Complaint volume
321 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
321 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Honda CR-V, grouped by component category.
Buyer interpretation
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
321 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
The most common categories are forward collision avoidance, air bags, steering. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Enriched records include 21 crash reports, 2 fire reports, 15 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage is available on 80 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 29,741 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
321 total complaints on record
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2023 | AIR BAGS | Airbag SRS system warning light. Dealership confirmed airbag inflator on driver side was faulty and airbags would not deploy if driver was in an accident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | AT A 4 WAY STOP INTERSECTION, WHEN IT WAS MY TURN, I DROVE THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND SUDDENLY THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM STOPPED THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION BUT THERE WAS NOT ANYTHING i WAS GOING TO COLLIDE WITH. THE "BRAKE" WARNING CAME ON BUT AS SOON AS I STOPPED VERY ABRUPTLY, IT WENT OFF AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AWAY. i AM TERRIFIED THAT THE CRV WILL BRAKE AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING AND A CAR WILL HIT ME. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | AIR BAGS | On November 9, 2022, I was making a left turn while I had a green light. A car coming from the left did not stop at the red light he had and t-boned my car on the driver side. My airbags deployed as they should. However, when I came to, I smelled smoke which was coming from the airbags. I touched my forehead and realized that something had cut my face. However, no glass from my car (windows, mirrors) was broken. I have no idea where the piece of glass came from but suspect it came from one of the airbags that deployed. While this was a small piece of glass (simply noted as an abrasion by the ER), I was not severely injured by it (however, I do have a scar from the incision). But I think this is worth investigating in case there is glass in other vehicle airbags that could more seriously injure someone. The vehicle was totaled by the insurance company and was sold at auction. I am sure it could be tracked down if necessary. Because the car was totaled, it is not able to be tested. The vehicle was inspected by Honda for repair estimates only. There were no warning notices or other symptoms of the problem prior to the accident air bag deployment which shot a small piece of glass and other debris into my face and the vehicle. The debris shot into the vehicle consists or small pieces of paper or fabric. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| May 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The contact stated that his granddaughter owned a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while his granddaughter was driving approximately 40 MPH, the automatic braking system activated on the instrument panel and the vehicle stopped immediately after the failure. The driver had to wait several minutes before being able to continue driving. The failure recurred twice. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000. The dealer adjusted the cameras and sensors. The repairs were made at the owners expense. | Crash: No Fire: No | 25,000 |
| May 2023 | LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Whenever it snows, the radar placement on the front grill of the vehicle gets covered in snow/ice, etc. and all advanced safety features are shut off while driving. This has been reported to Honda before over the last 2 years to no avail. This is a safety hazard and also very dangerous while driving in inclement weather. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | STEERING | The steering is sticking intermittently durning slight right turns. it takes a little effort to straighten out the wheel in those instances. This happens in only right hand maneuvers. unfounded by the dealer. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | WHEELS | 0n 03/29/2023 i took my car to the dealer for service ( 3rd time ) because my car has only 19000 miles on it . to my surprise the service manager told me that 2 of my tires where in need of attention because there where to close when the tires need to be replace. i ask what is the cause of the uneven wear of the tires ( 5/32,6/32,4/32,4/32) he said didn't know the cause.futher research on my side i find there is a service bulletin from honda ( bulletin 20-081)date from october 8 2020 . with paper in hand i went back to the dealer ,they refuse have any knowledge in regards to the service bulletin. for that reason they wont be able to help. on my search from help i contact HONDA headquarters they asignate a case number and require a mechanical report from the dealer , in which they didn't find any problems with the car , from that came to the conclusion that the tires where the problem , talk to the tire manufacture , what they told me that HONDA need to file a report for them to warranty the tires , so far HONDA deny any warranty on tires | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the collision mitigation braking system (CMBS) engaged inadvertently while there were no vehicles or objects nearby the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure as there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,000 |
| Apr 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Phantom Braking incident. This has changed continually happened since I took delivery of the vehicle. The brakes are autonomously applied for no apparent reason. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | headlight assembly fogging from excess water entry reduces visibility of daytime running lights. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2023 | AIR BAGS | The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while at a complete stop, another vehicle going at high speeds crashed into the front end of the passenger's side of the vehicle, and the driver's side air bag deployed abnormally. The air bag exploded and propelled a chemical powder that burned the contact's right hand, throat, chest, and caused the contact ears to ring. Additionally, there was smoke inside the vehicle. A police report was filed. The contact was able to exit the vehicle. The contact was transported to the hospital with the assistance of the emergency units. The contact was still receiving medical assistance. The vehicle was towed to a an auto repair body shop. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | 18,000 |
| Feb 2023 | SEAT BELTS | The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that he buckled the car seat in the rear middle seat of the vehicle, and while attempting to buckle the driver’s side rear seat belt, the seat belt failed to buckle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the seat belt had malfunctioned; however, no additional assistance was provided. The contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 8,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,000 |
