HONDA CR-V HYBRID · model year

2020 HONDA CR-V HYBRID

105 NHTSA complaints, 7 crash reports, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

5 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2020HONDACR-V HYBRID carries 105 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 7 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 5/5 rating, with 5/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2020 CR-V HYBRID is engine with 15 filings, followed by electrical system (12) and unknown or other (11). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 4 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2020 CR-V HYBRID, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

105
Complaints
7
Crashes
0
Fires
5
Injuries
0
Deaths
2020 HONDA CR-V HYBRID — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2020 HONDA CR-V HYBRID. Overall composite: 5.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 5.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 5.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 5.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

105 filings

Crashes Reported

7 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 5/5 — Top NCAP rating · Front: 5/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE15
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM12
UNKNOWN OR OTHER11
SERVICE BRAKES11
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING11
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM7
POWER TRAIN5
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS4
AIR BAGS4
STRUCTURE:BODY3
STEERING3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC3
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
WHEELS2
SEAT BELTS2

Recalls (4)

23V85800018/12/2023

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

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, F

20V79800017/12/2020

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:DC/DC CONVERTER

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020 CR-V Hybrid, Accord Hybrid, and 2020-2021 Insight vehicles. The DC-DC converter may shut down and prevent the 12-volt battery from recharging, possibly resulting in a loss of drive power.

23V84400013/12/2023

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid vehicles. The 12-Volt battery cable routed outside of the body frame is missing a fuse on the power circuit, which can allow the battery cable to short circuit or overheat during a crash.

24V06400001/02/2024

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RD

Recent Complaints

20250909ENGINE

Vehicle: 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2.0L engine VIN: [XXX] Mileage at failure: ~73,000 miles Dealer: AutoNation Honda Fremont, California Estimated repair cost: ~$4,200 Issue: Blown head gasket Summary of Complaint: At approximately 73,000 miles, my 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid suffered a blown head gasket. The vehicle began showing symptoms of overheating and coolant loss, and a dealer diagnostic confirmed head gasket failure. The repair estimate from AutoNation Honda Fremont is approximately $4,200. A head gasket failure at this mileage is abnormal and indicates a potential design defect. I am aware of an ongoing class-action lawsuit concerning premature head gasket and engine failures in late-model Honda vehicles with turbocharged and hybrid engines, and my experience appears consistent with these allegations. This defect is a safety hazard because it can lead to sudden overheating, engine stalling, or complete failure while driving, which puts drivers and passengers at risk. It also cre

20250823UNKNOWN OR OTHER

We have been trying to get our recall serviced for over 18 months. The dealer continues to tell us the parts need to be special ordered and they will call us back. However they never call us back. We have called Honda directly and have not received any help from them either.

20250812CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while making a turn into a parking space, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated, drove up the curb, hit and drove over the metallic Bank sign pole, which damaged the undercarriage of the vehicle. The vehicle then crashed into the sides of two unoccupied vehicles that were parked perpendicularly to the contact's vehicle. The vehicle then stopped. The contact stated that one of the vehicles that the vehicle had crashed into was pushed a third of a block away. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed during the failure, but the vehicle failed to respond. The message "Brake Failure" was displayed, and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. No police report was filed, and no injury was sustained. The vehicle was towed to an autobody repair shop, where it was repaired for the damage sustained. Additionally, the contact stated that while pulling into a parking space in front of the

20250812CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while making a turn into a parking space, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated, drove up the curb, hit and drove over the metallic Bank sign pole, which damaged the undercarriage of the vehicle. The vehicle then crashed into the sides of two unoccupied vehicles that were parked perpendicularly to the contact's vehicle. The vehicle then stopped. The contact stated that one of the vehicles that the vehicle had crashed into was pushed a third of a block away. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed during the failure, but the vehicle failed to respond. The message "Brake Failure" was displayed, and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. No police report was filed, and no injury was sustained. The vehicle was towed to an autobody repair shop, where it was repaired for the damage sustained. Additionally, the contact stated that while pulling into a parking space in front of the

20250806ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the message that the engine was reaching the max engine temperature and to pull over was displayed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the EV water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired three times. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on four times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 122,000.

