Problems · by component
2018 Honda CR-V engine problems
530 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2018 Honda CR-V cite engine, 25% of all 2,163 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
530
25% of all complaints
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Had injectors replaced 2 times before it had 100k miles, HONDA KNEW what was happening. One of the men in the service dept told me while having them replaced the 2nd time. I took my car to the dealership at 123k miles and told them theres a problem with my oil getting gas in it but they blamed it on overdue oil change. I was forced to continue driving the car because I got a $7k quote and I couldnt afford to fix it I kept coolant in it and the car runs fine. David told me the head gasket had been blown so long that spark plug was rusted to the head. Now my car has 190k miles on it and they r refusing to fix it under the warranty extension because I didnt get it fixed at 123k. [XXX] at [XXX] told me if id fixed it I would be reimbursed but I was SOL because I couldnt afford to fix it and shouldnt have to pay for it to begin with. I think honda offering to extend the warranty was an easy out. I bought this car brand new, my 1st brand new car ever... and I always changed oil, maintance, never ran it hot... there is no reason a 2018 honda should be broken already. Please do a recall. This is a known problem and they should make it right.”
“The timing chain and camshaft broke the car froze while driving 70 mh. No warning. With about 67000 mi on it. Yes it can be inspected. At risk on the freeway going 70 mph. Was able to coast to the right side before engine locked the wheels. Not able to restart. Towed to an independent garage. They gave a diagnostic test and then opened it up to find timing chain broke and caused camshaft as well as other damages. No warning! Taking it to Moses Lake Honda dealership tomorrow for another evaluation and replace the engine if needed. Low mileage and well maintained! Should have never happened.”
“Component: Fuel/Propulsion System / Engine Description of Defect: I am reporting a premature, recurring safety defect on my Honda CR-V (currently at 101,000 miles). The original factory fuel injectors failed and were replaced under warranty at 36,000 miles. The replacement genuine OEM Honda injectors have failed a second time. The dealership diagnosed the issue and confirmed the fuel injectors are mechanically STUCK OPEN, meaning they are continuously dumping unmetered, raw gasoline directly into the engine cylinders. This creates a severe fire hazard as raw fuel floods the hot exhaust system and catalytic converter, while also threatening to wash down the cylinder walls and dilute the engine oil, risking catastrophic engine seizure while driving. The dealership is demanding $2,000 out-of-pocket to repair this recurring defect. Honda is fully aware that their direct-injection replacement parts suffer from this stuck-open mechanical vulnerability but refuses to issue a safety recall, forcing consumers to absorb the cost of a known manufacturing flaw.”
“Today, I attempted to drive my 2018 Honda CR-V, but the vehicle would not reverse. I had to turn it off, restart it, and quickly reverse it back into my driveway. The entire dashboard then illuminated with multiple warning lights. This created a serious safety concern because the vehicle could become immobile or fail to operate properly while in traffic. The vehicle previously experienced engine-related problems, including a suspected head-gasket failure, coolant leaking into a cylinder, and a fuel-injector issue. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I have contacted Honda and multiple dealerships, but no one has identified a clear cause or provided a complete resolution. The exact cause of the reversing problem and dashboard warnings is currently UNKNOWN.”
“My 2018 Honda CR-V with the 1.5L turbo engine experienced an overheating condition while being driven. The temperature gauge fluctuated and reached the red zone, creating a potential risk of engine failure and loss of vehicle operation. The vehicle was inspected by a Honda dealership, which reported that the coolant was empty and recommended replacing the engine. I was given an estimate of approximately 7,000 for the replacement. A subsequent inspection by another mechanic included two cooling-system pressure tests that reportedly found no externally visible coolant leak. After the cooling system was topped off, I monitored the coolant level for approximately three weeks and observed no apparent decrease. There was also no coolant observed in the engine oil. The mechanic subsequently stated that a camera inspection showed coolant present in the cylinders and that the head gasket had failed. However, I have not received clear written documentation establishing the root cause of the coolant loss or overheating. The vehicle now has approximately 153,000 miles. I am reporting this because the vehicle experienced a significant overheating and coolant-loss condition…”
“Car abruptly lost power while driving. I was barely able to pull over to the side and park the car in lot that happened to be next to where I was driving. The car was towed to a award-winning service facility (non-Honda) and it was determined that P0303 Cylinder Misfire and P16e8 engine error codes due to a blown engine head gasket. According to the head mechanic, they had recently had another Honda CRV experience the same issue. The replacement parts/kit/labor cost almost $4,000. Without it the car was undriveable, most concerning was the abrupt loss of power, thankfully was not on a highway when this happened as there had been no warning or degradation in performance prior to the issue occurring. In searching the internet, apparently many others with Turbo CRV's are reporting this type of issue? I contacted Honda and they were basically of no help other than suggesting I have the car towed to a dealership but with no guarantees that they would cover anything given the 'age' of the vehicle. It has been a very well maintained car.”
Showing 6 of 530 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.