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
331 reports, newest first.
Power train, Electrical system, Apr 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V modified for disabled personnel. The contact stated while attempting to drive the vehicle out of the driveaway, the gear shifter remained stuck in the park position. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact turned the vehicle off. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the interior roof harness cable located behind the rearview mirror had detached as the contact constantly placed his handicap placard behind the rearview mirror. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under warranty. The vehicle was repaired at the contact's expense. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 14,800.
Other or unspecified, Apr 19, 2022
I purchased Brand new Honda CRV 2021 from Manhasset dealer in April 2021, since then this happened few times randomly that the trunk would not open completely and it gets stuck few inches up , manually or with foot sensor it would not open right away and we need to close back and try again few times so it opens all the way up, also in August while taking the stuff out from the trunk it start closing on me and my elderly mom and it would not stop , we were about to get injured that day very badly , hardly escaped from the closing trunk , I brought this to attention of Honda dealer during first and 2nd service but as per them trunk closed properly and they would not do anything for this. They said we can not give you new vehicle for this we know you are not lying but sorry we can not help. I did not ask for new vehicle I wanted to fix my car issue only. Till now this is happening, I sent them email request as well for this issue to be fixed but I did not get any response.
Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 5, 2022
I was driving on a divided 4 lane road that offers a wide right side shoulder at around 43 MPH. I was traveling in the right lane. The lane markings are fresh and visible. It was late afternoon and sun was shining. The road surface was dry. There were no vehicles immediately in front of or along the side of mine. I had not activated the lane keeping assist or automatic cruise control features. Only the hazard mitigation/automatic braking and road departure mitigation features were operational. The car suddenly attempted to swerve left, away from the center of the lane being utilized. The automatic braking system also activated. I was able to simply "drive through" the malfunction without incident. This was the first instance I have noted of this kind. Due to the fact that it was late afternoon, there were shadows from overhead power line being cast onto the lane being driven. I have owned previous cars that sometimes attempted to track said shadow when the lane keeping assist is activated. That was not the scenario yesterday as LKAS was not selected. It was as though the sensors detected a pending pedestrian strike or other collision.
Other or unspecified, Apr 1, 2022
Tire sensor fail to warn of a low tire in time. TPMS is triggered after 15-20 miles of driving on a low tire. Tire was low from a screw and drove home, and the warning light never came on.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 29, 2022
Slowed down to go across a metal plate where work had been done on the street. Suddenly the car came to a hard stop. There was a car in the left lane that also slowed to cross the metal plate. Once before I was rounding a curve and the car softly broke on its own, but didn't completely stop. There was a car again in the left lane. had the car behind me been closer, I would have been rear-ended. There was also no cars in front of me at both times. The warning collision light did come on and beep. I did call the dealer, they check for recalls and there were none. No inspections have been done. I plan to take it to the dealer for inspection.
Other or unspecified, Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 25, 2022
On more than one occasion while driving the touch screen went black couldn’t access my navigation nothing couldn’t get the screen to turn on it wouldn’t do anything. Then it will tell me connect device when my phone is plugged in I’ve changed the cords replaced them with generic apple cords nothing bought apple cord and still nothing, apple car play doesn’t connect says you need to unplug device for car play to work nothing. The sensors are not working like they should there will be nothing around the car will alarm brake then it will automatically brake. I should not have to at to replace the touch screen in my vehicle it’s under warranty well under the miles as well. I work at a car dealership and the touch screen issue is a big problem I get several complaints about the touch screens not working.
Other or unspecified, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 14, 2022
My 2021 Honda CRV is activating the brakes at inappropriate times. I've had 5 total instances that could have resulted in a rear-end collision both on the street driving 5-35 mph and freeway at 30-50 mph. The system on the dash board flashed "brake." However, there is more than a car space between the car in front of the car. The braking system activates and I am unable to counteract the brakes locking up on the car. I am very concerned that if I were to continue to drive my car , it may result in an accident with a car crashing into the back of my car. At this time I am waiting for the vehicle to be inspected.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 12, 2022
I bought the car back at September. After 2 week of commuting to work and back home, I notice a large crack near top edge of passenger side windshield one morning. The cracks then continue spread downward in multiple hairline pattern. Luckily my insurance through Progressive cover the windshield replacement cost with $0 glass deductible. The whole windshield was replaced and the camera system onboard was reprogram by Safelite.
Forward collision avoidance, Mar 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced unintended braking. The contact then deactivated the collision mitigation braking system. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.
