2021 Honda CR-V Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other CR-V years
- About as many complaints as other years 22nd of 30 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 335 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Honda CR-V. That ranks 22nd out of 30 CR-V model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (113 complaints, 34%), typically at around 40,000 miles. Complaints mention 14 crashes, 1 fire, 13 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
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- 335owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 14complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2021 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering problems | 113 | 34% | 40,000 | “sticky steering” (13%) | $4,300 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance problems | 87 | 26% | 30,000 | “cruise control” (17%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 37 | 11% | 15 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 34 | 10% | 14,800 | — | — |
| Engine | 33 | 10% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 26 | 8% | 233 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 25 | 7% | 3,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 17 | 5% | 18,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 15 | 4% | 11,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 12 | 4% | 14,800 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 10 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 2% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 1% | 18,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 1% | 9,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 1% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 1% | 41,250 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 1% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 1% | 18,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 1% | 18,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Firerelated | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 1,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 0% | 26,323 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 0% | 18,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2021 Honda CR-V recalls (4)
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.
Seat belts:rear/other:retractor
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021 Accord Sedan, Accord Hybrid, CR-V, Ridgeline, 2022 Insight and CR-V Hybrid vehicles. The automatic locking retractor on the second-row center seat belt assembly may deactivate improperly, which can result in an unsecured child restraint system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the second-row center seat belt assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
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.
Car shut off and stalled while Driving.
Steering gets slightly stuck when turning left and makes a clicking sound. Seems this is already a recalled issue on newer CRV models. The root cause is a manufacturing defect in the electronic power steering gearbox where an improperly set internal spring and insufficient grease cause the worm…
my fuel pump failed on an interstate in [XXX] while I was going 65 miles an hour and the speed of my car dropped to 20 mph and I was lucky to change to the right lane and get onto the shoulder or I would have been hit by an oncoming car.I had the car towed to [XXX] where my mechanic diagnosed…
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The contact's friend used a code reader and retrieved DTC: B002-13 (Passenger Air Bag Inflator) and…
There is a hesitation when I turn the steering wheel. and also I slight click too
Other Honda CR-V years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 CR-V | 156 | 0 |
| 2025 CR-V | 258 | 1 |
| 2024 CR-V | 392 | 2 |
| 2023 CR-V | 516 | 3 |
| 2022 CR-V | 265 | 3 |
| 2021 | 335 | 4 |
| 2020 CR-V | 355 | 7 |
| 2019 CR-V | 1,106 | 8 |
| 2018 CR-V | 2,158 | 5 |
| 2017 CR-V | 1,775 | 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 2021 Honda CR-V?
Owners most often report steering, forward collision avoidance, unknown or other problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 113 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Honda CR-V?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2021 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 2021 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.