Complaint volume
288 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
2021 Honda CR-V Complaints
288 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Honda CR-V, grouped by component category.
288 Total complaints
13 Crash reports
1 Fire reports
11 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are steering, forward collision avoidance, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 13 crash reports, 1 fire report, 11 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 51 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 32,802 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to steering, forward collision avoidance, unknown or other?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2021 Honda CR-V?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2021 Honda CR-V
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2021 Honda CR-V complaints?
13 Crash
1 Fire
11 Injury
0 Fatality
14 Towed
9 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Honda CR-V complaint categories?
STEERING 75
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 50
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 22
ENGINE 11
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 11
AIR BAGS 10
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 6
VISIBILITY/WIPER 6
SERVICE BRAKES 5
288 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,VISIBILITY/WIPER | Dozens of photos&videos avail. When rains or humidity electrical is severely effected. All electrical warning lights turn on. Car wont shut off. Econo mode wont work and car stalls. Wipers wont turn off while driving. Lane change notification warnings go haywire and are unreliable. Has been "fixed"5 times and still happening. Car turned on by itself recently when it rained. Research has revealed that this is a common complaint with this particular vehicle/model. When conditions are dry it goes back to normal. This has been happening for a year and nobody has been able to fix it because they seem to not understand Honda Electrical. I have to tarp my car when off. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | STEERING | My steering wheel sticks especially in highway driving. The steering wheel feels as if it momentarily "locks" or "sticks" in the center position while driving at highway speeds. When I try to correct it, the wheel snaps free, often causing the vehicle to jerk or overcorrect. This is a big safety concern. There is a recall, but my model year of 2021 is not included in the recall. This has been an ongoing issue not just a one-time incident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | STEERING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The steering wheel is slightly sticking while driving/steering on interstates and highways where mostly noticed, but also noticing on curved backroads. When navigating a curve the steering wheel has slightly stuck and the automatic brake light flashes on very briefly. This has happened several times now and both main drivers of the car have noticed the issue. We are reporting now out of fear that it may become a bigger issue if not addressed, that affects both steering and braking that puts occupants at risk. We are reporting this as of today, which is the most recent incident on May 25, 2026, but this has happens about 4 or 5 times in the last month. We checked to see if this was a known recall issue, but the recall only applies to 2023 - 2025 CRVs for some reason. This sounds like the exact issue/recall that our 2021 crv is having. Thank you! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | STEERING | The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became inoperable and became difficult to turn and felt very sticky when attempting to steer with no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 44,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,000 |
| May 2026 | STEERING | When driving, the steering wheel sticks and I have to jerk it to correct. Sometimes it overcorrects making it dangerous. I only have 47000 miles on it. It is now doing it really frequently. Was only at high speeds, now all speeds. I took it in but dealer said they couldn't duplicate it. There is a recall but only for newer models. There needs to be one for older models also. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | STEERING | Steering wheel sticks at high speeds and after driving longer periods of time. Presents a danger by needing to over correct the steering to “unstick” it | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While driving at 60 mph, automatic braking feature activated slamming on brakes unexpectedly. There was no car in front of me when this occurred. This has occurred several times. In this instance, we were driving on a 4 lane HWY in the right lane. A car passed me in the left lane and just after passing me the braking system slammed on the brakes. The other vehicle was still in the left lane while we were in the right lane. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | STEERING,LANE DEPARTURE | Steering sticks/locks while driving requires excessive input. Feels like the lane departure is controlling the steering and fighting you for control. There is a recall for the same issue but our VIN is not included. Honda needs to re-evaluate to expand RECALL as this appears to apply to more than the original recalled VIN’s. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | STEERING | The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to steer in the intended direction. The contact stated that the steering wheel was hard to steer and the steering wheel jerked. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed steering gear box. The contact was informed that the steering gear box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was scheduled for diagnostic testing within the next couple of days. The contact referenced an unknown recall which had a similar failure description, however the contact's VIN was not associated. In addition, the contact stated that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ENGINE | Oil has gas in it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | While driving on the highway with my child in the vehicle, all dashboard warning lights suddenly turned on at once. Immediately after, the vehicle began to shake, lose power, and would not accelerate properly. The vehicle was jerking and pulling back and forth, creating a dangerous situation in traffic. I took the vehicle to a mechanic, and they diagnosed a failure of the high-pressure fuel pump and all four spark plugs. The repair cost was $1,436. This failure happened unexpectedly in a 2021 Honda CR-V, which raises serious safety concerns due to sudden loss of power while driving at highway speeds. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING | While driving my 2021 Honda CR-V at highway speeds, the steering intermittently binds and becomes difficult to move, creating a dangerous “sticky steering” condition. The steering will momentarily resist normal input, and when I apply additional force to correct it, the wheel suddenly releases, causing the vehicle to jerk or swerve within the lane. This makes it difficult to maintain smooth, controlled steering and creates a serious safety concern, especially at higher speeds where precise steering is critical. The condition is unpredictable, unnerving, and significantly affects my confidence in safely operating the vehicle. This defect creates an especially concerning hazard because I frequently transport my two young grandchildren in this vehicle. When the steering binds and then abruptly releases, it compromises my ability to maintain stable lane control and increases the risk of losing control or being involved in a collision. This is not merely an inconvenience—it is a clear safety issue that makes the vehicle feel unsafe to drive. The symptoms my vehicle is experiencing are identical to those described in Recall 24V-744 involving sticky steering in Honda vehicles. Although my VIN is not currently included in that recall, this same defect has been widely reported by other 2021 Honda CR-V owners. I understand the defective steering gearboxes were identified in vehicles produced beginning in February 2021, and my vehicle was manufactured in August 2021, which falls within that timeframe. Based on the identical symptoms and known defect history, I believe my vehicle is affected by the same steering gearbox issue and should be included in the investigation and recall population. