2021 Honda HR-V Problems & Owner Complaints
Age-normalised, this year draws ~10.2 complaints per year on the road — ranking 9 of 9 Honda HR-V years we track (1 = most complaints per year).
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What owners report
Air Bags is the most-reported problem area on the 2021 Honda HR-V, cited in 20 of 61 filed complaints (33%).
Electrical System is next (15 complaints, 25%), followed by Forward Collision Avoidance (6), Power Train (5), Service Brakes (4).
Across all complaints, 5 report a crash, 5 report injuries.
The most safety-critical cluster is Air Bags: 2 crash, 2 injury report(s).
Complaints by vehicle system
Owner complaints filed with the U.S. NHTSA for the 2021 Honda HR-V, grouped by the vehicle system each cites. A single complaint can name more than one system, so the group totals can add up to more than 61.
Air Bags 20 2 crash 2 injury
“This air bag and seatbelt both malfunctioned clearly the air bag malfunctioned while I was about to cross over a bridge on an interstate .. Ciasing a projectile to shoot me in my eye knocking me unconcouiss and I wasn’t sure wht happened until hind sight and clearly the foremsic evidence supports this .. I woke up hitting.my head on window roof I was in a ditch barreling down a hill twords the bridges legs it stands on and I was already blind I couldn’t see shit nor was I even able to regain control of the vehicle due to the blunt force trauma to my eye and head it was enough to burst my eye…”
NHTSA complaint #11575703, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)
“Lease Car: I waited for the light to turn green and proceed into the intersection going east. The other driver was going south and went through the red light hitting my L/D door, fender,bumper, air bag deployed hit me in the face causing swollen bruised eye. Car was towed as of now there is $15,709 damage with drivers side seat belt on National-Global back order. Due to this being a safety item no after market parts are allowed no seat belt to be found. Car is held up in the body shop they will not release. American Honda stated they have no release date on this seat belt called 13 times, call…”
NHTSA complaint #11514693, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)
“Air bag sensor light is always off even when nobody is sitting in the passenger seat. The sensor has been recalled once before however it’s still having the same issue even after being replaced.”
NHTSA complaint #11741323, 2026
Electrical System 15
“On cold days the dashboard is showing a foreign language.”
NHTSA complaint #11733771, 2026
“My husband and I were driving down the road on the way home from dinner in the rain when the car suddenly started braking very hard but very quickly. I thought at first that my husband had braked a little too hard all of a sudden, but he said he did not. Before he could tell me that though the dash started lighting up. Brake system failure, electronic parking brake failure, hill start assist problem, power-steering problem, and many others - pretty much every safety sensor that could come on. I then worried we would not be able to brake when needed, but luckily we made it home. As soon as we w…”
NHTSA complaint #11732396, 2026
“I have gone in for service many times since this recall was released and have been told each time that they do not have the pats.”
NHTSA complaint #11714525, 2026
Unknown Or Other 9 1 crash
“I had just pulled into my parking space at work, my foot was the break pedal. I could of been in park, but cannot remember . It happened that quick. All of a sudden I heard an acceleration noise and my car was moving forward. I could not react as I did not understand what was happening. I hit a cement wall.”
NHTSA complaint #11618238, 2024 · crash
“My husband and I were driving down the road on the way home from dinner in the rain when the car suddenly started braking very hard but very quickly. I thought at first that my husband had braked a little too hard all of a sudden, but he said he did not. Before he could tell me that though the dash started lighting up. Brake system failure, electronic parking brake failure, hill start assist problem, power-steering problem, and many others - pretty much every safety sensor that could come on. I then worried we would not be able to brake when needed, but luckily we made it home. As soon as we w…”
NHTSA complaint #11732396, 2026
“In November 2024, I purchased a 2021 Honda HR-V with approximately 65,881 miles from Carvana, which conducted an inspection and found no issues. However, just four months later, while driving on the highway, my vehicle suddenly went into neutral, and all warning lights came on. It was a terrifying experience, as I narrowly avoided a collision with a semi-truck before the car shut off entirely. I was lucky to make it to the side of the road safely. Upon having the car towed to my mechanic, it was discovered that the transmission sensor contained metal shards, indicating an internal transmissi…”
NHTSA complaint #11655317, 2025
Forward Collision Avoidance 6 1 crash 1 injury
“This air bag and seatbelt both malfunctioned clearly the air bag malfunctioned while I was about to cross over a bridge on an interstate .. Ciasing a projectile to shoot me in my eye knocking me unconcouiss and I wasn’t sure wht happened until hind sight and clearly the foremsic evidence supports this .. I woke up hitting.my head on window roof I was in a ditch barreling down a hill twords the bridges legs it stands on and I was already blind I couldn’t see shit nor was I even able to regain control of the vehicle due to the blunt force trauma to my eye and head it was enough to burst my eye…”
NHTSA complaint #11575703, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)
“Front Sensing Camera consistently deactivates, turning off safety features such as Lane Keep Assist, Emergency Braking, & Forward Collision Detection All of which fail despite no collision, & no tampering”
NHTSA complaint #11738573, 2026
“The forward-facing windshield lane assist monocular camera ceased working after only 44000 miles. This resulted in numerous hazard warning lights being activated in my dashboard. I went to the dealer where I bought the car, and they gave me an estimate for almost $2200.00. They are charging me $1649.00 for the part. I found the part (OEM) online for half that price. A search on the internet finds thousands of complaints about this part prematurely failing. I bought a new car for the safety features and now if I want to keep them I have to pay an exorbitant amount of money for a replacem…”
NHTSA complaint #11727940, 2026
Power Train 5
“CVT transmission failed and vehicle lost power while on Interstate I-88 65 MPH speed zone. f Momentum allowed me to reach an exit at which point I needed to push the vehicle by myself off the roadway. Vehicle mileage was slighlty over 60,000 miles and the $10,000 dollar repair was not covered by warranty. Dangerous and costly to consumers! Same CVT was recalled or warranty extended in earlier models.”
