Service Brakes Problems of Honda CR-V - part 1

On 9/25/25, while exiting the freeway with no cars in front of mine for as far as I could see, the "brake” indicator light flashed once and. The car came to a jolting stop. As soon as I pressed on the accelerator the car engaged and I was able to drive normally. A new light was on my dashboard with two white lines beneath the “acc” and “lkas” lights. A similar incident occurred to while driving the car on 12/15/24 and a NHTSA complaint was filed (#11632264). Honda followed up and the car was assessed by a technician who could not recreate the same response and determined that the radar was "misaligned". To the best of my knowledge the issue was addressed by Honda.

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The vehicle is a 2024 Honda Cr-v ex-l with approximately 13,000 miles, purchased at gillman Honda in houston, TX on may 29, 2024. The issue involves the collision mitigation braking system (cmbs) activating without any obstacle present. The first incident occurred in February 2025 at around 11,000 miles while driving on a feeder road at ~25 mph. The vehicle suddenly braked to a complete stop even though the road was clear. There were cars behind me, and although they stopped in time, it created a serious risk of rear-end collision. Had I been traveling at a higher speed and the car braked completely, this could have caused the vehicle to flip or lose control. The second incident occurred on September 4, 2025 at ~13,000 miles while driving on a busy street at approximately 40 mph. The vehicle suddenly braked very hard for no reason, but did not fully stop — instead, it resumed immediately. It felt as if the car “took a screenshot,” braking sharply then continuing. This was especially dangerous since I was traveling at a higher speed, and vehicles behind me could have easily collided with mine. Both incidents put my safety and the safety of other drivers at risk. The vehicle was brought to gillman Honda on September 16, 2025. The dealer acknowledged the safety concern and kept the car for inspection. On September 19, 2025, the service representative confirmed they had contacted Honda corporate and opened a case because of the seriousness of the issue. The car is still being held at the dealership pending corporate guidance. No warning lights, error messages, or prior alerts appeared before either incident. This appears consistent with a known problem that has been reported by many Honda owners in recent years involving unintended braking by the cmbs system. The defect makes the vehicle unsafe to operate, and at this point we no longer feel safe driving it.

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My 2018 Honda crv exl suddenly braked on me almost to a complete stop while I was driving I did have the lane keep assist and I was going like 50 there was a pick up truck on my right side but nothing that  it was coming tours me this was my first time and now im afraid to even drive my crv I think it was more of a phantom braking.

Car has, on more then one occasion, applied the emergency stopping breaks at times that may have caused an accident by themselves. Most often in heavier city traffic that can be unpredictable. Ie cars merging in quickly where they generally shouldn't.

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To whom it may concern: ?I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding a serious and recurring safety defect in my 2018 Honda Cr-v ex, VIN# [xxx] . I have experienced at least four incidents within the last two months involving both sudden, unintended braking and intermittent steering lock-ups. These are not isolated events and pose a significant risk to the safety of myself and other motorists. ?the sudden braking issue, often referred to as "phantom braking," occurs when the vehicle's collision mitigation braking system (cmbs) activates without any obstacle or danger present. The car abruptly comes to a full stop, without warning, on a clear road. This is extremely dangerous and has nearly caused multiple rear-end collisions. ?in addition to the braking problem, the steering has also become intermittently stuck. This happens without warning and makes it difficult to turn the wheel, which could lead to a loss of control, especially at higher speeds or on curves. ?I have already reported these issues to two authorized Honda dealerships: ?curry Honda in atlanta, georgia ?Honda autonation in columbus, georgia ?on each occasion, the dealerships have been unable to replicate the problem and have told me they cannot find anything wrong. Despite their inability to diagnose the issue, the problems are very real and continue to happen. ?these defects are not just an inconvenience; they are serious safety hazards that could lead to a crash. I am concerned that if this problem is happening to my vehicle, it may be affecting other 2018 Honda Cr-v owners as well. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter thoroughly to prevent potential accidents and injuries. ?please contact me if you require any additional information. ?thank you for your attention to this critical matter. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

In the past 2 weeks my 2025 Honda crv has automatically braked four times while driving on the road at about 45 miles an hour. Nothing else was around me - no vehicles, no animals, etc.

