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Honda HR-VModel year report

2020 Honda HR-V Problems

Compared with other Honda HR-V years

Fewer complaints than typical for this model

33/100 0.7× a typical year · 50 = typical

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
85filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
37,000miles, 21 complaints with mileage
Recalls
5campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
5 / 5stars overall, 2 rated versions
EPA fuel economy
30 mpgcombined, 1.8L 4-cyl FWD · 28 city / 34 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2020 Honda HR-V (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2020 Honda HR-V most often describe two kinds of trouble: a digital instrument display that goes blank or flickers with unreadable characters, and an open fuel-pump recall that many say left them waiting months for parts. A smaller but more costly group describes CVT transmission failures, usually at higher mileage, where the car suddenly loses power or drops to low speed while driving.

  1. Fuel system

    Fuel pump recall parts unavailable for months

    • 19 complaints (22%)
    • median 30,000 mi at 4.8 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2024–2026

    Many complaints center on NHTSA recall 23V858000 for the low-pressure fuel pump: owners say they received the notice but were told the remedy parts were not available, sometimes for many months. Some describe stalling, hesitation on acceleration, hard starting or a fuel odor in the cabin while waiting. A few report the recall repair was done and the car still stalled afterward. Reported across a wide mileage range, from around 10,000 to 80,000 miles, often while driving at low speed or after parking.

    Recall 23V858000

    What to check: Confirm in writing whether recall 23V858000 has been completed on the specific vehicle, and get the repair order if it has. Ask whether the car has ever stalled, hesitated or shown a check-engine light.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My car has a fuel recall and is jerkings. Today the car almost does not start. I have 1 year trying to fix this recall with different dealers but they always say that the part is over. I have only this car in my house and 3 dependents. Can somebody help me? Thank you in advance for the help!”

    NHTSA complaint #11636191, filed 2025-01

    “There has been an open recall on the vehicle since 12/13/2023 almost a year I have called and they sent a letter saying parts were in. I went over to the place they do not have the part. They said they have gotten one part per month for 500 vehicles on recall list.”

    NHTSA complaint #11614595, filed 2024-09
  2. Electrical system

    Digital instrument display blanks or flickers

    • 11 complaints (13%)
    • median 65,000 mi at 4.5 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
    • filed 2024–2026

    Owners describe the right-hand digital display — the one showing fuel level, mileage and gear — going dark at startup or flickering on with garbled, unreadable characters. Some say it worked intermittently at first and then stayed blank, leaving them without a fuel gauge or odometer reading. Complaints mention dealers quoting high diagnostic or repair charges, and several owners say they were told the problem is common on this model. Reported from roughly 20,000 to 65,000 miles, with no clear pattern tied to temperature or weather.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Start the car cold and watch the right-side display through a full startup cycle; ask whether the cluster has ever been replaced or repaired. A service bulletin notes that Honda was collecting information on blank or inoperative audio screens in these vehicles.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have a 2020 Honda HRV and the gas gauge flickers on and off. I have overheard technicians say this is a common problem with the HRV. The dealer wants to charge 177 to hook it up on the computer to diagnose the HRV. This HRV has only 20,000 miles on it. It has struts that are going bad and this HRV has had all the services done. My wife drives it 2.6 miles a day. I think these issues need to be looked into further.”

    NHTSA complaint #11719264, filed 2026-02

    “Dashboard where the fuel level is black and when it flickers on it show up as gibberish. Secondly, my infotainment system randomly has been rebooting while driving. When this happens my power steering seems to go out as well. I have others have been having the same issues.”

    NHTSA complaint #11644672, filed 2025-02
  3. Transmission and drivetrain

    CVT transmission failure and loss of power

    Mentioned in 8 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners describe the CVT failing with little warning: a grinding or loud noise, warning lights across the dash, revving without acceleration, and the car dropping to about 20 mph or losing motive power entirely. Several say the dealer diagnosed internal transmission failure and recommended replacement, and some mention that a warranty extension applied to other model years but not their vehicle. Mostly reported between roughly 60,000 and 125,000 miles, often during highway driving.

