2020 Honda CR-V problems & reliability
339 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Honda CR-V, alongside 7 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 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 vehicles.
15 complaints report injuries (17 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2020 Honda CR-V vehicles were involved in 73 fatal crashes with 30 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Forward Collision Avoidance → | 75 | 22% |
| Air Bags → | 46 | 14% |
| Electrical System → | 43 | 13% |
| Engine → | 35 | 10% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 35 | 10% |
| Unknown OR Other | 34 | 10% |
| Steering → | 33 | 10% |
| Service Brakes → | 30 | 9% |
| Power Train → | 18 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 11 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 17,500 miles (middle 50% between 5,925 and 46,520 miles), based on 78 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My vehicle exhibits a "sticky" steering column and has done so for a few years now. Honda issues a recall notice for 2022 CRV models, but mine is a 2020. The recall number is 24V-744. In June of 2023 with 25260 miles on the vehicle and while still under warranty, I took the car to my local dealer and was told they…”
Steering · filed Aug 5, 2026
“All the safety lights came on on the dashboard suddenly the brake assist did not work. Honda tells me the brake servo is bad. This is a known defect as other 2020 crv hybrids were recalled for the same reason. It is a dangerous safety hazard.”
Service Brakes · filed Aug 4, 2026
“While out of state for thanksgiving in 2025. after stopped for break, car started up with all of the warning lights and check engine lights on. Like front radar out, hybrid system fault and etc. took to Honda dealership near by immediate. Diagnosed (their words) customer states check engine light is on and flashing…”
Electrical System · filed Jul 31, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
Engineering Analysis EA24002 · opened Apr 15, 2024 · open
- Rear Differential Seizure
Preliminary Evaluation PE22011 · opened Nov 28, 2022 · closed Jul 22, 2024
Technical service bulletins
208 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2020 Honda CR-V. The 10 most recent:
Service Bulletin - Oil leak at timing chain tensioner inspection cover due to possible insufficient sealant adhesion on inspection cover.
A25-077 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2025
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2022 Accord FHEVs, as well as 2017-2022 CR-V 1.5Ls (no 2.4L), & 2020-2022 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of the Malfunction…
ATI&10112024901 · Other · issued Oct 11, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2022 Accord FHEVs, as well as 2017-2022 CR-V 1.5Ls (no 2.4L), & 2020-2022 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of the Malfunction…
ATI&09202024901 · Other · issued Sep 21, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2020-2021 Civics, 2020-2022 CR-Vs, 2022-2023 Pilots & Passports with a customer complaint of the center display flickering, flashing, or…
ATI&09122024904 · Other · issued Sep 12, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2022 Accord FHEVs, as well as 2017-2022 CR-V 1.5Ls (no 2.4L), & 2020-2022 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of the Malfunction…
ATI&09112024907 · Other · issued Sep 11, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2022 Accord FHEVs, as well as 2017-2022 CR-V 1.5Ls (no 2.4L), & 2020-2022 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of the Malfunction…
ATI&08262024902 · Other · issued Aug 26, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2022 Accord FHEVs, as well as 2017-2022 CR-V 1.5Ls (no 2.4L), & 2020-2022 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of the Malfunction…
ATI&08232024901 · Other · issued Aug 23, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2022 Accord 1.5Ls (no 2.0L) & FHEVs, as well as 2017-2022 CR-V 1.5Ls (no 2.4L), & 2020-2022 CR-V FHEVs with a customer complaint of the…
ATI&08152024902 · Other · issued Aug 16, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2020-2021 Civics, 2020-2022 CR-Vs, 2022-2023 Pilots & Passports with a customer complaint of the center display flickering, flashing, or…
ATI&08072024901 · Other · issued Aug 8, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2020 Accords, 2016-2020 Civics, 2017-2020 CR-Vs, & 2018-2020 Odysseys that have been diagnosed to be in need of the low-pressure fuel…
ATI&08062024906 · Other · issued Aug 7, 2024
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 2020 Honda CR-V has 7 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 2020 Honda CR-V?
- · 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 17,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.