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
353 reports, newest first.
Structure, Jan 16, 2023
Driving highway speed (65mph). Glass sunroof shattered for no reason. Nothing appears to have hit the sunroof, no debris on road and no trucks or other cars. Researching on web, it appears other people are also experiencing the same issue.
Forward collision avoidance, Jan 11, 2023, crash
Driving on I-275 freeway along with my friend to Airport. Both Lane Keep Assistant and Adaptive Cruise Control were ON. I kept cruising at 65 miles/hour and drove about 7 miles with no issues. My vehicle slowed down by detecting a vehicle ahead of me driving in 55 m/h. As the next line was free, I moved to the left line and my vehicle started accelerating to 65 m/h. It had not detected a stopped vehicle ahead of me. I expected the ACC OR CMBS features to detect and slow down my car but no alert was received. Also Automatic Emergency Breaking system not slowed down or stopped my vehicle. I applied hard breaks but the vehicle hit the stopped vehicle and both airbags deployed. Lucky that we are safe and no injuries to us but car was totaled. Progressive Auto Policy: [XXX], Police Incident Number: [XXX], Ticket Number: [XXX], Honda complaint number [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Air bags, Jan 4, 2023
The "passenger airbag off" light often stays on when the car is in motion and I am sitting properly in the passenger seat with the seatbelt buckled. I have tried adjusting the seat (which often doesn't work), or the light will stay on again the next time I get in even though the seat position hasn't changed. The dealer where we bought the vehicle says "nothing can be done" by them. This has happened in two rental vehicles as well (one was a CRV). I am over 65, female and weigh 95-105 lbs.
Exterior lighting, Jan 2, 2023
When I first purchased the vehicle (brand new in 2020), the condensation in the tail lights occurred but the Honda dealer replaced it since it was under warranty. It’s still happening and it’s even more severe now risking the brake and turn lights burning out. The same Honda dealer now refuses to replace them despite the tail lights still being under the 3 year 36,000 mile warranty.
Forward collision avoidance, Dec 20, 2022
In March/April 2020 I was driving at 65 miles per hour on a rural highway. The only vehicles on the road were my car, the pickup in front of me and the pickup behind me. Since the highway was so quiet, I decided to try Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). I set it for 65 miles per hour (the speed limit). We had been driving for about 15 minutes, each car maintaining the same speed and distance. The pickup in front of me turned on his turn signal for a right turn and entered the right turn lane. As my car approached the pickup, in the turn lane, the automatic braking system activated. I lunged forward, the seat belt activated, braking warning was displayed on screen and there was an audible alarm. I managed to take control of the vehicle and to accelerate. I was afraid the vehicle behind me would collide with me. I turned off ACC and tried to regain my composure. When the pickup moved into the right hand lane, there was nothing in front of me as far as the eye could see; just open highway. I will never use ACC again. Yesterday, December 19, I was driving on a side street. I had just exited a school zone, speed limit 15, and my speed was now approximately 22, no vehicles in front of me just some cars parked at the curb ahead to my right. There was an audible tone and the word BRAKE displayed on the screen. The brakes did not activate.