    10 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for the transmission service history and whether the CVT software product update and extended warranty coverage described in Honda service bulletins were applied. Listen for grinding or shuddering on a test drive and check for hesitation under acceleration.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “On 3/15/26 the CVT transmission on my 2020 HRV EX-L failed while driving on I-95 near Fairfield, CT. My dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree and the car decelerated and would not go past 20 miles per hour. My safety was put at risk because this happened suddenly doing 60 mph highway. There was no indication of an issue with the transmission when I visited the Honda Service center on Friday, 3/13 to repair a lose panel. They saw no issues. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11727834, filed 2026-03

    “The transmission on my 2020 HRV Honda failed at 63,000 miles. We were at risk because we were driving on a freeway with speed limit of 70 mph and we could only go 30 mph. The problem has been identified by American Honda but they would not extend the warranty to 2020 cars. The transmission had to be replaced and the new one is working. They were no warning signs of the failure. American Honda is saying that the NHTSB is responsible for issuing all recalls. Please help. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11623999, filed 2024-11
  4. Engine

    Stalling, hard starting and no-restart

    • 11 complaints (13%)
    • median 41,000 mi at 4.9 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2023–2026

    Owners report the engine cutting out at low speed, at stoplights or while driving uphill, sometimes with oil and battery warning lights and an emergency stop message on the panel. Some describe the car refusing to restart for minutes or after several attempts, and dealers or independent shops unable to reproduce the problem. A few complaints tie the no-start to a replaced powertrain control module. Reported from around 16,000 to 80,000 miles, often at low speed or when pulling away from a stop.

    Recall 23V858000

    What to check: Ask whether the car has ever stalled or needed repeated attempts to start, and whether the fuel pump recall or any PCM-related repair has been done. A pre-purchase scan for stored codes is worthwhile.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My car keeps stalling. It stalled on me about 10 times already. It keeps happening when I’m driving slow and on a stop light. I took it to 2 mechanics and they said the system is not showing anything. I took it to the dealer and said the same thing. The dealer had my car for 3 days, trying to test drive it but they said nothing happened and they don’t know what’s wrong. I took the car back, drove it the next day and it stalled on me again. It stalled on a parking lot, it stalled on a stop light 4 times today 9/25/2025. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11689726, filed 2025-09

    “while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The oil and battery warning lights illuminated. After shutting the vehicle off and turning it over 3 times, the vehicle's engine restarted. 2020 Honda HR-V Touring with 16,900 miles. Manufactured on 1/'20”

    NHTSA complaint #11596244, filed 2024-06
  5. Forward collision avoidance

    Honda Sensing warning lights and camera faults

    Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners describe clusters of dashboard warnings for collision mitigation, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise, lane keeping and auto high beams appearing together, sometimes on and off during a drive. Complaints say a dealer traced the warnings to a failed forward camera needing replacement, and that the repair is expensive. In some cases a battery replacement was tried first without resolving the lights. Reported from about 38,000 to 84,000 miles, appearing intermittently while driving.

    What to check: On a test drive, confirm the lane keeping, adaptive cruise and collision warning systems initialize without fault messages, and ask whether the forward camera has been replaced or recalibrated.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “These system indicator lights repeatedly show on the dashboard. 1. Brake System 2. ACC LKAS 3. Land Departure Problem 4. Some Driver Assist Systems Cannot Operate: Clean Front Windshield 5. Lane Keeping Assist Problem LKAS 6. Collision Mitigation System Problem 7. Road Departure Mitigation System Problem 8. Auto High-Beam Problem 9. Adaptive Cruise Control Problem I have taken the car to two different Honda dealerships for diagnostic. The mechanic speculated it 'could' be a battery issue so I purchased a new battery. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11604403, filed 2024-07

    “LKAS lights all came on and ACC warnings. Brake system and auto high beams. Mechanic seems to think it’s the camera, car only has 84,000 miles on it and very well taken care of. This seems to be a big common issue with a lot of HRVs and it’s expensive to fix.”

    NHTSA complaint #11754823, filed 2026-08

Buying note. Ask for documentation that recall 23V858000 (fuel pump) and the rearview camera recall have been completed, and check the instrument display and driver-assist warnings on a cold start. A pre-purchase inspection that includes a scan for stored codes and a CVT test drive is worth the cost on this model year.

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.