Mileage: 122,000

20250805SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the brake pedal stopped the vehicle the independently without the contact depressing the brake pedal. The brake warning light illuminated. a dealer or independent mechanic was not contacted. The vehicle was not the dealer or independent mechanic for diagnoses. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 33,000.

Mileage: 33,000

20250731SERVICE BRAKES

I had intermittent warning lights about the electronic parking brake and steering assist for lane departure. One day I left my house and warning lights came on about brake failure. There were no power brakes and the little braking available was very not good at all. I had the car towed to a dealer and it was diagnosed with an internal failure of brake control unit code pfe2b oo. I had the unit replaced.

20250723CrashSERVICE BRAKES

The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid. The contact stated that while his wife was driving up the driveway, at a slow speed, the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle then accelerated independently. The auto stop feature failed. The contact's wife veered to avoid hitting a parked vehicle. However, the vehicle hit the side of the garage and hit a small tree, where it came to a stop. The contact advised that a branch went under the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The driver-side and passenger-side air bags did not deploy. The contact's wife suffered injuries to the front part of her head. The contact was occupying the front passenger's side seat at the time of the incident. Medical attention was not received. The police were not notified. The vehicle was towed to a collision center but was not diagnosed or repaired. The insurance company was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer advised the co

Mileage: 42,332

20250606SEATS

The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front driver’s seat and the front passenger’s seat felt hard and uneven. The contact checked the bottom of the seat and became aware there was a space between the seat rails and the carpet. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the carpet was shrunk to size. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at various speeds, when the brake pedal was depressed, the contact’s foot slipped off the pedal, compromising the brake prevention system. The contact stated the brake pedal is higher than the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied assistance in covering the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 100.

Mileage: 100

20250606SERVICE BRAKES

The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front driver’s seat and the front passenger’s seat felt hard and uneven. The contact checked the bottom of the seat and became aware there was a space between the seat rails and the carpet. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the carpet was shrunk to size. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at various speeds, when the brake pedal was depressed, the contact’s foot slipped off the pedal, compromising the brake prevention system. The contact stated the brake pedal is higher than the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied assistance in covering the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 100.

Mileage: 100

20250404ENGINE

Sudden engine failure while driving on highway with immediate loss of power. Engine failure was due to blown head gasket from failure in sealed coolant system. Engine failure occurred prematurely at 84k miles. Honda allegedly is aware of this failure in their system, and has not addressed it. Safety concern due to sudden loss of power while driving in areas with speeds at excess of 60 mph, no warning prior to failure.

20250322ENGINE

While driving my 2020 Honda CRV Hybrid the check engine light came on and my speed reduced to 30mph on the highway. This first happened 5/31/2024 and I had it towed to Honda and Honda could not find the problem. I was told to bring it back in if it happened again. I asked Honda to report to their corporate representative because it was a dangerous issue, and was told we should not at this time. Then on 3/21/2025 less than a year later this occurred again and I bought it back to Honda and I am waiting for Honda to tell me what the issue is. This is a safety issue that has happened to other Honda hybrids not just to mine. Please help me on this matter they don’t seem to be able to know what the problem is and this is quite a safety concern.

Mileage: 39,000

20250322ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving my 2020 Honda CRV Hybrid the check engine light came on and my speed reduced to 30mph on the highway. This first happened 5/31/2024 and I had it towed to Honda and Honda could not find the problem. I was told to bring it back in if it happened again. I asked Honda to report to their corporate representative because it was a dangerous issue, and was told we should not at this time. Then on 3/21/2025 less than a year later this occurred again and I bought it back to Honda and I am waiting for Honda to tell me what the issue is. This is a safety issue that has happened to other Honda hybrids not just to mine. Please help me on this matter they don’t seem to be able to know what the problem is and this is quite a safety concern.

Mileage: 39,000

20250322FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

While driving my 2020 Honda CRV Hybrid the check engine light came on and my speed reduced to 30mph on the highway. This first happened 5/31/2024 and I had it towed to Honda and Honda could not find the problem. I was told to bring it back in if it happened again. I asked Honda to report to their corporate representative because it was a dangerous issue, and was told we should not at this time. Then on 3/21/2025 less than a year later this occurred again and I bought it back to Honda and I am waiting for Honda to tell me what the issue is. This is a safety issue that has happened to other Honda hybrids not just to mine. Please help me on this matter they don’t seem to be able to know what the problem is and this is quite a safety concern.

