VehicleVerdict

2018 Honda CR-V problems

Verdict · NHTSA data

One of the years to avoid

The 2018 Honda CR-V carries two red flags at once: 2,923 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA — 5.5× the CR-V norm — and an open NHTSA defect investigation (subject: Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking). It is one of the CR-V years to avoid. Complainants reported 64 injuries in total across these filings.

No single system dominates the record — complaints spread across fuel system (588), driver assistance (525), and engine (523), which usually points to general build quality rather than one defect. In government crash testing it earned 5 of 5 NCAP stars overall.

2,923

NHTSA complaints

5

Recalls

3

Investigations · 1 open

69

Crash-involved

2

Fires reported

64

Injuries

0

Deaths

5

NCAP overall · of 5 stars

How does 2018 compare to other CR-V years?

CR-V NHTSA complaints by model year, 2018 highlighted2,923 complaints1997: 129 complaints1998: 136 complaints1999: 158 complaints2000: 156 complaints2001: 159 complaints2002: 661 complaints2003: 580 complaints2004: 603 complaints2005: 601 complaints2006: 522 complaints2007: 1,158 complaints2008: 1,221 complaints2009: 447 complaints2010: 588 complaints2011: 646 complaints2012: 508 complaints2013: 498 complaints2014: 795 complaints2015: 975 complaints2016: 544 complaints2017: 2,596 complaints2018: 2,923 complaints2019: 1,502 complaints2020: 438 complaints2021: 438 complaints2022: 291 complaints2023: 644 complaints2024: 514 complaints2025: 339 complaints2026: 140 complaints
CR-V NHTSA complaints by model year, 2018 highlighted. Red bars are years to avoid.

See all CR-V years to avoid →

What are the most common 2018 Honda CR-V problems?

ComponentComplaintsShare
Fuel System58820%
Driver Assistance52518%
Engine52318%
Electrical System30711%
Steering30210%
Other2017%
Brakes1947%
Speed Control622%
Transmission582%
Visibility & Wipers442%
Body & Structure261%
Seat Belts251%
Airbags201%
Tires & Wheels191%
Lighting120%
Seats70%
Suspension60%
Climate Control (A/C & Heat)20%
Latches & Locks20%

Does the 2018 Honda CR-V have recalls?

5 NHTSA recall campaigns on file. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

26V332000AirbagsMay 21, 2026 · 98,892 units

Defect

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.

Consequence

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 are expected to be mailed July 6, 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.

23V858000Fuel SystemDecember 18, 2023 · 2,490,460 units

Defect

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.

Consequence

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.

23V158000Seat BeltsMarch 9, 2023 · 448,613 units

Defect

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.

Consequence

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.

21V215000Fuel SystemMarch 25, 2021 · 624,552 units

Defect

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.

Consequence

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.

18V663000SteeringSeptember 27, 2018 · 54 units

Defect

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Honda Civic and CR-V vehicles. The magnet that controls the torque sensor output signal for the electronic power steering system may not be properly secured, allowing the magnet to become dislodged. During a full lock turn, the dislodged magnet may cause steering assist to be applied in the opposite direction.

Consequence

The unintended steering input reduces vehicle maneuverability and increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gearbox assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are C2N, P2O.

Open NHTSA investigations

EA24002

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.

Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA

Representative excerpts, cleaned of personal information. These are consumer statements, not verified defects.

“Defective feel pump causes all lights on the dash to turn on, and also causes the car to stall/misfire. When you try to accelerate. We've had this same problem over and over again even after the recall that supposedly fixed the issue. ”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Fuel System · September 12, 2025 · crash

“Stopped at a red light then proceeded to drive through the intersection on the green light. No cars or pedestrians in front of the car. Driving about 15 - 20 mph when the automatic braking system engaged and slammed on the brakes for no reason. The jeep behind me rear-ended me then drove off. ”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Driver Assistance · February 16, 2023 · crash

“MY CAR HAS STALLED TWICE IMMEDIATELY ON COLD START. THIS IS AN ISSUE AS BOTH TIMES IT RESULTED IN UNEXPECTED ROLLBACK, AS MY GARAGE IS ON A SLOPE, AND IT SEEMED LIKE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS STILL "LOCKED" LIKE IN ENGINE OFF MODE, SO I ROLLED BACK DESPITE PRESSING THE PEDAL. THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · October 13, 2018 · fire

“ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2019, I WAS APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION GOING 25 MPH. I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO STOP AT THE LIGHT, AND THE CAR KEPT MOVING. WE COLLIDED WITH A CAR COMING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, THAT WAS TURNING LEFT. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES AND THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. WE ENDED UP DRIVING OVER A…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Electrical System · September 25, 2019 · crash

“I was preparing to turn around a curve when my steering wheel locked straight, causing my vehicle to collide with a concrete barrier. My vehicle was the only one involved, and collided with the barrier twice. This has led to several thousands in mechanical and body damages. ”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Steering · June 23, 2024 · crash

2018 Honda CR-V — common questions

Is the 2018 Honda CR-V reliable?

NHTSA data argues against it: 2,923 complaints put the 2018 model at #1 of 30 CR-V years, and a defect investigation remains open. It is one of the CR-V years to avoid.

What are the most common 2018 CR-V problems?

According to NHTSA complaint data, the leading problem areas are fuel system (588 complaints), driver assistance (525 complaints), engine (523 complaints).

Does the 2018 Honda CR-V have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns affecting the 2018 Honda CR-V. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers; check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm the work was done.

Is the 2018 Honda CR-V under NHTSA investigation?

Yes — an investigation remains open (Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking). An open ODI action means NHTSA is actively assessing a possible defect.

Which Honda CR-V years should you avoid?

Based on complaint rates and open investigations, the CR-V years to avoid are 2018, 2017, 2019, 2008, 2007, 2015, 2014, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2003, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2021, 2020, 2022. The cleanest record among CR-V years belongs to 1997.

How safe is the 2018 Honda CR-V?

In NHTSA's NCAP crash testing, the 2018 Honda CR-V earned an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.