2025 Honda CR-V Problems: 13 Known Issues

On the 2024-2026 Honda CR-V, cR-V Hybrids use an electro-servo brake-by-wire system with a pedal simulator rather than a conventional vacuum booster. Owners of 2024-2026 CR-Vs, including both hybrid and 1.5T gas models, report abrupt 'Brake System Problem — Brake Performance May Be Reduced' messages accompanied by a hard or long pedal, grinding, and in several cases near-total loss of power assist while moving. One 2025 CR-V with under 5,000 miles had an outright brake pedal simulator control unit failure that took out both service braking and the electric parking brake on the road. A 2026 CR-V Hybrid owner had the same warning cluster twice, the first within days of delivery, repaired once as a brake sensor. Warnings typically arrive alongside Vehicle Stability Assist, AWD and collision-mitigation faults because the same control network is involved.

On the 2024-2026 Honda CR-V, a recurring NHTSA complaint pattern on 2024-2026 CR-Vs, concentrated on the Hybrid, describes the vehicle creeping into a parking space at walking pace, the driver applying the brake, and the vehicle surging forward over a curb into a wall, tree, building or parked car. Multiple filers specifically report having firm pressure on the brake pedal when the vehicle surged, and some report hearing the engine rev as it lurched forward. More than a dozen such reports span the 2024, 2025 and 2026 model years with injuries and total-loss crashes. Honda has issued no recall and dealers generally find no stored fault.

On the 2020-2025 Honda CR-V 2.0L Hybrid, the CR-V Hybrid (2020+) uses regenerative braking as the primary retardation method, meaning the conventional friction brakes are used less frequently than on non-hybrid models. This reduced usage causes brake rotors to develop surface rust and corrosion significantly faster, creating a grinding noise that worries owners into unnecessary brake replacement. Additionally, the rear brake pads on CR-V Hybrids experience glazing and reduced effectiveness from infrequent use. Rear brake pad replacement is required more frequently than expected despite low physical wear because of glazing.

On the 2024-2026 Honda CR-V, the camera/radar Honda Sensing CMBS on 6th-gen CR-Vs applies hard automatic braking on open road with nothing ahead. NHTSA complaints across 2024, 2025 and 2026 CR-Vs describe the instrument cluster flashing BRAKE and the vehicle decelerating sharply at 35-70 mph with no vehicle, animal, or obstruction present — frequently under overpasses, approaching intersections, on curves where an oncoming car is in the opposite lane, and in light snow. Owners report near rear-end collisions. Dealers commonly find no stored fault and declare the system calibrated. This is the same inadvertent-activation failure mode NHTSA already escalated to an Engineering Analysis on earlier CR-V and Accord generations, now recurring on the current body style.

On the 2023-2026 Honda CR-V, honda recalled 2023-2026 CR-V Hybrid and 2025-2026 CR-V Fuel Cell EV vehicles (along with Accord Hybrid) because pressure can build inside the tire sealant bottle supplied in the underfloor tire repair kit. During use the bottle cap can detach and become a projectile, striking the user or bystanders. These trims carry no spare wheel, so the repair kit is the only roadside option, meaning owners are most exposed exactly when stranded at the roadside. NHTSA complaints from CR-V owners through mid-2026 show remedy parts on extended backorder, with dealers unable to schedule the repair for weeks.

On the 2023-2026 Honda CR-V, the millimeter-wave radar module for adaptive cruise control and the Collision Mitigation Braking System sits directly behind the Honda 'H' emblem in the CR-V's front grille, retained only by clips. Thieves pop the emblem and pull the sensor in under a minute; the modules resell for a few hundred dollars while dealer replacement plus aiming runs many times that. Multiple 2026 CR-V owners filed NHTSA complaints after repeat thefts — one owner had the sensor stolen, replaced, and stolen again. The car still drives, but ACC, CMBS, low-speed braking control and the road-departure functions go dark and the dashboard fills with driver-assist failure messages, and replacement modules have been on backorder.

On the 2023-2025 Honda CR-V 2.0L Hybrid (Atkinson, direct injection), recall 24V763 covers certain 2023–2025 CR-V Hybrids produced September 21, 2021–September 16, 2024. Cracks in the high-pressure pump's solenoid core can allow fuel leakage, increasing fire risk near an ignition source. Production dates alone do not establish VIN eligibility. This engine-mounted pump concern is separate from in-tank impeller recalls.

On the 2023-2025 Honda CR-V, on 6th-generation (2023-2025) CR-V and CR-V Hybrid, the electric power steering (EPS) gearbox worm wheel can swell during use, reducing grease film thickness, while the worm gear spring preload was set improperly high. The combination increases friction between the worm wheel and worm gear, producing a 'sticky,' notchy, or catchy steering feel and increased steering effort, especially noticeable on-center at highway speed. Honda issued NHTSA recall 24V744000 covering roughly 1.3-1.7 million vehicles across CR-V, Civic, HR-V, Accord, and Acura models. Many owners reported long parts-availability delays before the fix.

On the 2025 Honda CR-V Hydrogen fuel cell (FCEV), the hydrogen-powered 2025 CR-V e:FCEV (plug-in fuel-cell variant) was recalled because coolant can leak from the fuel cell stack coolant system into the fuel cell stack case, causing an internal short circuit between the bipolar plate and support-bar housing. This can trigger power-system, fuel-cell, and insulating-fluid warnings, drop the vehicle into a low-output mode (about 20 kW / ~27 hp), and ultimately cause a loss of drive power. Root causes were an under-validated reduction in adhesive sealant on the FC stack end joint and a supplier's missing deburring step on an O-ring groove in a coolant wobble joint. NHTSA recall 25V858000 covers 388 vehicles (nearly the entire U.S. fleet); the vehicles also fail FMVSS 305.

On the 2024-2026 Honda CR-V, owners of 6th-gen CR-Vs report the fixed panoramic moonroof glass exploding outward with a gunshot-like bang at highway speed with no rock strike, no overpass, and no vehicle ahead. NHTSA has logged more than 40 such reports across the 2024, 2025 and 2026 model years, including cars parked indoors and unoccupied at the time. Several 2024-2026 CR-V owners report the same failure in the rear window glass instead, in two 2026 cases (one a CR-V LX) twice on the same car. Where the interior sunshade was open, glass fell into the cabin onto occupants. Dealers routinely decline warranty coverage by calling it road-debris damage, but the complaint pattern (no witness marks, glass breaking outward, breakage while parked) points to residual stress in the tempered panel rather than an external strike.

On the 2023-2025 Honda CR-V, many 6th-generation (2023-2025) CR-V owners report that the multi-view rear (backup) camera image displays in black-and-white instead of color, or the center touchscreen goes solid black/blank when shifted into reverse. For the black-and-white image, the root cause is an incorrect software threshold setting in the audio/infotainment head unit, not the camera hardware, and Honda issued Technical Service Bulletin 25-071 for it. The solid black/blank screen is a separate condition that Honda opened an internal investigation into (dealer request-for-visit on 2023-2025 Civic, CR-V and Pilot). Dealers who replaced the camera (rather than updating software) generally did not fix the problem, leading to repeat visits.

On the 2023-2025 Honda CR-V, the 6th generation CR-V (2023+) receives early owner complaints about two noise issues: (1) A heat shield rattle from the exhaust/turbo area on cold starts that settles after warm-up. (2) A characteristic direct-injection "ticking" noise from the 1.5T engine that is considered normal but alarms new owners. The 2023 CR-V also received updated Honda Sensing software to reduce phantom braking inherited from previous generation.

On the 2023-2025 Honda CR-V, owners of 6th-generation (2023-2025) CR-V report poor windshield visibility from the wet-arm washer/wiper design: washer fluid dribbles unevenly from the wiper arms rather than spraying across the glass, the driver's-side wiper stops short of fully clearing the windshield, and at highway speed the spray blows over the glass without wetting it. The result is streaking, smearing of bugs/debris, and water-film visibility hazards in rain. CarComplaints logs roughly 37 visibility/wiper complaints for 2024 and 20+ for 2023; many owners say dealers find 'no problem.' This is a design/effectiveness issue rather than a wiper-motor failure.