2019 Honda CR-V Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2019 CR-V most often write about two things: the Honda Sensing safety features braking on their own when nothing is in front of the car, and problems tied to the low-pressure fuel pump covered by a recall, which owners say left them waiting for parts while the car stalled or lost power. Reports of oil dilution — gasoline thinning the engine oil — continue on this model year, and many complaints were filed at low mileage, under roughly 15,000 miles.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Fuel pump recall parts unavailable; stalling

   • 173 complaints (16%)
   • median 34,140 mi at 5.5 yrs old (43 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $1,894 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Many owners say they were notified of the low-pressure fuel pump recall but told the parts were not available, and that the wait exceeded a reasonable time. Complaints describe the car struggling to start, losing power at speed, stalling, or needing a tow, with some reporting the pump was diagnosed as failed. A few describe difficulty starting or warnings after the recall repair was finally completed. Often reported between about 11,000 and 90,000 miles, both before and after the recall repair was performed.

   Recall 23V858000Recall 21V215000Recall 19V5690001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Confirm by VIN whether recall 23V858000 was completed and keep the paperwork; ask whether the fuel pump was replaced and whether any starting or stalling symptoms remain.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This car has a recall without any solution (fuel pump). I went to the nearest Honda dealer and they don't have any answers for this problem that could be dangerous for us.”

   NHTSA complaint #11407899, filed 2021-04, 25,700 miles

   “The contact owns a 2019 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power before the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact stated that unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel pump had failed. The vehicle was repaired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11638138, filed 2025-01, 72,000 miles
2. 2
   Forward collision avoidance

   Honda Sensing brakes on its own

   • 195 complaints (18%)
   • median 19,035 mi at 2.3 yrs old (50 state mileage)
   • 13 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,200 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe the Collision Mitigation Braking System applying the brakes with no vehicle or object ahead, sometimes bringing the car to a stop in traffic or an intersection and producing a hard jolt. Some say the system could not be overridden once it engaged, and a few mention speed dropping on its own while changing lanes. According to complaints, dealers often said the car was working as designed, advised against using adaptive cruise control in town, or pointed to a windshield crack or an aftermarket windshield as a possible cause. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 75,000 miles, at highway and city speeds, in clear weather as well as rain.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the Honda Sensing software updates were applied and have the radar and windshield checked for cracks or non-factory glass. Note that a service bulletin describes a software update for this symptom, but complaints do not confirm it resolves it.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Unintended braking at 45 MPH. Full lock up with no cause. Released at 10 MPH. Clear 4-lane street, no curves, no debris, no cars nearby no shadows. I was in the left lane. Dealer told me not to use the adaptive cruise control in the city. (that is what sold me on the car).”

   NHTSA complaint #11330637, filed 2020-06, 19,070 miles

   “While accelerating through an unobstructed city street intersection from a red light that had just turned green, the vehicle's collision mitigation system -- without warning -- activated and forcefully applied the brakes for no apparent reason. The system brought the vehicle to a complete hard stop in the middle of the intersection and I was nearly rear-ended by the vehicle behind me. There wasn't any vehicle in front of my car and no reason for the system to activate. I could not override the system once it activated. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11350528, filed 2020-08, 1,030 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Battery dying and electrical warnings

   • 114 complaints (10%)
   • median 6,000 mi at 1.4 yrs old (43 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2026

   Complaints describe the battery failing repeatedly within the first year or two, leaving the car unable to start, with dealers replacing the battery, performing a hard reset, or updating software without a lasting fix. Others report the infotainment screen beeping and turning on and off by itself, the gauge cluster going blank, or several warning messages appearing at once. Often at low mileage, typically under about 10,000 miles and within the first two years.

