2020 Honda HR-V Problems & Owner Complaints

Electrical System 20

“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, 2026

“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, a…”
NHTSA complaint #11721088, 2026

“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, 2026

Fuel System 14

“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.…”
NHTSA complaint #11650691, 2025

“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11646239, 2024

“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11639034, 2024

Power Train 12 1 crash

“- 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…”
NHTSA complaint #11653707, 2025 · crash

“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 cov…”
NHTSA complaint #11727834, 2026

“•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 prio…”
NHTSA complaint #11726648, 2026

Fuel/Propulsion System 11

“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”
NHTSA complaint #11691539, 2025

“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 m…”
NHTSA complaint #11689726, 2025

“I have had a recall for 2 years and they haven't fixed it.”
NHTSA complaint #11676318, 2025

Engine 10 1 crash

“The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. On one occasion while approaching a light at approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle stalled and crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The contact mentioned that the husband completed cosmetic repairs. No injuries were reported. No police report was filed. The vehicle would restart each time within 2-30 minutes. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent half a dozen times and the failure was not able to be replicated. The man…”
NHTSA complaint #11638814, 2024 · crash

“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, a…”
NHTSA complaint #11721088, 2026

“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…”
NHTSA complaint #11717473, 2026

Unknown Or Other 8

“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 re…”
NHTSA complaint #11724359, 2026

“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”
NHTSA complaint #11695689, 2025

“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11679957, 2025

Air Bags 6 2 crash 2 fire 2 injury

“The car was inspected about 2 weeks prior to the accident. Airbags never deployed nor indicated and the car was smashed in. Electrical problem as I should have seen an indicator and airbags never deploy (wearing seat Belt, neck injury, shoulder and back and bilateral knee injuries)and I am as per dr. Order on medical leave as a result of this auto incident.”
NHTSA complaint #11423671, 2021 · crash · fire · 2 injury(ies)

“The car went up in smoke, the airbags never deployed and there was no indicators. The front was all smashed in. I’m completely disabled.”
NHTSA complaint #11423672, 2021 · crash · fire

“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, 2025

Forward Collision Avoidance 6

“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, 2026

“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11726832, 2025

“Multi purpose camera warnings. All radar lights on and won’t go off”
NHTSA complaint #11703435, 2025

Lane Departure 6

“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, 2026

“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11726832, 2025

“Multi purpose camera warnings. All radar lights on and won’t go off”
NHTSA complaint #11703435, 2025

Service Brakes 5 3 crash

“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11623078, 2024 · crash

“I was turning left into a parking spot at work with my foot slightly on the break when my engine revvved and my car accelerated at face pace and my brakes were unresponsive causing me to hit a parked truck in front of me. Upon impact my vehicle kept trying to accelerate causing me to keep pushing the truck until my front right side of my car broke off. My car STILL kept accelerating and went across the concrete parking block and finally came to a complete stop. Once stopped I could not get the vehicle to turn off. Within minutes the engine finally died. I work inside a chemical plant right nex…”
NHTSA complaint #11536936, 2023 · crash

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 HONDA HR-V. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE REVERSING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE BRAKES FAILED TO FUNCTION. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE REVERSED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE THAT WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 11,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11407122, 2021 · crash

Vehicle Speed Control 5 2 crash

“I was turning left into a parking spot at work with my foot slightly on the break when my engine revvved and my car accelerated at face pace and my brakes were unresponsive causing me to hit a parked truck in front of me. Upon impact my vehicle kept trying to accelerate causing me to keep pushing the truck until my front right side of my car broke off. My car STILL kept accelerating and went across the concrete parking block and finally came to a complete stop. Once stopped I could not get the vehicle to turn off. Within minutes the engine finally died. I work inside a chemical plant right nex…”
NHTSA complaint #11536936, 2023 · crash

“The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving at a low speed attempting to park the vehicle at park, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated, jumped the curb and crashed into a fence. There were no warning lights illuminated. A police report was filed. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries sustained by the driver or the passenger. There was fire reported. The vehicle was towed to a body shop. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11490534, 2022 · crash

“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 awar…”
NHTSA complaint #11680097, 2025

Back Over Prevention 1

“The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V046000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and completed the recall remedy. The contact stated that a week later the radio would reset independently twice per day and the rear camera screen would be blank. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,800.”
NHTSA complaint #11542153, 2023

Exterior Lighting 1

“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…”
NHTSA complaint #11618106, 2024

Seats 1

“Upright seat back locks have often failed to lock upon adjustment of seat back on many occasions and since the vehicle was new. Honda “repaired” the driver seat, when the car was originally purchased, however refused to fix the passenger seat back lock. Their explanation was they checked other cars and they were all like that, which means they were all defective. Now have to pay to have drivers seat repaired due to this ongoing problem.”
NHTSA complaint #11626841, 2020

Steering 1

“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 awar…”
NHTSA complaint #11680097, 2025

Wheels 1

“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, 2026