NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Honda HR-V. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
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. There were two Service Bulletins 21-046 dated 4/27/21 and o6/1/21, respectively that listed certain HRV VIN numbers that had the warranty extended to cover the full replacement cost of the CVT transmission. My VIN is not included. Many of the steps taken by the dealer to determine the transmission failure came from those service bulletins. I would like the NHTSA to look into this issue and contact Honda in order to extend the warranty in order to have the full replacement cost of the transmission covered.
2020 Honda HR-V — OBD Monitors Fail to Reset After Battery Replacement. Dealer Refused Help. Cannot Pass MA State Inspection. Following a routine battery replacement, my 2020 Honda HR-V OBD monitors will not reset, making it impossible to pass Massachusetts state inspection. I have followed Honda’s recommended drive cycle exactly — driven 562 miles, completed 142 warm-up cycles — and the system still shows “not ready.” I have made multiple trips to inspection stations, waited in long lines each time, and been turned away every single time. I have lost significant time, wasted fuel, and face real risk of registration penalties — for a car that runs perfectly. When I contacted Honda of Newton Corner — my exclusive service dealership — they told me they could not help me. No escalation. No fix. No support. I am not a mechanic. I am a customer who followed every instruction, trusted the brand, trusted the dealer, and has been left completely alone to deal with this! This is a safety concern. If Honda’s OBD system cannot confirm its own monitors are functioning after 562 miles and 142 cycles, there is no assurance the vehicle’s emissions and safety systems are working properly. This issue is not isolated — multiple HR-V owners across 2019–2022 model years report identical problems. Honda has issued no software fix and no dealer protocol to resolve it. I am requesting NHTSA investigate Honda’s OBD monitor reset failure across HR-V models and require Honda to issue a remedy — including dealer-authorized in-shop resets and a software update. Honda created this problem and has abandoned its customers entirely.I should not have to choose between driving an uninspected vehicle and being stranded. This is a defect in Honda’s drive cycle reset logic. Honda needs to issue a software update and instruct dealers to perform monitor resets!A dealership that exclusively services your vehicle should have all the necessary tools and the obligation to help. Deeply disappointed.
•What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The transmission failed and yes it’s available upon request. •How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My car stop in the middle of the street. No warning or anything. •Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes •Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Manufacturer •Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, everything happened on 03-09-26. L
While stopped at a traffic signal, the vehicle failed to restart when the light turned green. On another occasion, the vehicle stalled during operation and would not start. The engine would crank but there was no ignition. This created a safety risk because the vehicle was disabled in traffic and unable to move out of the roadway, increasing the risk of a rear-end collision or other crash. The vehicle was towed to a dealership for inspection. The dealer diagnosed a failed Powertrain Control Module (PCM). The diagnosis indicated no spark and that the ignition coils were not receiving signal, although the crank sensor signal was present. The PCM was replaced, and the vehicle started and operated normally after replacement. No additional wiring, fuse, or grounding issues were identified. There were no prior warning lights, dashboard messages, or drivability symptoms before the failure occurred. The failure happened unexpectedly at approximately 52,889 miles. The replaced PCM is available through the servicing dealership if inspection is requested.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle bucked, and several warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with CVT failure. The contact was informed that the CVT needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,700.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH or faster, and while driving uphill, the vehicle suddenly stalled. During the first failure, the message “Emergency – Stop Driving Vehicle” was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was turned off and restarted, and the message was no longer displayed. The vehicle was then driven to the residence. The vehicle had stalled three times on three separate occasions. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.
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.
The HRV is available for inspection upon request. It was taken to local Honda dealer for inspection based on the below: December 2025 - Highway driving slightly over speed limit posting 70mph when a majority of the lights on the dashboard came on (transmission, abs brake, awd, engine light, almost all lights) and the car immediately lost speed power and had to emergently pull over into safe lane off the highway. RPM revved irradically up to 6000. Tried to accelerate but it would sputter forward and did not want to shift transmission gears. Honda dealer has inspected the care and state that it needs transmission. The tech looked at it and did a magnet test which was positive information for him to tell me that it needed a transmission and AC belt. There is already a safety bulletin on this issue issued in 2021 covering all HRV models 2016-2000. The car has 112k and is 2020. It fits within the guidelines of the bulletin issued by Honda acknowledging that there is an issue with parts and manufacturing. It is bulletin #21-047: [XXX] Honda has stated my vin does not qualify. Online forums discuss that other people have the same problem in which honda corporate has told them the same thing. No notable warning signs. My safety was challenged and at risk when this happened without any warning at all. I was driving in high speed left lane and could have caused a severe accident with the immediate drop of speed by the car automatically. I have always taken great care of Honda cars that I have owned and this should have never happened. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Multi purpose camera warnings. All radar lights on and won’t go off
The whole radar that controls collision mitigation, steering, lane departure, etc. quit working. The car is only a few years old. All these lights go off in the car often times causing the car not to work properly. When we went to the dealership, the maintenance man said that this is a common issue due to the fact that they put the radar system in a location that gets overheated. We filed a claim, but they only will pay for a small portion of it to be repaired. Many of these cars have the same issue.