Mileage: 39,000

20250304ENGINE

There was no crash, but it is the second time within a month the vehicle stalls on the highway. The engine keeps running gives a loud banging sound. Also, the hybrid batteries are drained quickly to 0. The first-time the car started work again as normal after 1/2-1 hour standing on the side of the highway. The second time we turned the vehicle off/on, and it started to work again. In both cases the 'check engine' light came on. Twice the dealer ship inspected the car but could find anything wrong with it. We know there is a recall on the model and year, for a full pump issue (which I think is the issue here), but not for the VIN of this vehicle. The symptoms of the recall are identical to our experience. We are afraid to drive this car again. It is scary as the car stalls, power steering stops working, so does the power breaks and the car becomes uncontrollable. Luckly in both cases we were on a straight on the highway, but what would happen if we were in a turn on a winding road? Than

20250304STEERING

There was no crash, but it is the second time within a month the vehicle stalls on the highway. The engine keeps running gives a loud banging sound. Also, the hybrid batteries are drained quickly to 0. The first-time the car started work again as normal after 1/2-1 hour standing on the side of the highway. The second time we turned the vehicle off/on, and it started to work again. In both cases the 'check engine' light came on. Twice the dealer ship inspected the car but could find anything wrong with it. We know there is a recall on the model and year, for a full pump issue (which I think is the issue here), but not for the VIN of this vehicle. The symptoms of the recall are identical to our experience. We are afraid to drive this car again. It is scary as the car stalls, power steering stops working, so does the power breaks and the car becomes uncontrollable. Luckly in both cases we were on a straight on the highway, but what would happen if we were in a turn on a winding road? Than

20250224ENGINE

The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the dealer informed the contact that the failure could not be duplicated. The contact was informed that the spark plugs had been replaced by the dealer. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

Mileage: 70,000

20250222POWER TRAIN

My Honda CR-V Hybrid would stop working on the highway at high speeds. Sporadically, I would be driving at speeds from 55-75mph and the accelerator pedal would stop working and my car would start slowing to a halt. I would have to pull over to the side of the highway quickly, turn the car off, and then restart it. It usually would work but occasionally the car would stop a mile or two down the road and I would have to restart it again. This occurred six times between 11/24 and 1/25. In all cases, the car would still have electrical power but the accelerator would simply stop responding. This led to several dangerous situations where I needed to maneuver around trailer trucks while rapidly slowing. In all cases, there was no warning lights or messages. I had two different mechanics, including the dealership where I bought the car, look at it and neither could find a source of the problem. This problem as occurred to other owners of Honda CR-V's if you search for this problem on

20250211AIR BAGS

I have contacted a local Honda dealer every few months since 03/30/2024 and have been told they still don't have the parts for the recall.

20250124SERVICE BRAKES

Brakes failed due to a known issue with the Brake Simulator. The same vehicle has been recalled in Japan for this reason. Brakes became completely non-responsive while driving. Again, this is a known issue. The brakes simply due not work and in Japan they have identified a manufacturing process defect. [XXX] Vehicle was inspected by Team Honda in Baton Rouge. Many lights on the dash are warning that there is a defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Compare 2020HONDACR-V HYBRID to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2020 HONDA CR-V HYBRID have?
The 2020 HONDA CR-V HYBRID has 105 NHTSA complaints, 7 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2020 HONDA CR-V HYBRID?
The 2020 HONDA CR-V HYBRID received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 5/5, front crash rating of 5/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2020 HONDA CR-V HYBRID?
Yes, the 2020 HONDA CR-V HYBRID has 4 recall(s). The most common affected component is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2020 HONDA CR-V HYBRID?
The most-complained component for the 2020 HONDA CR-V HYBRID is ENGINE with 15 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2020 HONDA CR-V HYBRID safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2020 HONDA CR-V HYBRID has an NHTSA safety rating of 5/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.