On 8/14, as I was pulling away from a gas pump and into a parking space (going 5 mph or less), the automatic braking system alarms went off, and the brakes applied, causing the car to seize up completely. My foot was already on the brake and I was at least 5 feet away from the barrier at the end of the parking spot. In addition to this experience, the emergency braking alarms tend to go off in unexpected/unneeded situations, such as when I'm coasting to a red light with my foot already on the brake. And it does not go off in other situations where I would expect it, such as when a car stops short in front of me. These situations happen approximately once every two months or so. The automatic/emergency braking is unreliable, unpredictable and when it engages unnecessarily, could be dangerous.

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They breaking mechanism engaged on its own in the vehicle came to a complete.

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Unintended acceleration. On August 8, 2025, Honda c-RV hybrid 2025 (sport touring) accelerated into a wall without the driver touching the gas pedal. The vehicle is deemed a constructive total loss by the insurance carrier. Since it can’t be driven, we are unable to reproduce the problem. A case is open with Honda since the date of the accident; however, there is no urgency to move the case forward.

While traveling northwest at 37 mph, the automatic brake system engaged jolting the driver. The camera shows no objects in front of but there were two vehicles traveling southeast in the opposite lane prior to the brakes applying. There were shadows from trees. If there was a vehicle behind, and the driver did not react fast enough, this would have been a rearend collision. This is the third time that the automatic brake system engaged for no reason since we have owned this vehicle (Dec 2021) and each time it has been reported to the ntsb. In the past two cases, there were no vehicles or shadows from trees, since we were in the desert. The previous two times, the vehicle was inspected by the dealership with no defect noted (under warranty). There were no dashboard warning notices indicating an issue. The vehicle will be resubmitted to a dealership for inspection for this third incident (not under warranty).

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A few weeks ago, my vehicle suddenly turned off at a stop light. For several weeks, it’s been feeling like it’s being forced to take off. Today, the car struggled to turn on and then turned off and all the lights came on. It happened three times. A year ago, I received a recall letter that the fuel pump needed to be replaced and that I would be notified when the parts arrived. When my car starting having issues, my mechanic said it might be the fuel pump. I contacted Honda to replace it and they said the recall had been closed. Now I’m having these issues with my vehicle and I’ve read online about it happening to several people who have owned 2018 Honda crvs.

All my idiot lights appeared on my dashboard. My mechanic plugged in and nothing came up so I took it to white plains Honda on Aug. 5. They called me on Aug. 14 and said my brake booster was bad. They said that they worked on trying to find the problem 12 hours. So with the diagnosis and part and labor, my cost is $5447+ tax. So I called Honda north America, got a case number. On Aug 26 Honda na said that they can’t help me. My car is at Honda crv sport hybrid 2023 with 47,440 miles on it. I’m over the 3 year or 36,000 miles and I do not have an extended warranty. Also on Aug 22, my service advisor said he could get the price down to $5,000. + tax. So I am lost on what to do.

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Cr-v. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the brake pedal stopped the vehicle the independently without the contact depressing the brake pedal. The brake warning light illuminated. A dealer or independent mechanic was not contacted. The vehicle was not the dealer or independent mechanic for diagnoses. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 33,000.

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My 2021 Honda Cr-v displays an “all system failure” message while driving. On multiple occasions, the car has also braked suddenly on its own when there was no obstacle in front of me. This is a serious safety hazard, as it could cause a crash from behind. The issue is intermittent but recurring. It has happened several times recently. I know other Honda Cr-v owners are experiencing the same problem, and some mechanics report they are seeing this issue frequently. I am very concerned about the safety of myself and my children while driving this vehicle. This vehicle was in an accident 3 years ago, but these problems only began recently and are consistent with widespread reports from other Cr-v owners.