Car has 22,000 miles and has a bad fuel pump causing multiple cylinder misfire and loss of power. There was a recall on others in the same year but not this one giving the year and millage and the fact that it's the same issue as the recalled other units logically it should have been part of the recall, and the recall needs to be broadened to include these batches of fuel pumps as well. as is its and expensive repair for a defective part that could be a safety issue. Thanks
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. I took it to another mechanic and they said it’s the fuel pump. They told me that 2020 Honda HRV had recalls for the fuel pumps but my car VIN is not part of it.
I bought this car because of the Honda name and it’s been a disappointment. Not only does my display flicker in and out, my heater has completely gone out. The heater box and connecting wires need to be replaced, which to me is a factory default, but nope it’s coming out of pocket. And beaches of the location it’s going to be expensive. Don’t buy the 2020 HRV
Our Honda hrv driver side visor has broken. It’s been broke 2 years. My warranty won’t cover it, but it hangs in the driver eyesight. You push it up and it hangs down at a 45 degree angle in the drivers eyesight. It you pull it back, it won’t go back up to the roof.
I have had a recall for 2 years and they haven't fixed it.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The steering wheel, ABS, TPMS, and braking system warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was more prominent while turning to the right and depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure became progressively worse. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
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.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there were several unknown warning lights illuminated and remained illuminated. The contact stated that several features of the vehicle intermittently failed to operate as needed. Most recently, the contact stated that the panic alarm turned on independently, activated during the day and at night. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
Started vehicle and it lit up with every warning imaginable. Dealership said it's the Honda Sensing unit is defective. After reviewing online, it certainly seems everyone's unit is defective.. Now we were quoted 3k to fix safety related stuff. Can't afford to fix so now, just driving it until it crashes! Woohoo fun! And no recall!
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.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
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.
The odometer/trip/fuel display is dark when I start the car and then it will flicker on and off with gibberish. The dealership is charging more than $2,000 to "possible have it fixed." This issue has been ongoing for some time now, and I’ve noticed that I am not alone in experiencing it. Based on my research, it appears this problem has been present across a variety of Honda vehicle types for over 8 years. Despite this, it seems there has been no resolution provided to customers, which I find concerning. Accurate fuel readings are essential for safe vehicle operation, particularly in situations where a driver needs to monitor fuel levels and plan refueling stops. The absence of this information compromises the driver’s ability to make informed decisions, which could be a safety hazard, especially on long trips or when driving in remote areas. Given the widespread nature of this issue and its potential safety implications, I strongly believe this problem warrants a recall or at least a full-scale fix for all affected vehicles.
- The transmission had several problems that failed, leading to the car being unable to drive. The car starts, but does not drive in Drive or Reverse. The exact Honda vehicle codes affected are: P0171 and P0793. -My safety was put at risk because the car had previously stalled several times, leading to needing to pull over on the side of the road immediately, even on what is nearly a highway. -The exact problem was not confirmed by a dealer, but by an independent mechanic. Previous problems, such as the stalling, were confirmed by Caliber Collision in Cinnaminson, NJ. -The vehicle was last inspected by a mechanic in Massachusetts. -There were several of the dash cam lights and error sounds, off and on, since [XXX], upon an accident. The car was repaired after by said Caliber Collision in Cinnaminson, NJ, on more than one occasion between January 19th, 2025 and today, April 4th, 2025. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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!
The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that occasionally the vehicle failed to start. Additionally, occasionally while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 30,000. The VIN was not available. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the message "Air Bag Malfunction" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 55,000.
Gauge which indicates fuel and other information goes totally blank. When driving, no idea when fuel will run out. Initially, gauge would flicker, now it goes blank. Started about 2 years ago.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,200. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
One of the many times my car would not start. I was trying to leave work and my Honda HR-V would not start. [XXX] at [XXX] - I got in my car to drive to work, and it gave a stuttering sound. I contacted Honda on November 18th 2024 about the recall and was told my name would be put on a list and I’d be contacted when the part became available. My mother went into the Dover, Delaware Honda location today, [XXX], to inquire about an ETA on the recalled part and she was told that the recalled part “Was not being released”. She was also told, by the Assistant Service Manager that he waited 8 months for this recalled part to be fixed on his vehicle. He could not give me an estimated time on when they’d receive the part, but my car is definitely affected by the recalled part (stalling and my car not being able to start are some of the issues affected by this faulty part) and I don’t want to risk my life in an accident, simply trying to get to work, while waiting for a part that Honda may not have available for 6-8 months. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Brakes failed Yes it is available for inspection (Until Tues Nov 5th as it may be towed from body shop) Car would not stop while trying to park in a parking space and kept moving forward while having foot on break pedal. Therefore the car hit a building wall which is approx. 36ft from the raises parking space curb. The problem has not been reproduced as it was inspected by the insuranced and was considered totaled. To my knowledge the car has been only beed inspected by the insurance company, not the manfacturer. To my knowledge there were no warning lamos or meesages prior to the failure.