   9 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the battery has been replaced and whether any software updates were applied, and check that no warning lights stay on after starting.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving on a highway the infotainment center suddenly began beeping and turning on and off repeatedly. The brightness control began to beep and turn to a higher setting and then a lower one. No one was touching the screens/controls. I videoed this. Earlier in the month while I was driving and the tire pressure monitor said tires were low but when I measured them, they were not so while the car was stationary, I checked and the message was still there.. Before that I had error messages that came on when I parked the car. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11326688, filed 2020-05, 9,600 miles

   “The battery has failed multipile time in the first 18 months of ownership. The first instance at the 4 month mark with about 1000 miles on the car. Then aprox. 6 months later and again 6 months after the second instance. The dealer cannot identify the problem, after the first time they replaced the battery. The second time they said they did a hard reset of the ECM. The third time , I don't know yet as they still have the car. The car is 18 months old and has aprox. 8,500 miles on it.”

   NHTSA complaint #11397192, filed 2021-02, 8,500 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Gasoline in the engine oil (oil dilution)

   • 79 complaints (7%)
   • median 5,000 mi at 1.3 yrs old (35 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $2,300 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners report the oil level on the dipstick reading above the maximum mark and smelling strongly of gasoline, often found shortly after an oil change. Some say the dealer told them to keep driving and recheck the level every so often, or that a solution was still being worked on, while others say the dealer treated it as resolved for this model year. A few complaints link it to rough running or turbocharger damage from the thinned oil. Mostly reported under about 20,000 miles, sometimes within months of purchase and often on short trips.

   What to check: Pull the dipstick and check that the level is not above the full mark and that the oil does not smell of fuel; ask for oil change records and whether the vehicle is used mostly for short trips.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Gasoline is getting into the oil. Just as it has been reported in the 2017 and 18 models, 1.5 liter turbo charged engine. I have heard that the 2020 model has the gasoline oil dilution problem also. This issue was identified on the first oil change. We were asking by the dealer to get the oil level checked every 1000 miles, we just had that happen and the oil level was recorded as slightly high. It smells of gasoline. The dealer told us Honda is working on a solution. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11323047, filed 2020-05, 9,462 miles

   “Strong gasoline fumes were noted in the vehicle interior at about 2,000 miles. The issue seemed to present itself when restarting after relatively short trips. Issue was reported to a local dealership at approximately 3,000 miles. I was told that this had been an issue with 2017/2018 models, that the issue had been resolved and did not apply to 2019 models. This was contrary to what I was experiencing, so I researched and determined that this does in fact appear to be an issue with the 2019 model. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11310734, filed 2020-02, 2,000 miles
5. 5
   Steering

   Stiff or sticking steering

   • 140 complaints (13%)
   • median 33,000 mi at 5.8 yrs old (26 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $4,000 (median of 27 quotes)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe the steering wheel becoming hard to turn, sticking in a turned position, or making a clicking noise during turns, with more effort needed to straighten it. Some complaints also mention power steering warnings appearing along with other system messages. Dealers are sometimes reported as unable to diagnose the problem, and some owners note their vehicle was not included in a steering recall. Reported from around 30,000 to about 125,000 miles, with some owners noting it is more noticeable in warmer weather.

   What to check: Test the steering at low speed through full left and right turns and listen for clicking; check for any stored power steering codes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2019 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the steering wheel was sticking while driving, causing the steering wheel to remain turned towards the left. The contact stated that an excessive amount of effort was needed to straighten out the steering wheel. The contact stated that while turning left and right, the steering wheel was making a clicking noise. The contact stated that the failure was more prominent in warmer weather. There were no warning lights illuminated. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11675260, filed 2025-07, 55,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2019 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the messages Emission System Problem , Brake System Problem”, Tire Pressure Monitoring Problem , Brake Hose System Problem and Power Steering EPS Fault were displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle had not experienced a mechanical failure. The contact stopped driving the vehicle due to safety concerns. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11564457, filed 2024-01, 48,000 miles

Buying note. Check recall status by VIN — especially the fuel pump and seat belt campaigns — and ask for proof the work was done, since owners report long waits for parts. A test drive at highway speed and a look at the oil dipstick are worthwhile given the braking and oil dilution reports.

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.