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Research · Small Station Wagons

2021 Honda HR-VRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 64 owner complaints for the 2021 Honda HR-V. Most complaints involve air bags (21) and electrical system (16). The EPA rates it 28–30 mpg combined, and NHTSA gives it 5 stars overall.

Check a VINAdd to my garage
Combined MPG
28–30mpg
EPA · 4 versions
NHTSA overall
5of 5 stars
NCAP crash tests
Safety recalls
4campaigns
Latest May 2026
Owner complaints
64
Top: air bags
Fuel cost / yr
$2,150est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

4 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Air bags: front passenger

Free remedy

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

Air bagsReported May 22, 2026NHTSA 26V332000

Back over prevention: display function

Free remedy

Honda (America Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Fit and 2019-2022 HR-V vehicles that were previously recalled under NHTSA recall number 23V-046. The rearview camera image may not display when the engine is started with a key, due to a design error in the audio display power circuit. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Back over preventionReported May 31, 2024NHTSA 24V384000

Air bags: front passenger

Free remedy

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.

Air bagsReported Feb 1, 2024NHTSA 24V064000
See all 4 recalls with remedies
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 3, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

64 complaints filed with NHTSA · Apr 2021 – Oct 2026
  1. Air bags21
  2. Electrical system16
  3. Forward collision avoidance7
  4. Service brakes5
  5. Power train5
  6. Steering3
  7. Vehicle speed control3
  8. Engine3
  9. Lane departure2

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

By model year

Complaints for each HR-V model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
2016243
2017124
2018160
2019241
202086
202164
202289
2023688
2024110
202548
202620
20276
Crashes reported
5
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
5
Deaths reported
0
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 3, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Air bags

21 reports2 crashes
“The contact owns a 2021 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted several times. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 11, 2026Air bagsODI 11756144

Electrical system

16 reports
“The instrument cluster display intermittently fails and blanks out while driving. When this happens, I completely lose access to critical safety information, including the speedometer, fuel gauge, and all vehicle warning lights. I cannot monitor my speed or know if a critical vehicle system is malfunctioning while actively operating the vehicle in traffic. This happened in the morning when it’s cold but it comes back up when it gets hotter.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 21, 2026Electrical systemODI 11772826

Forward collision avoidance

7 reports1 crash
“I got in my vehicle to go to work, put the vehicle in drive and it would not move. The engine light came on, a large red flashing PARK on the dash and the tire light. I placed the car back in park. Checked to see if the parking break had accidentally been engaged. It had not. I placed the vehicle in drive again, unable to move. Attempted to reverse. Unable to move. Placed the vehicle back in park. Turned off the ignition. Pulled the key out slightly and waited. I restarted the engine and as all of the lights were flashing I placed the vehicle in drive again. The vehicle was able to drive. We took it to a local repair shop and they said it was a recall. We contacted Honda and they said they did not have a recall for this vehicle.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 31, 2026Service brakes, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11760856
All 2021 HR-V problemsSend a problem to a mechanic on findmechanic.ai
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

4 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Small Station Wagons
Engines
1.8L 4-cyl
Transmissions
Automatic (AV-S7) · Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Drive
Front-Wheel Drive · All-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 3, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
HR-V FWD
Auto (AV-S7), 4 cyl, 1.8 L · Front-Wheel Drive
283430$2,150292
HR-V FWD
Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.8 L · Front-Wheel Drive
283430$2,150292
HR-V AWD
Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.8 L · All-Wheel Drive
273129$2,200311
HR-V AWD
Auto (AV-S7), 4 cyl, 1.8 L · All-Wheel Drive
263128$2,300315
  • HR-V FWD
    Auto (AV-S7), 4 cyl, 1.8 L
    28 city · 34 hwy · $2,150/yr
    30
    mpg comb.
  • HR-V FWD
    Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.8 L
    28 city · 34 hwy · $2,150/yr
    30
    mpg comb.
  • HR-V AWD
    Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.8 L
    27 city · 31 hwy · $2,200/yr
    29
    mpg comb.
  • HR-V AWD
    Auto (AV-S7), 4 cyl, 1.8 L
    26 city · 31 hwy · $2,300/yr
    28
    mpg comb.
Estimate your fuel costCost of ownership
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 3, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

2 tested variants
Overall rating
5/ 5
5 of 5
Honda HR-V SUV AWD
Frontal crash
4 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
4 of 5
Rollover risk
13.5%
Overall
5 / 5
Honda HR-V SUV FWD
Frontal crash
4 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
4 of 5
Rollover risk
15.3%
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Nov 3, 2026Vehicle 15739Vehicle 15735
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2021 HR-V questions

How many recalls does the 2021 Honda HR-V have?

4 safety recalls as of Nov 3, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2021 Honda HR-V problems?

Owners filed 64 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are air bags (21), electrical system (16), forward collision avoidance (7). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2021 Honda HR-V get?

The EPA rates the 2021 Honda HR-V at 28–30 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (4 versions rated).

How safe is the 2021 Honda HR-V?

NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gives the 2021 Honda HR-V 5 out of 5 stars overall.

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Nov 3, 2026