Complaints about the 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid peaked in 2024, with 32 filed
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
SUV, hybrid, built in United States. Owner complaints on file from Jun 1, 2020 to Sep 20, 2026.
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
Owner complaints by component. Hover or focus a bar for the crash, fire, injury or death count.
Check a specific vehicle by VIN on NHTSA's site: a campaign may cover only part of a model year's production.
| Campaign | Filed | Subject | Component | Vehicles | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26V-332 | May 21, 2026 | Front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash | Airbags | 98,892 | Part replacement |
| 24V-064 | Feb 1, 2024 | Front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended | Airbags | 750,114 | Part replacement |
| 23V-858 | Dec 18, 2023 | Fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail | Fuel system | 2,490,460 | Part replacement |
| 23V-844 | Dec 13, 2023 | 12-Volt battery cable routed outside of the body frame is missing a fuse on the power circuit, which can allow the battery cable to short circuit… | Electrical system | 106,030 | Part replacement |
| 20V-798 | Dec 17, 2020 | DC-DC converter may shut down and prevent the 12-volt battery from recharging, possibly resulting in a loss of drive power | Electrical system | 27,838 | Software update |
The full text of every complaint filed with NHTSA about this model year, newest first. Complaints are filed by owners and are not verified by NHTSA; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
82 complaints on file, page 1 of 5.
My 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid (125,000 miles) has repeatedly lost propulsion power at highway speeds. On Sept. 19, 2026, the vehicle suddenly lost drive power, slowed rapidly, and came to a complete stop in high-speed traffic. The dashboard displayed: “Critical Failure Detected. Stop Driving When Safe” and “Power System Problem. Do Not Drive.” The vehicle had to be turned off and restarted three times before enough power returned to move off the road. No crash occurred, but there was a serious risk of being rear-ended. The vehicle has come to a complete stop twice, and similar power-loss events have occurred multiple times. The same problem resulted in five dealership visits: • Aug. 29: Catalytic converter replaced under California emissions warranty; problem continued. • Sept. 8: Code C1870-00 detected; codes cleared; no repair addressing the failure. • Sept. 15: Code P06AF detected; fuel pump assembly replaced; problem continued. • Sept. 17: Dealership reported “fuel dilution” and drained the tank; failure recurred two days later. • Sept. 20: Returned after the Sept. 19 highway incident. The dealership has documented the repeated problem, but the root cause remains unresolved. Restarting the vehicle temporarily restores power, which may complicate diagnosis. Because the loss of propulsion occurs suddenly at highway speeds, there are sometimes no safe places to pull over. I am aware of NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE25016 concerning loss of motive power in 2020–2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid vehicles. My symptoms appear similar, although I am not claiming they have been determined to be the same defect.
NHTSA complaint 11765671The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the brakes failed to operate as needed. The brake pedal was depressed, and the brake pedal almost went down to the floorboard, and the braking distance became extended. The vehicle was driven to supermarket parking lot and gradually slowed down before slowly being driven back to the residence. The brakes, VSA and road departure warning lights were illuminated with several other unknown warning lights. The dealer was contacted and diagnosed the vehicle with brake failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.
NHTSA complaint 11762155One four occasions our 2020 Honda CRV Hybrid has started after sitting overnight in the greater Seattle area in the spring and summer with a rough idle. Within two miles of leaving our home at speeds of no more than 35 miles per hour, the check engine light began to flash. All four times, the rough idle and check engine light were accompanied by degraded speed responsiveness and the error cleared with turning the car on and off again. We have taken the vehicle to a mechanic twice and each time they couldn’t find any stored codes or replicate the issue. The issue continues to occur and seems to be getting worse. I’m concerned this will happen at high speeds and result in a total loss of power which will be unsafe.
NHTSA complaint 117613732/19/26 My car lost power while accelerating up a hill at about 60mph and the car had been operating for an hour and a half or so. The car was shaking, running on reduced power and the check engine light was flashing so we had to pull over to safety on a busy road. The car was towed to the local Honda dealer. The dealer said the code was a misfire on cylinder #4 but once they restarted the car the error went away. They did perform multiple tests including a compression test on all four cylinders and a leak test, and the car passed them all. They were unable to reproduce the problem. They did swap the #4 coil so that if it happened again, we would have more diagnostic information. They recommended no further action at that time. On 5/11/26 we had the same experience, also while accelerating uphill, after about 30 minutes of driving, this time on the interstate which was very scary; reduced power, car shaking and check engine light flashing. We pulled over, turned off the engine, and sure enough, when we restarted the car, it started normally. When we went to the repair shop a few days later there were no engine codes showing. On 6/12/26 the same thing happened again. While going uphill, on the interstate, after a couple of hours of driving. This time, as soon as we got home, we used an engine code reader and saw code P0304 – Cylinder 4 misfire. On 8/13/26 Lehigh Valley Honda reproduced the problem on the interstate, going uphill and do not have a clear fix. They want me to spend $587 on a Valve Clearance Inspection and Adjustment that I think won't yield any result.
