Power Train Problems of Honda CR-V - part 1

While driving a 2021 Honda Cr-v hybrid, the vehicle has intermittently and without warning lost the ability to accelerate. When this occurs, depressing the accelerator pedal — even fully to the floor — produces no response, and the vehicle simply coasts and loses speed. This has happened on three occasions — January 13, 2025; December 16, 2025; and June 10, 2026 — including at highway speed. Each occurrence is documented by a Honda dealer service invoice. In each instance, the check engine light began flashing immediately before the loss of power. The only way to restore normal operation was to bring the vehicle to a stop, turn the ignition off, wait, and restart. Restarting restores power but also clears the check engine light and any stored diagnostic trouble codes. Safety risk: losing motive power without warning, particularly at highway speed or while merging in traffic, creates a serious risk of a rear-end or loss-of-control collision, because the vehicle cannot accelerate out of danger. The affected systems appear to be the power train and hybrid propulsion system, possibly originating from the engine given the flashing check engine light, which typically indicates an active engine misfire. The exact failed component has not been confirmed (unknown). The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by the dealer during inspection. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Honda dealer for each occurrence, but because restarting the vehicle clears the fault codes, the dealer found no stored codes and could not duplicate the failure during a test drive. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This matches NHTSA preliminary evaluation pe25016 regarding intermittent loss of motive power in my 2020–2022 Honda Cr-v hybrid vehicles.

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Car was leased on 2/2025, at the end of may 2026 I drove the car for a couple of days when I began to notice there was an issue when turning left. Anytime I made a left turn, the car would get stuck and would pull back to the right. When the left turn was being made, there would be a clicking sound from the front left side of the car. When driving straight, the car felt like it needed to pull to the right and I would need to hold on to the steering wheel tight. At the beginning of June, I took the car into Honda where they checked it and recommended the steering column to be replaced and advised my husband that the car was no longer safe to drive. The car is 1 year and 4 months and has had no issues until now. Honda is no longer giving me warranty on the car due to the high mileage and they are quoting me $5048. 67 to replace the car. I submitted a request to Honda for a "goodwill" repair but have not heard back from anyone. Because my VIN was not part of the Honda crv steering gearbox assembly, the service manager stated there was nothing they could do to help me.

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On may 25th, 2026 multiple dashboard warning lights flashed simultaneously while I was driving indicating an immediate engine issue, all warning alerts showed up. Next day, the engine exhibited a structural shudder/shake. The vehicle has otherwise always been perfectly maintained and operated flawlessly, thus, I called the dealership/ they gave me an appointment for the next day, after their inspection, they said that they need to replace the head gasket, timing chain set, and fuel injectors simultaneously; I learnt the imminent safety hazard I was exposed to! operating a vehicle with an active internal fluid leak and compromised cylinder sealing creates an unpredictable driving hazard, putting occupants at risk of being stranded or rear-ended due to sudden engine failure. This proves that this is a systemic thermal defect affecting the structural integrity of the 1. 5l turbo powertrain. The dealership stated the vehicle requires a top-end engine rebuild, specifically: a head gasket, spark plugs, fuel injectors, and a timing chain set. This is unacceptable given that my car is only 58. 8k miles. I purchased the car brand new and always take good care, this issue is putting tens of thousands of dollars at financial risk! now, on top of that, they want me to pay around $ 6,000 thousand dollars for a well-documented 1. 5l engineering defect. This will destroy my trust in the brand and guarantee I will never buy a Honda again. This should be a safety recall, and why must I pay for their manufacture's issue? is not fair.