| Feb 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | The car brakes have a delay to engage. My vehicle rolled forward 5 feet when brakes disengaged. The brake pedal makes a clunking sound after foot is removed. There is a slight delay between brake release and clunking sound. They stick and car slides forward. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at various highway speeds, the vehicle intermittently downshifted without warning. The contact stated that on one occasion, he lost control of the vehicle as the vehicle drifted into another lane, which activated the lane assist warning feature. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer where he was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle; the mechanic also could not diagnose or duplicate the failure. The dealer recommended that the contact disengage the STOP/START feature each time he started the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred him to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 23,000 |
| Feb 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Several months ago, I was driving on the interstate with cruise control on. I passed a disabled vehicle parked on the shoulder of the highway. My car started to brake like crazy on its own when I passed this vehicle. Fortunately there were no other vehicles next to me or behind me or I could have had a very serious wreck. Last weekend, I was driving in town and already slowing down on my own for a vehicle in front of me. I was barely touching the brakes but the automatic braking slammed on the brakes for no apparent reason and almost caused the car behind me to rear end my vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1. Feb 1st. Vehicle stopped on a major highway while I was in fast lane at 70 mph. 2. I could have died. And most certainly would have caused a major accident if myself and others not been keeping proper distance. 3. No. I'm out of warranty. 4. No. 5. Most of the sensors flashed all random before vehicle stopped. I mean the warning sensors like tpms, mitigation, emergency braking system. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | The check engine light on my 2020 Honda CRV illuminated on 1/24/2023 7am. The dealer inspected the vehicle on 1/26/2023 and found that a TSB 02-081 applied. The issue is that radio interference in the environment can trigger a fault in the evap syatem which then triggers the check engine light to come on. Seeing a check engine light on is scary and distracting. The owners manual states to drive the vehicle as little as possible and to have the vehicled serviced by a honda dealer ASAP. The vehicle is out of warranty and we had to pay over $330 to have the vehicle fixed. The fix entails ADDING a wiring harness. ADDING any part to remedy a problem means that the vehicle has a design defect/flaw that Honda should pay for. Not the customer. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1) BATTERY SYSTEM 2) IF YOU THINK BEING ABANDONED IN A DARK PARKING LOT FOR 2-3 HRS IS A SAFETY RISK - THE ANSWER IS YES! 3) NO - BUT ITS THE THIRD TIME IT HAPPENED RESULTING IN 2-3 WAITES IN PARKING LOTS AT NITE! . 4) YES. DEALERSHIP IN NAPLES, FL.. 5) NO, NO, NO. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | STRUCTURE | Driving highway speed (65mph). Glass sunroof shattered for no reason. Nothing appears to have hit the sunroof, no debris on road and no trucks or other cars. Researching on web, it appears other people are also experiencing the same issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Driving on I-275 freeway along with my friend to Airport. Both Lane Keep Assistant and Adaptive Cruise Control were ON. I kept cruising at 65 miles/hour and drove about 7 miles with no issues. My vehicle slowed down by detecting a vehicle ahead of me driving in 55 m/h. As the next line was free, I moved to the left line and my vehicle started accelerating to 65 m/h. It had not detected a stopped vehicle ahead of me. I expected the ACC OR CMBS features to detect and slow down my car but no alert was received. Also Automatic Emergency Breaking system not slowed down or stopped my vehicle. I applied hard breaks but the vehicle hit the stopped vehicle and both airbags deployed. Lucky that we are safe and no injuries to us but car was totaled. Progressive Auto Policy: [XXX], Police Incident Number: [XXX], Ticket Number: [XXX], Honda complaint number [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | AIR BAGS | The "passenger airbag off" light often stays on when the car is in motion and I am sitting properly in the passenger seat with the seatbelt buckled. I have tried adjusting the seat (which often doesn't work), or the light will stay on again the next time I get in even though the seat position hasn't changed. The dealer where we bought the vehicle says "nothing can be done" by them. This has happened in two rental vehicles as well (one was a CRV). I am over 65, female and weigh 95-105 lbs. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | When I first purchased the vehicle (brand new in 2020), the condensation in the tail lights occurred but the Honda dealer replaced it since it was under warranty. It’s still happening and it’s even more severe now risking the brake and turn lights burning out. The same Honda dealer now refuses to replace them despite the tail lights still being under the 3 year 36,000 mile warranty. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | In March/April 2020 I was driving at 65 miles per hour on a rural highway. The only vehicles on the road were my car, the pickup in front of me and the pickup behind me. Since the highway was so quiet, I decided to try Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). I set it for 65 miles per hour (the speed limit). We had been driving for about 15 minutes, each car maintaining the same speed and distance. The pickup in front of me turned on his turn signal for a right turn and entered the right turn lane. As my car approached the pickup, in the turn lane, the automatic braking system activated. I lunged forward, the seat belt activated, braking warning was displayed on screen and there was an audible alarm. I managed to take control of the vehicle and to accelerate. I was afraid the vehicle behind me would collide with me. I turned off ACC and tried to regain my composure. When the pickup moved into the right hand lane, there was nothing in front of me as far as the eye could see; just open highway. I will never use ACC again. Yesterday, December 19, I was driving on a side street. I had just exited a school zone, speed limit 15, and my speed was now approximately 22, no vehicles in front of me just some cars parked at the curb ahead to my right. There was an audible tone and the word BRAKE displayed on the screen. The brakes did not activate. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The auto brake feature engaged on the beltway by itself and caused the car to come to a complete stop while cars behind us were forced to swerve out of the way to avoid a serious accident. My wife is afraid to keep driving the car and we are now figuring out a way to get rid of it. Reported to local dealer but did not get any response. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Phantom Braking Incident. As I was driving at approximately 35 mph, the vehicle applied brakes for no apparent reason. Luckily, the vehicle traveling behind me didn't crash into the rear of my vehicle but had this happened when traveling at higher speeds, there would have been a serious accident. This has happened numerous times since owning the vehicle, but only the 2nd time I've reported it here. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |