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Verdict

2019 Honda CR-V: Complaints, Recalls & Known Issues

What the public record actually says about the 2019 Honda CR-V — every figure below is a NHTSA or EPA number, not an opinion.

The read

More reported complaints than most SUV.

Owners filed 1,061 NHTSA complaints — more complaints than 99% of 2019 SUVs. Forward Collision Avoidance leads the reports (19%). 8 safety recall campaigns on record — check the VIN and remedy terms with a dealer.

Based on NHTSA complaint volume against 2019 SUVs, not adjusted for how many were sold. It describes the model year, not the individual car you are looking at.

Complaints filed

1,061

Reports to NHTSA, 2019

Safety recalls

8

NHTSA campaigns on record

NHTSA crash test

Overall NCAP rating

Combined MPG

28.5

EPA estimate

Complaint volume vs. segment peers

More complaints than 99% of 2019 SUVs

The bar is this car's percentile among 2019 SUVs by complaint volume — a full bar means the fewest complaints in its class. Not adjusted for sales.

Known issues

Forward Collision Avoidance issues lead owner complaints (19% of 1,061 reports), followed by steering (17%).

Forward Collision Avoidance19% · 206 reports
Steering17% · 181 reports
Electrical System13% · 140 reports
Fuel System11% · 115 reports
Fuel/Propulsion System8% · 81 reports
Unknown Or Other7% · 72 reports
Engine6% · 66 reports
Service Brakes6% · 65 reports

+ 17 more component categories with fewer reports.

Share of all 1,061 NHTSA complaints for this model year, grouped by the component owners named. Bars are scaled to the largest category. Examples: ODI 11506792, ODI 11471247, ODI 11461686, ODI 11453950, ODI 11745402.

Recalls(8)

Open a recall to read what NHTSA says is wrong, what can happen, and how it gets fixed. Check the VIN and remedy eligibility with a dealer; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though a manufacturer may offer more coverage.

Seat BeltsSep 2023 · 23V158000Details +

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2020 CR-V, 2018-2019 Accord and Accord Hybrid, 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019 Insight, and 2019-2020 Acura RDX vehicles. A manufacturing issue with the front seat belts may cause the seat belt buckle channel to interfere with the release button, preventing the seat belt buckle from latching.

Risk: An unlatched seat belt cannot properly restrain the seat occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger seat belt buckle release buttons or the buckle assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 18, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are NDA, QDB, BDC, MDD, LD9. TDF, FDG, ODH, YDI, ZDE.

StructureMay 2019 · 19V865000Details +

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 CR-V vehicles. The rear subframe bolts were improperly manufactured and may loosen, allowing the rear subframe to separate.

Risk: A separated rear subframe reduces vehicle handling and can suddenly disable the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear subframe bolts and retorque them or replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is R6M.

Fuel SystemJan 2019 · 19V569000Details +

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019 CR-V vehicles. The joint weld between the fuel tank and the vapor return line may have been insufficiently welded, causing the weld to fail.

Risk: The failed weld may allow fuel to leak, increasing the risk of a fire in the presence of an ignition source.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began September 16, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is A5I.

Air Bags · 19V383000Details +

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019 CR-V vehicles. The metal core of the steering wheel may have burrs which can damage the harnesses routed within, potentially disabling the driver's air bag or causing it to deploy without warning.

Risk: In the event of a crash, a disabled air bag would increase the risk of injury. An uncommanded deployment of the driver's air bag also increases the risk of injury and a crash.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover on the steering wheel core and replace clockspring and the harnesses within, free of charge. The recall began July 8, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is R4S.

Equipment · 19V694000Details +

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019 CR-V vehicles. The owner's guide incorrectly describes when the "Passenger Airbag Off" indicator should illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Risk: If the front passenger does not correctly understand how the airbag functions, they may be at an increased risk of personal injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners and provide a sticker with the correct information to be added to the owner's guide, free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2019. Owner's may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is X6G.

Fuel System · 21V215000Details +

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 18, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-314.

Fuel System · 23V858000Details +

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

Air Bags · 26V332000Details +

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.

A campaign can apply to this model year without being incomplete on a specific vehicle. Check the VIN with NHTSA or a dealer to confirm whether a particular car needs repair.

Investigations

3 NHTSA investigations on record

Investigations are agency reviews, not findings that a vehicle is defective.

Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking

On February 21, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE22003) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system, in model year 2017-2019 Honda CR-V and 2018-2019 Honda Accord vehicles.  The reports allege that activation of the AEB system occurs while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Honda indicated that they were aware of a total of X,XXX reports that may relate to the alleged defect. Honda provided analysis of the alleged defect and alleges that some customers possibly had an inadequate understanding of the CMBS and its limitations.  However, many consumer complaints allege that Honda dealerships were unable to reproduce the condition or state that they were informed that this is considered normal CMBS operation. To date, ODI has received a total of 1,294 consumer complaints of inadvertent activation of CMBS in 2017-2022 Honda CR-V and 2018-2022 Honda Accord vehicles. A total of 31 complaints alleged a crash and 50 alleged an injury.  The Total column in the Failure Report Summary removes duplicate reports and shows the total number of reports with unique VINs from all Manufacturer, ODI, and EWR data sources.  In some cases, there were multiple reports associated with a particular vehicle in which recurring failures were alleged.  In total, there were X,XXX reports, 93 injury incidents and 47 crashes involving vehicles with unique VINs that may relate to the alleged defect. PE22-003 has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety related consequences of the inadvertent AEB activations. The scope has been expanded to include assessment of model year 2020-2022 Honda CR-V and Accord vehicles. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

Rear Differential Seizure

On November 29, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE 22-011 after reviewing field reports alleging rear differential seizure in 2018-2022MY Honda CR-V and HR-V vehicles equipped with all wheel drive. To date, ODI has not received any consumer complaints. Some of the field reports received alleged the vehicle’s wheels locked up with no warning while the vehicle was in motion. These vehicles were towed to a dealership. Examination of these vehicles showed the driveshaft had broken and the differential unit was completely damaged. The field reports cited a lack of oil due to damaged oil seals as the cause. Honda provided data including consumer complaints, field reports, and warranty claims they received relating to the loss of oil retention and resulting differential damage. Honda’s data cited 1201 incidents with unique vehicle identification numbers (VINs). The rear differential oil seals  prevent the oil from leaking out and protect internal components from contaminants. A loss of oil lubrication results in failure of the vehicle differential.  Honda stated that the oil seal’s lip contact with the driveshaft may become unstable due to intermittent changes in internal pressure. Their review of field report and warranty data indicated that these failures occurred early in the vehicle’s life thus the failures were covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. Honda stated that in November 2021 they changed the seal specifications and improved the packaging process of the parts for transport.  Honda also enacted an enhanced visual inspection process both before and after the oil seal installation on the assembly line. Honda stated that in the event of differential failure, the operator can control the vehicle without stability loss. After the drive shafts break due to differential failure, the operator will hear noises and the vehicle will still function as a 2WD vehicle preventing complete loss of motive power. Based on the following factors, ODI is closing this investigation: ·       Information regarding field failures does not indicate hazardous outcomes ·       The failures are occurring early in the life of the vehicle ·       Repairs are covered under the manufacturer’s warranty ·       The vehicle can continue functioning as a 2WD without loss of stability control in the event of failure The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist, and the agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.

Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking

On February 21, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE22003) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system, in model year 2017-2019 Honda CR-V and 2018-2019 Honda Accord vehicles.  The reports allege that activation of the AEB system occurs while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Honda indicated that they were aware of a total of X,XXX reports that may relate to the alleged defect. Honda provided analysis of the alleged defect and alleges that some customers possibly had an inadequate understanding of the CMBS and its limitations.  However, many consumer complaints allege that Honda dealerships were unable to reproduce the condition or state that they were informed that this is considered normal CMBS operation. To date, ODI has received a total of 1,081 consumer complaints of inadvertent activation of CMBS in the subject vehicles.  A total of 24 complaints alleged a crash and 42 alleged an injury.  The Total column in the Failure Report Summary removes duplicate reports and shows the total number of reports with unique VINs from all Manufacturer, ODI, and EWR data sources.  In some cases, there were multiple reports associated with a particular vehicle in which recurring failures were alleged.  In total, there were X,XXX reports, 84 injury incidents and 40 crashes involving vehicles with unique VINs that may relate to the alleged defect. PE22003 has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA24002) to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety related consequences of the inadvertent AEB activations.  Further the scope has been expanded to include assessment of model year 2020-2022 Honda CR-V and Accord vehicles. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

Crash-test ratings

2019 Honda CR-V SUV FWD NHTSA source

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

2019 Honda CR-V SUV AWD NHTSA source

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

Fuel economy by trim

TrimEngineDrivetrainCityHwyCombined
CR-V FWD1.5L 4-cylFront-Wheel Drive283430
CR-V AWD1.5L 4-cylAll-Wheel Drive273329
CR-V FWD2.4L 4-cylFront-Wheel Drive263228
CR-V AWD2.4L 4-cylAll-Wheel Drive253127

EPA laboratory estimates by trim and engine. Actual mileage varies with driving, weather, load, and maintenance. EPA source.

Before you buy

Useful next checks

Federal records tell you about patterns. These checks can tell you more about the specific car in front of you.

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Compare model years

"Fewest reports" and "most complained" describe raw NHTSA complaint totals, not vehicle reliability. The last few model years are left unlabelled because they have had less road time.

2019 Honda CR-V: frequently asked

What does the complaint record show for the 2019 Honda CR-V?

Owners filed 1,061 NHTSA complaints about the 2019 Honda CR-V — more complaints than 99% of comparable 2019 SUVs, so it sits toward the weaker end of its class. That's a signal, not a guarantee about any single car.

What are the most common problems on the 2019 Honda CR-V?

The most-reported problem areas are Forward Collision Avoidance (19% of complaints) and steering (17%).

How many recalls does the 2019 Honda CR-V have?

8 recalls have been issued that affect the 2019 Honda CR-V, covering components such as seat belts. Check the VIN with NHTSA and ask a dealer to confirm remedy eligibility; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though manufacturers may offer more coverage.

What gas mileage does the 2019 Honda CR-V get?

The EPA rates the 2019 Honda CR-V between 27 and 30 mpg combined, depending on trim and drivetrain.