45 problems related to engine and engine cooling have been reported for the 2020 Honda CR-V. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2020 Honda CR-V based on all problems reported for the 2020 CR-V.
On April 13, 20026 while traveling on a divided highway at about 70 mph, the car suddenly experienced rapid DE-acceleration, similar to if someone slammed on the brakes. At the same time all dashboard warning lights began flashing. The car had failed and couldn't be driven. The Honda dealer in rochester minnesota said the turbocharger had failed. This was a very dangerous situation as it posed a real risk of being hit from behind by others who were still travelling at high speed while the failed car was dramatically slowing and trying to get off the road. This an unreasonable risk of injury and death not only to the driver and occupants but also to the general public and other nearby drivers and occupants. The Honda dealer in rochester inspected and repaired the failed turbocharger and flushed the system and oil as required. The charge was $5,042. 41 to replace the turbocharger and $736. 48 to flush and change with fresh oil. This is without tax. Full invoice is available upon request. The Honda dealer inspected the car. No police report was filed. The car was towed back into rochester by aaa. There was no warning lamps prior to the incident. The cars maintenance was up-to-date and has only about 60,00 miles. For a [xxx] old car, an engine failure that creates a serious risk of injury or death to the driver and public would suggest a recall is necessary to maintain public safety and make owner's whole. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the fuel delivery system and engine power management. The vehicle suffers from sudden "limp mode" activation and total loss of acceleration. The vehicle is available for inspection. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? my safety was severely compromised when the vehicle suddenly lost power while traveling at highway speeds. This occurred twice in high-speed traffic, creating an immediate risk of a rear-end collision as the vehicle could no longer maintain the flow of traffic or accelerate away from danger. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? no. The issue was reported to a dealer in 2024, but because the malfunction indicator lamp (mil) turned off after a restart, the dealer was unable to reproduce the failure or find stored error codes at that time. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? yes, it was inspected by an authorized Honda dealer in 2024, but no repairs or actions were taken as they could not replicate the fault. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no. There were no prior symptoms or early warnings. In both incidents (2024 and yesterday), the engine light illuminated simultaneously with a sudden, localized loss of speed and a total inability to power up or accelerate while on the highway.
I am experiencing intermittent loss of motive power. Without warning at highway speeds I get a flashing check engine light immediately before the loss of motive power occurs. Motive power can be restored by turning the ignition off and back on. However, this action also clears the check engine light and any fault codes that were set. I drive with a code reader in the car and have received a p0302 code. This has happened at least five times since may 2024. It is available for inspection. I have brought it into a Honda dealership for repairs, they have changed the fuel injectors and pistons and it is still occurring. I was told this time that they did not know what was wrong so they could not repair anything. The safety of myself, my husband, and my seven month old daughter was out at risk as it occurs when traveling over 55 miles/hour and we lose power. We have to try and navigate to the side of the road to turn on and off the car. This problem was reproduced by a dealer this last time it went into the shop and it is there currently. The vehicle has only been inspected by keeler Honda in latham, new york. There were no other warnings prior to this failure. It has occurred multiple times, may 2024, November 2024, Feb 2025, March 2026 I have a video of what happens but I cannot upload it. This is exactly what is happening in NHTSA action number: pe25016.
My issue seems consistent with NHTSA action number pe25016. On March 4, 2026, I was driving and my check engine light start flashing. Shortly thereafter, I lost motive power. I was driving approximately 50 mph at the time. I pulled over and turned my car off and then back on, at which point the check engine light turned off and motive power was restored. I brought my car into the dealership later that day and was told there was nothing wrong with my car as they could not find a fault code and did not experience the loss of motive power while test driving my car. On March 10, 2026, I was driving and my check engine started flashing but I did not lose motive power. On March 14, 2026, I was driving and my check engine light started flashing. Shortly thereafter, I lost motive power. I was driving approximately 50 mph at the time. I pulled over and turned my car off and then back on, at which point the check engine light turned off and motive power was restored.
All warning lights began going off in car as driving. No overheating and search indicated it may be due to battery needing replacement. Drove to Honda dealer/service to have vehicle inspected and was informed turbo charger failed. Between research done and a call to our local dealer and was told this is a common issue. Diagnostic report and quote for new engine and turbo attached. Please note they did not perform the search to confirm there is metal in the engine.
