Problems · NHTSA complaints

2026 Honda CR-V problems

Owners filed 176 complaints about the 2026 Honda CR-V with NHTSA between Jul 2025 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is electrical system (34).

Complaints
176
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
14
Reported by owners
Fires
4
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system34
  2. Forward collision avoidance29
  3. Visibility/wiper27
  4. Power train20
  5. Steering17
  6. Service brakes15
  7. Engine11
  8. Lane departure9
  9. Structure9
  10. Fuel/propulsion system8
  11. Vehicle speed control7
  12. Back over prevention5
  13. Air bags5
  14. Visibility2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
202520
2026156

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

34 reports3 crashes1 fire
“When using either Android Auto or Apple CarPlay to connect to the car's infotainment system to view maps and navigation instructions, the system periodically goes dark for a variable length of time. While it will often restart on its own, on occasion the driver must interact with the system to relaunch the navigation screen. During the outage, the loss of navigation instructions is a safety hazard as it forces the driver to turn their attention away from the road. The car dealer has acknowledged this is a known issue and they are awaiting a fix from the manufacturer. When I first reported the issue in June 2026 soon after purchasing the car I was told they expected a solution from Honda by September 2026. It is now the end of October and the dealer has no further information on the repair timeframe. I can provide video evidence I recorded of the problem occurring. I am also available to demonstrate the issue. There are several hundred complaints about this problem posted by other Honda owners on the Internet, many accessible by searching Reddit.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 29, 2026Electrical systemODI 11774497

Forward collision avoidance

29 reports4 crashes
“My Honda 2026 AWD HYBIRD CRV was hit from behind while I stop at a RED light, after the impact , my CRV surging forward (unintended acceleration) after experiencing this impact. The car ran into an intersection which brake did not respond, I then use hand brake it did not stop , but until I rear ended a car in the front which was about 50 yards from me”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 25, 2026Service brakes, Forward collision avoidanceCrash reportedODI 11773456

Visibility/wiper

27 reports
“I am reporting a potential windshield safety defect involving my 2026 Honda CR-V EX-L AWD, leased new on June 30, 2026. Within approximately four months, I experienced two separate windshield cracks, both developing near the edges of the glass. The original factory-installed windshield developed a crack near its edge and was replaced by Safelite through Progressive Insurance in September 2026. Approximately six weeks later, the aftermarket replacement windshield also developed a crack near its edge. I did not observe any rocks or other objects striking the windshield immediately before either incident. However, Safelite subsequently identified a small impact point on the replacement windshield and denied warranty coverage. The precise cause of the repeated cracking remains unknown. I brought the vehicle to an authorized Honda dealership for evaluation. The service representative briefly examined the windshield visually but did not take the vehicle into the service bay or perform a detailed inspection. I was informed that the aftermarket windshield was not covered under Honda's warranty. The original windshield is no longer installed. The replacement windshield…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 27, 2026Visibility/wiperODI 11774054

Power train

20 reports
“Honda CRV was parked on the driveway with a little bit of downward slope. The car was started cold in the afternoon in summer time, the gear was shifted to R (reverse). We could see the backview in camera which confirms that the car was in R mode. It move ahead and did not stop. Despite giving acceleration, car keeps moving forward. The remedy for now is to stop the car, open the door, close the door, restart the car and the problem goes away. This has happened twice. We took it to the Honda dealership and the technician did not find any issue which is surprising. We expect Honda to look at the issue in detail, find the root cause and fix.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 25, 2026Power trainODI 11752801

Steering

17 reports
“It’s been just 4 months I bought honda crv hybrid 2026 and just 1800 miles , I have a sticky steering . 1 months ago I had same problem and nearly had accident in highway. I went to honda service they changed whole rack but after a months it’s started again. Whenever I don’t use brake hold button it’s works well but if I use and even after disengage of brake hold button steering so heavy and sticky and because of that today also I had near accident .”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 20, 2026SteeringODI 11772312

Service brakes

15 reports4 crashes
“Spouse parked the car in the garage, turned off motor. It was left in reverse gear, but car was off. She exited vehicle, went out to driveway, and the car was slowly rolling out of the garage. She had to jump in, apply the brakes. Then started vehicle and placed in Park. Shut vehicle off. I was able to replicate the same event. Lucky that our grandkids were not in or behind the car. As I understand the process, an electrical and/or programming failed to place car in auto park.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 17, 2026Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11771859
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.