1,019 of the
21,242 complaints filed about the Honda Cr-V
are about the transmission —
5% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2015.
1,019
Complaints
5%
Share of all complaints
51
Crashes
3
Fires
Transmission & Drivetrain complaints by model year
Cylinder head gaskets failure with coolant migrating into the cylinders, available for inspection upon request; Dahl Honda Sheboygan took videos of inspection and liquid in the cylinders. Upon starting the car, the engine sounded strange and sluggish. As I started to drive, engine sounded like it was misfiring. I was able to drive only 10-25 mph (safety issue) from residence to the Dahl dealership (2.8 mi). All electrical warning lights were flashing. I thought it was my battery or a loose connection. They appeared all at once upon starting the car that morning, no prior warning.
NHTSA complaint #11756112 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Around 68432miles my 2018 Honda CRV EXL AWD has started getting the problem of "Shutter Grill problem, power reduced" warning light. It often happens on highway speeds after about 75-100 miles of driving on long trips. Its very dangerous once I encounter it in the middle of the highway with reduced power to operate the vehicle safely. Have not encountered this issue in city driving at all. Once I receive this issue, only solution is to safely pull over on the shoulder of the highway, turn the vehicle off. wait 5-10 minutes and then restart the vehicle hoping it will not come again. But on long trips and at highway speeds of 65-75mph It usually comes on again after 30-50 miles again after the restart of the engine. Verified that engine temperature gauge is at normal position when this happens (Please see attached picture for dashboard controls). So that tells me engine is not running hot even though system throws this warning and suddenly reduces the engine power for the driver. American Honda is hiding behind this issue with my car to avoid fixing the Oil dilution problem that I am experiencing as well and I have reported that as part of NHTSA complaint number 11756292. To me these two are separate issues those American Honda has to address separately. After American Honda failed to address these issues separately I am bringing both of these issues to NHTSA 's attention with hope that American Honda should do the right thing and stand behind their defective product.
NHTSA complaint #11756304 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving at highway speeds, my steering wheel physically binds, catches and then suddenly jerks when trying to make normal adjustments. This creates an unpredictable control hazard. This is similar to NHTSA Recall 24V-744 and Honda TSB 24-011. The internal steering gearbox is binding due to the same design & manufacturing tolerances.
NHTSA complaint #11755882 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
All dash warning indicators come on randomly and a code reader indicates fuel injector issue. That was checked and is not the issue. This is a well-known symptom in this model year that head gasket leaks caused by under-specified head bolts do not keep the cylinder head sealed properly and this leads to many other issues.
NHTSA complaint #11755182 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Honda CRV was parked on the driveway with a little bit of downward slope. The car was started cold in the afternoon in summer time, the gear was shifted to R (reverse). We could see the backview in camera which confirms that the car was in R mode. It move ahead and did not stop. Despite giving acceleration, car keeps moving forward. The remedy for now is to stop the car, open the door, close the door, restart the car and the problem goes away. This has happened twice. We took it to the Honda dealership and the technician did not find any issue which is surprising. We expect Honda to look at the issue in detail, find the root cause and fix.
NHTSA complaint #11752801 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While accelerating having made a right turn from a stop at an intersection, the drive train lost power for several seconds and the car slowed before accelerating normally
NHTSA complaint #11752133 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
7-16-26, I was driving on the highway. All the warning lights on the dash lit up. The car dropped down to 20 miles per hour. I tried to speed up, but could not. It is experiencing an extended crank, sever stuttering and engine stalling. It has actively thrown code P0087 for low fuel rail pressure. An independent service center confirmed the code P0087. The dealership performed diagnostic test and confirmed code P0087. The component was part of recall: 21V-215. There were no other warning lamps, messages or symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. My car is currently at the dealership because Honda has denied the claim. I have a 3 day free loaner from the dealership. I have escalated to Honda Corp. I will need a car for longer than 3 days while I wait for the escalations department to make a final decision.
NHTSA complaint #11751266 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On or about April 17, 2026, while driving my 2022 Honda CR-V equipped with the 1.5L turbocharged engine (approximately 53,890 miles), I experienced a sudden loss of engine power and performance. There were no warning lights, warning messages, or other symptoms prior to the incident. The first indication of a problem occurred during the failure itself. Diagnostic testing later identified DTC P0299 (turbocharger underboost). The vehicle was transported to an authorized Honda dealership (Stokes Honda North), where technicians diagnosed a catastrophic turbocharger failure. During their inspection, they determined that metal from the failed turbocharger had contaminated the engine and recommended complete engine replacement. The sudden loss of engine power created a significant safety concern because the vehicle could not accelerate normally in traffic. A loss of power while merging onto a highway, crossing an intersection, or attempting to avoid another vehicle could increase the risk of a collision. The failure was confirmed by the authorized Honda dealership. The vehicle was also inspected by American Honda as part of its warranty review. Although Honda denied warranty coverage, I am submitting this complaint to report what I believe is a potential safety-related failure involving the turbocharger and resulting engine damage. The vehicle remains available for inspection if requested. I respectfully ask NHTSA to determine whether similar failures are occurring in other 2022 Honda CR-V vehicles equipped with the 1.5L turbocharged engine and whether further investigation is warranted.