Forward collision avoidance, Dec 6, 2022
The auto brake feature engaged on the beltway by itself and caused the car to come to a complete stop while cars behind us were forced to swerve out of the way to avoid a serious accident. My wife is afraid to keep driving the car and we are now figuring out a way to get rid of it. Reported to local dealer but did not get any response.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 29, 2022
Phantom Braking Incident. As I was driving at approximately 35 mph, the vehicle applied brakes for no apparent reason. Luckily, the vehicle traveling behind me didn't crash into the rear of my vehicle but had this happened when traveling at higher speeds, there would have been a serious accident. This has happened numerous times since owning the vehicle, but only the 2nd time I've reported it here.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 14, 2022
When driving at high speed on the highway, I have had instances of both FCW and/or AEB activating when there was no vehicle in front of me. This tends to happen without known cause and while I take the same route every day on my commute, the issue does not always occur. When FCW initiates with a large flashing BRAKE warning on the dash and loud beeping while at highway speeds, I am startled and second guess myself that I am not seeing something I am about to impact with. This creates confusion and can lead to making a maneuver or my braking in error which can cause a crash. This issue has occured numerous times and in speaking with other owners of the same vehicle, they have witnessed the same issue. I have also had AEB initiate at least twice while at highway speeds when there was no vehicle in front of me. This is the most frightening and dangerous issue that I've experienced in any vehicle I have driven. As with the above issue with FCW, there seems to be no way to reproduce the issue and it happens at random. While at highway speeds after receiving the FCW BRAKE warning, my vehicle instantaneously began emergency braking with no vehicle in front of me. This issue is unacceptable and can cause a serious crash on the highway. I speculate that these issues both may be caused by overhead highway signs or bridges but does not seem to occur in error consistently, even when driving the same route. I worry that these issues will cause myself or my family to be seriously injured due to failing safety technology and I have considered disabling these features in my vehicle. These issues have not been inspected nor verified independently as I have felt the issue is unresolvable based on feedback I have heard. At this point I consider myself lucky for not having been in a crash due to these systems failing.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 11, 2022
I was driving and the automatic emergency breaking activated without warning. I was driving 40 miles per hour with no car near me and the car abruptly stopped without warning. This is the second time this has happened with a similar situation occurring
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 4, 2022
Automatic braking system engaging when no cars or objects are present. Has happened while on highway at relatively high speeds and on regular neighborhood streets.
Air bags, Oct 5, 2022
August 13, I started my car and there was a loud noise. Then a alert on my dash, that there was a problem with my air bags. I could not get appointment with the Honda dealer until August 30. They determined that parts were defective. SRS Unit and weight sensor needs to be replaced. They ordered the parts but they are not available. So I am driving my newer Honda because I have no other car but they said if there was a wreck, the air bags would not function. Real disgusting that about that time, I got an email that they were getting in 17 NEW Honda CRV. If they can produce new ones, they have the parts I need to stay safe. They need to take care of this immediately! Winter will be here soon. Chances of accidents increase.
Forward collision avoidance, Oct 2, 2022
I have noticed multiple times that when i exit from highway it will suddenly deaccelerate. I wasn't following any cars on those days and luckily no car behind me those times.
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 27, 2022
too frequently the car automatically hard brakes & flashes "BRAKE" on the dash with no collision imminent but has almost caused accidents in doing so. This has happened turning slowly thru a busy intersection, driving moderate speed straight on a dappled sunlit road with no car around, driving in light traffic on a multi-lane highway at higher speeds. I have had the local Honda techs look at it last year and all they could do is ask if I want the sensitivity turned down. What good is the system if one thwarts what it is supposed to actually do?? Also there is no way to clean the front cameras which might have debris causing this. As it is happening more frequently, perhaps a debris collection is precisely the issue. Honda needs to take ownership of this faulty system & fix it!
Fuel system, Gasoline, Sep 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the fuel pump would remain activated after turning the vehicle off. The contact indicated that the failure was intermittent with a humming sound coming from the vehicle during the failure. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 30,000.
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 10, 2022
Driving north toward Lebanon, Ohio on Route 48. One passenger and one dog in backseat. No one in front passenger seat. Car beeped and alerted to BRAKE then suddenly braked very hard with no cars around or in front.
Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 30, 2022
1. The vehicle will inadvertently and without warning, apply the brakes (phantom braking). 2. The Lane keeping assist will not follow the road, especially when the road curves. The vehicle will sometimes not negotiate the required turn to stay in the lane.
Visibility, Aug 29, 2022
Sunroof window spontaneously exploded while driving. I was the only vehicle on the road when the window exploded. Happened at approximately 630am. Have searched but no recalls on this issue, only a class action lawsuit.
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the Collision Mitigation Braking system engaged and the vehicle stopped abruptly. There were no other vehicles or objects nearby. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and resumed normal driving. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred on four different occasions. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000.
