2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid Driver assistance Problems

While traveling northwest at 37 mph, the automatic brake system engaged jolting the driver. The camera shows no objects in front of but there were two vehicles traveling southeast in the opposite lane prior to the brakes applying. There were shadows from trees. If there was a vehicle behind, and the driver did not react fast enough, this would have been a rearend collision. This is the third time that the automatic brake system engaged for no reason since we have owned this vehicle (Dec 2021) and each time it has been reported to the NTSB. In the past two cases, there were no vehicles or shadows from trees, since we were in the desert. The previous two times, the vehicle was inspected by the dealership with no defect noted (under warranty). There were no dashboard warning notices indicating an issue. The vehicle will be resubmitted to a dealership for inspection for this third incident (not under warranty).

NHTSA ID

11679427

Incident

Aug 8, 2025

The issue occurs seemingly randomly about once a month when driving on the highway. All of the sudden the car starts de-accelerating. Even if you push the gas pedal all the way down it doesn’t go. It just goes slower and slower and thank goodness I’ve been able to pull over every time. Once I shutdown the car completely and turn back on then I have power again.

NHTSA ID

11678339

Incident

Feb 2, 2025

My 2021 Honda CRV has been at freeway speeds, all of a sudden starts flashing my engine light, acceleration quits working... and I have to try to navigate off the highway as my car is slowing down to turn the car off. This has happened SIX times. Once I turn the car off and then turn it back on, it resets. It's not logging an error code so the dealership can't figure out what is wrong. I have recorded it happening on my phone several times, as requested, and shared with the dealership. I also made Honda Corporate aware and was given a case number a year ago and have contacted them SEVERAL times and they continue to say they are reviewing it, but no action has been taken. It's terrifying. I have so much anxiety driving my car and can't believe I haven't been hit or killed at this point. I also found several other people with the exact same make, model and year doing the exact same thing and Honda has done nothing. No recalls, nothing. They have been aware of this for over a year and are not reacting. I'm at a loss what to do. The dealership admitted this is a serious safety issue, but said they can't fix something they can't figure out. Unbelievable! Also, I do have video recordings on my phone of this happening and shared them with the dealership and with Honda Corporate Customer Service. I don't know how to upload them here, but happy to share them.

NHTSA ID

11653746

Incident

Jan 9, 2024

I was driving the vehicle on route I287 and all of a sudden the break system got activated without touching any button and the car speed was damped down and as a result the car was pulled aside to see what had happened. The break system completely collapsed with a break sign on the dashboard appearing persistently which could not be deactivated or was not able to remove from the dashboard with several attempts made in restarting the engine. Due to the involuntary break activation on highway driving, my life as well others would have been in extreme danger and jeopardized the whole situation in continuing driving further. The car was towed on a flat bed to the the dealer The Honda Princenton, New Jersey for further investigation and got analyzed for the root cause and they suggested a fix of head gasket replacement, a major repair, asking us to fix the vehicle at the cost of 6000 dollars. Previously, I had driven several Hondas and never experienced break issues on the cars and we had invested in buying this time the Honda CR-V and what we went through this vehicle something like this is not fair for the customer has to go through a major repair on the vehicle at such a low milage of 127,000 put on the car which never was involved in an accident and driving the car on high way every day to the work place. We want a complete restoration of the vehicle at free of cost and get it certified and drivable safely on the road.

NHTSA ID

11643071

Incident

Jan 30, 2025

On highway, engaged cruise control at 70 mph. Engine light came on, simultaneously with loss of power (pressing on gas pedal did nothing) and Apple CarPlay disconnect. We were near an exit and managed to drift off, at lower off-ramp speed engine again could respond to accelerator however was chugging very badly. Went to nearby oil change place. Mechanic there advised going straight to dealer a short distance further. Drove on to the Honda dealer, car still chugging and stopped the car until I could talk to the service person. When the car restarted it was no longer chugging. Service person diagnosed the following and said i basically needed a new engine: TECH SCANNED VEHICLE AND FOUND CODES P0300 RANDOM CYL MISFIRE, P0302 CYL 2 MISFIRE. TECH CHECKED LIVE DATA AND HAD VERY LITTLE MISFIRE COMING FROM CYL 3, PULLED ALL COILS AND PLUGS AND FOUND CYL 2 AND 4 HAD THE INJECTORS STILL SPRAYING WITH THE VEHICLE OFF INDICATING FAILURE OF THE INJECTORS IN THOSE 2 CYLINDERS, IN CYLINDER 3 TECH FOUND EXCESSIVE OIL BURNING ON THE PISTON, INDICATING OIL LEAKING INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER OF THE MOTOR.