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This morning, around 9 am, I was stopped on [xxx] in traffic, just south of [xxx] . [xxx] ) foot on break, waiting for traffic to start moving. Engine suddenly revved to about 4k rpm. Car started to lurch a bit, I had to put increased pressure on the brake to hold it. I wasn’t sure the brake would hold, so I shifted to neutral, engine revved up over 4k. It settled back down and I was able to drive to the Honda dealer on [xxx] (less than a mile from where the incident occurred. ) left the car there to be worked on. Car was in the engine idle shutoff mode. I don’t recall if it started revving coming out of that mode, but I don’t think so since my foot would have been off the brake at that point. Other than the lurch that occurred while I was pressing hard on the brake, I didn’t move the car until after I had put it in neutral and it settled down. Then I put it in drive and moved forward. I don't recall any warning lamps or messages. No report yet from the Honda dealer [xxx] ), but I wanted to report this since this should never happen -- regardless of the root cause. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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I am filing a safety complaint regarding my new Honda Cr-v which is 6 months old. Water seeped into my parked and closed vehicle, and after that I experienced multiple hazard warning lights on the dashboard while driving on xx, which caused panic and concern for safety. The next day, the vehicle became unresponsive and the battery went dead. This was alarming because the warning lights appeared during highway driving, where a sudden electrical or system failure could create a crash risk. The vehicle had been parked and closed when the water intrusion occurred, so I am concerned there may be a defect related to water sealing, electrical systems, or battery failure. The dealer confirmed that the seal was broken and might have been a manufacturing defect. This caused water seepage. But they were not sure if the water seepage was related to battery giving electrical warnings and going dead. This uncertainty caused more insecurity as we do not know the reason for battery failure exactly when water leaked into the vehicle. Please investigate whether this issue is related to a safety defect. I request that this complaint be reviewed for any pattern involving water intrusion, dashboard warnings, electrical failure, or battery drain in this model. Vehicle information: year: 2026 make: Honda model: Cr-v VIN: [xxx] mileage: 3166 mi date of incident: 05-24-2026 location of incident: [xxx] additional details: water seeped into the vehicle while it was parked and closed. Dashboard hazard lights illuminated while driving on I-95. The next day, the vehicle was unresponsive and the battery was dead. I have photos/videos/repair records. The warning lights were flashing hazard icons and system warning lights. The vehicle lost power and had to be towed to dealership on Tuesday, 05-26. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

While driving my 2022 Honda crv at highway speeds and at operating temperature, the steering sticks and/or pauses then releases causing the steering to jerk back in the opposite direction. This creates a major safety issue while driving on the highway and can potentially cause an accident. Additionally, when turning the vehicle left at slow speeds, we would periodically hear a clicking noise. These problems began at the beginning of 2024 and have progressively gotten worse. Initial attempts to have Honda identify the problems failed as they could not replicate the problems at the time of diagnostics. During this time, our warranty expired. On may 20, 2026, we once again had the vehicle inspected by pohanka Honda of salisbury, MD for the same issues. This time the lead mechanic technician was able to replicate and pinpoint the problem. He noted the problem was the "electrical power steering system assembly and gearbox assembly", which contained the worm gear and worm wheel assembly. The dealership quoted us a price of $2,153. 00 for parts, labor, and a full alignment, which is required during this type of repair. The service technician advised there are no current recalls to cover the cost of this repair. The Honda corporation has suggested we apply for their “goodwill assistance program”, to help cover cost for out-of-warranty repairs, but there was no guarantee that we would qualify for any monetary relief. We believe Honda corporation is ignoring a major defect and safety issue regarding the electrical power steering assembly and gearbox, on older crv models. This same part has been deemed as defective and a major safety issue on newer crv models between 2023-2025 and has recalled those vehicles for repair. I believe the company should be required to recall all vehicles with the defective electrical power steering assembly and gearbox. Fortunately for us, Honda made the repair and covered the full cost through the goodwill assistance program.

While accelerating from a stop and executing a right turn, at a speed of roughly 15 mph, the power train partially lost power and the car slowed for several seconds before accelerating normally.

While driving at roughly 20 mph and executing a right turn, the power train partially lost power and the car slowed for several seconds before accelerating normally.

While accelerating from a stop and executing a right turn, at a speed of roughly 15 mph, the power train experienced a partial loss of power and the car slowed for several seconds before accelerating normally.

All brake systems warning lamps illuminated while driving on the highway, the vehicle was pulled off the road and shut off, brakes were visually inspected and all fluid levels were examined and everything was intact. Vehicle was driven again after a breif time and everything was fine. A few weeks later all warning lamps were displayed, the vehicle was brought to a Honda dealership the following morning and a cracked fuel pump was diagnosed and the technician believed that there was no coolant in the vehicle and that was filled. The technicians suggested a scope of the engine to rule out a leaking head gasket but I could not afford it and monitored my coolant levels, had a pressure test done at a trusted mechanic and everything was fine for approx 3 months. Absolutely no coolant was observed on my driveway, the coolant level remained optimal on visual inspection. The vehicle started to drive roughly and I suspected new spark plugs were needed, those were installed at the dealership. The issue was not resolved and I returned w/in 1 month and was told that 3/4 cylinders were blown in addition to the head gasket. The vehicle has 106k miles and has received all maintenance as described. The cost to repair is over $8,000. I believe this is a failure on Honda as this is a very well documented issue with this specific vehicle.

Engine shuts off while driving. Speeds can be low or high. 20-65 mph. While driving, engine will cut off. Sometimes the electrics remain on and I can use power steering to pull to the side of the road, other times everything shuts down. It can happen while turning or regular straight driving. Sometimes it will restart right after, other times, it won't start for many minutes. We have gotten stuck in turn lanes, middle of intersections, and busy 3 lane city roads. Mechanic says it is not showing any codes and can't find anything wrong with the car.

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Vehicle has only 100,395 miles on it (hondas are know for being long lasting), vehicle was burning radiator fluid and repair for new head gasket and cylinder head is over $6300! Hondas are known to last a long time, a 2020 model with 100,000 needing a repair that is nearly half the value of the vehicle is shocking - I have seen similar complaints online and want to file my complaint officially.

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Car has been running fine and maintenance is up to date . Got up one day to leave for work and when I went to accelerate I started hearing a grinding clatter type noise ( only when accelerating at about 3k-5k rpm ) and once the car got up to needed speed it goes away . No engine light codes ( but having intermittent connection issues with obd port but never been damaged or anything) but it does it sometimes consistently and sometimes it will have a few moments under same acceleration condition or higher rpms but its never consistent. When these occur the car feels like power loss in the acceleration and a slight dragging in the drivability but again not always present. Been to exaust shop and they found nothing from. Their initial inspection. Its hard to trigger the affects since it happens randomly/intermittently. Very unsave and there are no reasons or explanations to these events.

Hello. We purchased this 2018 Honda Cr-v new in 2018 from the local Honda dealer, Honda of lake jackson, TX. In the spring of 2025 the a/c stopped working. We took it to a local shop and they had to replaced the following: blower motor replaced, blower motor replaced, a/c evaporator replaced, a/c expansion/orifice valve replaced, heater core replaced. This was around a $3,000 repair. A month or so later in may of 2025 we took the car to the Honda dealer because of steering instability issues. We were advised that the entire steering column would need to replaced due to known safety issues (drive shaft can fail completely at highway speeds). The following was repaired at this time: --rack and pinion replaced, steering gear replaced, valve cover gasket replaced vehicle was at 61,984 miles at this time. This was a $5,000+ repair. It cost so much that we actually had to take out financing to pay it, which in essence essentially renewed our car payment (car was already paid off at this time). Now for the past 8 months or so we have had a "juddering" issue where you can feel the transmission ctv system jump and jerk as you accelerate to highway speeds. This issue also puts the entire transmission at risk of failure. The Honda dealer here checked the vehicle out and suggested we do a transmission fluid swap. This cost $189 for the "diagnostic fee" and $179 for the swap. So another nearly $400. They did the swap and said that it did not fix the issue and now we need to pay $2800 to have the "torque convertor" replaced. This is $10,000 plus dollars in repairs, nearly half to cost of the vehicle. This is a ridiculous amount of issues for a vehicle that had only 61,000 miles. We have always had regular maintenance performed also. From what I have read, Honda knows about these issues but has not issued a recall. In addition I've read that "juddering" ctv issue is a known issue in 2015-2018 Honda Cr-v's. Needless to say we are not happy with Honda about any of this.

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While driving in normal drive mode, the power train lost power and the car slowed for several seconds before accelerating normally.

While driving at 55 mph in normal drive mode, the power train lost power and the car slowed. I depressed the accelerator pedal further, but the car continued to slow for several seconds before accelerating normally.

While accelerating on an on ramp to an interstate highway, in normal drive mode, at approximately 45 mph, the drive train lost power for 4 to 6 seconds and the car slowed. The power meter dropped from approximately 35% to 15%. I depressed the accelerator pedal further but the car continued to slow. Eventually, the car accelerated normally.

While driving at approximately 20 mph in normal drive mode, the power train lost power for 2 or 3 seconds and the vehicle decelerated before accelerating normally.

When driving on the highway at the speed of traffic, the check engine light appeared and was followed by a loss of engine power. Vehicle had to be pulled over to the shoulder. After shutting the vehicle off and turning it back on, engine power was restored. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety is a major concern if unable to move the vehicle out of traffic before coming to a stop with no power. The Honda dealer ran a diagnostic and did not find an issues. They were also unable to reproduce the problem. The vehicle has not been inspected by any other parties. -1st incident: August 15, 2025 -2nd incident: October 31, 2025 -inspected by dealer: November 13, 2025 -3rd and most recent incident: April 2, 2026.

While driving at 25 mph in econ mode and accelerating, the drive train partially lost power and the car slowed down for 2 or 3 seconds before accelerating normally.