Forward collision avoidance, Lane departure, Feb 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would independently downshift without warning. The contact also stated that the failure would occur while the cruise control was activated. In addition, the contact also stated that the lane-keep assist would fail to differentiate between road salt and line marking on the roadway, resulting in inadvertent sudden downshifting. The contact's husband had taken the vehicle to a dealer where their concerns were ignored and no diagnostic test was performed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100. In addition to the above, the lane keep assist cannot distinguish between lines & cracks in the road, which is a big deal in Missouri, and an issue I fight with daily on roads I have no choice to travel on. And it's not downshifting that happens with the lane keep assist-it tries to correct, but the corrections if I don't fight them will either run me into the opposing lane or off the road.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Feb 17, 2022
When driving after dark on rural roads or roads with low light, and using the low-beam headlights, the road is only visible through the lower 1/3 of the windshield. Visibility forward is extremely limited. There is a band of darkness on the upper 2/3. This makes for very dangerous and limited visibility. The visibility improves when the high beams are used. This problem has was first noticed in 2021. I have a video I took of the issue. I took my car to the dealer for service and they say they cannot fix it. They claim, so far, that the headlights are working fine, but they admit that they are unable to check for nighttime issues as I describe.
Air bags, Jan 4, 2022
The srs light came on the dash board and yet to clear.
Other or unspecified, Dec 31, 2021
Hood latch sensor started beeping on a trip from Colorado to Wyoming 12/19/21. I had never opened the hood but it had recently had it’s first service, and I could find no visible issue. I had made an appointment with Freedom Honda because they have no shuttle service to my part of town for 12/30/21 I needed to get a ride from my son. On 12/21/21 I had to drive 40 miles and noticed the hood was actually vibrating. I have been told that the dealership needs to order a new hood latch. This vehicle has less that 5,000 miles on it. They are telling me to come pick it up and the part “a new hood latch” will possibly arrive on Tuesday the 4th. I do not feel safe driving this vehicle at this point. They are expecting me to pay for the new latch, when it is obviously a manufacturer defect.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 18, 2021
I have a 2021 Honda Crv Awd. On 11/14/2021 the Forward Collision Avoidance System engaged . I was stopped at a red light and when the light turned proceeded in 30 feet the system engaged. There was no car or pedestrian in front of me. The car beeped and brakes engaged. Luckily the car behind me was able to stop. Like another car with the same problem brought it to the dealer and was told they couldn’t find anything was wrong. They did lower the sensitivity of the sensors. The also said that a leaf could set it off. My wife is not comfortable riding in the car now. She fears that it could happen on the HiWays.
Air bags, Seat belts, Oct 6, 2021, crash
I was driving and stopped for traffic, however, I was rear ended and resulted in a 4-car pileup. Upon being rear ended and pushed fast toward the car in front and crashing the car in front, the airbags did not deploy. I had a passenger as well. During the accident the driver seatbelt did not lock, however, the passenger one did lock to prevent harm.
Forward collision avoidance, Oct 2, 2021
Purchased car on July 7, 2021, that same day the car did not start when stepped on brake and pushed start button. Happened again on July 8, 2021. Called Dealer, Took it in on July 9, 2021. They could not duplicate problem. Assured me it was not a problem. Drove to CT on July 10, 2021, Did not start several times during the trip. On July 11, on return trip from CT a warning light came on dashboard. IN black letters in a red rectangular box - BRAKE. I called dealer on Monday July 12, 2021 and reported the warning. He said it meant there were cars in the way. The BRAKE IN A BOX occurred 2 more times (8/6 and 8/17). I called dealer who said it was not a problem. I subsequently searched the warning on line and it says "BRING YOUR CAR TO A DEALER. TO CONTINUE DRIVING COULD BE DANGEROUS!" I left the car with the dealer for 9 days. Sept 3 through September 11, 2021. They said they could not find anything wrong. I continue to have problems with starting the car, often getting the message that says TO START ENGINE: BRAKE+PUSH. Which is exactly what I do to start the car. When I picked up the car on September 11 (after 9 days with the dealer) the service manager told me he would contact their regional manager to report the problem to the regional manager. That's the last I heard from him except when I called and he said he had not heard from regional manager yet. I called again and left message but have not heard back. I have also submitted a complaint with HONDA and I have written 3 emails to the VP of Customer Relations. the VP has not responded to me at all. The complaint person contacted the dealer and dealer told him they could not duplicate the problem. After many weeks, complaint person contacted me to let me know this. He has no other recommendations. At this time i am afraid to drive the car and just drive it locally. I have avoided the highway, and any long trips because of my fear that there is something seriously wrong with the car and brakes.
Service brakes, Sep 24, 2021
Purchased car on July 7,2021. That same day the car did not start when stepped on brake and pushed start button. Happened again on July 8, 2021. called dealer. Took it in on July 9th,2021. They could not duplicate problem. Assured me it was not a problem. Drove to CT on July 10, 2021. Did not start several times during the trip. On July 11th, while returning from CT. a warning light came on dashboard. in Black Letters in a Red Rectangular Box - BRAKE. I called dealer on Monday the 12 and reported this. He said it meant there were cars in the way. The BRAKE IN A BOX occurred 2 more times (8/6 and 8/17). I called dealer who said it was not a problem. I subsequently searched the message on line - it says " BRING YOU CAR TO A DEALER. TO CONTINUE DRIVING COULD WELL BE DANGEROUS!" I left the car with dealer for 9 days, Sept 3, 2021 through September 11, 2020. They said they could not find anything wrong. I continue to have problems starting the car. Often getting a message that says: TO START ENGINE: BRAKE + PUSH
Other or unspecified, Sep 6, 2021
The keyless car was accidently turned off while not in not in park The car started to roll. Yes the car is available for inspection. But based on complaints I have seen online this is how the car was designed. Pedestrian or driver could be rolled over and injured or killed, No it has not been confirmed but after I got home I was easily able to reproduce the rolling with the car turned off while not in park. No. At this point the car nor person has needed police or insurance. The car does offer beeps for warning but the car beeps so much I thought it was the car going by. It is an easy mistake we all know because we have driven cars with keys and can't remove the keys without being in park. I was able to exit the car with my keys. Pedestrians do not watch for rolling cars. Needs to be fixed in this model of car.
Air bags, Aug 24, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the air bag fault message was displayed. The vehicle was diagnosed and repaired but continued to experience a failure. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000.
Seat belts, Aug 19, 2021
The seat belt clips in the back seat that are placed together I feel are backwards. If you look in the backseat behind the driver's seat, that buckle and clip for the middle passengers seat should be flipped around. When utilizing the middle seat belt, it has to go around the seat belt to the left. This to me is a big safety concern as it adds extra pressure to the seatbelt buckling in, should there be an accident. Plus it makes it hard for the person to the left to buckle in their belt because the other seatbelt is in the way. I hope this issue can be fixed and may need to even be a recall.
Forward collision avoidance, Jul 30, 2021
I bought a 2021 Honda CRV on May 01, 2021. On July 22 and again on July 25 this car just suddenly put on the breaks for no reason. On the second occasion my sister was in the car with me and was slung forward. She has had three heart attacks and has a pace maker and was so upset I feared her heart might fail her. I have had one heart attack and my heart was pounding too. Fortunately there was no car close behind me on either occasion or I would have been rear ended. Now I feel I must drive slowly because of this but that increases the likelihood of someone driving too close behind me and hitting me if the car stops suddenly. I took the car to the dealership but they said there was nothing wrong with it.
Service brakes, Jul 26, 2021
A complete failure of the braking system occurred while operating the vehicle. This resulted in the vehicle "coasting" to a stop under the laws of physics only. No indicators were present until the time of failure at which point a number of them went off. In the aftermath of the incident, the brake pedal laid flat on the floorboard without the sense of hydraulic pressure present. The brake fluid reservoir was full. Had the vehicle been operating at higher speed, the potential for injury or loss of life is evident. This particular vehicle had under 3,000 miles when the incident occurred. The issue was reproduced by the dealership and has a label that reads "DO NOT DRIVE" on it at the moment.
Service brakes, Air, Electrical system, Jul 6, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 HONDA CR-V. The contact stated that while seated inside the vehicle, the vehicle was started, and the ACC and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer two additional times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle back to the dealer to be diagnosed again. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.
Service brakes, Jun 7, 2021, crash
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated she attempted to start the ignition but was having difficulty and was able to start on the fifth attempt. The contact stated shortly after while driving at 47 mph, when depressing on the brake pedal and the vehicle failed to stop and rear-end another vehicle but continued to accelerate and drive forward over the gully, sidewalk, and shopping center sidewalk/street. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle came to a stop on a pile of dirt. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries but did seek medical attempt due to her blood pressure was high. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The contact called the local dealer and was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repairs as of yet. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.
Steering, May 3, 2021
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 HONDA CR-V. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND EXCEEDING 55 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED AND SHOOK ABNORMALLY. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE WOULD SWERVE TO THE RIGHT AND TO THE LEFT WITH AN ABNORMAL FRICTION SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HONDA SANTA MONICA (1301 SANTA MONICA BLVD, SANTA MONICA, CA 90404, (310) 961-3998) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO RETRIEVE A DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150.