2018 Honda CR-V Problems and Recalls (2,148 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2018 Honda CR-V is Fuel system (23% of 2,148 owner reports). There are 5 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Fuel system — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-10-15 2,148 complaints · 5 recalls

What problems show up on the 2018 Honda CR-V?

492 of 2,148 filings named Fuel system (23% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Automatic braking / collision warning (356 reports).

There are 5 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Steering, Fuel system, Seat belts, and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2017 has 1,770 reports on file; this year has 2,148. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2018 Honda CR-V

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 5 campaigns on file below.
  2. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  3. Automatic braking / collision warning. Ask whether the warning lights stay off and whether related recalls were done.
  4. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Fuel system. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Fuel system 492 complaints · 22.9% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 46
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 47
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2017 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-10-14 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) appears in 492 of 2,148 owner complaints (22.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 492 complaints, 22.9% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 4 crash reports 492 · 22.9% Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE): 356 complaints, 16.6% of reports Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 4 crash reports 356 · 16.6% Engine (ENGINE): 308 complaints, 14.3% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 crash reports 1 fire reports 308 · 14.3% Steering (STEERING): 300 complaints, 14.0% of reports Steering (STEERING) 5 crash reports 300 · 14.0% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 145 complaints, 6.8% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 2 crash reports 145 · 6.8% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 80 complaints, 3.7% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 6 crash reports 80 · 3.7% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 50 complaints, 2.3% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 crash reports 50 · 2.3% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 43 complaints, 2.0% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 5 crash reports 43 · 2.0% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 36 complaints, 1.7% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 36 · 1.7% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 860 complaints, 40.0% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 12 crash reports 1 fire reports 860 · 40.0% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 492 22.9% 4 crashes · 0 fires
Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 356 16.6% 4 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 308 14.3% 1 crashes · 1 fires
Steering (STEERING) 300 14.0% 5 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 145 6.8% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 80 3.7% 6 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 50 2.3% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 43 2.0% 5 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 36 1.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 860 40.0% 12 crashes · 1 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-10-15 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2017; the first recall shown was reported in Sep 2018. 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2018-Q2: 26 owner reports 26 2018-Q3: 31 owner reports 31 2018-Q4: 198 owner reports 198 2019-Q1: 153 owner reports 153 2019-Q2: 76 owner reports 76 2019-Q3: 43 owner reports 43 2019-Q4: 47 owner reports 47 2020-Q1: 40 owner reports 40 2020-Q2: 19 owner reports 19 2020-Q3: 35 owner reports 35 2020-Q4: 18 owner reports 18 2021-Q1: 31 owner reports 31 2021-Q2: 25 owner reports 25 2021-Q3: 20 owner reports 20 2021-Q4: 28 owner reports 28 2022-Q1: 92 owner reports 92 2022-Q2: 47 owner reports 47 2022-Q3: 63 owner reports 63 2022-Q4: 55 owner reports 55 2023-Q1: 36 owner reports 36 2023-Q2: 68 owner reports 68 2023-Q3: 67 owner reports 67 2023-Q4: 40 owner reports 40 2024-Q1: 78 owner reports 78 2024-Q2: 128 owner reports 128 2024-Q3: 94 owner reports 94 2024-Q4: 93 owner reports 93 2025-Q1: 88 owner reports 88 2025-Q2: 90 owner reports 90 2025-Q3: 66 owner reports 66 2025-Q4: 37 owner reports 37 2026-Q1: 38 owner reports 38 2026-Q2: 84 owner reports 84 2026-Q3: 76 owner reports 76 2026-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 Owner reports Oct 2017 Oct 2026 Recall campaign 18V663000 ◆ Recall campaign 18V663000 Recall campaign 21V215000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V215000 Recall campaign 23V158000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V158000 Recall campaign 23V858000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V858000 Recall campaign 26V332000 ◆ Recall campaign 26V332000 Investigation PE22003 ● Investigation PE22003 Investigation PE22011 ● Investigation PE22011 Investigation EA24002 ● Investigation EA24002
  • Campaign 21V215000 was reported 1,105 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 23V158000 was reported 1,816 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 23V858000 was reported 2,103 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 26V332000 was reported 2,908 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2018-Q1 Owner reports 8
2018-Q2 Owner reports 26
2018-Q3 Owner reports 31
2018-Q4 Owner reports 198
2019-Q1 Owner reports 153
2019-Q2 Owner reports 76
2019-Q3 Owner reports 43
2019-Q4 Owner reports 47
2020-Q1 Owner reports 40
2020-Q2 Owner reports 19
2020-Q3 Owner reports 35
2020-Q4 Owner reports 18
2021-Q1 Owner reports 31
2021-Q2 Owner reports 25
2021-Q3 Owner reports 20
2021-Q4 Owner reports 28
2022-Q1 Owner reports 92
2022-Q2 Owner reports 47
2022-Q3 Owner reports 63
2022-Q4 Owner reports 55
2023-Q1 Owner reports 36
2023-Q2 Owner reports 68
2023-Q3 Owner reports 67
2023-Q4 Owner reports 40
2024-Q1 Owner reports 78
2024-Q2 Owner reports 128
2024-Q3 Owner reports 94
2024-Q4 Owner reports 93
2025-Q1 Owner reports 88
2025-Q2 Owner reports 90
2025-Q3 Owner reports 66
2025-Q4 Owner reports 37
2026-Q1 Owner reports 38
2026-Q2 Owner reports 84
2026-Q3 Owner reports 76
2026-Q4 Owner reports 8
Recall campaign 1 18V663000
Recall campaign 1 21V215000
Recall campaign 1 23V158000
Recall campaign 1 23V858000
Recall campaign 1 26V332000
Defect investigation 1 PE22003
Defect investigation 1 PE22011
Defect investigation 1 EA24002
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-10-15 Open source record