On [xxx] around 5 pm, when driving below 30 miles per hour within a residential community, automatic braking was activated without any obstruction in front of the vehicle, leading to sudden decrease in speed. Vehicle is in baton rouge, la and all service/maintenance were done according to recommended schedule by Honda at the authorized dealership where the vehicle was purchased. Through online search, I found NHTSA opened an investigation for the same problem. If possible, I would appreciate an update about the status of NHTSA investigation and what action I should take. Thank you [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2025 Honda Cr-v hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds and shifting the vehicle in the parking position on an incline of a hill. The brake pedal was applied, but it depressed to the floorboard and failed to respond, resulting in her crashing into her daughter's Ford expedition. The low-speed impact message was displayed after the incident. There were no warning lights illuminated. The brake pedal was soft for two weeks before the crash. There were no reported injuries, fires, airbag deployments, or police reports filed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who was unable to replicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,123.

I had 2 occasions in one day where my car did a phantom brake. It was unexpected and got me concerned and nervous. No orher car in front of me to cause this issue.

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Cr-v. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the brakes activated independently. The contact immediately depressed the accelerator pedal and continued driving and the brakes released independently. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,323.

Today: the vehicle flashed the brake warning light and suddenly decelerated/braked. There were no vehicles in front of the car for as far as the eye could see, it is a sunny day with dry conditions, and it was on an open highway that was flat, middle of the day, and the car was traveling 50 mph. Fortunately, no vehicles were behind me. The brake warning light has flashed on multiple occasions prior, without any trigger whatsoever, but it has only decelerated/braked a couple of times, and today’s was the worst and most jarring.

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Driving under speed limit crossing through a green light at intersection automatic breaking system engaged. This caused rapid slowing throwing driver and things on passenger seat forward. No obstacles, cars or anything were visible or causing any possible accident or problem. The abs system engaged flashing break warning on dash. This happened a year and a half earlier and on 7/23/2025.

Fuel pomp defected 2 misfiring cylinder.

• during the short time I have owned this vehicle the automatic emergency braking system has engaged 3-4 times when there was no object in front of the vehicle. The vehicle can be made available upon request. • all incidents happened when driving on the freeway. Fortunately no one was following me which could have resulted in my being rear ended for a sudden stop. • I took the vehicle into the dealership service center today (8/8/25) where they told me it is normal and I should just be a good driver, keeping my distance from vehicle to the front of me. They stated that if they were to replace it the same thing would occur. The problem has not been reproduced by the service center. • when these issues have occurred on one occasion the braking alert sounded ( beeping noise) and then the car started braking. On the other occurrences I do not recall the alert. The car just started braking. Other than that there were no warnings it was going to happen.

This braking issue happened on 4 occasions. While in stop and go traffic I would be braking, nursing the brakes the car would take over and slam me to a complete stop. It would not go again until I hit the gas. On two of those occasions the car behind me had to move into the nxt lane or over to the shoulder. The last time the seatbelt caught me so hard I had shoulder and neck pain for about 3 weeks (I work in rehab so my CO workers worked on my neck and shoulders)I did take it to Honda after the first two incidences and they said there was nothing wrong, that’s just how the sensors are. I asked if the sensors could be turned off and they replied no. After the last incident where my shoulder and neck got hurt and the poor guy behind me almost hit the wall on the shoulder, I went the next day and traded it in. I lost my 5k that I put down and the car depreciated by several thousand in 4mos but it was not worth driving it and ending up in a major accident with major injuries to myself or another driver.

I had intermittent warning lights about the electronic parking brake and steering assist for lane departure. One day I left my house and warning lights came on about brake failure. There were no power brakes and the little braking available was very not good at all. I had the car towed to a dealer and it was diagnosed with an internal failure of brake control unit code pfe2b oo. I had the unit replaced.

