Though generally reliable with low maintenance costs, the Honda CR-V’s long list of complaints, including 1,109 for the 2017 model year, mean that only the newest copies of the compact crossover are worth your dollars.
Key Points
- Despite the low number of recalls affecting Honda CR-Vs from 2010 through 2021 models, the SUV received hundreds of complaints in the same time span.
- The 2017 CR-V has the highest number of registered complaints, with over 1,100 on file with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
- Airbag issues, including the ongoing industry-wide Takata airbag recall, affect all Honda CR-V model years from the last decade and beyond.
- Though complaints continue to be registered with the NHTSA, their frequency has dramatically lessened between 2019 (318) and 2021 (31).
- Honda CR-Vs from 2020 and newer look to be the SUV’s best years yet, with just two recalls being issued total on models from 2020 to 2022.
2017 Honda CR-V Racks Up 1,109 Complaints, With 250 Concerning the Electrical System Alone
As expected, the first year of a brand-new model is generally the worst of its kind, while the final year is the best. The former was definitely true for the first year of the fifth-generation Honda CR-V, introduced in 2017.
As of this writing, 1,109 complaints were registered with the NHTSA about the 2017 CR-V, as well as an additional 836 complaints for the 2018 model year. Though representing just two-fifths of the 5,224 complaints registered between 2010 and 2021, the two years stand out as the peak of consumers expressing disappointment with Honda’s compact crossover.
Among the complaints filed: 250 are over the electrical system, including automatic braking systems engaging without warning; faulty body control modules; and blank gauge displays after starting/restarting the vehicle. Another 203 complaints cover the propulsion system, specifically fuel dilution of the oil affecting models with the 1.5L turbocharged inline-four.
Though Takata’s Woes Affect Some Models, Airbag Issues Haunt the Honda CR-V Overall
The 2010 and 2011 model years of the Honda CR-V fall under the massive, industry-wide Takata airbag recall. Affecting 10s of millions of vehicles, the airbags manufactured by the now-bankrupt company were made with chemicals that, when exposed long-term to humidity and heat, can cause the airbags to explode.
A separate recall issued for the 2016 model year involves a handful of units whose metal housing surrounding the driver-side airbag was improperly manufactured, which could mimic the very problems involving Takata’s airbags. Dealers were instructed to replace the module free of charge.
Another recall, affecting the 2019 Honda CR-V, concerns burrs on the metal core of the steering wheel damaging the airbag wiring, leading to deployment failure should an accident occur.
Alas, even without the recalls, the hundreds of complaints filed with the NHTSA over the decade include several about the airbags. Various complaints include the airbag indicator lights failing to illuminate, as well as airbags failing to deploy in an accident. Only the 2022 model year lacks a complaint about the airbags.
Beware Honda CR-V Models from 2015 to 2019, Which Feature the Most Registered Consumer Complaints
Removing airbags from the equation, the early-2010s were certainly a rough time for the Honda CR-V. While generally reliable with low maintenance costs compared to other crossovers, a thorough review of the NHTSA complaints made over the last decade make one thing clear: The first two years of the early-2020s mark a stark departure in sheer volume alone.
Though 2017 and 2018 were the absolute worst years for the CR-V, complaints about the crossover ranged from 285 for the 2016 model year (the last for the fourth-generation model) to 558 for 2015 (the previous peak prior to 2017).
Consumer complaints cover issues with prematurely worn brakes, structural problems (a recall affecting 2019-2020 models involves separation of the rear subframe), and even a complaint about premature battery drainage leading to a lawsuit under the lemon law.
Once the calendar flipped to the new decade, though, the complaints dropped off dramatically, with 77 filed on the 2020 CR-V and 38 on the 2021 model.
Did quality suddenly improve to the point where fewer complaints were filed? Did the pandemic have anything to do with this? Only time will tell if the new ’20s are the fifth-generation CR-V’s best years.
Consider Honda CR-Vs from 2020 and Later for the Best Overall Experience
As noted in our Honda CR-V reliability guide, the 2011 and 2017 model years are the two model years to avoid. Also, between 2010 and 2019, complaints covering issues like electrical gremlins, faulty airbag issues, and engine stalls numbered in the hundreds.
The number of consumer complaints and NHTSA recalls notably dropped for the 2020 CR-V to 77 complaints and only one recall. The trend continues with the 2022 model receiving only one complaint and zero recalls so far.
All things considered, it appears as though only the newest model years of the Honda CR-V are worth spending your hard-earned money on.
Photos: Honda