NHTSA complaint #11751223 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Over the past 6/7 months, the following: ALL warning lights on dashboard flashing whenever car in running, strong smell of gasoline detected in home garage, and 5/6 times during the past 4/5 weeks engine "rough" when starting cold accompanied by loss of power. The lack of effective warning notices and/or the sudden loss of power increases the risk of crash and injury. I understand that these are related to a known Manufacturer's defect. The dealer replaced the fuel injectors and provided some additional service. I understand that Honda has issued some "campaigns" and some vehicles have been granted extended warranties, etc. but I was told that this vehicle is not eligible. I would like to try to obtain reimbursement for the repairs since it appears to be related to a documented manufacturer's defect. I also understand that there has been a recall under this issue in Canada.
NHTSA complaint #11750874 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
For several months now, car has been misfiring, skipping and going into limp mode. Spark plugs replaced and issue went away for about 2 months. Issue has resurfaced and took it to Honda dealership where I purchased vehicle to run a diagnostic test. Informed to resolve the issue need fuel injectors replacement, spark plug replacements, coolant reservoir is empty and to top it off, need a head gasket kit.
NHTSA complaint #11750613 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The car misfires every now and then. For last two years (I bought it used two yers ago odometer=105k now 113k), it has been a repeated problem. A few times it lost all power and stopped completely. Once on highway. Once I had to get it towed. Another occasion it restarted after 15 minutes break as if nothing had gone wrong. This is very scary - I have reduced my driving and try to avoid highways as much as possible. It gives a code of P0302. It happens irrespective of hot or cold, speed or outside temperature. The mechanic repaired it - by changing injector coil, spark plugs, once even added injector cleaning fluid to see if the problem would go away. Plus top up the coolant. In the most recent mechanic trip - he tested for coolant leakage on head gasket and confirmed that is the problem. He also informed me that it is a widely known problem with this model (2017 Honda CRV 1.5L) although I wasn't aware of that when I bought it from a used car dealer, basically relying on Honda's reputation.
NHTSA complaint #11750110 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle is a 2019 Honda CR-V (1.5L Turbo) experiencing an active internal mechanical failure—suspected collapsing/sticking piston rings bypassing the combustion chamber, resulting in severe, unmeasured oil consumption. The dealership (Wesley Chapel Honda) filled the engine with new oil and refuses to perform an internal diagnostic teardown or provide a safe alternative vehicle. Instead, they are advising me to operate this vehicle for an additional 2,000 miles to complete a corporate "consumption test" to prove the defect for warranty authorization. Operating a vehicle with a known, rapid, and erratic oil depletion defect for thousands of miles presents a severe, immediate safety hazard to my family and others on the road. If the engine oil drops below critical operating levels unexpectedly between manual checks, the engine faces an immediate risk of catastrophic metal-on-metal friction, thermal expansion, and sudden engine seizure at highway speeds. This creates an extreme driving liability, including an instantaneous loss of all motive power, a sudden loss of vital power steering and power braking assist (making the vehicle incredibly heavy and difficult to control or maneuver safely to a shoulder), and a high risk of an engine bay fire due to intense friction and fluid ignition. This is a known issue that I presented to them in March. At that time the PCV valve was replaced along with new spark plugs. The problem continues to persist. This matter is actively documented with Honda Corporate under Case #16466779. A manufacturer protocol should not supersede passenger safety by forcing the prolonged operation of a defective vehicle. The dealership has advised that this is a known issue with the 2019 Honda CRV with piston rings failing. This needs to be made public and a recall for Honda to fix.
NHTSA complaint #11748077 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The transmission had a MAJOR failure after a routine trans fluid drain and fill done by Phillipsburg Easton Honda. They tried blaming me and dismissing it as an already compromised transmission. But breaking down on a very busy road and losing all control over a LOCKED up car was terrifying and dangerous. Im just glad nobody was injured. Honda has taken 0 accountability for it and claims they did nothing wrong. This car is only 8 years old. Honda brags about them lasting forever. The CVT transmissions are garbage and now im stuck paying 7k for a replacement. No goodwill offered- no warranty. These are known to be problematic.
NHTSA complaint #11747797 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.