2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid Owner Complaints

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

The 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 ID

11675750

Incident

Jul 13, 2025

Mileage

42,332 mi

The 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 ID

11665357

Incident

Oct 18, 2020

Mileage

100 mi

Sudden 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 ID

11652719

Incident

Dec 23, 2024

While driving my 2020 Honda CRV Hybrid the check engine light came on and my speed reduced to 30mph on the highway. This first happened 5/31/2024 and I had it towed to Honda and Honda could not find the problem. I was told to bring it back in if it happened again. I asked Honda to report to their corporate representative because it was a dangerous issue, and was told we should not at this time. Then on 3/21/2025 less than a year later this occurred again and I bought it back to Honda and I am waiting for Honda to tell me what the issue is. This is a safety issue that has happened to other Honda hybrids not just to mine. Please help me on this matter they don’t seem to be able to know what the problem is and this is quite a safety concern.

NHTSA ID

11649869

Incident

Mar 21, 2025

Mileage

39,000 mi

There was no crash, but it is the second time within a month the vehicle stalls on the highway. The engine keeps running gives a loud banging sound. Also, the hybrid batteries are drained quickly to 0. The first-time the car started work again as normal after 1/2-1 hour standing on the side of the highway. The second time we turned the vehicle off/on, and it started to work again. In both cases the 'check engine' light came on. Twice the dealer ship inspected the car but could find anything wrong with it. We know there is a recall on the model and year, for a full pump issue (which I think is the issue here), but not for the VIN of this vehicle. The symptoms of the recall are identical to our experience. We are afraid to drive this car again. It is scary as the car stalls, power steering stops working, so does the power breaks and the car becomes uncontrollable. Luckly in both cases we were on a straight on the highway, but what would happen if we were in a turn on a winding road? Thanks.

NHTSA ID

11646271

Incident

Mar 2, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the dealer informed the contact that the failure could not be duplicated. The contact was informed that the spark plugs had been replaced by the dealer. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11644641

Incident

Feb 24, 2025

Mileage

70,000 mi

My Honda CR-V Hybrid would stop working on the highway at high speeds. Sporadically, I would be driving at speeds from 55-75mph and the accelerator pedal would stop working and my car would start slowing to a halt. I would have to pull over to the side of the highway quickly, turn the car off, and then restart it. It usually would work but occasionally the car would stop a mile or two down the road and I would have to restart it again. This occurred six times between 11/24 and 1/25. In all cases, the car would still have electrical power but the accelerator would simply stop responding. This led to several dangerous situations where I needed to maneuver around trailer trucks while rapidly slowing. In all cases, there was no warning lights or messages. I had two different mechanics, including the dealership where I bought the car, look at it and neither could find a source of the problem. This problem as occurred to other owners of Honda CR-V's if you search for this problem on Reddit and other forums. I ended up selling the car back to the dealership at a loss and buying a different used car.

NHTSA ID

11644302

Incident

Nov 25, 2024

I have contacted a local Honda dealer every few months since 03/30/2024 and have been told they still don't have the parts for the recall.

NHTSA ID

11641950

Incident

Mar 30, 2024

Brakes failed due to a known issue with the Brake Simulator. The same vehicle has been recalled in Japan for this reason. Brakes became completely non-responsive while driving. Again, this is a known issue. The brakes simply due not work and in Japan they have identified a manufacturing process defect. [XXX] Vehicle was inspected by Team Honda in Baton Rouge. Many lights on the dash are warning that there is a defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11638362

Incident

Jan 20, 2025

I recently noted that the steering wheel “sticks”, requiring a little extra effort in order to perform any slight lane correction and consequently requiring immediate additional correction from the opposite direction. This is very disconcerting especially at high speeds. After doing some online research, I found that the later models of the CRV and many other Hondas and Acuras are being recalled to correct this issue. This car has only 22,000 miles on it. I feel that it should be part of the recall.This is dangerous.

NHTSA ID

11637790

Incident

Dec 28, 2024

There is an open recall on 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid since Feb 2024. The authorized dealer/manufacturer is delaying the remedy stating the parts are not available yet. The details of the recall Date: Feb 01,2024 Manufacturer Recall Number: KHO NHTSA Recall Number: 24V-064 Recall Status: Recall Incomplete

NHTSA ID

11635278

Incident

Feb 1, 2024

Hi. I have gone to my car dealership on 9/12/2024 and called Honda Corporation in October 2024 for an update when my car’s recall can be serviced and at both times they tell me that not enough parts are available to service my car’s recall. This is horrible customer service that a possible life and death recall can affect my situation because Honda is not taking responsibility in producing enough parts fast enough to resolve this recall. Recall number: 24V-064 for 2020 Honda CRV hybrids.

NHTSA ID

11626933

Incident

Sep 12, 2024

- I own a 2020 CR-V Hybrid LX with a Continuously Variable Transmission that has been experiencing persistent engine problems over the past few months. I have taken the vehicle to two Honda dealership service centers, but neither location has been able to identify the root cause of the issue. Currently, the car is with a Honda dealership mechanic for further inspection. I am seeking assistance in resolving this matter as the issue remains unresolved despite multiple attempts. -The engine problem initially occurred while I was driving, causing the car to slow down unexpectedly. Most recently, the issue occurred when I started the vehicle. - The issue has been reproduced and confirmed by both Honda dealerships I visited; however, neither dealership has been able to determine the root cause. They have run several diagnostics and even cleaned out the fuel tank, but the problem persists. - Both Honda dealerships informed me that they brought in a manufacturing engineer and technician to conduct further testing. They recommended flushing the fuel tank and fuel line and replacing the spark plugs; however, the engine problem remains unresolved. I reached out to Honda headquarters about this issue, and they advised me to follow up after hearing back from the technician and engineer. However, I have not received any response since following up. - There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the engine issue. The warning messages and lights only appeared once the engine began to fail. The problem first started back in June. At that time, the car was not due for any maintenance and had no prior major issues.

NHTSA ID

11625836

Incident

Jun 28, 2024

Warped head, head gasket. Premature.

NHTSA ID

11624797

Incident

Oct 6, 2024

Misfires due to Faulty OEM Injectors. Also headgaskets tend to blow easily bad design. Honda needs to address this issue fast

NHTSA ID

11618819

Incident

Oct 9, 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V844000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11617411

Incident

Oct 1, 2024

My car is stalling at highway speeds due to fuel pump issue. I have spent so much money on tows and repairs and it has been really dangerous. There is a recall and it says my car is part of it but my vin doesn’t have the recall

NHTSA ID

11617133

Incident

Sep 29, 2024