When it comes to compact SUVs, the Honda CR-V has been popular with buyers for decades. For the last few years the CR-V has been duking it out with the Toyota RAV4 for the title of best selling compact SUV. But with those big sales numbers there have been some issues for 2023-2026 Honda CR-V models along the way.
The information presented below was collected from NHTSA.gov complaints, recall information, various Facebook groups and online forums plus experience from covering the industry for the last 15 years.
Hard To Steer
By far the biggest complaint 2023-2025 Honda CR-V owners have centers on steering. Here’s just a few of the NHTSA complains filed by CR-V drivers:
“There was a sense of lack of control of the steering wheel, and in the instance of the curve in the road coming down the mountain, it felt like the car was trying to drive over a cliff.” – NHTSA Complaint ID #11719356
“Steering sticks when driving on the road, like it has worn tooth in a gear. You can feel it in the steering wheel. It also makes the car drift from side to side. The vehicle wants to wander on the roadway.” – NHTSA Complaint ID #11645408
“The steering wheel of my vehicle becomes tight while driving and sticks when turned, especially at higher speeds.” NHTSA Complaint ID #11632708
It seems the steering gearbox was not set up correctly, basically allowing grease to be squeezed out of areas where it is needed to reduce friction: less grease, harder to move the steering wheel. After roughly 10,000 warranty claims related to the stiff steering boxes, Honda issued NHTSA recall 24V-744 and a fix for the problem. Dealers will replace the worm gear spring and add new grease as necessary.
Fuel Leaks
Modern gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines use extremely high fuel pressure systems in order to inject fuel straight into the combustion chamber while it is under compression. Even a tiny flaw can cause a fuel leak under such pressure. Unfortunately certain 2023-2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid vehicles had defects during the manufacturing of the high-pressure fuel pump. Issues could be as minor as a gasoline smell to a potential fire (although none have been reported). Affected vehicles under NHTSA recall 24V-763 will have the high-pressure fuel pump replaced.
Just when 2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid owners thought the fuel problem was solved, along came another fuel leak issue. This time a fuel hose connection could be loose, causing a gasoline smell or a fuel leak. In this instance the problem wasn’t caused by a bad part, but by bad procedures during assembly. Seems that the person tasked with making sure the connection was tight didn’t quite have the training to do so. To quote the recall notice: “The connection and verification steps were performed by an associate with limited experience, who incorrectly assessed the hose connection as properly secured. “The NHTSA recall 25V-378 solution is to have the dealer install a new fuel hose, but correctly this time.
High-Voltage Problems
Sorry, current and potential Honda CR-V Hybrid owners, but those models face two more potential problems. First up, 2023 models can develop an internal wiring breakage. The problem isn’t an actual wire, but a copper coated aluminum bus bar that can break under certain circumstances. If the copper coating on the bus bar is too thin and allows the underlying aluminum to be exposed, a chemical reaction inside the battery can weaken the bus bar and allow it to break. Loose electrical connectors inside a battery are never good and could cause sparking or even a fire. Under NHTSA recall 24V-745 hybrid CR-Vs will have the battery module replaced with an improved version.
Mixing electricity and conductive fluids rarely produced a positive outcome. For 2025 Honda CR-V Fuel Cell EVs there is an issue where fuel cell coolant can leak into the fuel cell case and cause a short circuit. There was an issue with the fuel cell assembly involving sealant and gaskets that keep fuel cell coolant from escaping to where the electrical connections live. Electricity plus coolant means a short circuit and a bad day. Luckily NHTSA recall 25V-858 simply replaces the troublesome fuel cell stack assembly with a new unit featuring improved sealing and better machining.
Transmission Failure
When it comes to major (and expensive) problems, a bad transmission is second only to engine failure. In this case, there is a situation with the 2023 CR-V Hybrid models where the engine loses power. In affected models, the transmission was assembled out of order, leading to broken internal pieces. Those broken pieces may cut internal wires, causing the engine to die and not restart. The good news is that vehicles affected by NHTSA recall 23V-588 will get a new transmission assembly, put together the right way.
Flaky Infotainment Screen
While not a recall, some 2023-2026 Honda CR-V owners have reported issues with the dash infotainment screen simply going dark. Doing the old “turn it off and back on again” doesn’t seem to work. The jury is out on the actual cause, but the screen sometimes comes back to life on its own. Some have reported success in resetting the infotainment system, but taking it to the dealer is probably the best line of action.
Conclusion
The Honda CR-V continues to be a strong seller in the North American market. The sixth generation CR-V is hitting its stride and teething issues seem to be on the downward trend at this point. While the seventh generation 2023-2026 Honda CR-V is likely still a few years off, the current version is still a solid choice for buyers looking for a “do it all” compact SUV.