NHTSA ID

11640119

Incident

Jan 14, 2025

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID

11635848

Incident

Dec 10, 2024

This is the 3rd incident with the same issue. I lose power when on a freeway. (Other dates [XXX] and [XXX]). On [XXX] I entered [XXX] and had accelerated onto the freeway. Shortly after getting on the ramp, my check engine light went on/blinking and I couldn't accelerate anymore. I was able to pull over on the shoulder. I turned the car off, waited a minute and then turned it on again and the issue went away. This is the same scenario that I've experienced twice before. I am rarely on freeways. On [XXX], I was on an incline with curves and very little room on the shoulder. This was a very scary incident for me. All of these incidents shouldn't happen and it is VERY dangerous to lose power unexpectedly when driving on a freeway. Looking on the internet for a solution - I found several other posts on what sounds to be the same issue and unfortunately didn't find a resolution. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] Please review this as this is unsafe. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11634295

Incident

Jan 3, 2025

On Saturday November 16th 2024 I was driving my Honda CRV hybrid year 2021 when about 7:10pm I heard a beep, beep, beep and at the same time the car suddenly breaked in the middle of an intersection; there was nothing in the forward path so I don't really know why the car stopped abruptly. After a few seconds I put my foot in the accelerator and continued to go. When I arrived home I reviewed the videos (I had installed front and rear cameras) and verified that certainly there wasn't anything in front of the car when it braked by itself other than a manhole cover. I was in the car with 2 friends, thankfully no other cars were behind me or coming in any direction otherwise this event would've been catastrophic. Now I am afraid to drive the car because this could happen again and have a different ending. Note: I have videos that show this incident

NHTSA ID

11625845

Incident

Nov 16, 2024

I was driving back from work on the highway, and I was suddenly not able to accelerate. The car was slowing down, and the engine light was flashing. I pulled over to the shoulder and drove slowly about a half a mile to the exit. I pulled over at the gas station. Left my car there and took Uber home. The next day, when I went to pick it up, the flashing engine light was off and drove fine and I was good to go like nothing had happened. Once at work, I researched the problem and found post about a similar issue. I took it to the nearest Honda dealer and they couldn’t find any problem with the car. They also said there is no recall on the vin number. I called Honda to file a complaint but I was told the same thing that there is no recall on this car and to work directly with the dealer. I am afraid to drive my car on a highway and if it happens again I may get into an accident.

NHTSA ID

11622785

Incident

Oct 24, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while reversing into her driveway at 1 MPH, the vehicle accelerated, the brake pedal was applied but locked up, and the steering wheel locked up. The vehicle crashed through a guardrail and crashed into a tree. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number 23V844000 (Electrical System). The driver sustained injuries to her head, neck, back, and body, and emotional distress and medical attention were provided at the scene. There was no reported fire or airbag deployment. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop. The contact called the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a case, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

NHTSA ID

11619955

Incident

Sep 21, 2024

Mileage

25,000 mi

My family and I were driving down the road, in a gentle left hand turn when the emergency braking system suddenly activated, and our best guess is that it was due to a car well off the road in a parking lot at the same point. A tractor trailer, loaded heavily with electrical transformers was just behind us, and if not for the driver of the truck paying attention we might not all be here today. This has happened many times in other situations, sometimes maybe a dip in the road, sometimes and exit ramp will confuse it, and sometimes I couldn't even guess. So far none have been too bad, but this one was too close. I have attempted to talk to the dealership about it, but they aren't calling me back. I've asked for them to disable the system entirely. There were no warning messages aside from the normal BRAKE message it shows when it activates. In the manual for the car they went so far as to list scenarios where the system might malfunction, but the only way to turn it off involves remembering to bold the button every time you start it up, and hope you don't forget. My child was set to take this car when they start driving, but as is I don't want to drive it, let alone anyone else.