Exterior lighting, Aug 19, 2022
VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS -LOW BEAM OR HIGH BEAM ARE INADIQUATE AND DANGERIOUS. AN AUTOMOTIVE TECH CONFIRMED THE OEM HEADLIGHTS FAIL SAFE DRIVING AT NIGHT EVEN ON LIGHTED CITY STREETS. THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT ASSMS DO NOT ALLOW LIGHT TO SAFELY SHOW THRU. EVEN AFTER NEW LED BULBS INSTALLED THE ASSEMBLYS DEFUSE LIGHTING. MY WIFE AND I NO LONGER CAN SAFELY DRIVE AT NIGHT WITH THIS VEHICLE. THIS SAFETY PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE SELLING DEALER, TO NO AVAIL! MY SON HAS DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE AT NIGHT - AND WAS ALSO TERRIFIED. THE TECHNICIAN WHO INSTALLED "LED HEAD LIGHT BULBS" CONFIRMED THAT OUR 2020 HONDA CRV OUTER "REFLECTOR ASSEMBLYS ARE AT FAULT ! AND THIS IS A DANGEROUS VEHICLE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT.
Other or unspecified, Aug 16, 2022
My moonroof glass randomly shattered while driving on the highway. There was no sign of rocks or other debris that might have been the cause.
Engine, Aug 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated his wife noticed an unknown warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle's oil was changed by a mechanic. On another occasion, the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis and they stated that the vehicle needed a new engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they stated that they would contact him back. The failure mileage was 14,700.
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 8, 2022, crash
I was in an accident this morning on the freeway where they are doing road construction. The lanes are VERY narrow due to cement wall placed for construction. The vehicle in front of me slammed on their brakes suddenly so when i did the Automatic brakes kicked in on my car surpassing the level of my own braking and took over. The car came to a compelete stop. IT was terrifying because i didnt have control to keep moving to try and get out of the way from the semi driving behind me. I moved over as much as i could even with a cement wall so close. I ended up getting rear ended by the Semi. This automatic braking system is DANGEROUS. With the car taking over my brakes lost me time to try and get out of the way even more which ccould have possibly prevented the accident from happening.
Air bags, Aug 5, 2022
The passenger side airbag sensor is not working properly. There is a light that goes on and says "passenger airbag off" when a passenger under 65lbs is in the seat. The passenger side airbag in this car is being deactivated when there are passengers that weight 95-150lbs sitting in the seat. The passengers are always buckled and the car is driving forward between 10-65 mph. I filed a complaint with Honda and have brought it to 2 different dealerships. One dealership replaced the sensors but the issue continues to occur. I was told by Simon from Honda Corporation that I needed to bring it in when the problem was occurring, so I did. That dealership weighed several people on a scale and in the passenger seat with a computer hooked up to the car. The weight the seat was sensing was off by about 40lbs. The sensors was "recalibrated". After they were "recalibrated" the weight was still off by 20-30lbs when we weighed a person by scale and then compared it to the weight that the seat was sensing. I was told that there was nothing else they can do, that it was a 2 sensor system and that is the "best they can do". The dealership reported back to Honda that the system was "working without issues" despite it still being significantly off after calibration. I requested a regional engineer to examine my car and was denied by Simon. I requested to speak with a supervisor and was denied by Simon. I have multiple videos showing this malfunction and the discrepancies in weight. I offered to send them to Honda and Simon refused to accept them. The sensors clearly aren't weighing the passengers properly and disabling the passenger airbag inappropriately. This is a SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE! I am certain there are other CRV's with the same issue because the dealership hooked another CRV up to a computer and compared sensed weights vs actual weights right in front of me and that CRV seat sensor was off by 10-15lbs. I am concerned!! My car has had NO accidents/front damage.
Air bags, Forward collision avoidance, Jul 23, 2022, crash
When I was driving my vehicle on 7-21-22 at approximately 4:20pm my emergency breaking system was flashing and breaking on it's own. There was nothing in front of my vehicle at the time. Later at approximately 4:25pm a woman hit my passenger side after running a red light. My passenger side airbag did not deploy. However, about 5-10 seconds after impact my steering wheel airbag deployed and hit me in the left side of my face. The delayed reaction has caused lacerations on my face, burns on my hand, bruising and loss of part of my tooth. I am also suffering from head issues and pain in my chest from this delayed airbag deployment. Vehicle had to be towed away to a garage and is not drivable.
Forward collision avoidance, Jul 8, 2022, crash
The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while her husband was driving 5 mph, the brakes were depressed by mitigation braking system. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was depressing the accelerator pedal but failed to accelerate causing the vehicle behind him to rear end their vehicle. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention. A police report was not filed. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer but they were unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and the driver deactivated the forward collision on the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a collision shop and had the rear bumper replaced. The manufacturer has been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 6,028.