NHTSA complaint #11740048, 2026
“Transmission failed, metal shavings in the system”
NHTSA complaint #11704885, 2025
“What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - According to the Honda technician metal particles came out when draining the transmission fluid How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Witha failing transmission putting myself and others at risk without knowing Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes by Honda dealership Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? no Were there any warning lamps, messages…”
NHTSA complaint #11629959, 2024
Service Brakes 4
“Brakes are not keeping car stopped. Several times car has started moving slowly when stopped at traffic light or driving on freeway. Several times almost hit car in front of my car. I had to push harder on brakes. No warnings. It has to been inspected by anyone. This has happened since purchase of car in Jan. 2024.”
NHTSA complaint #11586622, 2024
“When you're driving down the highway your break automatically come on. The brake light comes on it goes beep beep and the brakes slams on really hard and you can hear you the brakes grinding. And there's nothing in front of you no cars or anything and it's done that three times on me just today. It's been doing that off and on for about 2 months now.”
NHTSA complaint #11454172, 2022
“I've taken this vehicle to dealership 5 times between October 2021 and February 18, 2022. Three different times the brakes activated without my touching them. Three other times the brakes stopped the car even as I was slowing down for a stoplight. This could cause someone behind me to "rear-end" my car. I have been to my dealership four times and they could not duplicate the issue, no codes found so they could not fix it. One other was a dealership out of town. On the fourth visit to my dealership, the cameras were adjusted and front wheels aligned. After fifth visit, the service coordinator…”
NHTSA complaint #11454107, 2021
Engine 3 1 injury
“The contact owns a 2021 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that there was an abnormal whining sound detected. While driving at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle stopped independently. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was pushed off the road manually. The contact sustained a mental injury due to the failure and developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and medical attention was provided. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the CVT transmission was the cause of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who provided a go…”
NHTSA complaint #11639373, 2024 · 1 injury(ies)
“Six times on the interstate when we press on the gas it does nothing. The dealer told us it's in the software and was designed that way.”
NHTSA complaint #11531628, 2023
“The contact owns a 2021 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds and attempting to accelerate the vehicle loss power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal to the floorboard however the vehicle failed to move. There were no warning lights illuminated The contact changed the fuel to a 93 octane however there was no improvement. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 0.”
NHTSA complaint #11421642, 2021
Steering 3 1 crash 1 injury
“The contact owns a 2021 Honda HR-V. The contact stated while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel did not function as intended. The contact stated that the steering wheel was stiff and veered in the wrong direction. The contact stated that when the steering wheel was turned in the correct direction, the steering wheel pulled in the opposite direction. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to steer. The contact stated that due to the failure, the vehicle was involved in a crash. The vehicle crashed into the concrete sidewalls. The contact's dau…”
NHTSA complaint #11619200, 2024 · crash · 1 injury(ies)
“My cars had a clunking type noise coming from the front left of vehicle, sounds happens on both left and right turns, and sometimes the steering wheel STICKS. Making a knocking sound and sometimes feels difficult to turn the wheel. I had to have the steering gearbox assembly replaced at cost of over $3015 before taxes.”
NHTSA complaint #11741789, 2026
“Approximately three weeks ago my steering wheel started sticking when making turns. Normally it happens when I am traveling at least 30 mph/40 mph. It does not automatically return to the normal position. Sometimes I actually feel it lock and unlock while even driving straight.”
NHTSA complaint #11672463, 2025
Vehicle Speed Control 3 1 crash 1 injury
“The contact owns a 2021 Honda HR-V. The contact stated while entering a parking space, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly and jumped over a curb. The brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond and drove towards a building. The contact was able to steer the vehicle away from the building, and the vehicle crashed into the side of a tree. The air bags did not deploy. There was no injury sustained. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an autobody repair shop, where it was repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the dea…”
NHTSA complaint #11639877, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)
“The car accelerated unexpectedly, yes it is available for inspection, I have not taken to dealer. Car has not been inspected by any police dealer etc. No warning lights appeared. Yes car accelerated toward several on coming cars. I shifted gear from neutral with brake to drive with unexpected acceleration.”