NHTSA ID

11603307

Incident

Jul 16, 2024

On or about Sep 25th 2023, automatic brake system invertedly activated while driving 40mph with no traffic. Dealership could not find any codes or errors. On or about Apr 01st 2024, automatic brake system invertedly activated while driving 40mph with no traffic. Dealership could not find any codes or errors. On or about Apr 03rd 2024, vehicle turned on all by its shelf with no key fob around. Open door and sat in driver's seat and about 15 second later, the vehicle turned off by its shelf. Step on brake, pushed start button and vehicle displayed "need key fob". Dealership could not find any codes or errors.

NHTSA ID

11584516

Incident

Apr 1, 2024

This has happened twice at highway speeds only. Check engine light comes on and car dies. After pulling to side, car is turned off and then runs again when turned back on. This is a huge safety hazard at highway speed in traffic, with the instant deceleration and the possibility of being rear ended. The car was inspected by Honda and Motorwerks Barrington without them being able to identify any issue. As stated, this has happened twice and there appear to be similar issues posted throughout the internet of the exact same issue on these cars.

NHTSA ID

11574689

Incident

Jan 7, 2024

my vehicle suddenly stops without me pressing breaks or there being another vehicle in front of me . It’s unsafe and I’m afraid of getting rear ended

NHTSA ID

11570902

Incident

Feb 8, 2024

My vehicle on several occasions stalled and/or lost power. Stepped on the gas and no power. Both while using cruise control. One incident was not using cruise control.

NHTSA ID

11566131

Incident

Dec 5, 2023

On December 12, 2023 at 6:50 AM my Check Engine light came on while I was driving, the battery gauge went to two bars, and the car powered down on Route 24 (a state highway). I took it to the dealer later in the day and they could not find anything wrong. Unfortunately, this is the third time my car has powered down/gone into limp mode on a highway. On August 8th almost the exact same thing happened at almost the exact same spot on the highway (slightly uphill, a day after refueling). In August, Honda kept my car for a week to try to pinpoint the problem. There were no stored problem codes. The best guess of the dealer was some sort of engine misfire due to a fuel impurity. On October 12, 2022 I had the first power down experience on the NY Thruway. On that occasion, the temperature sensor malfunctioned (at least according to the messages and gauges). The dealer replaced the sensor.

NHTSA ID

11560531

Incident

Dec 12, 2023

The emergency braking system reacts unexpectedly and unnecessarily. I see there is an investigation for vehicles up to 2019, but my 2021 has done this at least a dozen times since new. My experience seems to indicate that it's often related to a shadow on the road. Could be an adjacent vehicle or simply a large tree or building. It can happen with an asphalt repair that is darker than the surrounding road or even a wet spot. It would also seem to be more likely to happen when driving towards the sunset or sunrise. It nearly caused me to get rear ended this weekend. It stabbed the brakes hard for a shadow on the road with vehicles behind me. Please extend the investigation to the rest of this vehicle's production.

NHTSA ID

11526514

Incident

Jun 10, 2023

First occurrence happened in October 2022 when I was on the freeway at speeds over 65mph. The vehicle suddenly lost speed, all dash lights came on, a loud helicopter like sound started and would not go more than 40mph. I was lucky enough to exit the freeway without causing a collision. Dealer could not duplicate the incident and no computer codes. Second time was almost identical to the first time and occurred approximately 6 months later. Dealer had vehicle for 3 days and could not duplicate problem. Very very unsafe!

