2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid problems & reliability
103 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
3 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine → | 35 | 34% |
| Electrical System → | 24 | 23% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance → | 22 | 21% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 16 | 16% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 14 | 14% |
| Unknown / Other | 13 | 13% |
| Power Train → | 12 | 12% |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 8% |
| Steering | 6 | 6% |
| Structure | 3 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 14 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“August 13, 2026- Driver was traveling on Route 30 West approaching the Reeceville Exit. Driver attempted to pass a tractor trailer. As car accelerated to pass tractor trail, engine light flashed and car lost the ability to accelerate. As driver lost ability to power the car, he allowed truck to pass him and then…”
Power Train · filed Sep 9, 2026
“2021 CR-V Hybrid, approximately 103,000 miles. Multiple incidents of loss of propulsion at highway speed with engine shaking and a flashing MIL. Cycling the ignition restores normal operation, and the codes disappear. I have had it scanned, and no errors show up. Spark plugs and ignition coils have been replaced. The…”
Engine · filed Sep 2, 2026
“I am a senior citizen who bought a brand new 2021 Honda CRV hybrid in 2022. I used the vehicle mainly for driving around town in city driving. I ensured that my vehicle received all the necessary scheduled maintenance at either the dealership I bought the vehicle,(Pacific Honda, [XXX];phone [XXX]) or a certified Honda…”
Power Train · filed Aug 24, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Loss of Motive Power
Preliminary Evaluation PE25016 · opened Oct 28, 2025 · open
- Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
Engineering Analysis EA24002 · opened Apr 15, 2024 · open
- Pedestrian alert sounds
Defect Petition DP22005 · opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000
Technical service bulletins
45 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid. The 10 most recent:
Dealer Message - Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may cause vehicles to experience overheating, coolant loss, misfire, and/or DTCs P0300 through P0304 stored.
AEBM08262026901 · Other · issued Aug 26, 2026
Service Bulletin - Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may cause vehicles to experience overheating, coolant loss, misfire and/or DTCs P0300 thru P0304 stored.
A26-018 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 26, 2026
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of an oil leak coming from the passenger side transmission/differential oil seal. The leak may…
ATI&04272026903 · Other · issued Apr 27, 2026
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of an oil leak coming from the passenger side transmission/differential oil seal. The leak may…
ATI&04102026906 · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of an oil leak coming from the passenger side transmission/differential oil seal. The leak may…
ATI&03272026903 · Other · issued Mar 27, 2026
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of an oil leak coming from the passenger side transmission/differential oil seal. The leak may…
ATI&03112026901 · Other · issued Mar 11, 2026
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of an oil leak coming from the transmission/differential oil seal. The leak may also be found…
ATI&03312025902 · Other · issued Mar 31, 2025
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of an oil leak coming from the transmission/differential oil seal. The leak may also be found…
ATI&01302025902 · Other · issued Jan 30, 2025
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of an oil leak coming from the transmission/differential oil seal. The leak may also be found…
ATI&01162025901 · Other · issued Jan 17, 2025
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2021 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of an oil leak coming from the transmission/differential oil seal. The leak may also be found…
ATI&01022025906 · Other · issued Jan 3, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.