The contact's daughter owns a 2020 Honda Cr-v. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for an oil change, the contact was informed that there was a mixture of oil and fuel in the oil pan. The contact stated that while checking the engine compartment later, there was an abnormally strong fuel odor coming from the engine compartment. Several unknown warning lights were temporarily illuminated. Several unknown dealers were contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was unreachable. The failure mileage was 50,399.
The same issue has happened twice. I'm driving on the highway, going maybe 60 or 65, and with no warning, the check engine light starts flashing and the car won't respond to the gas pedal. The car immediately starts to rapidly decelerate, and I can only try to get to the breakdown lane before I get rear-ended. I've been lucky (especially since my child was in the backseat both times). But when I stop the car, turn it off, then turn it on again, everything is fine. I can get back on the highway, and no problems occur. The codes are not stored, however, so I can't know what caused the problem. When this happened the first time (last year), I took it to the Honda dealer where I bought it, and they said they had never heard of this happening. When it happened the second time in January, I called Honda, spoke to an agent who gave me a case number (xxx), and said she has heard of something like this from other drivers, but the solutions were all different, so she couldn't say what would fix it for me. I did some internet research, and found other drivers who describe the exact same issue: [xxx] I've switched to premium gasoline ($$) and won't let it get lower than 1/4 full, and have an obdii scanner in my glove compartment ready to go if it happens again. That said, this is a very dangerous defect, and I feel unsafe in my car. I am disturbed that a problem of with such potentially serious consequences has no solution that anyone can offer me. (note: when I go to submit this, the final form leaves off the last # of the VIN. I tried to correct, but it happened again. The VIN is [xxx] , 2020 Honda crv hybrid. Best VIN ever. ) information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Cr-v. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle started losing automotive power. The check engine warning light started flashing and then remained illuminated, and the vehicle failed to accelerate above 15 mph. The contact stated that the battery was drained and showed only one bar of battery charge on the instrument panel. The contact stated that after pulling over and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal operation. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
This past year, on 10 occasions, the car misfires and loses power. All but 1 of these occurrences have been on the highway. The check engine light blinks, I pull over, turn the car off, wait a couple minutes, start the car, and the problem disappears. I have had the codes checked by both Honda and my personal mechanic - and neither can find a code that anything is wrong with the car. I have replaced the battery and 4 spark plugs but the issue keeps happening - more so recently as the weather is a little colder now. I am submitting the date of the most recent occurrence - but this has been happening since January of 2025.
Every dashboard light came on. Engine, brake and all the adaptive controls were flashing. The whole dash was lit up and my cruise control and lane assist wouldn’t work. Among other things I’m sure. I want to know if this is going to happen again and what about the head gasket now? can you do the update/ thermostat on my vehicle since obviously it is defective? the car only has 65,000 miles on it. I always heard Hondas were the best vehicles. This is now very concerning. Please advise.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Cr-v. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while maintaining automotive power. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where the mechanic retrieved dtc: p219f, and there were misfires with cylinders #3 and #4. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the costs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
My car lost roughly half its power while traveling in heavy traffic on the interstate. The engine light in the lower left hand corner of the dash began blinking at the same time. I was able to get off the interstate whereupon I turned the car off and then restarted it. This cured the problem and it has not happened in the week since. No one has inspected the problem, but I have an appointment with the dealer on November 4, 2025.
Vehicle: 2020 Honda Cr-v hybrid, 2. 0l engine VIN: [xxx] mileage at failure: ~73,000 miles dealer: autonation Honda fremont, California estimated repair cost: ~$4,200 issue: blown head gasket summary of complaint: at approximately 73,000 miles, my 2020 Honda Cr-v hybrid suffered a blown head gasket. The vehicle began showing symptoms of overheating and coolant loss, and a dealer diagnostic confirmed head gasket failure. The repair estimate from autonation Honda fremont is approximately $4,200. A head gasket failure at this mileage is abnormal and indicates a potential design defect. I am aware of an ongoing class-action lawsuit concerning premature head gasket and engine failures in late-model Honda vehicles with turbocharged and hybrid engines, and my experience appears consistent with these allegations. This defect is a safety hazard because it can lead to sudden overheating, engine stalling, or complete failure while driving, which puts drivers and passengers at risk. It also creates an unreasonable financial burden on owners. I respectfully request that the NHTSA investigate this issue as a potential widespread defect across Honda Cr-v hybrid and related models. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Cr-v. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, the message that the engine was reaching the max engine temperature and to pull over was displayed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the ev water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired three times. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on four times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 122,000.
