2020 Honda CR-V Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other CR-V years
- About as many complaints as other years 21st of 30 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 7 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 355 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Honda CR-V. That ranks 21st out of 30 CR-V model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is forward collision avoidance (74 complaints, 21%), typically at around 25,500 miles. Complaints mention 21 crashes, 2 fires, 17 injuries. There are 7 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
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- 355owner complaints
- 7safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 21complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2020 Honda CR-V problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward Collision Avoidance problems | 74 | 21% | 25,500 | “automatic braking” (22%) | — |
| Air Bags | 47 | 13% | 26,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 43 | 12% | 11,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 42 | 12% | 17,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 39 | 11% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 38 | 11% | 26,663 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 36 | 10% | 3,950 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 28 | 8% | 8,300 | — | — |
| Power Train | 20 | 6% | 11,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 3% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 10 | 3% | 53,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 10 | 3% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 9 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 7 | 2% | 4,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 7 | 2% | 6,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 7 | 2% | 4,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 1% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 11,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 410 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 1% | 55,253 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 1% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 0% | 112,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2020 Honda CR-V recalls (7)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017, 2020, and 2022 CR-V vehicles. The certification label on the driver's side door states incorrect Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR), and tire size information. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: An incorrectly sized tire may cause premature tread wear, or a tire blow out, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install a new corrected label, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 18, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is CF7.
Seat belts:front:buckle assembly
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2020 CR-V, 2018-2019 Accord and Accord Hybrid, 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019 Insight, and 2019-2020 Acura RDX vehicles. A manufacturing issue with the front seat belts may cause the seat belt buckle channel to interfere with the release button, preventing the seat belt buckle from latching.
Risk: An unlatched seat belt cannot properly restrain the seat occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger seat belt buckle release buttons or the buckle assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 18, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are NDA, QDB, BDC, MDD, LD9. TDF, FDG, ODH, YDI, ZDE.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020 CR-V vehicles. The clip for the absorber inside the fuel tank was not secured properly and may detach, which can cause an inaccurate fuel gauge reading.
Risk: An inaccurate fuel gauge may result in the vehicle unexpectedly running out of fuel and stalling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 5, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is RCB.
Structure:frame and members
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 CR-V vehicles. The rear subframe bolts were improperly manufactured and may loosen, allowing the rear subframe to separate.
Risk: A separated rear subframe reduces vehicle handling and can suddenly disable the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear subframe bolts and retorque them or replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is R6M.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking (EA24002) — opened Apr 15, 2024, still open.
- Rear Differential Seizure (PE22011) — opened Nov 28, 2022, closed Jul 22, 2024.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
At under 36,000 miles, the vehicle experienced a sudden and total failure of the factory electronic brake booster assembly. The vehicle's dashboard illuminated multiple critical braking system warning lights. The vehicle was taken directly to an authorized Honda dealership for diagnostic testing…
In XXX I began experiencing a sticking/notching sensation in the steering wheel. Because this involves the steering system and therefore raises an obvious safety concern, we contacted Honda Customer Service and opened Case #XXX. Honda Customer Service instructed us to take the vehicle to an…
At 29,100 miles on the odometer I started noticing a little difference in the steering, especially at low speeds. There were no dashboard warning messages. I took it to a local Honda Service Center (Vatland Honda) and they diagnosed the problem as "Electric steering rack internal failure" and an…
No warning lamps. Steering is "sticky". Driving at higher speeds such as on the interstate. Steering to the left then when straightening the steering wheel, it is sticky. Dangerous especially at higher speeds. May cause the driver to over correct steering. Putting them and others around them in…
Honda Dealership (Grainger Honda in [XXX]) replaced a steering neck on my 2020 Honda CRV at approximately 87,000 miles in XXX The vehicle was brought into the dealership in XXX with symptoms of loose steering, creaks/groans during turns/curves and the steering wheel was catching during…
Other Honda CR-V years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 CR-V | 154 | 0 |
| 2025 CR-V | 257 | 1 |
| 2024 CR-V | 391 | 2 |
| 2023 CR-V | 516 | 3 |
| 2022 CR-V | 265 | 3 |
| 2021 CR-V | 335 | 4 |
| 2020 | 355 | 7 |
| 2019 CR-V | 1,105 | 8 |
| 2018 CR-V | 2,158 | 5 |
| 2017 CR-V | 1,774 | 7 |
| 2016 CR-V | 394 | 3 |
| 2015 CR-V | 672 | 3 |
| 2014 CR-V | 587 | 1 |
| 2013 CR-V | 382 | 2 |
| 2012 CR-V | 403 | 3 |
| 2011 CR-V | 554 | 13 |
| 2010 CR-V | 481 | 15 |
| 2009 CR-V | 386 | 12 |
| 2008 CR-V | 962 | 11 |
| 2007 CR-V | 887 | 12 |
| 2006 CR-V | 398 | 12 |
| 2005 CR-V | 479 | 12 |
| 2004 CR-V | 501 | 12 |
| 2003 CR-V | 468 | 13 |
| 2002 CR-V | 515 | 15 |
| 2001 CR-V | 142 | 1 |
| 2000 CR-V | 129 | 2 |
| 1999 CR-V | 127 | 3 |
| 1998 CR-V | 128 | 3 |
| 1997 CR-V | 108 | 2 |
See all Honda CR-V problems by year, every Honda model, or the Honda VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Honda CR-V?
Owners most often report forward collision avoidance, air bags, electrical system problems. The top one, forward collision avoidance, accounts for 74 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2020 Honda CR-V?
Yes, 7 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2020 Honda CR-V a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other CR-V model years, the 2020 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.