NHTSA complaint 11759588The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that there was a misfire in cylinders #4 and #6. The fuel injectors were replaced. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and failed to exceed 35 MPH, with the check engine warning light flashing. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle failed to exceed 10 MPH. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the mechanic failed to retrieve a fault code and found no cause for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 103,000.
NHTSA complaint 11759552All the safety lights came on on the dashboard suddenly the brake assist did not work. Honda tells me the brake servo is bad. This is a known defect as other 2020 crv hybrids were recalled for the same reason. It is a dangerous safety hazard.
NHTSA complaint 11754699On four separate occasions while driving anywhere from 35 to 55 mph the engine light begins to flash and I lose all power. I am given just enough time to pull to the side of the road. I turn off the engine, wait a few minutes, and turn the engine back on, which seems to remedy the problem. At that point, I am able to drive off like nothing happened. I am on a CRV forum and I’m seeing more and more people discuss the same issue! Because there’s no code that comes up, and I am not able to replicate the scenario at the mechanics… There is nothing that can be done. It’s quite scary to be going 55 miles an hour and have to pull over on the side of the freeway. One time there was not a shoulder of the road that I was on, luckily a gas station was just up ahead and I was able to pull in there to reset the engine.
NHTSA complaint 11750885Description of event: I was driving approximately 35 mph when the check engine light began flashing, the engine began shuddering, and acceleration began decreasing. I was able to safely pull over and turn off the vehicle. After approx. 10 minutes, I turned on the car and plugged in a code reader but no codes were available to view. I restarted the car and it functioned normally and the check engine light has not returned. Safety: If there had been more traffic, if I had been on a highway, or some other circumstance, it could have been difficult to safely pull over with a loss of power. The car has not been inspected by a third party but there are numerous anecdotal accounts of this same issue on Reddit and Honda forums.
NHTSA complaint 11734944Traveling at 70 mph on I-5, Washington State, a warning message telling us the braking system was compromised, referencing "VSA", part so the stability control system. We pulled over and turned the car off, deleting the message. Within two miles of proceeding along the road the display presented a message saying the parking/emergency brake was malfunctioning, at 70 mph. Three days later my wife was backing up in the driveway and the car applied the brakes and would not proceed. When my wife engaged the forward gear the car did drive forward while cycling various error messages. It, via computer interpretation, determines how the brake fluid pressure is applied/distributed to all and any of the braking systems. Some systems are automatically initiated and others are initiated by the driver. These systems include the auto-emergency braking, the application of the electric foot brakes, the parking brake among others. We had the car delivered to the local dealership with the above information. The dealer ran an OBD scan and decided that the electric servo booster. I do not challenge this decision. My concern is that this malfunction has triggered a recall in Japan and that there are worldwide reports of the malfunction. Please have someone look into this system failure with Honda.
NHTSA complaint 11710908I was driving this vehicle (2020 Honda CRV hybrid touring) and the brakes became very hard to stop. It was like standard braking without power assist and required great effort to stop the vehicle. Many warnings appeared on the dash including: 1. Brake system problem 2. Electric parking brake problem 3. Brake hold system problem 4. Hill start assist problem 5. Collision mitigation system problem 6. Vehicle stability assist (VSA) problem 7. Road departure mitigation problem 8. Adaptive cruise control problem The emergency brake light is on and won't go away. Sometimes when you start it, the warnings will clear after pressing the "!" button. Other times they won't clear making it not driveable because of the hard braking. I took it to First Class Halt and they found some code they had never seen. They cleared the code and 2 days later it started up with the same thing. I took it to Hendrick Honda and they also just cleared a code. A few days later it started all over making the car undriveable at least in a safe manner with full control over the brakes. It seems that neither an independent shop nor a Honda dealership can correct this dangerous problem.
NHTSA complaint 11706766The failure involves the Electric Brake Booster (EBB) / brake control system on my 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid. The malfunction affected brake assist, ABS, Vehicle Stability Assist System Problem, Brake Hold System Problem, Brake System Problem,Electric Parking Brake Problem, Road Departure Mitigation System problem,Collision Mitigation System Problem, Adaptive Cruise Control Problem, Hill Start Assist problem. The vehicle and components are available for inspection upon request. This failure created a serious safety risk. Braking performance became inconsistent and unpredictable, increasing stopping distance and reducing vehicle control. This condition increased the risk of a crash during normal driving or emergency braking. The problem is persistent and reproducible. Multiple brake-related warning lights reappear every time the vehicle is driven. The symptoms are consistent with Electric Brake Booster failure reported on similar vehicles. Dealer diagnosis is pending / has identified a brake system fault related to the brake booster. The vehicle has not been inspected by Honda corporate. It has been / will be inspected by an authorized dealer or qualified service center. No police or insurance inspection occurred because no crash happened. Warning lamps appeared suddenly while driving, including Brake System, ABS, and VSA warnings. There were no prior symptoms such as noise, vibration, or gradual brake degradation before the failure. Once illuminated, the warnings remained active.