Engine overheating in short trips with full coolant and oil. My car is 4 years old and after years of mysteriously going into limp mode and no help from the dealer, I believe it has a bad head gasket. This started when the car was 3 years old.
Driving at approx 45mph local road and suddenly the all warning lights (brake, check engine, hill descent, etc) started flashing. The car started to slow down and I immediately pulled over and turned the car off. Drove to local Honda dealership and they stated it was faulty fuel injector. 2020 Honda crv @96k miles.
My 2020 Honda crv’s crankshaft front oil seal failed. Typically not a problem you see in five year old cars.
While driving my 2020 Honda crv hybrid the check engine light came on and my speed reduced to 30mph on the highway. This first happened 5/31/2024 and I had it towed to Honda and Honda could not find the problem. I was told to bring it back in if it happened again. I asked Honda to report to their corporate representative because it was a dangerous issue, and was told we should not at this time. Then on 3/21/2025 less than a year later this occurred again and I bought it back to Honda and I am waiting for Honda to tell me what the issue is. This is a safety issue that has happened to other Honda hybrids not just to mine. Please help me on this matter they don’t seem to be able to know what the problem is and this is quite a safety concern.
There was no crash, but it is the second time within a month the vehicle stalls on the highway. The engine keeps running gives a loud banging sound. Also, the hybrid batteries are drained quickly to 0. The first-time the car started work again as normal after 1/2-1 hour standing on the side of the highway. The second time we turned the vehicle off/on, and it started to work again. In both cases the 'check engine' light came on. Twice the dealer ship inspected the car but could find anything wrong with it. We know there is a recall on the model and year, for a full pump issue (which I think is the issue here), but not for the VIN of this vehicle. The symptoms of the recall are identical to our experience. We are afraid to drive this car again. It is scary as the car stalls, power steering stops working, so does the power breaks and the car becomes uncontrollable. Luckly in both cases we were on a straight on the highway, but what would happen if we were in a turn on a winding road? thanks.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Cr-v. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the dealer informed the contact that the failure could not be duplicated. The contact was informed that the spark plugs had been replaced by the dealer. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
The fuel injectors failed and were leaking. All warning system lights displayed and scrolled thru dash. We took to Honda dealership and are awaiting repairs. A fire hazard was present from leaking fuel and hazardous condition from lose of power as engine running rough and misfiring.
Sudden engine failure while driving on highway with immediate loss of power. Engine failure was due to blown head gasket from failure in sealed coolant system. Engine failure occurred prematurely at 84k miles. Honda allegedly is aware of this failure in their system, and has not addressed it. Safety concern due to sudden loss of power while driving in areas with speeds at excess of 60 mph, no warning prior to failure.
Misfires due to faulty oem injectors. Also headgaskets tend to blow easily bad design. Honda needs to address this issue fast.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Cr-v. The contact stated while driving at approximately 4 mph and pulling, head-on, into a parking space the vehicle unintentionally accelerated. The contact stated that she was depressing the brake pedal and needed to depress the brake pedal with more force in order to stop the vehicle. The contact noticed that a symbol that looked like the letter "I" was illuminated. The contact stated that she tried to move the vehicle forward, but she had not turned off the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle was not responding when she depressed the accelerator pedal. The contact turned the vehicle off and on several times and was able to regain normal vehicle function. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed and determined that the throttle was gummed up and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
Warped head, head gasket. Premature.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Cr-v. The contact stated while driving 65 mph, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated upon attempting to continue driving, the vehicle failed to respond as needed while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the contact was informed that a cylinder had misfired; however, the dealer informed the contact that the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 23v858000 (fuel system, gasoline); because of the plant where the vehicle was manufactured. The failure mileage was approximately 59,018.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Cr-v. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle suddenly decelerated with the check engine warning light flashing off and on. The vehicle was slowly driven to a nearby gas station. The vehicle was restarted and operated normally and was immediately driven to the local dealer. The local dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred once before. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact was informed of the NHTSA action number: pe25016 (engine); and associated the failure with the NHTSA action number. The failure mileage was 27,327.