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Cr-v. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the brake pedal depressed independently, and the contact heard a beeping sound coming from the instrument panel. The contact stated that the passenger who was asleep inside the vehicle, struck the dashboard with his hands; however, there was no injury reported. The contact also stated that while coming to a stop and depressing the brake pedal, the message “brake” was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that a dealer was contacted. There was warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 66,000.

The 2023+ Honda crv hybrid model have paddles on the steering wheel that increase and decrease the strength of regenerative braking. I use this feature often on our 2024 hybrid model. The issue arises when increasing the strength to the second or third (highest) level. The braking force at these levels should trigger the brake lights to illuminate, but they do not. Often I see drivers brake late behind me because my vehicle is braking with noticeable strength, but the driver behind me can’t tell. So they slow late and very close to my vehicle’s rear bumper. Honda should recall the hybrids and retrofit the brake lights to activate when regenerative braking is increased to the second or third level. Just as Tesla brake lights activate when their regen braking system works by releasing the accelerator, Honda’s should activate when turned up to the higher levels.

The contact owns a 2015 Honda Cr-v. The contact stated that while his son was driving 45 mph in the rain, the son rear ended the vehicle in front. The contact's vehicle was in the middle lane and the vehicle in front was stopped at the traffic light. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed but failed to stop the vehicle immediately. The air bags did not deploy. The contact's son, and the contact, who was a passenger, were not injured. A police report was filed. The insurance company was contacted. However, the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired and referred the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the right side brakes and rotor had frozen and failed. The contact was informed that the brakes, exhaust and muffler had a leak. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that in March the vehicle had maintenance work and no leaks were found. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.

I am reporting a serious safety issue with my 2021 Honda Cr-v involving the collision mitigation braking system (cmbs). On multiple occasions, the vehicle has applied the brakes suddenly and forcefully without any obstacle or vehicle in front of me. This had happened over 20 times since I bought the car on March 10 2024. The most recent incident occurred while I was driving at highway speed on a clear, dry day. The cmbs system engaged abruptly, causing the car to decelerate rapidly and slamed breaks automatically. There were no vehicles, pedestrians, or obstructions ahead. This unexpected braking could have easily resulted in a rear-end collision, endangering me and other drivers. I have kids in the back sit and the car behind us almost hit my car. I am afraid the result might have been much worse if there was truck behind my car. I took the vehicle to the Honda dealership, but they were unable to replicate the issue and did not offer a fix. They also mentioned that unless the problem could be duplicated, any diagnostic or repair fees would not be covered, despite this being a known issue under investigation by the NHTSA. I am aware that the NHTSA has an open engineering analysis (ea24-002) into this very issue affecting millions of Honda vehicles. I’m deeply concerned that this problem continues to put drivers and passengers at risk and believe a formal recall is necessary. I request that this issue be escalated and that Honda be held accountable for a fix before someone gets seriously injured or killed. Please contact me if additional details or documentation are needed.

Date of incident: [xxx] location: nyc, [xxx]. Mileage: 95,000 description of incident: on [xxx] while driving my 2017 Honda Cr-v at approximately [xxx] at 20 mph I experienced a sudden brake system failure. When I pressed the brake pedal fully to stop the vehicle, the pedal felt extremely hard and resistant, and the vehicle continued moving, failing to slow or stop as expected and hitting the vehicle in front. While no major accident happened due to how slow I was going, this occurred as I was approaching a traffic light. I did not apply the electronic parking brake (epb) during the incident. No warning lights were illuminated on the dashboard at the time of the failure. Immediately after the incident, the brakes began functioning normally again, suggesting an intermittent issue. I am concerned about the reliability of the brake system, especially given reports of brake issues in 2017–2019 Cr-vs. I have not yet had the vehicle inspected but plan to tow it to a Honda dealership or mechanic for diagnosis. I am reporting this to ensure the NHTSA is aware of this potential safety defect, which may be related to the ongoing investigation into 2017–2019 Honda Cr-v brake systems. Please contact me for additional information if needed. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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Stiff brake pedal when trying to start the vehicle, happens intermittently. Purchased 6-4-25, repeatedly complained to darcars of bowie soon after the purchase of the vehicle. The issue is still happening to this present day. Each time the issue was raised, the situation was completely ignored. No inspection was performed before the purchase of this vehicle. On 6-25-25 after repeated attempts to have the vehicle looked at, the vehicle was taken in for service and nothing was done, brake pedal still stiffens on and off. On 6-30-25, made one more attempt to have the vehicle looked at. Vehicle is currently in the shop.

