2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 48 Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) reports and some Early Warning Reporting (EWR) field reports alleging intermittent loss of motive power in Model Year (MY) 2020–2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid vehicles.  These incidents are alleged to occur without warning at highway speeds and are accompanied by a flashing check engine light immediately before the loss of motive power occurs.  Motive power can be restored by turning the ignition off and back on.  However, this action also clears the check engine light and any fault codes that were set.  The fault’s intermittent nature, combined with the lack of fault codes, often results in many visits to repair facilities yielding no repairs. Honda indicated it was unaware of any related complaint or repair trends. ODI is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to determine the scope and severity of the alleged fault and to fully assess the possible safety consequences. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

On February 21, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE22003) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system, in model year 2017-2019 Honda CR-V and 2018-2019 Honda Accord vehicles.  The reports allege that activation of the AEB system occurs while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Honda indicated that they were aware of a total of X,XXX reports that may relate to the alleged defect. Honda provided analysis of the alleged defect and alleges that some customers possibly had an inadequate understanding of the CMBS and its limitations.  However, many consumer complaints allege that Honda dealerships were unable to reproduce the condition or state that they were informed that this is considered normal CMBS operation. To date, ODI has received a total of 1,294 consumer complaints of inadvertent activation of CMBS in 2017-2022 Honda CR-V and 2018-2022 Honda Accord vehicles. A total of 31 complaints alleged a crash and 50 alleged an injury.  The Total column in the Failure Report Summary removes duplicate reports and shows the total number of reports with unique VINs from all Manufacturer, ODI, and EWR data sources.  In some cases, there were multiple reports associated with a particular vehicle in which recurring failures were alleged.  In total, there were X,XXX reports, 93 injury incidents and 47 crashes involving vehicles with unique VINs that may relate to the alleged defect. PE22-003 has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety related consequences of the inadvertent AEB activations. The scope has been expanded to include assessment of model year 2020-2022 Honda CR-V and Accord vehicles. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

On 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 ID

11750885

Incident

Dec 31, 1969

Description 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 ID

11734944

Incident

Apr 30, 2026

Vehicle: 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 ID

11685914

Incident

Sep 1, 2025

We 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 ID

11682553

Incident

Jan 15, 2024

The 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 ID

11680090

Incident

Nov 25, 2024

The 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 ID

11678795

Incident

Aug 2, 2025

Mileage

122,000 mi

The 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 ID

11678535

Incident

Aug 5, 2025

Mileage

33,000 mi

I 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 ID

11677656

Incident

Jul 10, 2025

Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2022 Accord FHEVs & 2020-2022 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) on with the DTC P030X (Cylinder Misfire Detected) stored. Customer may also experience engine running rough condition. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.

Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2022 Accord FHEVs & 2020-2022 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) on with the DTC P030X (Cylinder Misfire Detected) stored. Customer may also experience engine running rough condition. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.

Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2022 Accord FHEVs & 2020-2022 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) on with the DTC P030X (Cylinder Misfire Detected) stored. Customer may also experience engine running rough condition. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.

Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2022 Accord FHEVs, as well as 2017-2022 CR-V 1.5Ls (no 2.4L), & 2020-2022 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) on with the DTC P030X (Cylinder Misfire Detected) stored. Customer may also experience engine running rough condition. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.

Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2022 Accord FHEVs, as well as 2017-2022 CR-V 1.5Ls (no 2.4L), & 2020-2022 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) on with the DTC P030X (Cylinder Misfire Detected) stored. Customer may also experience engine running rough condition. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.

Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2022 Accord FHEVs, as well as 2017-2022 CR-V 1.5Ls (no 2.4L), & 2020-2022 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) on with the DTC P030X (Cylinder Misfire Detected) stored. Customer may also experience engine running rough condition. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.