The instrument panel suddenly went out without warning while driving for no known reason. I was unaware of my speed, gas gauge, oil level, etc. and had to return home. I took it to a mechanic who called the dealership. They said it would be $1700 just for the replacement instrument panel. A quick internet search shows that this is common among Honda HRVs and other similar models. Apparently the solder Honda uses in the factory is not holding up and causing electronic connections to fail. I should not have to pay $1700 plus labor to have a connection resoldered. If they replace it with a "new" instrument panel that will undoubtedly have the same original soldering job, it's just going to come loose again.
The right screen on my dashboard does not work so I don’t know how much fuel I have or when I need to change my oil. The screen used to flicker but now it is just blank. Seems to be a reoccurring issue with this model.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the contact stated that the vehicle failure was not repaired. The contact stated while refueling the vehicle, the fuel gauge showed full; however, upon further investigation, the fuel tank was not full. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,847.
Honda Sensing dash warning lights come on and off during driving which can create an unsafe situation. The Honda Sensing dash warning lights were for Road Departure Mitigation System Problem, Collision Mitigation System Problem, Adaptive Cruise Control Problem, and Auto High-Beam Problem. Per Galpin Honda, the Honda Sensing camera failed and needs to be replaced.
2020 Honda HR-V Sport with digital gauge cluster failure. The LCD screen that displays the gas level, vehicle mileage, and gear the vehicle is in has gone to a blank screen. Or at times, it will display random numbers and letters that don't translate to any meaning. As others have reported, this leads to us not knowing what our fuel level is or the gear the vehicle is in. There were no warning indications before this issues started occurring. It happens in all variations of temperatures.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH with the cruise control engaged, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the driver’s side front-end of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was shuddering and occasionally hesitating while driving. The contact stated that the noise and the shuddering were intermittent but were more frequent. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer twice to be repaired; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that the noise gradually became louder, with the failure occurring at various speeds. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed, and metal fragments were found in the transmission fluid. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was a Warranty Extension for similar vehicles; however, the vehicle was not covered. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.
Fuel pump. Is lagging up hills sporadically. Called numerous times but started documenting on 12/20/24 12/30/24. Odaniel honda of omaha is dealer that failed to give me an appointment or a timeframe on completion or even make appointment to address this issue. Put my name on a list was all they were offering but when asked where I'm at on the list they couldn't answer that question.
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. This was a huge expense that Honda knows full and well that it was a CVT failure on their HRVs. The case number with American Honda is 14909647.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that a limited amount of parts was being delivered to each dealer. The failure mileage was 13,600. Parts distribution disconnect.
Car is less than 4 years old with 35k miles and battery has been replaced twice, battery issue causes car to not start or shut off while driving, after doing research online it appears over 500 other drivers have stated they have the same issue. I'm assuming there must be an issue with wiring etc
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
The contact's husband owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
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. The problems didn't resolve. Then the mechanic stated it 'could' be the camera system and if so, I would need to replace for $1800. I cannot afford to spend $1800 for speculation and there's no guarantee the problem is resolved. This is a serious issue with Hondas as I have read. This is not a wear-tear issue. This is a system issue and I don't feel I should have to spend $1800 on a system malfunction. It's not the windshield containing dirt or debris because I've had the windshield cleaned in hopes it would remedy the problem. The car is only 3-4 years old and I shouldn't be spending major dollars on any kind of system issue. This should be a recall effort since so many others have had the same complaints. The car is too new and it only has 53K miles on it. I'm the only person who drives the car mainly to and from work. I go out of state maybe twice per year so the car is not driven harshly. I also keep current with maintenance requirements. Paying $1800 for a faulty camera speculatively is a cruel way to make money off of purchasers. I'd like to have this issue considered as recall.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The oil and battery warning lights illuminated. After waiting ten minutes, the vehicle restarted. The contact stated that occasionally the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact called the local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The recall letter states: 'If you believe that American Honda or the dealer has failed or is unable to remedy the defect in your vehicle, without charge and within a reasonable period of time (60 days from the date you first contact the dealer for a repair appointment), you may submit a complaint to the Administrator..... www.safercar.com' I requested a repair appointment using Honda Auto Center of Bellevue Washington's online system. I received an email reply that parts were not then available. More than sixty days have gone by. I am making the complaint as advised by my recall letter.
Faulty design by honda for sunroof drain tubes. Clogged drain tubes cause water to intrude cabin and get fuse panel wet and inoperperable. Nothing about drain tube maintenace in manual. Honda denied repair stating because of rain. No easy access to clean drain tubes on vehicle. Cost me over $2000 for repairs to be made. Had to replace all fuses and fuse panel.