Problems · NHTSA complaints

2018 Honda HR-V problems

Owners filed 160 complaints about the 2018 Honda HR-V with NHTSA between Mar 2018 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is electrical system (50).

Complaints
160
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
11
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
5
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system50
  2. Fuel system, gasoline27
  3. Power train16
  4. Service brakes15
  5. Fuel/propulsion system14
  6. Engine13
  7. Structure11
  8. Vehicle speed control10
  9. Air bags7
  10. Visibility/wiper7
  11. Steering3
  12. Exterior lighting3
  13. Electronic stability control (esc)3
  14. Tires2

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
201810
201913
202011
20218
20227
202313
202437
202534
202627

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

50 reports3 crashes
“The contact owns a 2018 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly failed to operate properly, causing the vehicle to decelerate to 35 MPH. The contact stated that the right side of the instrument panel became inoperable. The contact was unable to see the mileage, and the battery life indicator failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The instrument panel failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was later taken to a service center, where the transmission failure was confirmed, and the transmission was replaced. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 20, 2026Power train, Electrical systemODI 11772465

Fuel system, gasoline

27 reports2 related recalls
“The contact owns a 2018 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to immediately start. The cause of the failure was not yet been determined. The failure mileage was 22,000. Parts distribution disconnect.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 2, 2025Fuel system, gasolineODI 11670691

Power train

16 reports
“We have a Honda 2018 HRV We purchased it new from Suburban Honda in April 2018 They have serviced the in our ownership The CVT Transmission was serviced and maintained by this dealership The fluid was changed at 29.063 miles and the transmission was updated by Honda at 31781 miles The fluid was changed at 54874 Now at 76081 miles the CVT Transmission has failed and Honda has said its $9500.00 to repair No warning lights just a Cluck on XXX I feel if the transmission completey fail on the road at any time The car has been inspected and is at Honda Dealership in [XXX] now they have confirmed internal Transmission failure Honda should repair at no cost to our family”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 2, 2026Power trainODI 11748018

Service brakes

15 reports5 crashes
“On September 17. 2025 I was at a red light on Normandie Avenue and Exposition Blvd the light turned green and as I was entering the intersection going southbound my doors on the vehicle started locking and un locking, my dashboard went black and the car shut off, The Braking system malfunction, the airbag did not deploy, my knees hit the bottom part of the dashboard and my mouth hit the steering wheel knocking out several teeth. The dashboard only had an airbag code, a brake code and a vehicle with the doors opened on the screen. I had the car towed to my home and informed my insurance company of the incident, they referred me to a body shop who held my vehicle for 5 months after doing the body work, they labeled my vehicle unsafe to drive because the codes are still on the vehicle, not knowing that this body shop doesn't do electrical work. I reached out to Honda several times because they were the last ones to work on my vehicle for the fuel pump recall, but they noted VSA\ABS for the last couple of weeks I finally talked with Service Manager Marvin Cabrera and he directed me to American Honda Motors and after reaching out to them since the 3rd of February,…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 9, 2026Electrical system, Air bags, Service brakesCrash reportedODI 11722863

Fuel/propulsion system

14 reports
“The contact owns a 2018 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, a fuel odor was noticed inside the cabin. The dealer was notified of the failure, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact was informed that the fuel odor was normal following an unknown recall repair; however, a pool of fuel was discovered on top of the engine and cleaned up. The vehicle was repaired. The failure recurred. While the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed fuel leaking onto the ground underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the undercarriage was cleaned, gaskets were replaced, and parts were tightened; however, the failure recurred. The contact again smelled fuel inside the cabin, which was confirmed by a service advisor, but a sniff test later yielded no signs of fuel odor. The contact stated that the failure began immediately after the unknown recall repair was completed. The manufacturer was notified, a case was filed and escalated, and the dealer was instructed to continue diagnostic testing. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 16, 2026Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11771597

Engine

13 reports
“My 2018 Honda HR-V had the federally-mandated Safety Recall 24-015 (Fuel Pump Motor replacement) performed on August 16, 2025 at Honda Westborough, Westborough, MA. The vehicle had zero EVAP-related issues or warning lights before that recall work. Approximately 9 months later, in May 2026, a parking alert and check engine light appeared on the dash. I brought the vehicle back to the same dealership. The technician retrieved diagnostic codes P0455 (large EVAP leak) and P0456 (small EVAP leak), performed a smoke test, and confirmed the leak was coming specifically from the FUEL PUMP MOTOR AREA - the exact same location where the recall work had been performed. The technician's own notes state: "confirmed leak coming from the fuel pump motor area." After replacing the O-ring and lock ring, the leak persisted at the same spot. A new fuel pump assembly (part# 17045-T7X-A02) was ultimately installed to resolve it. Honda Westborough charged me $1,676.61 for this repair, including $870.50 in labor and $724.83 in parts. When I contacted American Honda Customer Relations, they declined to reimburse me, stating the repair was unrelated to the recall. I strongly dispute…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 11, 2026Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11743597
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.