June 2, 2025 –started slowing for stoplight and left turn. Car again was not slowing down as expected when braking so I pressed harder on the brake pedal. It slowed down then but I didn’t go to a complete stop because traffic was moving. Instead, I let the car creep a bit while waiting for an opening to turn left. I then drove a couple of blocks to a 4-way stop where the revving started again when the car came to a full stop. I put it into park, and it went to 8000 rpm. I turned it off and back on—again back to 8000 rpm. Wouldn’t come out of park. Turned off again and back on—same thing. Turned off and took my foot off of the brake. The car lurched forward quite a bit before stopping—guess the parking gear took hold then. I started the car again, and the rpm was normal. This is the second occurrence. Occurred first time in late June, 2024. - braking and speed control affected - car trying to accelerate when applying brake can lead to accident harming me and potentially others - problem has occurred three times over the past year - vehicle was checked and diagnostics run by dealership in July, 2024. Nothing found, was not able to recreate the scenario. No diagnostics available. - no warnings, messages, or other symptoms other than car not slowing as expected. Took car back to dealership on 6/6/2025 who reminded me that they didn't find anything last time. Am taking it to different dealer for a check this time.

Driving 25 mph on a straight road, the automatic braking system engaged with beep sound only but not on the dash display as it should. The car was suddenly braked to a stop. Nothing was near or in front of the car.

I was parking in our apartment's parking lot when I attempted a left turn to pull in front-facing toward the wall. Within seconds, and without understanding how or why, the car continued forward and hit the wall. Initially, I reported to the insurance company that I either didn’t brake or found the brake too late. However, the truth is—I do not clearly remember what happened. My mph had to be low. When the car hit the wall, several emergency systems were triggered: an automatic emergency call was made, collision alerts sounded, and the brakes activated. During the collision, my left arm was burned by the steering wheel where the Honda logo is located. The burn left a visible imprint of the Honda logo on my skin. Only some of the airbags deployed: the steering wheel and right-side window airbags were activated. However, the driver's side window airbags did not deploy. My concerns and complaints include: 1. The failure of the driver’s window airbag to deploy 2. The burn on my arm caused by the steering wheel’s Honda emblem 3. The inconsistent performance of the emergency braking system, which only works sometimes.

My 2021 Honda Cr-v has experienced incidents where it suddenly and unexpectedly applied the brakes while I was driving, despite: - no vehicle, pedestrian, or object is present in front of me - no driver input on the brake pedal - not using cruise control at the time my car occasionally jerks or shows warning lights before stopping, sometimes without any warning. I suspect an issue with the collision mitigation braking system (cmbs) or related driver-assistance components. These braking incidents occurred under normal driving conditions and pose a high risk of being rear-ended. My car's issues remain unresolved, and I feel unsafe while driving my vehicle. Two dealerships conducted four diagnostic tests (on 18, 19, 21, and 24 may 2025) to evaluate the Honda collision mitigation braking system (cmbs) and the associated driver-assistance components. But no issues were identified during these evaluations. - 23 may 2025, I discussed my car’s issues with a Honda case manager (in California). He did not accept any responsibility for the reported Honda braking issues. - 27 may 2025, I filed a formal complaint with Honda customer service. Honda has not taken any action to address my car’s issues.

2019 Honda crv brake system problem. Cannot start my car.