Problems · by component
2020 Honda CR-V engine problems
39 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2020 Honda CR-V cite engine, 11% of all 358 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
39
11% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. While the contact's wife was driving 55 MPH, the vehicle operated sluggishly with an engine misfire. The contact's daughter used a scan tool and retrieved information of a misfire in cylinder #2. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that cylinder #2 had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. Another check with the scan tool indicated a misfire in cylinder #3. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that cylinder #3 had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact contacted another independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed and DTC: P0299 (Blown head gasket) was retrieved. The dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the warranty mileage was exceeded. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure by phone, and a case was filed. The contact was advised…”
“The check-engine light comes on immediately before the vehicle loses the ability to accelerate. While driving, including at highway speeds, pressing the accelerator does not produce normal propulsion and the vehicle loses motive power. If I pull over, turn the vehicle completely off and restart it, the check-engine light clears and normal acceleration returns. The problem is intermittent and has occurred more than once. The dealership has previously been unable to identify the cause because the vehicle operates normally after restarting.”
“I am the owner of a 2020 Honda CR-V equipped with the 1.5L turbocharged engine. The vehicle is experiencing a severe and dangerous engine oil dilution manufacturing defect where unburnt gasoline enters the oil pan. This is an active driving hazard. After a fresh oil change meant to remediate the issue, the oil level rapidly rose back up past the top dipstick indicator within less than 200 miles of driving, and the oil smells strongly of raw gasoline. This severe dilution degrades the engine oil viscosity, creating an immediate risk of sudden engine stalling, loss of propulsion, or catastrophic internal engine failure while driving at speed. Honda is aware of this defect on 1.5L turbo engines but has failed to issue a recall or provide a permanent engineering solution for 2020 models. I currently have 44,443 miles on the vehicle.”
“On the evening of [XXX], I started my vehicle while it was parked in my garage. Within approximately five minutes, the vehicle suddenly produced a violent and unusually loud mechanical noise, followed by visible smoke billowing from beneath the hood. Recognizing the immediate potential fire and safety hazard to both myself and my property, I immediately shut the vehicle down. The following morning, I took directly to Honda North, an authorized Honda dealership in Clovis, California, for a professional diagnostic inspection. The dealership's certified inspection determined that the A/C compressor had suffered a catastrophic internal mechanical failure and had completely seized. According to the dealership, the compressor's internal failure while the system was operating resulted in metallic debris being circulated throughout and contaminating the A/C system. This catastrophic seizure heavily strained the engine's drive belt system. The failure was a direct result of the factory compressor shaft seal leaking out all system refrigerant and lubricating oil, causing the unit to run dry and seize. As a result, the dealership determined that replacing only the failed…”
“When driving on highway, the engine light came on and the car suddenly slowed down causing me concern about traffic around me still going at highway speed. Not understanding what the issue was and afraid the car would lose all power, I was able to shift lanes quickly to get to the breakdown lane. I was able to get the car to Honda Dealer driving at slow speed using back roads. The Honda Dealer confirmed an engine misfire caused the engine light and slowdown. The cause of the misfire was coolant leaking into engine cylinder and would require replacing the head gasket to fix the problem. The car had 75,000 miles and had been running fine until that point.”
“Faulty head gasket. Car is 2020 honda crv with 113,000 miles on it. Brought it honda because the dashboard lit up and all lights came on. Honda inspected it and stated it was coolant leaking into cylinder 2 and my car has shown no issues if this happening. After doing research, many have mentioned faulty head gaskets in the 10 gen hondas.”
Showing 6 of 39 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.