NHTSA complaint 11706322Vehicle: 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2.0L engine VIN: [XXX] Mileage at failure: ~73,000 miles Dealer: AutoNation Honda Fremont, California Estimated repair cost: ~$4,200 Issue: Blown head gasket Summary of Complaint: At approximately 73,000 miles, my 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid suffered a blown head gasket. The vehicle began showing symptoms of overheating and coolant loss, and a dealer diagnostic confirmed head gasket failure. The repair estimate from AutoNation Honda Fremont is approximately $4,200. A head gasket failure at this mileage is abnormal and indicates a potential design defect. I am aware of an ongoing class-action lawsuit concerning premature head gasket and engine failures in late-model Honda vehicles with turbocharged and hybrid engines, and my experience appears consistent with these allegations. This defect is a safety hazard because it can lead to sudden overheating, engine stalling, or complete failure while driving, which puts drivers and passengers at risk. It also creates an unreasonable financial burden on owners. I respectfully request that the NHTSA investigate this issue as a potential widespread defect across Honda CR-V Hybrid and related models. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint 11685914We have been trying to get our recall serviced for over 18 months. The dealer continues to tell us the parts need to be special ordered and they will call us back. However they never call us back. We have called Honda directly and have not received any help from them either.
NHTSA complaint 11682553The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while making a turn into a parking space, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated, drove up the curb, hit and drove over the metallic Bank sign pole, which damaged the undercarriage of the vehicle. The vehicle then crashed into the sides of two unoccupied vehicles that were parked perpendicularly to the contact's vehicle. The vehicle then stopped. The contact stated that one of the vehicles that the vehicle had crashed into was pushed a third of a block away. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed during the failure, but the vehicle failed to respond. The message "Brake Failure" was displayed, and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. No police report was filed, and no injury was sustained. The vehicle was towed to an autobody repair shop, where it was repaired for the damage sustained. Additionally, the contact stated that while pulling into a parking space in front of the residence, the brake pedal was depressed, but the failure recurred, causing the vehicle to crash into the rear of another parked and unoccupied vehicle. The other vehicle sustained minor damage. The air bags did not deployed. No police report was filed, and no injury was sustained. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to call the manufacturer for diagnostic testing to be performed by an engineer with better electrical equipment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint 11680090The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the message that the engine was reaching the max engine temperature and to pull over was displayed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the EV water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired three times. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on four times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 122,000.
NHTSA complaint 11678795The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the brake pedal stopped the vehicle the independently without the contact depressing the brake pedal. The brake warning light illuminated. a dealer or independent mechanic was not contacted. The vehicle was not the dealer or independent mechanic for diagnoses. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 33,000.
NHTSA complaint 11678535I had intermittent warning lights about the electronic parking brake and steering assist for lane departure. One day I left my house and warning lights came on about brake failure. There were no power brakes and the little braking available was very not good at all. I had the car towed to a dealer and it was diagnosed with an internal failure of brake control unit code pfe2b oo. I had the unit replaced.
NHTSA complaint 11677656The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid. The contact stated that while his wife was driving up the driveway, at a slow speed, the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle then accelerated independently. The auto stop feature failed. The contact's wife veered to avoid hitting a parked vehicle. However, the vehicle hit the side of the garage and hit a small tree, where it came to a stop. The contact advised that a branch went under the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The driver-side and passenger-side air bags did not deploy. The contact's wife suffered injuries to the front part of her head. The contact was occupying the front passenger's side seat at the time of the incident. Medical attention was not received. The police were not notified. The vehicle was towed to a collision center but was not diagnosed or repaired. The insurance company was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer advised the contact that a case manager would be assigned. However, the contact was awaiting to hear from the case manager. The failure mileage was 42,332.
NHTSA complaint 11675750The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front driver’s seat and the front passenger’s seat felt hard and uneven. The contact checked the bottom of the seat and became aware there was a space between the seat rails and the carpet. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the carpet was shrunk to size. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at various speeds, when the brake pedal was depressed, the contact’s foot slipped off the pedal, compromising the brake prevention system. The contact stated the brake pedal is higher than the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied assistance in covering the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 100.
NHTSA complaint 11665357Sudden engine failure while driving on highway with immediate loss of power. Engine failure was due to blown head gasket from failure in sealed coolant system. Engine failure occurred prematurely at 84k miles. Honda allegedly is aware of this failure in their system, and has not addressed it. Safety concern due to sudden loss of power while driving in areas with speeds at excess of 60 mph, no warning prior to failure.
NHTSA complaint 11652719Technical service bulletins and other notices the manufacturer sent to dealers. A bulletin is not a recall.