2021 Honda HR-V Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other HR-V years
- Fewer complaints than other years 9th of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 63 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Honda HR-V. That ranks 9th out of 12 HR-V model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (21 complaints, 33%), typically at around 43,500 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 5 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 63owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2021 Honda HR-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 21 | 33% | 43,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 15 | 24% | 9,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 9 | 14% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 7 | 11% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 8% | 125 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 5% | 124,208 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 5% | 91,400 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 5% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2021 Honda HR-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.
Back over prevention:software; back over prevention:display function
Problem: Honda (America Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Fit and 2019-2022 HR-V vehicles that were previously recalled under NHTSA recall number 23V-046. The rearview camera image may not display when the engine is started with a key, due to a design error in the audio display power circuit. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: An inoperative rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the display audio unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 8, 2024. Owners may contact Honda service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are TIQ and DIR. Vehicles previously repaired under recall 23V-046 will need to have the new remedy completed.
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.
Back over prevention:display function; back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Fit and 2019-2022 HR-V vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the engine is started with a key, due to a design error in the audio display power circuit. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: An inoperative rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the display audio unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 13, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is 6DW. This recall has been superseded by NHTSA recall number 24V-384. Vehicles previously repaired under recall 23V-046 will need to have the new remedy completed under recall 24V-384.
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
- 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.
I got in my vehicle to go to work, put the vehicle in drive and it would not move. The engine light came on, a large red flashing PARK on the dash and the tire light. I placed the car back in park. Checked to see if the parking break had accidentally been engaged. It had not. I placed the vehicle…
The contact owns a 2021 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted several times. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of…
My cars had a clunking type noise coming from the front left of vehicle, sounds happens on both left and right turns, and sometimes the steering wheel STICKS. Making a knocking sound and sometimes feels difficult to turn the wheel. I had to have the steering gearbox assembly replaced at cost of…
Air bag sensor light is always off even when nobody is sitting in the passenger seat. The sensor has been recalled once before however itâs still having the same issue even after being replaced.
CVT transmission failed and vehicle lost power while on Interstate I-88 65 MPH speed zone. f Momentum allowed me to reach an exit at which point I needed to push the vehicle by myself off the roadway. Vehicle mileage was slighlty over 60,000 miles and the $10,000 dollar repair was not covered by…
Other Honda HR-V years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 HR-V | 3 | 0 |
| 2026 HR-V | 18 | 0 |
| 2025 HR-V | 47 | 1 |
| 2024 HR-V | 109 | 4 |
| 2023 HR-V | 687 | 3 |
| 2022 HR-V | 88 | 3 |
| 2021 | 63 | 4 |
| 2020 HR-V | 84 | 5 |
| 2019 HR-V | 236 | 7 |
| 2018 HR-V | 158 | 3 |
| 2017 HR-V | 123 | 0 |
| 2016 HR-V | 241 | 2 |
See all Honda HR-V problems by year, every Honda model, or the Honda VIN decoder.
Similar Honda models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Honda HR-V?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, unknown or other problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 21 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Honda HR-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 HR-V a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other HR-V model years, the 2021 has fewer complaints than most years, 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.