2021 Honda CR-V Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2021 CR-V most often write about the steering: a wheel that sticks or grabs mid-turn, needs extra effort at highway speed, or does not return to center. A second frequent theme is the crash-avoidance system braking on its own when no obstacle is present. Smaller clusters involve the center display and the 1.5L engine, including reports of coolant loss and head gasket work.

1. 1
   Steering

   Sticky or heavy steering (steering rack / EPS)

   • 110 complaints (33%)
   • median 40,000 mi at 4.8 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $4,000 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2021–2026

   Complaints describe the steering wheel sticking or grabbing as the driver begins a turn, then needing extra effort to keep the vehicle in the lane or to bring the wheel back to center. Several owners report a clicking or popping noise at low speed, or a wheel that tugs in one direction on uneven roads. Some dealers replaced the steering rack or gearbox; others told owners they could not duplicate the condition, and in several reports the repair was quoted as an out-of-pocket cost because the vehicle's VIN was not covered by a related campaign. Reported from a few hundred miles up to roughly 100,000 miles, with many mentions in the 17,000-60,000 mile range and some owners noting it appears more after the car warms up.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: During a test drive, make slow turns and a highway-speed stretch, and watch whether the wheel returns to center smoothly and whether you hear clicking. Ask the seller or dealer whether the steering effort service bulletin or any rack replacement was performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car has the sticky steering issue that has already been reported by numerous owners of Honda Civic and CRV. The dealer said the unit needs to be replaced and the car is not safe to drive. There are no parts available and the car has been at the dealership for two months. If it involves a manufacture defect, why has there been no recall by Honda.”

   NHTSA complaint #11607605, filed 2024-08

   “Electronic power steering failing. Honda dealer verified. EPS keeps sticking and pulling when turning right and over sharp turns particularly more pronounce over uneven roads.”

   NHTSA complaint #11772409, filed 2026-10
2. 2
   Forward collision avoidance

   Automatic emergency braking activates with no vehicle ahead

   • 78 complaints (23%)
   • median 30,000 mi at 2.9 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2021–2026

   Owners describe the collision-mitigation or automatic emergency braking system applying the brakes by itself when no vehicle is in front of them, sometimes bringing the car to a sudden stop at highway speed. In some reports the braking happens as another car passes in an adjacent lane, when the roadway surface changes, or while cruise control is set. Complaints state dealers often could not reproduce the condition or find a stored code, and some owners simply turned the system off. Spread across low and higher mileage, from under 10,000 miles to about 81,000 miles, and reported at city and highway speeds.

   What to check: Ask whether any camera or radar recalibration or software updates were done for the driver-assist system, and check that the windshield area in front of the camera is clean and undamaged. Confirm the system's current settings before you drive off.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving at 60 mph, automatic braking feature activated slamming on brakes unexpectedly. There was no car in front of me when this occurred. This has occurred several times. In this instance, we were driving on a 4 lane HWY in the right lane. A car passed me in the left lane and just after passing me the braking system slammed on the brakes. The other vehicle was still in the left lane while we were in the right lane.”

   NHTSA complaint #11738384, filed 2026-05

   “Â The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the forward collision avoidance sensor failed to brake causing the contact to crash into another vehicle. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11538668, filed 2023-08, 19,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Loss of power and check engine light (engine / fuel system)

   • 19 complaints (6%)
   • median 60,000 mi at 5.2 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe the check engine light coming on with the vehicle failing to accelerate as expected, sometimes cutting to a crawl or stalling, and often clearing after a restart. Some complaints mention the dealer finding a faulty fuel injector, others coolant intrusion or head gasket work, and several report the dealer could not duplicate the failure. Related service bulletins and dealer messages on file concern misfire codes and reduced head gasket sealing with overheating and coolant loss. Typically reported between about 30,000 and 90,000 miles, with a few cases much earlier.

   Recall 23V85800010 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the coolant level and its condition, look for a gasoline smell on the dipstick, and ask for service records showing whether the fuel pump recall and any injector or head gasket work were completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the fuel injector was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11675685, filed 2025-07, 72,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the cruise control activated, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure, and no error codes were retrieved. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 6,851.”

   NHTSA complaint #11497396, filed 2022-12, 6,851 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Center display flickering, blank or frozen

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the center touchscreen going blank, flickering, flashing or freezing while driving, sometimes intermittently. Owners report that dealers could not duplicate the problem or that the vehicle was not repaired, and service bulletins on file describe Honda collecting information on this condition in CR-Vs of these years. Mostly reported in the first few thousand miles, from around 1,200 to about 18,000 miles in the sample.

   13 related service bulletins

   What to check: Start the car and operate the screen through several menus, including the backup camera, and see whether it stays lit and responsive. Ask whether the head unit has been replaced or updated.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the display screen intermittently went blank. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,200.”

   NHTSA complaint #11496783, filed 2022-12, 1,200 miles

   “The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V modified for disabled personnel. The contact stated while attempting to drive the vehicle out of the driveaway, the gear shifter remained stuck in the park position. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact turned the vehicle off. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the interior roof harness cable located behind the rearview mirror had detached as the contact constantly placed his handicap placard behind the rearview mirror. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11461799, filed 2022-04, 14,800 miles
5. 5
   Fuel system

   Fuel in the engine oil (rising oil level)

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the oil level reading above the full mark on the dipstick and the oil smelling of gasoline, sometimes checked after the car had been parked level for hours. Complaints describe a dealer changing the oil without further diagnosis, and one owner mentions being told of a campaign covering oil and fuel dilution. Reported from very low mileage, in some cases under 1,000 miles and at new-vehicle purchase, up to about 22,500 miles.

   What to check: Pull the dipstick after the car has sat level for a while and check both the level and the smell; ask whether oil changes were done more frequently than the maintenance schedule or whether any dilution-related campaign was applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The brand new CR-V had a brake system failure. The brakes were applied upon coming to a red light at an intersection. The vehicle slowed down. It did not come to a complete stop. I applied more pressure to the brakes and the vehicle continued to move forward. I had to put the vehicle in park in order to stop the forward movement. I then took the vehicle out of park and continued to apply the brakes. However, the brakes did not function properly and the vehicle continued to move forward. I put the vehicle in park again. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11399794, filed 2021-03, 111 miles

   “Oil level raised up to above the upper mark on dip stick and smell gasoline. This vehicle has been off and sitting more than a few hours on level ground.”

   NHTSA complaint #11402938, filed 2021-03, 233 miles

Buying note. On a test drive, focus on the steering at low and highway speeds and on the driver-assist system, since those draw the most owner reports for this year. Ask for service records covering the fuel pump recall and any steering, injector or head gasket work, and check the oil and coolant yourself.

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.