While coasting at approximately 25 mph, attempting to accelerate resulted in the power train stumbling for several seconds before accelerating.

The transmission mount failed and the transmission was loose and clunking around in the vehicle when I applied the breaks and occasionally when I accelerated. The car has less than 50k miles and the transmission mount should not fail. There was no accident or rust and no reason for it to fail. I believe it is a safety hazard that Honda should do a recall or at least cover the cost of the repair.

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I am submitting this complaint regarding a serious and ongoing safety issue with my 2017 Honda cr?v equipped with the 1. 5l turbocharged engine. While driving, the vehicle experienced sudden and unexpected power loss, creating a dangerous situation, particularly while in traffic. During this incident, the vehicle also began emitting visible smoke, indicating a serious mechanical or engine-related failure. At the same time, the dashboard and instrument panel malfunctioned or failed, limiting my ability to receive warnings or diagnose the issue while operating the vehicle. Over the past 23 months, I have brought this vehicle to three different Honda dealerships due to warning lights, abnormal behavior, and ongoing concerns related to performance and reliability. Despite multiple service visits, the dealerships were unable to properly identify or resolve the underlying issue. Temporary explanations or repairs were provided, but the problem persisted. It was only during the most recent dealership visit in the last week that the issue was finally properly identified, after months of unresolved complaints and warning indicators. By that time, the vehicle had already experienced a serious failure involving power loss, smoke, and dashboard malfunction. The prolonged inability to correctly diagnose and repair this vehicle, combined with the sudden power loss and system failures, created a significant safety hazard. This failure could have resulted in a crash and placed vehicle occupants and others at risk. I believe this issue may be related to a broader defect affecting Honda cr?v vehicles equipped with the 1. 5l turbo engine. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this matter due to the severe safety implications and the pattern of unresolved warnings over an extended period.

While our 2013 Honda cr?v was still drivable, we began experiencing a brief but loud rattle or grinding noise at cold start, especially after the vehicle had been sitting. Several years ago the dealer replaced the variable timing control (vtc) actuator because of this cold?start rattle. After a period without noise, the cold?start rattle returned and became frequent, along with concerns about abnormal oil consumption. We reported these symptoms repeatedly during routine service visits. In March 2026, the cr?v was brought to the Honda dealer for a routine oil change. The vehicle arrived running normally. After the service, the dealer advised that the vehicle would no longer start and was undriveable. Their diagnosis was a failed vtc actuator, a stretched/jumped timing chain, and internal engine damage requiring timing?system repair, cylinder head/valve work, and possibly pistons and rings due to oil?consumption?related wear. The failure occurred without any warning lights or messages immediately prior to the event. The only prior symptom was the recurring cold?start rattle that had been present for years and was previously addressed once by replacing the vtc actuator. The dealer has confirmed the failure and provided written estimates; the vehicle remains disabled. This pattern—cold?start rattle, vtc actuator failure, timing?chain stretch/jump, and internal engine damage—appears consistent with a known defect in the vtc actuator/timing system on this generation of Honda cr?v. If the timing?chain failure had occurred at highway speed rather than while the vehicle was at the dealer, it could have caused sudden loss of power and increased the risk of a crash.

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The contact owns a 2020 Honda Cr-v. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle was started, and the gear shifter was stuck in park(p). Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact researched and became aware of an unstated recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

Crv dashboard all warning lights illuminated including check engine and emissions system problem. I had to park my car and it smelled like gas. I immediately called Honda care and I took my car to unicars dealer on 03/11/2026 they provided a diagnostic report, report retrieved po172 fuel system bank 1 too rich and p219f no 4 cyclinder air fuel ratio variation. Despite Honda issuing service bulletin nhtda id 10220352, 10208090 and similar 22-002 for the exact same part failure 2017-2019 models, and despite manufacturer communication mc -10201454 specifically requesting failed injectors from 2021 models for investigation, Honda has refused to provide a warranty extension or goodwill assistance for this known defect. This is a premature failure of critical fuel system component that causes the vehicle to stall smell like gas, lose power unexpectedly posing a significant safety risk to the driver and others on the road. I opened a goodwill case # 16219868- after two weeks case manager said it did not meet their guidelines offered a $125 assistance. I have called unicars dealer service technician multiple times with no avail and no return calls. I finally walked into the unicars dealer yesterday 3/25/26 and made appointment to get vehicle fixed on 03/27/26. I am paying out of pocket for all repairs over $2000 dollars.