NHTSA recorded 85 consumer complaints for the 2020 Honda HR-V. 21 of the complaints include a mileage, and 71% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 37,000 miles. Of all complaints, 8 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns and 98 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 7 Honda HR-V model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 33 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (fewer complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Back-over prevention (rear camera) (1), Exterior lighting (1), Seats (1), Steering (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Fuel system: “Bought new Honda from dealer, less than 4700 miles. Car would not accelerate after pushing gas pedal on highway and local while driving, it slows down to a dangerous speed.”

NHTSA complaint #11406148, filed 2021-04, 5 miles

Electrical system: “I have been experiencing an issue with my car alarm activating unexpectedly when I park. I took it to the dealership for assistance, and they informed me that the car is unable to recognize my key. They recommended reprogramming it to resolve the issue. With an estimate of $ 1167.88.”

NHTSA complaint #11655063, filed 2025-04

Transmission and drivetrain: “Sometimes when I am driving on any road flat, incline, up a hill/mountain trying to merge into traffic/pass a vehicle. I think I covered all of the situations. There is a DRAMATIC LOSS OF POWER or a PLAY or SOMETHING where I have to push the accelerator all the way to the FLOOR in order for it to get gas or gain speed to pass or to accomplish the task at hand. My 2020 HR-V only has a little over 17,500 miles. I also only put in gas from QT which is a TOP TIER GASOLINE. …”

NHTSA complaint #11506321, filed 2023-02

Engine: “As I was driving, the car slowed down and wouldn’t go past 20mph. It also lost power to the radio more than a few times and I just purchased the vehicle on 06/26/25.”

NHTSA complaint #11678860, filed 2025-08

Mileage when problems were reported

71% of the 21 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 11,000 and 53,000 miles.

19%0–1014%10–2538%25–5014%50–755%75–10010%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (21 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 37,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

202020212022202320243120252026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2020 Honda HR-V. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
HR-V · SUV AWD★★★★★4 / 4554 · 13.5% risk
HR-V · SUV FWD★★★★★4 / 4554 · 15.3% risk

Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2020 model year: forward collision warning optional, lane departure warning optional, automatic emergency braking not available.

Neighbouring years: 2019: same overall rating; 2021: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2020 Honda HR-V version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
HR-V AWD1.8L 4-cylCVT273129$2,300
HR-V AWD1.8L 4-cylCVT263128$2,400
HR-V FWD1.8L 4-cylCVT283430$2,250
HR-V FWD1.8L 4-cylCVT283430$2,250

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2020 Honda HR-V → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 98 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 98 bulletins →

Other model years of the Honda HR-V

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
202768,5350—28—Too new
2026207,3000528—Too new
2025486,6661528Too new to compareToo new
202411011,4904528Too new to compareToo new
202368813,5003528100 · MoreToo new
20228914,000353060 · TypicalRising
20216424,500453034 · FewerRising
20208537,000553033 · FewerRising
201924125,614753082 · MoreRising
201816028,000353149 · TypicalRising
201712320,000053125 · FewerRising
201624353,000253151 · TypicalStable

All Honda HR-V model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2020 Honda HR-V?

Owners of the 2020 Honda HR-V most often describe two kinds of trouble: a digital instrument display that goes blank or flickers with unreadable characters, and an open fuel-pump recall that many say left them waiting months for parts. The issues reported most often: Fuel pump recall parts unavailable for months; Digital instrument display blanks or flickers; CVT transmission failure and loss of power.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2020 Honda HR-V have?

NHTSA recorded 85 consumer complaints for the 2020 Honda HR-V as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2020 Honda HR-V is reported most often?

Fuel system is named most often, in 26 complaints (31% of the total), followed by electrical system with 20.

Has the 2020 Honda HR-V been recalled?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2020 Honda HR-V do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2020 Honda HR-V 5 out of 5 stars overall, across 2 rated versions (body style and drive). Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2020 Honda HR-V get?

The EPA rates the 2020 Honda HR-V (HR-V FWD, 1.8L 4-cyl) at 30 mpg combined, 28 city and 34 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,250 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2020 Honda HR-V reported?

Among the 21 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 37,000 miles and the middle half falls between 11,000 and 53,000 miles; 71% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.