2022 Honda CR-V Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2022 CR-V most often describe steering that sticks or catches, especially on gentle highway curves and after the car has been driven for a while, with many complaints saying the dealer either could not reproduce it or replaced the steering rack. The second recurring theme is unintended automatic emergency braking in clear traffic, sometimes at highway speed. Engine-related complaints appear too, chiefly fuel injector leaks and coolant loss or misfire blamed on the head gasket, mostly at higher mileage.

1. 1
   Steering

   Sticky or catching steering (steering rack/EPS)

   • 131 complaints (49%)
   • median 26,000 mi at 3.1 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $3,000 (median of 14 quotes)
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners describe the wheel briefly catching or sticking when making small corrections, then breaking loose and causing an over-correction; some report heavy effort, clicking or grinding noises, and stiffness that worsens after 20-30 minutes of driving. Complaints frequently say a dealer could not duplicate the symptom, recalibrated the steering, or diagnosed a failed steering rack or EPS gearbox and quoted replacement. Several owners note that similar symptoms are covered by a recall on other model years but not on their vehicle. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 12,000 to 48,000 miles, and most noticeable on highway curves and after extended driving.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the car at highway speed on a long curve and feel for a notch or catch in small steering inputs; ask whether the steering rack or EPS torque sensor has been replaced, and whether any related service bulletin was applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Steering wheel sticking when I turn left and making ticking noise. Took it to Honda and I have to pay $5k to replace the steering wheel rack. They won’t tell me why this happened and it’s because they know the manufacturing part has a defect but they won’t put out a recall for this issue, even though Honda crv years 2023-2025 have an open recall for this issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #11761743, filed 2026-09

   “When I am driving at highway speeds, my steering wheel sticks. I can't make small, smooth adjustments. The steering wheel pops loose and then over corrects. I have noticed this a little bit in the past, but lately it has gotten worse.”

   NHTSA complaint #11730310, filed 2026-04
2. 2
   Forward collision avoidance

   Automatic emergency braking with no obstacle

   • 49 complaints (18%)
   • median 18,137 mi at 2.5 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Complaints describe the collision mitigation system warning and then applying the brakes hard when the road ahead is clear, sometimes at highway speeds, with seat belts tightening and the car slowing sharply. Owners say dealers could not reproduce the event or told them there was no fix and the feature could not be disabled; a few reports say the vehicle also shut down or stalled afterward. Often reported between roughly 10,000 and 70,000 miles, at speeds from parking-lot pace up to highway speed.

   What to check: Ask the seller whether any forward camera or radar module has been replaced or recalibrated, and check that the windshield and front emblem area are free of damage, since complaints mention dealers inspecting those sensors.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving down a wide and straight road with no other cars anywhere around me. Suddenly, the automatic emergency braking system became activated and the car brakes came on for absolutely no reason. This could have caused a major accident if there was any traffic near me and is a very dangerous flaw in my car.”

   NHTSA complaint #11621333, filed 2024-10

   “I was driving at about 40-45 MPH on a clear road - nothing in front of me, nothing in back. Suddenly the car, on its own, deployed the breaks very hard. It happened without warning. If there had been a car in back of me there would have been no time for that car to stop. My head whipped forward and back. The airbag was not deployed. I was not injured but very shaken up. I want to repeat that there was nothing in front of me that the breaks would need to be deployed. This could have been a life-threatening disaster.”

   NHTSA complaint #11485165, filed 2022-09
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Fuel injector leaks and misfire

   • 16 complaints (6%)
   • median 95,000 mi at 4.5 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2024–2026

   Owners report a flashing check engine light, rough running and loss of power, sometimes shortly after a cold start; in some cases the vehicle went into limp mode on the highway. Diagnosis in complaints is leaking fuel injectors, and some say the timing chain cover was also found seeping. Dealers reportedly replaced the injectors after the problem was duplicated, though some earlier visits found no stored codes. Mostly reported from about 43,000 to 95,000 miles, sometimes following a cold start.

   Recall 23V85800013 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for service records showing whether the fuel injectors have been replaced, and look for a rough idle, fuel smell, or stored misfire codes during a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Oil dilution, anifreeze disappearing, loss of power while driving on highway this past saturday, all lights on dash constantly going off at least once a month, vehicle radar senses a car in front when there is none and the braking system stops my car on its own while driving (happened several times), oil changes are done every 3000 miles, head gasket blown due to flimsy bolts oem and a 1.5 l engine with turbo.... Bad idea.... Turbo too strong for a 1.5l.... Now im out a 2500 bill...”

   NHTSA complaint #11706953, filed 2025-12

   “In February, 2026, while driving the car after cold start within 1 mile of house, engine light started flashing, car was misfiring and was losing power. I had to pull over, turn the engine off, restart it and continue without incident. Car taken to Honda service department; no codes found; problem could not be duplicated; and unable to diagnose issue. Problem continued intermittently and became more frequent until 5/21/26. Honda service duplicated issue and diagnosed problem as leaking fuel injectors. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11773108, filed 2026-10

Buying note. Spend the test drive at highway speed to feel for any stickiness in the steering and confirm whether the rack or EPS components have been serviced. Also ask for records on fuel injector and coolant repairs, and be aware that many complaints involve the driver-assist braking system, so check whether the forward camera or radar has been replaced.

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.