In November 2025 a new transmission was installed curry Honda in atlanta GA on my 2020 Honda Cr-v. The new transmission came with a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. In March 2026 my vehicle broke down and was towed to tameron Honda in daphne al where a speed sensor was replaced at my expense of 388. 44. The adaptive cruise control was not working prior to this repair. Within two weeks the vehicle experienced further issues and had to be driven in a compromised condition back to curry Honda in atlanta where the transmission wire harness was diagnosed as corroded and replaced at a cost of 1696. 99. My vehicle has been garage-kept its entire life except when in the care of a dealership. Corrosion on a recently replaced transmission in a garage-kept vehicle cannot be attributed to environmental exposure or owner neglect. It points directly to a defective part of improper installation at curry Honda. These failures occurred within months of a new transmission installation with no prior history of issues. I believe this is a safety defect as the vehicle broke down unexpectedly and had to be driven in a compromised condition posing a safety risk.

While ascending a steep hill in san francisco, the engine began operating roughly and the check engine light came on and began flashing. Pulled over as soon as possible, let the engine cool, and confirmed in the operator manual that the flashing light indicated severe misfire and possible loss of engine power. After cooloff and restart, the flashing check engine light went off, but a scanner revealed a pending p0302 error code, indicating a misfire in cylinder 2. On the first restart of the engine, it started roughly before settling down, and I could hear loud water sloshing. On the short drive home, I could continue to feel the engine running roughly on each startup cycle (periodically on the drive since this is a hybrid), indicating to me a blown head gasket. In my research, this seems to be a common issue with this engine or model year (see NHTSA preliminary evaluation pe25016 or bissell v. American Honda motor CO. , inc. Et al). I'm confident that if I continue to drive it, another misfire like this on a hill in san francisco could easily cause a loss of power, steering, or braking action. I will be taking it in for inspection at a Honda service center. The service representative at my local service center (berkeley CA) indicated this is a common issue on this car that they see regularly. No prior mechanical issues or engine roughness with the vehicle, or anything that would've indicated an issue prior to this misfire and leak. Regularly serviced as a leased vehicle from Honda dealership until it was purchased 2 years ago from the dealership with 70,000 miles. No major maintenance since purchase besides oil changes, rear differential fluid changes, air filters, and tire replacement.

After driving in snowy or icy conditions, per jl freed Honda dealership in montgomeryville, PA, snow/ice accumulates in drive axel. This causes loud noise when accelerating, and when braking. This happened twice this winter.

While highway driving around 60 mph, speed will decrease down to 30. Happened 4 times in the last 3 months. Need to pull over shoulder and shut off the vehicle to reset.

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Cr-v. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30–40 mph, the transmission shuddered. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed it with transmission failure. The independent mechanic flushed the transmission fluid; however, the failure reoccurred. The failure was persistent. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to a dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

At 17,000 miles and 17 months of ownership the car started clattering badly on startup. The check engine light came on as well as an advisory that there might be an emissions problem, and to take the car to the dealer. We had it towed in (inconvenient as we were out of town). The problem was diagnosed as faulty fuel injectors which are being replaced under warranty. We were told this is not an uncommon problem for the 2025 hybrid Cr-v.

The fuel injector valves started leaking resulting in a p0172 rich fuel mixture diagnostic code. When fuel injector valves leak gasoline into the engine oil it can cause an engine fire, severe damage to the engine and catalytic converter. My daughter was driving the car when this happened which makes me very upset that a known safety issue has not been addresses by the NHTSA or Honda. This effects millions of crvs which is why Honda is fighting a recall and why the NHTSA must step in and fine Honda and force a recall. The potential for engines catching on fire should result in an immediate recall. When I talked to the Honda shop manager he told me that he is seeing several crvs every week with faulty fuel injectors and quite frequently bad catalytic converters. This is a well-documented problem which makes me wonder why nothing has been done.

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All lights shown on monitor. Adas system would not be functional. Went to dealer and checked for causes. Recommended to replace fuel injector, spark plug, and battery. Since battery was replaced in two months, vehicle only did the checking. However, the condition kept on after a few days. Spark plug was replaced a day before yesterday and the condition came back yesterday. Researched online and seemed like fuel injector needs to be clean or replaced. The repair cost over $2,000 and the condition is not safe. It is often shown up when you park and then going to start.

The contact’s friend owns a 2018 Honda Cr-v. While the friend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 30 mph. The contact stated that the transmission sounded clunky while shifting. The vehicle lost functionality. Additionally, while driving at 30 mph, the vehicle was shaking erratically. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission shift solenoids(#3) failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the failure was an internal failure with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. In addition, the contact stated that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle; however, the failure was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 60,500.