NHTSA complaint #11498769, 2022
“I've taken this vehicle to dealership 5 times between October 2021 and February 18, 2022. Three different times the brakes activated without my touching them. Three other times the brakes stopped the car even as I was slowing down for a stoplight. This could cause someone behind me to "rear-end" my car. I have been to my dealership four times and they could not duplicate the issue, no codes found so they could not fix it. One other was a dealership out of town. On the fourth visit to my dealership, the cameras were adjusted and front wheels aligned. After fifth visit, the service coordinator…”
NHTSA complaint #11454107, 2021
Lane Departure 2
“Front Sensing Camera consistently deactivates, turning off safety features such as Lane Keep Assist, Emergency Braking, & Forward Collision Detection All of which fail despite no collision, & no tampering”
NHTSA complaint #11738573, 2026
“The forward-facing windshield lane assist monocular camera ceased working after only 44000 miles. This resulted in numerous hazard warning lights being activated in my dashboard. I went to the dealer where I bought the car, and they gave me an estimate for almost $2200.00. They are charging me $1649.00 for the part. I found the part (OEM) online for half that price. A search on the internet finds thousands of complaints about this part prematurely failing. I bought a new car for the safety features and now if I want to keep them I have to pay an exorbitant amount of money for a replacem…”
NHTSA complaint #11727940, 2026
Seat Belts 2 2 crash 2 injury
“This air bag and seatbelt both malfunctioned clearly the air bag malfunctioned while I was about to cross over a bridge on an interstate .. Ciasing a projectile to shoot me in my eye knocking me unconcouiss and I wasn’t sure wht happened until hind sight and clearly the foremsic evidence supports this .. I woke up hitting.my head on window roof I was in a ditch barreling down a hill twords the bridges legs it stands on and I was already blind I couldn’t see shit nor was I even able to regain control of the vehicle due to the blunt force trauma to my eye and head it was enough to burst my eye…”
NHTSA complaint #11575703, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)
“Lease Car: I waited for the light to turn green and proceed into the intersection going east. The other driver was going south and went through the red light hitting my L/D door, fender,bumper, air bag deployed hit me in the face causing swollen bruised eye. Car was towed as of now there is $15,709 damage with drivers side seat belt on National-Global back order. Due to this being a safety item no after market parts are allowed no seat belt to be found. Car is held up in the body shop they will not release. American Honda stated they have no release date on this seat belt called 13 times, call…”
NHTSA complaint #11514693, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)
Seats 2 1 crash 1 injury
“Lease Car: I waited for the light to turn green and proceed into the intersection going east. The other driver was going south and went through the red light hitting my L/D door, fender,bumper, air bag deployed hit me in the face causing swollen bruised eye. Car was towed as of now there is $15,709 damage with drivers side seat belt on National-Global back order. Due to this being a safety item no after market parts are allowed no seat belt to be found. Car is held up in the body shop they will not release. American Honda stated they have no release date on this seat belt called 13 times, call…”
NHTSA complaint #11514693, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)
“Went to Honda dealer they didnt have the part for recall 24V-064 also called Honda directly adn they said only if the SRS light come in dashboard i can go and fix the recall otherwise i have to wait until parts become available to public. This means that Paragon Honda has the parts but is being selective. Honda doesn’t have an estimated time frame when issue will be fixed. I do not feel safe driving vehicle with open recalls and cant sell car as nobody wants with open recalls”
NHTSA complaint #11599519, 2024
Exterior Lighting 1
“Odometer section of dashboard failed to light up/turn on. Continued to happen after restarting the car. Eventually after running the car for ~20 minutes it started flashing and turned on. If this continues to occur or fails completely/indefinitely, there is a risk of stalling on the road or highway if unable to monitor the gas gauge.”
NHTSA complaint #11578666, 2024
Fuel/Propulsion System 1
“Six times on the interstate when we press on the gas it does nothing. The dealer told us it's in the software and was designed that way.”
NHTSA complaint #11531628, 2023
How we read this (methodology)
How to read this: raw complaint totals are not a clean reliability score — a model year with more cars sold, or simply more years on the road, accumulates more complaints regardless of how good it is. So this page leans on two signals that are not distorted by sales volume: the share of complaints falling on each vehicle system (the breakdown above) and NHTSA's own crash / fire / injury / death flags. When we compare model years of the same model, we normalise by years on the road (complaints ÷ vehicle age) rather than comparing raw totals. Age-normalised, the 2021 Honda HR-V draws about 10.2 complaints per year on the road, ranking 9 of 9 among the Honda HR-V model years we have ingested (1 = most complaints per year on road).
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Related
Data source: U.S. NHTSA (nhtsa.gov). SaveVIN surfaces public recall data and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NHTSA.