2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid problems, complaints & recalls
Updated from NHTSA data · How we count
Owners have filed 83 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, most often about engine. There are 5 recalls for this model year.
- Complaints
- 83
- Recalls
- 5
- Crashes
- 4
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 3
- Median mileage
- 23,000 mi at time of problem
Key facts
- Engine is the most-reported problem area, named in 23 of 83 complaints (28%).
- Brakes (18) and driver assistance & safety tech (15) follow.
- Half of the complaints that list mileage happened before 23,000 mi.
- Owners reported 4 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries.
- The 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid has 5 recalls on file.
- NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations covering this vehicle.
- It ranks 2nd of 7 Honda CR-V Hybrid model years by our severity-weighted complaint score (1st = worst).
2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid problems by category
- 23 complaints
- Brakes · 2 crashes18 complaints
- Driver Assistance & Safety Tech · 1 crash15 complaints
- Electrical System13 complaints
- Other / Unknown11 complaints
- Fuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion10 complaints
- Transmission & Drivetrain5 complaints
- Airbags · 1 crash4 complaints
- Body & Structure3 complaints
- Wheels & Tires3 complaints
- Steering · 1 crash3 complaints
- Seats & Seat Belts3 complaints
- Acceleration & Cruise Control · 1 crash2 complaints
- Suspension1 complaints
- Lighting1 complaints
- Visibility & Wipers1 complaints
A complaint can mention more than one problem area, so categories add up to more than the total.
Most-reported components
| Component (as filed with NHTSA) | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | 21 |
| Service brakes | 14 |
| Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking | 13 |
| Electrical system | 13 |
| Unknown or other | 11 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 9 |
| Power train | 5 |
| Forward collision avoidance: warnings | 5 |
When problems happen (mileage)
2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid recalls (5)
- AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. 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.
Remedy: 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.
- AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
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, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. 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.
Remedy: 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.
- FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid vehicles. 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.
Remedy: 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.
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:CHARGING:MODULE:SOFTWARE · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:DC/DC CONVERTER
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020 CR-V Hybrid, Accord Hybrid, and 2020-2021 Insight vehicles. The DC-DC converter may shut down and prevent the 12-volt battery from recharging, possibly resulting in a loss of drive power.
Risk: A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the power converter unit (PCU) software, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2021. Owners can contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is K9E.
NHTSA defect investigations
- PE25016Opened Oct 28, 2025Open
Loss of Motive Power
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) 2020–2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid vehicles. These incidents are alleged to occur without warning at highway speeds and are accompanied by 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. The fa…
- EA24002Opened Apr 15, 2024Open
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
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 emergency braking (AEB) system, in model year 2017-2019 Honda CR-V and 2018-2019 Honda Accord vehicles. The reports allege that activation of the AEB system occurs while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Honda indicated that they were aware of a total of X,XXX reports that may relate to the alleged defect. Hon…
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after Marc…
Recent 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid complaints
Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
- Filed Oct 3, 2026NCEngine
This happened to my Hybrid 2020 CRV" * accelerated to merge onto a busy interstate and immediately after the flashing check engine light came on and the front of the car felt like it was shaking. I was able to maintain speed (around 50 mph) but the car would shake and not go any faster. Drove 10 miles home since I did not want to be stranded. The problem has not come back.
NHTSA complaint #11768698 · source - Filed Sep 20, 2026CAElectrical SystemEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion
My 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid (125,000 miles) has repeatedly lost propulsion power at highway speeds. On Sept. 19, 2026, the vehicle suddenly lost drive power, slowed rapidly, and came to a complete stop in high-speed traffic. The dashboard displayed: “Critical Failure Detected. Stop Driving When Safe” and “Power System Problem. Do Not Drive.” The vehicle had to be turned off and restarted three times before enough power returned to move off the road. No crash occurred, but…
NHTSA complaint #11765671 · source - Filed Sep 4, 202623,000 miNYBrakes
The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the brakes failed to operate as needed. The brake pedal was depressed, and the brake pedal almost went down to the floorboard, and the braking distance became extended. The vehicle was driven to supermarket parking lot and gradually slowed down before slowly being driven back to the residence. The brakes, VSA and road departure warning lights were illuminated with several other unknown warning…
NHTSA complaint #11762155 · source - Filed Sep 1, 2026WAEngine
One four occasions our 2020 Honda CRV Hybrid has started after sitting overnight in the greater Seattle area in the spring and summer with a rough idle. Within two miles of leaving our home at speeds of no more than 35 miles per hour, the check engine light began to flash. All four times, the rough idle and check engine light were accompanied by degraded speed responsiveness and the error cleared with turning the car on and off again. We have taken the vehicle to a mechanic…
NHTSA complaint #11761373 · source - Filed Aug 25, 2026PAFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion
2/19/26 My car lost power while accelerating up a hill at about 60mph and the car had been operating for an hour and a half or so. The car was shaking, running on reduced power and the check engine light was flashing so we had to pull over to safety on a busy road. The car was towed to the local Honda dealer. The dealer said the code was a misfire on cylinder #4 but once they restarted the car the error went away. They did perform multiple tests including a compression test…
NHTSA complaint #11759588 · source - Filed Aug 25, 2026103,000 miNCTowedEngine
The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that there was a misfire in cylinders #4 and #6. The fuel injectors were replaced. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and failed to exceed 35 MPH,…
NHTSA complaint #11759552 · source - Filed Aug 4, 2026111,870 miMDBrakesDriver Assistance & Safety Tech
All the safety lights came on on the dashboard suddenly the brake assist did not work. Honda tells me the brake servo is bad. This is a known defect as other 2020 crv hybrids were recalled for the same reason. It is a dangerous safety hazard.
NHTSA complaint #11754699 · source - Filed Jul 16, 2026OREngine
On four separate occasions while driving anywhere from 35 to 55 mph the engine light begins to flash and I lose all power. I am given just enough time to pull to the side of the road. I turn off the engine, wait a few minutes, and turn the engine back on, which seems to remedy the problem. At that point, I am able to drive off like nothing happened. I am on a CRV forum and I’m seeing more and more people discuss the same issue! Because there’s no code that comes up, and I am…
NHTSA complaint #11750885 · source
Compare the 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid with another vehicle →
Other 2020 Honda models
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 11, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology