concern. This system seems so faulty and dangerous. Please please please investigate this matter, it's so scary. Sincerely, a public health advocate, wife, and mom of 2. Thank you
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 5, 2024
I was the first and only car waiting at a stop light, when the light turned green I began to accelerate and as I aproached the crosswalk line the car auto-braked hard. There were no other cars near by, nor pedestrians anywhere. The auto-braking only lasted a second, did not quite come to a full stop and has not repeated. If there had been a car behind me, I could have easily been rear ended. I notified the service department at the dealership and told them of the NHTSA investigation, he said this was the first he has heard of the problem and if it happens again to document it and bring it in for inspection. I will do so. There were no warning lamps or messages before or after the incident.
Forward collision avoidance, Jul 3, 2024
In 2 opportunities when I am going over a SPEED BUMP my SUV senses the bump as a possible hazard and stopped the car from 25 to 0 in a fraction of a second. BOTH Times I have had passengers with me. Almost got rear ended this last time. I went to the dealer the first time this happened and they did not give it enough importance and denied to disable it.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, May 14, 2024
This 2020 Honda CR-V has experienced 5 uncommanded automatic braking events so far. All 5 events were in wet conditions, with no apparent obstacle in front of the vehicle. One of these events occurred on I-35 at 70mph, and resulted in a full stop with the car facing oncoming traffic. The Collision Mitigation Braking System frequently provides false warnings in this vehicle.
Forward collision avoidance, May 9, 2024
The orange flashing rectangular "BRAKE" warning light on the dashboard display comes on intermittently and randomly while I am driving when there is NOTHING on the road or in front of the car warning me that the car will be braking itself. This has happened while driving 70 mph on the Interstate as well as on local roads going 30-40 mph and in all of these instances there has been nothing in the way of the car! No vehicles. No objects. Nothing. If I had not seen the warning light display on the dashboard and the automatic braking system would have stopped my car while driving 70 mph I could have been killed by a driver behind me on the road running into my car or by severe whiplash from stopping so fast unknowingly. I have reported this to my local Honda dealership where I bought the car (twice now in the last 10 months; once on 8/1/23 and again on 5/9/24). They said they have no knowledge of a potential recall even though I have told them I have read multiple articles in the past several months about a possible recall. I am taking my car to a local body shop to have it scanned to see if they can find anything wrong but the dealership refuses to check the codes as a courtesy free of charge. Honda has suggested I wash my car to clean the sensors of debris which I do very often and the issue just keeps happening. Thank you.
Forward collision avoidance, Lane departure, May 8, 2024
Filed complaint #11587646 on May 8,2024. I'm uploading photo of the problem.