RoadVitals

2011 Honda CR-Z

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
38
Latest Jun 13, 2026
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
3
Latest Jun 27, 2019
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
5
5 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 38 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2011 Honda CR-Z, most frequently naming the airbags, body & structure and electrical categories. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 35 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Airbags1632.7%
  • Body & structure510.2%
  • Electrical48.2%
  • Steering48.2%
  • Other / unspecified36.1%
  • Brakes36.1%
  • Powertrain (other)36.1%
  • Seat belts36.1%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

3 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Jun 27, 2019
1,558 units potentially affected
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Acura ILX, 2015 RDX, 2005-2010 and 2012 RL, 2009-2014 TL, 2010 and 2012 ZDX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2011-2013 and 2015 CR-Z, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013 Fit EV, 2010-2011 and 2013 Insight and 2007-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are S5B and W59.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)Manufacturer number S5B, W59View on NHTSA.gov

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Feb 3, 2016
2,232,187 units potentially affected
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ILX, 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2007-2016 RDX, 2005-2012 Acura RL, 2009-2014 Acura TL, and 2010-2013 Acura ZDX vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
The risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JY0, JY1, and JY2.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)Manufacturer number JY0, JY1, JY2View on NHTSA.gov

POWER TRAIN

Sep 7, 2011
5,626 units potentially affected
The defect: HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 CR-Z PASSENGER CARS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS, MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 8, 2010, THROUGH JUNE 27, 2011. SHOULD THE ENGINE STALL WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL IS NOT PRESSED, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT (ECU) SOFTWARE MAY CAUSE THE ELECTRIC MOTOR OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM TO MOVE THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE SELECTED GEAR.
The risk: UNEXPECTED VEHICLE MOVEMENT COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH OR PERSONAL INJURY TO THE PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THE MOVING VEHICLE.
The remedy: HONDA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL UPDATE THE ECU SOFTWARE, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AUTOMOBILE CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-999-1009.
HONDA (AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO.)Manufacturer number R94View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

DP22005ClosedDefect Petition

Pedestrian alert sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023
Closed Aug 7, 2023

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.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEMLed to recall 22V063000

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

AirbagsSuspension
Filed Jun 13, 2026

I STARTED HEARING A KNOCKING NOISE AT THE REAR OF MY CAR. I TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID THAT THE TIE ROD OR END AND THE SUSPENSION SHOCK OR STRUT NEED TO BE REPLACE. CAN YOU CHECK THIS OUT FOR ME SO I WILL BE SAFE DRIVING IT. THANK YOU

NHTSA ID
11743912
Incident
May 1, 2026
Visibility
Filed Mar 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2011 Honda CR-Z. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the trunk was opened and the windshield unexpectedly shattered. There was no impact to the windshield to cause the failure. The vehicle was not taken to be inspected or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 155,000.

NHTSA ID
11724568
Incident
Mar 15, 2026
Mileage
155,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 27, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Honda CR-Z. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who repaired the front axle. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V256000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID
11546850
Incident
Aug 27, 2023
Mileage
180,000 mi
AirbagsDriver assistance
Filed Mar 31, 2022

Air bag light and speed gage are unreliable.

NHTSA ID
11459052
Incident
Mar 2, 2022
Steering
Filed Feb 23, 2022

On February 15 I took a short drive into Woodstock, Vt. My trip into Woodstock was without incident, except for the fact that I got a "check tire pressure" alert, probably due to the very cold weather. When I finished my business and restarted the car, there was an additional alert: "check power steering". The car previously had no issues with steering. I drove the car to another nearby parking spot. There was no power assist at all. I wrestled the car into the parking space and called AAA for a tow. The tow truck driver arrived in about an hour. He asked for the keys and started the car. The problem had disappeared. With a friend tailing me I drove to a nearby auto repair shop, asked them to investigate and told them I would pick the car up the next day. They called me the next day and informed me that they had connected the car to the computer analyzer and found no problem. They had also driven the car on the day I dropped it off and again the next day and were unable to reproduce the problem. I went online and discovered others have had similar issues: https://www.crzforum.com/threads/scary-power-steering-eps-issue.87738/ and https://www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/CR-Z/2011/steering/steering.shtml. I contacted my nearest Honda dealership as well as Honda USA. I received no substantive help from either party, although Honda USA did suggest I bring it to the dealer for repair, which I will attempt to do tomorrow. I don't know what the threshold is for generating a recall, but the possible consequences of this problem are so serious that I wanted to share my experience. My car has less than 30,000 miles.

