NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 448 owner complaints for the 2021 Honda CR-V (including the hybrid). It has 2 open investigations that name this model year.
Head gasket: warranty extended, not recalled. Honda covers the cylinder head gasket of the 2021 CR-V1.5-liter turbo and CR-V Hybrid for 10 years from the original date of purchase or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first (bulletins 26-016 and 26-018). 15 of the 448 complaints to NHTSA about the 2021 CR-V mention a head gasket. Every car in Honda's head gasket warranty extension, and what the dealer does
Recalled components: air bags, fuel system, electrical system, and seat belts. Most-described problem: steering rack problems such as sticking, play or pulling (75 complaints, 17%). Most-reported area: steering (122 complaints, 27%; median mileage when it happened: 40,000).
Fewer complaints than a typical CR-V year
The 2021 drew 120 owner complaints in its first three years, against 229 for a typical CR-V year. It is not picked as a best year: it is named in an open NHTSA investigation.
Years to avoid: 2017, 2018, and 2023; best year: 2016. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021CR-V,CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
The 12-Volt battery cable routed outside of the body frame is missing a fuse on the power circuit, which can allow the battery cable to short circuit or overheat during a crash.
Risk: An overheated battery cable or short circuit can increase the risk of a fire or injury in a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the battery cable, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 29, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is FGB.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022CR-V Hybrid vehicles.
NHTSA listing: CR-V HYBRID. Honda campaign FGB.
Seat belts
Nov 18, 2021
rear/other · retractor
Fails federal standard 208 (occupant crash protection)
The automatic locking retractor on the second-row center seat belt assembly may deactivate improperly, which can result in an unsecured child restraint system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the second-row center seat belt assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021 Accord Sedan, Accord Hybrid, CR-V, Ridgeline, 2022 Insight and CR-V Hybrid vehicles.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA has opened 3 investigations that name the 2021 Honda CR-V; 2 are still open. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
Loss of motive power
Preliminary evaluation PE25016Open since Oct 28, 2025
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 48 Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) reports and some Early Warning Reporting (EWR) field reports alleging intermittent loss of motive power in Model Year (MY)… NHTSA's full summary
NHTSA listing: CR-V HYBRID. Component: Engine.
Inadvertent automatic emergency braking
Engineering analysis EA24002Open since Apr 15, 2024
On February 21, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE22003) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), an automatic… NHTSA's full summary
Preliminary evaluation PE22011Closed Jul 22, 2024 (opened Nov 28, 2022)
On November 29, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE 22-011 after reviewing field reports alleging rear differential seizure in 2018-2022MY Honda CR-V and HR-V vehicles equipped with all wheel drive.
A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 448 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 CR-V. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Steering rack problems: sticking, play or pulling75 · 17%
Median 40,000 miles at failure, from 19 reports with mileage
Forward collision avoidance111 · 25%
Most named: automatic emergency braking (89); warnings (32)
Engine70 · 16%
Electrical system58 · 13%
Fuel and propulsion system44 · 10%
Brakes35 · 8%
Powertrain24 · 5%
Unknown or other51 · 11%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Honda CR-V recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2021 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2017 CR-V drew the most (835) and the 2021 drew 120.
Owner complaints
2021: 448 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Honda CR-V
Model year
Complaints
2010
483
2011
555
2012
403
2013
382
2014
588
2015
674
2016
396
2017
1,782
2018
2,169
2019
1,110
2020
450
2021
448
2022
354
2023
634
2024
485
2025
300
2026
189
Safety recalls
2021: 5 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Honda CR-V
Model year
Recalls
2010
15
2011
13
2012
3
2013
2
2014
1
2015
3
2016
3
2017
7
2018
5
2019
8
2020
9
2021
5
2022
6
2023
8
2024
5
2025
6
2026
2
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 448 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Honda CR-V, the problems described most are steering rack problems such as sticking, play or pulling (75), loss of power or limp mode (44), and the check engine light coming on (40). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2021 Honda CR-V safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 Honda CR-V earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2021 Honda CR-V?
Yes. NHTSA has 2 open investigations that name the 2021 Honda CR-V: loss of motive power (PE25016, opened Oct 28, 2025) and inadvertent automatic emergency braking (EA24002, opened Apr 15, 2024). It has closed 1 other. An investigation is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
How do I check if my CR-V has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Honda dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: CR-V, CR-V HYBRID.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.