NHTSA ID

11524310

Incident

Apr 25, 2023

I was driving on the highway at 65 mph when I suddenly felt a loss of power on in the car. I then saw the check engine light come on and my hybrid battery was almost discharged. I floored my foot to make sure but the car was still decelerating. I then pulled off the highway as safely as possible and shut off the car. When I turned the car back on, the check engine light was still on and the engine was rattling. I shut it off again and after turning it back on, it was perfectly normal. I took it to my local Honda dealer to check what happened and after they inspected and tested the car they said there were no codes on the computer of the car and that the car went into "safe mode." I have performed the appropriate maintenance on my CRV as per Honda's guidelines. I see that the NHTSA has an ongoing investigation on this issue on the CRV and I believe this incident pertains to that.

NHTSA ID

11523108

Incident

May 19, 2023

My hybrid vehicle lost speed on the highway while going approximately 60 mph. The engine light started blinking. The battery charge icon started decreasing. I was able to exit the highway and pull into a parking lot. After 20 minutes, my car turned on and the battery icon showed it was charged. I drove to the dealership and after having my vehicle in the shop for several days. I forwarded an article to my contact at the Honda dealership from Autoblog dated Dec. 7, 2022 about AWD Honda CR-V's loss of power. The article mentioned a "leaking differential." The dealership came back and said they couldn't find anything wrong.

NHTSA ID

11521416

Incident

May 5, 2023

On more than one occasion, the vehicles automatic emergency braking system engaged unexpectedly. This occurred when there was no obstruction in front of the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11497800

Incident

Nov 27, 2022

2021 Honda CRV Hybrid. 11/9/22: When accelerating to merge onto a highway, moving at approximately 50 mph, the vehicle rapidly decelerated as driver tried to accelerate (went into limp mode), the check engine light came on and the engine made a continuous clattering sound. The vehicle would not go above 15 mph in 55-60 mph traffic. Driver put flashers on and drove 1/2 a mile to the first exit, lucky he could move to the right lane. Vehicle was driven 1.5 miles home at 15 mph and lower. Didn't drive car on 11/10/22. Car driven to dealership on 11/11/22 because there was no indication of anything wrong -- no sounds or dashboard lights or limp mode. Drove to dealership where a scan indicated engine misfire DTC: P0304 was stored in the system. Dealership cleared the system and could not recreate the incident after swapping spark plugs and coils and driving 163 miles over 3 days. Took car home on 11/15/22. Six days later, on 11/21/22, the same thing happened on the highway: as driver accelerated, the engine light came on and flashed and stayed flashing, the engine made vibrating noise, and lost acceleration (limp mode) down to 6 mph on the busy highway. Going 6 mph with flashers on, he was able to reach the ramp for the next exit and pull over on the shoulder. On the shoulder, driver made a video of the engine making clattering sounds and of the engine light flashing on the dashboard. He turned the car off, waited a few minutes, then turned the car back on. Everything seemed fine. Driver exited the highway and drove to the dealership which has had car since 11/21/22. Having no ability to accelerate, and having the vehicle go into limp mode -- having no control -- on a busy highway is extremely dangerous and frightening.

NHTSA ID

11495632

Incident

Nov 21, 2022

Automatic emergency brake activated and the vehicle came to a complete stop while approaching a railroad crossing. There was no traffic ahead. It was a clear day, around 8:45AM. There was no indication of a problem before or after the car stopped.

NHTSA ID

11492594

Incident

Nov 7, 2022

I was traveling about 17 MPH when my CRV braked suddenly to a stop on it's own. There was nothing in front of me. Thank goodness no one was behind me because the car stopped with no warning. I was also wearing my seatbelt, which was good because I was thrown forward. There was no prior warning and no lights or other indicators on now. After that the speakers made thudding sounds, were staticy and now the radio will not play. NOt sure what this has to do with the AEB system. The car still drives normal, but I am afraid it is going to happen again. I have made an appointment at the Honda Dealer for them to look at the CRV.

NHTSA ID

11486287

Incident

Sep 25, 2022

Vehicle will frequently brake at full capacity on its own for cars in the next lane of traffic. This has happened 3 times so far. All three times it was on a highway going at speeds of 60-70 mph. "BRAKE" flashes in big letters on the screen. There are no obstructions in front of me only in the lane next to me. Dealer informed me it is a known problem and there is no fix except to disable the safety features.

NHTSA ID

11476894

Incident

Jul 30, 2022