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING | The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the steering wheel was stuck whenever turned three-quarters towards the left or the right. Occasionally, while driving and attempting to remain centered in the intended lane, while driving approximately 50 - 70 MPH. The vehicle was taken to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with a steering gear box failure. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, the VIN was not included in a recall, and the repair was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer opened a case for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 35,000 |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING | The steering wheel in the 2021 Honda CR-V LX is sticky and choppy when turning. Mostly when turning left or returning from a left turn. It makes turning through curves extremely dangerous because you cannot smoothly turn through the corners. I’ve asked the dealership to test drive the vehicle upon my first dealership visit for service at 16,000 miles. First bought at 11,000 miles as a certified used from a Honda Dealership. The dealership did not do this test drive as they had low service techs to send.. the vehicle has not been inspected by any other party. Yet. No warning lights or indicators, and I noticed it a few months after purchasing in the middle of the summer two years ago. (2024) I’ve noticed that when LKAS is on and active that the steering wheel is not sticky but when it is off it gets sticky. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING | When driving at freeway speeds the steering became very difficult. It felt like the car would become stuck in a groove and I had to pull the steering wheel to get it to go straight. After taking it to my local Honda dealership it was determined that the vehicle had a faulty power steering rack. The car had approximately 49,000 miles on it when the issue started occurring. The steering rack is a very expensive repair and should not become faulty on a vehicle with that low of mileage. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING | My 2021 Honda CR-V Touring model, with around 59000 miles on the odometer, has developed a problem in which the steering wheel gets "stuck" and resists being turned. Then, when more force is applied to turn the wheel, the steering mechanism suddenly "lets go", and this is accompanied by a clunking sound from the front of the vehicle. I first noticed this a few weeks ago, and at first the resistance and noise was barely noticeable. However, since then, the degree of resistance and volume of the clunking sound have been steadily INCREASING. This has prompted me to get the problem diagnosed and repaired ASAP before it becomes more than just a distraction (I have an appointment with a dealier). Meanwhile, I've done some web research about the issue, and found a Honda news release dated October 9, 2024 that announces a recall for a steering problem with symptoms that EXACTLY MATCH the problem my CR-V is exhibiting. The same goes for the NHTSA "Part 573 Safety Recall Report 24V-744", which describes PRECISELY the same symptoms. Unfortunately, the safety recall only covers 2023 through 2025 Honda CR-V's, so repairs to my 2021 CR-V is not covered. However, it seems very likely that my vehicle DOES have the same issue. Accordingl, I am reporting this to the NHTSA to (1) provide a data point that may help in establishing the prevalence of this issue, and (2) encourage further research by NHSTA as to whether an expansion of the recall is warranted. I am also concerned about owners of vehicles that are not covered by the recall having to bear the repair costs. I will get it repaired one way or the other, but I'm certain that many others would be discouraged by the cost and choose not to have it repaired. Thank you for your attention to and actions taken regarding this matter. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING | The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving and turning, the steering wheel was sticking and failed to return to the center as intended. The contact stated that the failure progressively worsened, and the steering wheel was difficult to turn while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be test-driven, and the dealer determined that the steering rack and pinion had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 36,000 |
| Apr 2026 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. Additionally, while driving with the cruise control set at 72 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated to 66 MPH before accelerating to 73 MPH. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 81,000 |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING | When driving along a straight stretch of road, the steering sticks and must be jerked or forced to adjust direction of vehicle. The steering makes a clicking noise with minor movements of the steering wheel. The condition is much worse in hot humid weather. We just returned from several months in Florida where the problem was significantly worse. It is also bad on long interstate drives. The problem is just as described on the recall for the 2022 and 2023 Honda CRV's. We have taken it to a Honda dealership for repair -they said it had something to do with the air bag. They were not interested in properly diagnosing the problem because it was not on the recall list. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | STRUCTURE | The paint is gradually chipping off around my door frames. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING | The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel failed to return to center after making a left turn. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact advised that the failure could be related to a rack-and-pinion failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 43,000 |
| Apr 2026 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The automatic emergency brakes deployed for no reason while I was driving through traffic. There was nothing in the road and nothing that should have triggered the emergency brakes. It could have caused an accident | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING | UNKNOWN, Steering stick when drivining down the road. You turn the steering wheel and just sticks. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road and turned off. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the residence. The vehicle was later taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer two times, but the failure was not duplicated. The failure reoccurred. In addition, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with fuel injector and a misfire on cylinder number 1. The contact was informed that the fuel injector failure, and the contact was informed that the fuel injector needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure reoccurred three weeks later. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was determined that a valve adjustment was needed in cylinder #2. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 42,000 |
| Apr 2026 | SERVICE BRAKES | Pulled into driveway and put car in park. I had to close gate and lock it up and when returning to the car to turn off I was standing outside the car and it started rolling backwards. I tried to jump in the car to stop it and it was picking up speed. Driveway has a slight incline but nothing like the speed was on the car. I was in between the car door and the car seat running with the car. I am shocked I didn't get ran over. Car went across the street and hit my neighbors car and my car and well as his truck was damaged. This could have been worse and this is a huge safety feature. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |