2020 Honda CR-V service brakes problems

“Brakes locked up while the vehicle was being driven. The owner's brakes locked up while driving in early February 2026, and the owner's husband's brakes locked up while driving on April 22, 2026. Two separate incidents, same vehicle, identical failure pattern. Reports were previously filed with Honda and NHTSA with no response. The owner also posted about it on X.”

“At under 36,000 miles, the vehicle experienced a sudden and total failure of the factory electronic brake booster assembly. The vehicle's dashboard illuminated multiple critical braking system warning lights. The vehicle was taken directly to an authorized Honda dealership for diagnostic testing. The dealership pulled Diagnostic Trouble Code DTC C1250-98 (ECU Internal Malfunction - Over Temperature), confirming a hard internal electronic processor failure within the brake booster unit itself. The dealership had to completely remove and replace the faulty electronic brake booster assembly, costing $3,206.00 out of pocket for parts and labor. An internal computer processor overheating on a critical, non-maintenance braking component at this incredibly low mileage represents a severe safety hazard and indicates a manufacturing or supplier defect. Honda has previously issued safety recalls for integrated electronic brake booster faults on other models from this production window (such as NHTSA Campaign 23V431000), but has not yet extended coverage to the 2020 CR-V. I am filing this report to document the premature component failure and urge an expansion of the…”

“I have experienced four instances of my vehicle braking (two very extreme) when nothing was nearby or in front of my vehicle. Two of these happened when passing through an intersection, but no other vehicles were nearby. Fortunately, no one was following close behind during two occasions, or I would have been rear ended. I mentioned this today while having my car serviced at the dealership(White’s Auto Mall in Hopkinsville, KY) but they wanted to charge me 207.00 for an inspection, which I didn’t think I should be responsible for paying. I have researched and found “phantom braking” to be a problem in my vehicle make and model.”

“On multiple occasions, this vehicle has initiated automated braking with no other vehicles in the immediate proximity. On 2 occasions, the automated braking has resulted in near misses of rear end collisions. This is an intermittently occurring fault that has become more frequent as of late. The vehicle has <100k on the odometer. The vehicle was taken to the local Honda dealer and their investigative procedure included an 8 min test drive of less than 5 miles and reported that there was nothing wrong with the system. No attempt to make any corrections or improvements was attempted.”

“The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving in a parking lot and depressing the brake pedal, there was a clunking sound coming from the braking system before the brakes became inoperable. The contact forcefully depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle eventually came to a stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with an electrical wiring short. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 13,000.”

“The brake warning light remains illuminated on the dashboard even when the parking brake is fully disengaged and while the vehicle is in motion. Same when the car is on or turned off. The brake warning light remain on continuously. Because this warning light is associated with the braking system, it creates uncertainty about whether the braking system and related safety systems are functioning properly while the vehicle is being driven. This raises safety concerns. The vehicle currently has approximately 50,000 miles and has been regularly maintained. The vehicle was inspected by a Honda dealership. After evaluation, the dealership indicated the issue may be related to the VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) modulator. However, they stated they cannot confirm with certainty that replacing this component will resolve the issue. This will be an expensive repair with no warranty that’s the issue. All other possible issues with pads brake system, wires…were discarded and no code showed on the initial test. Since this warning involves a critical safety system and the cause has not been clearly identified, I am concerned this may represent a potential defect or premature…”