2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2021 CR-V Hybrid most often describe sudden loss of motive power at highway speed — the accelerator stops responding, the check engine light flashes, and the vehicle has to be shut off and restarted. Beyond that, complaints describe the automatic emergency braking system applying the brakes when nothing is in the path, sticky steering that resists returning to center, and repeated visits for recall repairs that were unavailable.

1. 1
   Engine

   Loss of power at speed with flashing check engine light

   • 37 complaints (35%)
   • median 24,000 mi at 3.9 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2021–2026

   Owners describe the vehicle suddenly decelerating while accelerating or climbing at highway speed, with the accelerator pedal having no effect and the check engine light flashing or the hybrid charge gauge dropping. Several report the engine shuddering or stalling, then normal operation after pulling over, shutting the car off and restarting. Complaints frequently note the dealer could not duplicate the problem or found no stored codes; in a few cases dealers replaced spark plugs, a fuel line, or a head gasket. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 15,000 miles to over 95,000 miles, most often during highway driving or uphill acceleration.

   10 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the check engine light has ever flashed and whether any misfire codes (P0300–P0304) were stored or cleared. A pre-purchase scan for stored and pending codes, plus a highway test drive including a grade, is worth doing.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On January 15th while driving home with my son I attempted to accelerate around a truck when I hit approximately 60 mph the vehicle stopped accelerating and began to slow down. I did notice that the charge bar for the hybrid battery was indicating that it was charging. The car continued to decelerate and I pulled to the side of the road. The check engine light was flashing. I turned the vehicle off for a minute and started it back up. The car drove fine and I was able to make it home. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11637607, filed 2025-01, 95,937 miles

   “The issue occurs seemingly randomly about once a month when driving on the highway. All of the sudden the car starts de-accelerating. Even if you push the gas pedal all the way down it doesn’t go. It just goes slower and slower and thank goodness I’ve been able to pull over every time. Once I shutdown the car completely and turn back on then I have power again.”

   NHTSA complaint #11678339, filed 2025-08
2. 2
   Forward collision avoidance

   Automatic emergency braking engages with nothing ahead

   • 12 complaints (11%)
   • typically at 2.0 yrs old
   • filed 2021–2025

   Owners report the collision mitigation braking system applying strong, sudden braking when no obstacle is present — triggered by shadows, road repairs, wet patches, steel plates, roadside objects, or driving toward sun glare. Some describe the seatbelts locking and the vehicle stopping abruptly at low city speeds. Complaints note dealers describing this as normal operation covered by the owner's manual and stating no diagnostic history is stored. Reported at various speeds from about 17 mph up to highway speeds, in a range of lighting and road-surface conditions.

   What to check: During a test drive, note whether the forward collision warning or braking prompts appear without a real obstacle, and ask the seller whether the system settings or camera have been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My family and I were driving down the road, in a gentle left hand turn when the emergency braking system suddenly activated, and our best guess is that it was due to a car well off the road in a parking lot at the same point. A tractor trailer, loaded heavily with electrical transformers was just behind us, and if not for the driver of the truck paying attention we might not all be here today. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11603307, filed 2024-07

   “Driving my car in traffic there was a steel plate horizontally on the road painted orange. My car saw it as a potential collision and suddenly automatically applied full brakes and flashed collision warning on dash board. I almost was rear ended. Luckily I was only going 25mph. I called dealership and talked to service manager Jake. He advised that this is possible in normal operation. There is a disclaimer about this occurring in the owner’s manual. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11434703, filed 2021-09
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Recall repairs delayed for lack of parts

   • 21 complaints (20%)
   • median 55,000 mi at 3.8 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2025

   Owners report receiving recall notices for the 12-volt battery cable and front passenger seat weight sensor campaigns but being told by dealers that parts were not available, in some cases after multiple scheduled appointments. Several complaints state the vehicle had not yet shown a failure and describe the notice as still open. Mentions cluster in 2024 and early 2025, tied to campaigns issued in 2023 and 2024 rather than to a specific mileage.

   Recall 23V844000Recall 24V064000

   What to check: Check the VIN against open recalls and confirm with the dealer in writing whether each campaign repair has actually been completed, not just scheduled.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “A safety recall has been issued for over a year without a repair being available. Potential fire and personal injury can occur if an accident occurs on the left front side of the vehicle. I fear for my and my family’s safety should a collision happen.”

   NHTSA complaint #11630782, filed 2024-12

   “I was notified of the recall in January 2024, have scheduled appointments at Coggin HONDA of Orlando twice brought the vehicle in and after waiting they did not have the part and I was told to come back and or they would call me when the part came in and or save a part for me and contact me to come in, none of that has happened. Coggin HONDA has failed to fix the issue twice but is still sending me texts to bring the vehicle again but there is no promise they will have the part yet again thus wasting my time and not fixing the issue. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11595854, filed 2024-06
4. 4
   Other or unknown

   Steering sticks and then overcorrects

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the steering feeling stuck or sticky after a small input, requiring extra effort, then releasing suddenly and causing overcorrection; some mention creaking or popping sounds. Owners say it occurs at highway speeds and during normal lane keeping. In some cases the dealer duplicated the problem and identified steering parts needing replacement; in others the dealer could not duplicate it. Reported from as little as a few dozen miles up to roughly 57,500 miles, often noticed at highway speeds.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: On a test drive, make small steering inputs at speed and check that the wheel returns to center smoothly; ask whether any steering repairs or inspections have been recorded.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Sometime at about 47 miles I began noticing a “stickiness” in the steering. It feels hard to turn either direction and requires effort. Then suddenly it turns almost to the point of overcorrection. It also makes a creaking and popping sound. It seems to be getting worse and I’m now at 53k miles. The amount of time the steering feels stuck is longer and more frequent. I see this is a common complaint and a recall for other year models but not the 2021 in spite of there being plenty of complaints about the exact same issue. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11656221, filed 2025-04

   “The steering is sticky at highway speeds like something is wrong with the steering input. The steering doesn't react then all of a sudden the steering wheel releases and over compensates requiring a quick opposite steering input. Difficult to drive on the highway. A real safety issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #11654608, filed 2025-04
5. 5
   Engine

   Overheating and coolant loss traced to head gasket

   • 7 complaints (7%)
   • typically at 4.7 yrs old
   • filed 2024–2026

   A smaller group of owners describe overheating on short trips with coolant and oil at normal levels, repeated limp mode, and eventual diagnosis of a leaking head gasket at a cylinder. Some report the repair was done and the symptom returned months later; others describe repair cost disputes after the warranty period. Typically described from around three years of ownership or roughly 60,000 miles upward, with some reports near the end of the new-vehicle warranty.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check coolant level and look for residue or a sweet smell around the coolant reservoir, and ask whether the head gasket, coolant system, or misfire-related bulletins have been addressed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #11667665, filed 2025-06

   “I was recently informed that my request was denied because my vehicle is currently at 160,000 miles, which exceeds the 150,000-mile threshold. However, I would like to clarify the timeline of events regarding this issue: - Prior to reaching my current mileage, I brought my vehicle into the dealership for inspection. At that time, the head gasket issue was not identified by the service department, and I was instead advised to replace the fuel injectors. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11772546, filed 2026-10

Buying note. Given the complaints, prioritize a thorough highway test drive that includes a sustained climb, a scan for stored misfire and hybrid codes, and written confirmation that open recalls have been performed. Records showing coolant and head gasket history are worth reviewing before purchase.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.