Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 143 safety complaints
about the 2026 Honda CR-V with the US government. Of those, 10 describe a crash, 4 mention a fire, 6 people were injured and no death is recorded. No recall campaign has been matched to this year, make and model.
The most complained-about system is the electrical system,
named in 25 complaints, 17% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 7,340 miles,
the median across the 11
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers July 2025 to September 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
143 complaints on file
143
Complaints
10
Describe a crash
4
Mention fire
6
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not
the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production
ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 36 · 25%
36 25%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 25 · 17%
25 17%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 24 · 17%
24 17%
POWER TRAIN 20 · 14%
20 14%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 19 · 13%
19 13%
SERVICE BRAKES 13 · 9%
13 9%
STEERING 12 · 8%
12 8%
ENGINE 9 · 6%
9 6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 7 · 5%
7 5%
STRUCTURE 7 · 5%
7 5%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 7 · 5%
7 5%
LANE DEPARTURE 6 · 4%
6 4%
01531
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 143.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2026 at 123.
132 99 66 33
252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2025 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2026 Honda CR-V, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
SUV N/A AWD
SUV N/A FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover
15.5%
15.5%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed.
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
AIR BAGS
3 injured · crash · towed
The driver-side frontal airbag/restraint system may have failed to operate during a collision involving a significant impact to the front driver’s side of my 2026 Honda CR-V. The vehicle was declared a total loss, but the driver’s airbag did not deploy. The seat belt locked and appeared to function properly. The insurance company has already taken possession of the vehicle, so its present availability for inspection is UNKNOWN. My safety was put at risk because the driver’s airbag did not provide additional protection during the impact. Following the accident, I experienced a concussion, dizziness/vertigo, and neck, shoulder, and back pain. The issue has not been reproduced or formally …
NHTSA complaint 11753709, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
1 injured · crash · towed
1. The vehicle accelerated rapidly and uncontrollably without my touching the gas pedal and despite my slamming the breaks. 2 The vehicle jumped a curb and slammed into a parked car. Someone could have been easily killed if they were in front of the vehicle. 3. Not yet. I will have it towed to the dealer tomorrow. 4. No, See #3 above. 5. No. This was the first time this happened.
NHTSA complaint 11729277. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
1 injured · crash · towed · 1,100 miles
The contact owns a 2026 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle in a parking space with her foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated over the curb and crashed into the brick wall of a convenience store. The contact stated that the failure occurred without warning. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The brick wall of the store was damaged due to the impact of the vehicle. The contact was treated for pain in her neck and right shoulder by the paramedics at the scene; she was not transported to a hospital. A police report was filed. The vehicle was initially towed to an independent tow yard; however, the contact later picked it up. …
NHTSA complaint 11732520, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
1 injured · crash · towed · 7,400 miles
The contact owns a 2026 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 1-2 MPH into a parking space, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. The brake pedal was depressed but failed to stop the vehicle. The vehicle crashed into a guardrail. The contact's wife suffered neck pain. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the contact requested the Event Data Recorder (EDR). The insurance company was notified of the failure but had not inspected the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 7,400.
NHTSA complaint 11766602. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The car randomly braked hard and suddenly. There were no obstacles in the road. It was a clear day with no weather issues.
NHTSA complaint 11766971. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The vehicle's infotainment/display and wireless smartphone projection system is malfunctioning. Specifically, wireless Apple CarPlay can suddenly disconnect while I am driving and the system does not reliably recover or re-establish the connection. When this occurs, Apple CarPlay functions including navigation, maps and audio become unavailable, sometimes for the remainder of the drive. The vehicle and infotainment system remain in my possession and are available for inspection. This creates a potential safety hazard because I primarily drive the vehicle alone, with no passenger available to safely operate the phone or infotainment system while the vehicle is moving. The issue has occurred …
NHTSA complaint 11766278, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STEERING
The steering wheel makes a clicking and knocking noise when turning left or right at any speed. The problem occurs every time I turn the steering wheel and can also be felt when changing lanes. The steering becomes stiff and feels like it catches or binds while turning, requiring more effort to steer. The problem has been occurring repeatedly and has not gone away. I am concerned that the steering could become more difficult to control while driving and create a safety risk. 2023-2025 Honda CRV have been recalled for a similar steering problem.
NHTSA complaint 11766320. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
fire
My wife and I leased this 2026 crv on XXX. Six days old, with approx 89 miles on it. We were heading to [XXX] from [XXX] on [XXX] when there was a engine noise, then a loud pop, my wife said it was smoking and no oil pressure came across the instrument panel, immediately after that message the screen turned red saying to turn vehicle off immediately. We were on a corner on the interstate right at XXX exit, we coasted to shoulder, there was flames coming up from hood cowl between windshield wipers/hood/ windshield while we were still in the vehicle. We were able to exit the vehicle and get to a safe distance and i called [XXX]. [XXX] fire department responded to put out the fire, as well as …
NHTSA complaint 11765733, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STEERING
I am requesting immediate assistance with an ongoing safety issue involving my 2026 Honda CR-V EX AWD, VIN [XXX], which I purchased in July 2025. Each time it rains, multiple warning lights come on in my vehicle. The warning message shown includes: “Electric power steering system problem. Steering assist reduced. See your dealer.” The dashboard also shows several other warning indicators, including the battery/charging, brake system, tire-pressure, and other safety-system warnings. This is extremely concerning because it affects a vehicle I rely on every day to transport my two children. I have already brought the vehicle to two Honda dealerships: Honda of [XXX], [XXX], [XXX]. My paperwork …
NHTSA complaint 11765771, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's
lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, no campaign on file for this vehicle.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst