2021 Honda CR-V
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Steering is the leading concern among 331 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 22nd highest complaint count among 26 CR-V model years with reports.
Of the 2021 reports, 14 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 13 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
Seat belts, rear/other, retractorNov 18, 2021
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021 Accord Sedan, Accord Hybrid, CR-V, Ridgeline, 2022 Insight and CR-V Hybrid vehicles. The automatic locking retractor on the second-row center seat belt assembly may deactivate improperly, which can result in an unsecured child restraint system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Dealers will replace the second-row center seat belt assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Campaign 21V900000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
35 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 22, 2025
On 7/21/2025, the car smelled of rotten eggs. When I got home I checked the Honda website for recalls. There is a recall on the fuel pump for my type of car, but not with my vin number. I researched that if the fuel pump goes without repair it can lead to the catalytic converter needing replaced. So, I went outside to go get some dinner and the car wouldn't start. Everything inside flashed a few times and then went dead. This car is only 4 years old. I believe they've missed my car on their recall list.
Engine, May 18, 2025
Head gasket failure. 79,600 miles. Car consumes coolant. Coolant is entering the firing ring when car sits after being driven a distance of 5 miles or more and sits for about 8 hours, vehicle starts with a misfire and makes a small amount of white sweet smoke out of the exhaust pipes even in 85 degree weather. Car smooths itself out after 10-30 seconds. No OBDII or Honda specific codes. Spark plugs, ignition coils, and spark plugs again since 75K. Over $2,000 into this car in repairs. Refilled coolant reservoir 3 times since April 8TH (3 full jugs of Peak Asian blue from Advanced Auto Parts). I want justice for this car and other Honda 1.5T vehicle owners as many of them have this happen at the 80K mark and they’re being quoted $10K for an engine and $5K for a head gasket. There are several people with Accords, Civics, CR-Vs equipped with the 1.5T engine that have coolant leaking into one cylinder. Oil looks fine and not milky. And besides the coolant being low, it looks fine (blue/aqua). Only when the car sits. Car was brought to Rivera Honda in Port Jeff and they couldn’t find any issues. Car is consuming coolant. No leaks. It’s being burned when you start the car after it sits. Gushing liquid noise when car starts or with idle engine stop activated and car restarts.Design flaws on cylinder head has grooves that allow coolant to flow on top of the head to cool it. Failure point according to a Honda mechanic on YouTube. Second flaw is poorly designed head bolts that are too thin and are brittle, not making a good seal as the vehicle ages. Parts are not expensive at all, but the man hours needed to replace this are the killer. 4.5 years old with 80K, it’s Honda. It’s supposed to run forever. Not die under 100K. I would expect this problem after 250K or when the car is over 10 years old. My Godmother had a 1998 Accord that she had for over 20 years and it only needed a fuel pump as a major repair. A testament to Honda’s rock solid reliability. What happened?
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 28, 2025
While Driving on Highway engine lost power and check engine light went on so i had to pull over turn off engine wait a few minutes and restart this happened on 3 occasions
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 9, 2025
I drove to Pittsburgh on [XXX]. I got back in the car, pulled down the driveway and when I tried to enter traffic the car lost power, the dashboard went crazy with error messages and the car was useless. Had it towed to the nearest Honda dealer, they suspected fuel. The high pressure fuel pump was the part that fixed the problem. Fault code dtcp0087 was found in the ECU. I obtained a fuel sample and had it checked, the water content was a little out of spec but nothing really bad. I do have the fuel pump in case anyone wants to do a failure analysis. To add insult to injury, my extended "warranty" is refusing to cover the repair because they just want to say no. [XXX]... The bill was $1786.11, not including a rental car and my time. I have heard of quite a few recalls on these Hondas, you might want to add my model year to that list. Please advise if you have had other reports. Thanks! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Electrical system, Engine, Oct 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at 40 MPH, the contact stated that the automated brake warning light would illuminate. The contact stated that the brake would inadvertently engage. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 33,233.
Engine, Oct 21, 2024
I have a 2021 Honda Cr-v with 24,203 miles on my vehicle as of today oct.21 2024. I i checked my oil drip stick to make sure the oil at the right level. Today I notice I had more oil over the fill mark. I change my oil every 5000 miles with Ams-oil 0-20wt. I read that Honda knows of this on going problem. Should I go to the Honda dealer to address the oil dilution problem happening with my car? Please let me know. [XXX] [XXX] e-mail [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact received an undisclosed recall campaign for engine oil and gasoline dilution. The contact checked the engine oil and noticed that the engine oil was black and smelled of gasoline. The contact drove the vehicle to the local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed; however, the engine oil was changed. The vehicle had not received any further repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 22,500.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Feb 7, 2024
2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE I have a lemon with Honda CR-V year of car 2021 bought it in October of 2021. The 3-year warranty is about to expire. I have taken the car several times to two different Honda dealerships because they are the closest to my home and I don't have anyone to pick me up or take me back. They claim there's nothing wrong with the vehicle but lights in the dash come up every other day then disappear after several hours then return the next time, I use the vehicle. the vehicle also has an issue with the acceleration; sometimes I step on the gas pedal but after trying to drive the car, the MOTOR does NOT move faster but rather the force of the vehicle decreases and doesn't allow for me to go faster than 20 MPH. The odometer is also inaccurate; one month after driving the vehicle about 80 miles-the vehicle odometer increased around 10 miles. I only have about 9,877 miles that I’ve driven the car… I'M [XXX] and cannot drive and take pictures while I'm driving. I barely know how to use my phone. I get nervous, start to panic and my heart starts racing and I feel like I'm going to crash. I'm scared for my life and my grandchildren that I pick up after school and take them to their home. ive tried to upload documents but i keep getting an error...INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Engine, Dec 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the cruise control activated, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure, and no error codes were retrieved. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 6,851.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 14, 2021
OIL LEVEL RAISED UP TO ABOVE THE UPPER MARK ON DIP STICK AND SMELL GASOLINE. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN OFF AND SITTING MORE THAN A FEW HOURS ON LEVEL GROUND.