What's Wrong with the 5th Generation (2017–2020) CR-V?

CR-V owners have made 481 complaints about the 2017–2020 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 43rd out of 58 Honda generations in overall reliability, with some engine and electrical concerns.

Compare With Other CR-V Generations

Common 2017-2020 Honda CR-V Problems

Some of the worst issues 5th generation CR-V owners have to deal with.

  1. Dead Battery in Accord and CR-V

    Certain generations of Accord and CR-V vehicles chew through batteries. Leave one of these sitting a couple days and there's a good chance it won't start due to an underpowered battery, parasitic drains, and an ineffective battery charging …

    Continue reading article "Dead Battery in Accord and CR-V" An overhead view of a car's fuse box with various colored fuses

  2. Spontaneously Cracked CR-V Windshields

    Honda says the strong fuel vapors are caused by excess fuel building up in the oil pan. The issue appears to be particularly bad in cold-weather climates. In a letter to consumers, Honda impressively skirted blame by placing it on the drive…

    Continue reading article "Spontaneously Cracked CR-V Windshields" A windshield with cracks in the lower left corner covered in tape

  3. Denso Fuel Pump Failure

    The impellers inside of Denso branded fuel pumps may have been excessively exposed to a drying agent during manufacturing. This leads to them cracking, absorbing fuel, and deforming so badly that they stop sending fuel to the engine. Honda …

    Continue reading article "Denso Fuel Pump Failure"

  4. Honda Sensing Problems

    Honda sensing is a group of safety systems to help drivers monitor changing road conditions. However there are growing concerns about malfunctions in the system that cause the auto-brakes to engage randomly, the radar to get confused on sun…

    Continue reading article "Honda Sensing Problems" An illustrated CR-V with blue triangles beaming out from various parts of the car where there are sensors

  5. Oil Dilution in Honda's 1.5L Engine

    Excess fuel vapors in Honda’s 1.5-liter engine aren’t burning off and diluting the engine’s oil. This raises the oil level, triggers warning lights, creates a terrible smell, and brings into question the prospect of long-term damage caused …

    Continue reading article "Oil Dilution in Honda's 1.5L Engine"

  6. Heater Doesn't Work

    This popular SUV is terrible at producing heat while idling. In fact, many owners say it won’t produce any at all until they start driving. If you’ve ever had to scrape ice off your windshield you understand how powerful of an ally the defr…

    Continue reading article "Heater Doesn't Work"

  7. Rodents Chew Soy Wiring

    Honda switched to a soy-based coating for their wiring that is more biodegradable. It sounds like a pro-Earth move by the automaker, but the real reason is probably a little less triumphant: the coating costs less than plastic. Still, less …

    Continue reading article "Rodents Chew Soy Wiring"

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

5th Generation (2017–2020) CR-V Key Numbers

  1. 4 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 481 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 43rd in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 58 eligible generations.

Recent Lawsuits for 5th Generation CR-V Owners

Recent 5th Generation (2017–2020) CR-V News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  3. A CR-V cracked windshield lawsuit has been dismissed after the plaintiff and Honda agreed to an unknown settlement outside of court.

    The lawsuit claims that windshields in the 5th generation CR-V are subject to stress cracks from excessive pressure from the frame. Honda's warranty is supposed to cover any broken glass that is the result of a defect but continually denies a defect exists.

    While dismissing the lawsuit is a blow to other owners experiencing the same problem, the action was dismissed without prejudice as to the claims of the members of the putative class other than Plaintiff which leaves future lawsuits in play.

    keep reading article "A CR-V Cracked Windshield Lawsuit Has Been Settled Outside of Court"

  6. A 2018 CR-V owner has sued Honda for denying his cracked windshield warranty claim

    even though both the dealership warranty administrator and a 3rd party company agree that the crack was due to stress from a defect. It wasn't until the claim made it up to a local parts and service manager that the claim was denied.

    Honda's warranty program is supposed to repair broken or chipped window glass if it's the result of defects in materials or workmanship. But somehow they just keep insisting a defect doesn't exist. How odd.…

    keep reading article "Honda Sued For Routinely Denying Windshield Warranty Claims"

  7. Honda will extend the powertrain warranty on more than 1 million vehicles in the US that continue to have oil dilution problems.

    The 1.5-liter Earth Dreams engine is notorious for gasoline diluting the oil, which triggers warning lights, hurts performance, and creates an awful smell inside the cabin. The extended warranty is available to owners in all 50 states despite Honda’s insistence that the issue only happens in extreme cold weather.…

    keep reading article "Honda Extends Powertrain Warranty for 1 Million Vehicles With Oil Dilution Problems"

  8. There’s a fix coming for rising oil levels in the CR-V and Civic, but your eligibility largely depends on where you live.

    Honda’s N60 service campaign will attempt to fix the oil dilution problem with software updates to the transmission control module and electronic fuel injection system. Additionally, drain plug washers and climate control units may be replaced.…

    keep reading article "Honda Has an Oil Dilution Solution, For Some"

  9. Honda is recalling a small number of 2017-2018 Civics and CR-Vs] because of a loose magnet in the electronic power steering system.

    How bad can a loose magnet be? “Unless it's properly secured, the magnet can dislodge and during a turn where the wheel is as far as it can go, the power steering assist will be applied in the opposite direction.”

    Oh. I’m guessing that’s a jarring and unwelcome surprise.

    keep reading article "Loose Magnet in Electronic Power Steering System"

  10. A lawsuit alleges that Honda's technology that is aimed at making us safer, is doing the exact opposite.

    Honda Sensing is essentially four different systems – lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, and collision mitigation braking assist. But the systems regularly cause numerous warning messages to intermittently appear, and the CR-Vs fluctuate their highway speeds without warning when adaptive cruise control is set.…

    keep reading article "Alleged Software Defects in Honda Sensing System Make CR-Vs More Dangerous to Drive"

What CR-V Owners Say About This Generation

Honda's Underpowered Battery is Subject to Parasitic Drains

Problem first occurred after 4 months of ownership. Tried to start car, battery was dead, towed to dealer, they replaced battery. Six months later same problem, towed to dealer, they did a "hard reset of ecm". Six months later, same problem, towed to dealer, they still have the car. This car has about 8500 miles on it.

2019 CR-V Owner