- I own a 2020 Cr-v hybrid lx with a continuously variable transmission that has been experiencing persistent engine problems over the past few months. I have taken the vehicle to two Honda dealership service centers, but neither location has been able to identify the root cause of the issue. Currently, the car is with a Honda dealership mechanic for further inspection. I am seeking assistance in resolving this matter as the issue remains unresolved despite multiple attempts. -the engine problem initially occurred while I was driving, causing the car to slow down unexpectedly. Most recently, the issue occurred when I started the vehicle. - the issue has been reproduced and confirmed by both Honda dealerships I visited; however, neither dealership has been able to determine the root cause. They have run several diagnostics and even cleaned out the fuel tank, but the problem persists. - both Honda dealerships informed me that they brought in a manufacturing engineer and technician to conduct further testing. They recommended flushing the fuel tank and fuel line and replacing the spark plugs; however, the engine problem remains unresolved. I reached out to Honda headquarters about this issue, and they advised me to follow up after hearing back from the technician and engineer. However, I have not received any response since following up. - there were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the engine issue. The warning messages and lights only appeared once the engine began to fail. The problem first started back in June. At that time, the car was not due for any maintenance and had no prior major issues.
Car stalled twice on highway going 55 miles to zero. Pressing accelaerator wont make any difference. Thw malfunction infmdicator starts blinking when it happanes. Once the car comes to a complete stop and restart the engine then only we can continue to drive. Also malfunction infdcator goes away after restarting. We brought the car dealer and since there is no diagnostic code they wouldnt repair.
4 times now I have been driving on the freeway and my vehicle just slows down when putting foot down on gas pedal nothing car comes to a complete stop with engine light on I turn off and on the engine an d the car goes again I have taken it at the time of incident to Honda dealerships and they keep telling me there is nothing wrong with the car I tell them that there is something seriously wrong with my car the engine light comes on and they said there is nothing showing the last time I was on freeway and it stalled in the lane I could of been killed all the times it happened I was on freeways doing between 65 and 70 miles per hour.
While driving in the freeway at 65mph, car starts to loose power, the accelerator does not respond to the push of the pedal. Even if I press the gas, the car just shows in the dashboard that the car is receiving power but speed lingers in 50mph but it clearly is way below this speed and keeps decreasing even if it shows the 50mph, the car just cruises with it’s own momentum. The hybrid battery depletes completely and warning lights start flashing to check engine. The car will also jerk front to back and the main motor will make a loud noise as if at high power with a hint of rattling. It’s difficult to maneuver between high speed vehicles passing by while not having any power in the vehicle. The only thing I can do is turn on my hazard lights and cruise to the right lane and look for the first exit and safely park. As soon as I park the vehicle, it will continue to keep with the rattling and the warning lights and high power noise. If I turn off the vehicle and turn it on again, the hybrid battery will reappear with charge and it doesn’t make any sound (hybrid standby). It will drive normal after this. My vehicle was purchased from dealership in 2021 and the first incident was in December of 2022, it did not repeat this incident until February 2024 where it did it twice, one week exactly apart from each incident under the exact same circumstances and the same area of the freeway as soon as I hit the first top speed of 65mph in the freeway.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Cr-v. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power, decelerated, and entered limp mode. During the failure, the check engine, abs, and emissions warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.
I was driving on the freeway [xxx] my car speed was slowing down even as I had the gas pedal pressed to the floor. I was heading off the freeway when the speed picked up and car was working again. On a separate incident March 2024 my daughter borrowed my car and she described the same issue and again. The car would not speed up despite her pressing the gas pedal. Most recent [xxx]. Put car in reverse and step on gas and zero movement. Put it back in park and back in reverse and car once again worked as normal. No check engine lights so I was told no diagnostics could be performed. I see all the recalls for these problems but my VIN number is not included. I’m worried all the time I drive my disabled son around his service dog and my young grandchildren ages [xxx] ,and [xxx] . Please see if you can help me get my car fixed. My son gets ssi and I can’t afford a costly repair. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
Oil dultion issue. There are class action lawsuits on this. How is this not being addressed.
Lost acceleration while driving on major highways on three separate occasions in less than a year's time. Noticed a recall for similar circumstances on the same year and model as mine but was told by dealer that mine was not part of the recall. This is a safety issue that needs to be addressed as I do not want to be in a situation where this happens again. These incidents happened in September, 2022, March 2023, and July 2023. I will put the latest date in additional details below. Please note: this is my second notice of safety concern of my vehicle. I sent a complaint to this administration on 08/25/2023 and did not receive any word or confirmation. Please confirm receipt of this information. Thank you for your help.
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