NHTSA ID
11453593
Incident
Feb 15, 2022
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 29, 2021

As I was pulling away from a stop sign, the right-hand CV shaft snapped in the middle. Fortunately, I had just enough speed to coast into a parking lot, so I was not a traffic obstacle. On closer inspection, the failure occurred underneath the rubber/metal dynamic damper clamped to the center of the CV shaft. It looks like the dynamic damper was not adequately sealed and trapped salt and water until enough corrosion happened, causing the failure of the CV shaft.

NHTSA ID
11434814
Incident
Sep 9, 2021
ElectricalPowertrain (other)Steering
Filed May 7, 2021

2011 CR-Z PASSENGER CARS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS THE ENGINE STALL WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL IS NOT PRESSED, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT (ECU) SOFTWARE MAY CAUSE THE ELECTRIC MOTOR OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM TO MOVE THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE SELECTED GEAR. ADDITIONALLY THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING IS DRAINING NEW 12V BATTERIES WITH LESS THAN A 6 MONTHS USE (SEE ATTACHMENT). VEHICLE MOVEMENT CAUSED BY ENGINE STALL AND LACK OF POWER STEERING COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH OR PERSONAL INJURY TO THE PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THE MOVING VEHICLE. THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN A RECALL ON 2011 HONDA CRZ MANUAL TRANS FOR THE ISSUE MENTIONED ABOVE.

NHTSA ID
11415545
Incident
May 2, 2021
Mileage
67,000 mi
ElectricalEngine
Filed Sep 8, 2018

ON 09/04/2018 MY HONDA CR-Z IMA LIGHT CAME ON, I TOOK IT TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THEY NEVER HAD AN IMA LIGHT COME ON WITHOUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BE ON. THEY TOOK IT FOR DIAGNOSTICS, AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT MY CLUTCH SENSOR IS BAD AND THAT IS WHATS CAUSING THE IMA LIGHT TO BE ON. THE PERSON WHO I SPOKE TO AT HONDA SAID THAT THEY DIAGNOSE ABOUT FORTY CARS A DAY FOR SEVEN YEARS AND NEVER RAN INTO THAT ISSUE. THEY SAID THAT I WOULD BE GOOD DRIVING IT AND WOULD EXPERIENCE MORE PROBLEMS IN ABOUT A YEAR IF I DON'T FIX THE CLUTCH SENSOR ON 9/07/2018 MY CAR HAD A LIGHT COME ON THAT SAID CHECK FUEL CAP WHICH I'M GUESSING MY FUEL SENSOR IS OUT NOW, BUT HONDA IS NO HELP WILL NOT HELP ME OUT CLAIMS THE CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY WHEN IT HAS LESS THAN 100,000 MILES ON IT.THIS CAN BE A BIG SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO THE FACT THAT IF MY IMA BATTERY FAILS ON ME MY LIFE CAN BE IN DANGER ALONG WITH THE OTHERS AROUND ME. ALSO FOR A COMPANY TO CLAIM THEY HAD NEVER RAN INTO THESE ISSUES THEY DO NOT SHOW MUCH INTEREST IN FIXING IT.

NHTSA ID
11128233
Incident
Sep 4, 2018
Mileage
97,500 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

A18-048

AIR BAGS

Service Bulletin - Warranty Extension: Customer Support Program For Driver's Airbag Inflator for 2007-11 CR-V and Other Listed Years and Models.

A21120B

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Service News - The navigation clock and date are incorrect. This is due to a limited GPS receiver Capacity resulting in a rollover of the internal chip memory; the rollover occurred on January 1, 2022, at 12:00AM local time.

A21120B

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)

ServiceNews Article - The clock shows the incorrect time. This issue is due to a limited GPS receiver capacity resulting in "rollover" of the internal chip memory; the "rollover" will occur on January 1, 2022 at 12:00AM local time. As a result, the navigation date and time will be incorrect.

APaS02262021902

SERVICE BRAKES

Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2011-2016 CR-Zs, 2010-2014 Insights, & 2011-2017 Odysseys with a customer complaint of the brake pedal feeling soft or spongy when depressed, almost reaching the floor. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to any repair attempts.

APaS02102021902

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2011-2016 CR-Zs, 2010-2014 Insights, & 2011-2017 Odysseys with a customer complaint of the brake pedal feeling soft or spongy when depressed, almost reaching the floor. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to any repair attempts.

A07-030

EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

"Service Bulletin - There are several A/C leak detection tools available. -Refrigerant Gas Leak Detector -Ultrasonic Leak Detector -Leak Dye"

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Honda CR-Z by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2016201
2015521
2014411
2013112152.8
2012721
2011Viewing383161.9

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.