Safety Recalls (5)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Steering, Fuel system, Seat belts, and Airbags.

  1. Recall campaign 18V663000

    Steering

    Report date
    Component:
    Steering (STEERING)
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 21V215000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 23V158000

    Seat belts

    Report date
    Component:
    Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 23V858000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 26V332000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    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 were mailed July 7, 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-10-14 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-10-14
Safety incident filters
Showing 7 of 2,148 complaints · page 1 of 86
2026-10-07Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11769690
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, several unknown warning lights illuminated with an audible alert. The vehicle was previously repaired. The warning lights turned on and off and eventually remained illuminated. While driving, the vehicle failed to exceed 12 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where undisclosed repairs were performed; however, the failure recurred. The dealer determined that there was a leak in the fuel canister. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
2026-10-06AIR BAGS
NHTSA ODI 11769431
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the supplemental restraint system and front passenger’s side air bag messages were displayed on the instrument panel. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
2026-10-05Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11769187
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The Electric Power Steering (EPS) rack failed internally, causing heavy, sticky, and stiff steering accompanied by noise during turns, particularly when making small corrections at freeway speeds. The defect directly put safety at risk by impairing steering control, leading the inspecting authorized Honda dealership technician (Tech #3129) to officially document that the vehicle is "not safe to drive". Both the vehicle and the failing EPS assembly remain unrepaired. The issue was apparent after 4 wheel alignment performed by the dealership on 9/28/2026. ​The steering issue was fully reproduced and confirmed during a test drive and diagnostic procedure by the Honda dealership service department. No dashboard warning lights or error messages appeared prior to or during the failure; the symptoms were entirely physical.
2026-10-03Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11768728
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Steering wheel sticks when turning causing over correction and safety issues. Other years have a recall-2018 does not. First reported in 2025 at 70,000 miles which is not a reasonable amount of time for a major part like that to break or malfunction
2026-10-03Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11768662
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Had injectors replaced 2 times before it had 100k miles, HONDA KNEW what was happening. One of the men in the service dept told me while having them replaced the 2nd time. I took my car to the dealership at 123k miles and told them theres a problem with my oil getting gas in it but they blamed it on overdue oil change. I was forced to continue driving the car because I got a $7k quote and I couldnt afford to fix it I kept coolant in it and the car runs fine. David told me the head gasket had been blown so long that spark plug was rusted to the head. Now my car has 190k miles on it and they r refusing to fix it under the warranty extension because I didnt get it fixed at 123k. [XXX] at [XXX] told me if id fixed it I would be reimbursed but I was SOL because I couldnt afford to fix it and shouldnt have to pay for it to begin with. I think honda offering to extend the warranty was an easy out. I bought this car brand new, my 1st brand new car ever... and I always changed oil, maintance, never ran it hot... there is no reason a 2018 honda should be broken already. Please do a recall. This is a known problem and they should make it right. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2026-10-02Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11768532
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The warning lights on the dash all lit up, and upon inspection of the vehicle, gave error code P0172. We took it to the Honda dealership near up, who confirmed that the vehicle needed the fuel injectors replaced. If we did not fix it immediately, our catalytic converter was at risk of also being damaged, along with other parts of the vehicle. We had it fixed, but on our own research, have seen that this is a very common failure in the 2018 Honda CR-V line vehicles.
2026-10-01Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11768420
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The timing chain and camshaft broke the car froze while driving 70 mh. No warning. With about 67000 mi on it. Yes it can be inspected. At risk on the freeway going 70 mph. Was able to coast to the right side before engine locked the wheels. Not able to restart. Towed to an independent garage. They gave a diagnostic test and then opened it up to find timing chain broke and caused camshaft as well as other damages. No warning! Taking it to Moses Lake Honda dealership tomorrow for another evaluation and replace the engine if needed. Low mileage and well maintained! Should have never happened.

Honda CR-V Problems and Recalls by Year

Frequently asked questions

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

Owners named Fuel system most often — 492 of 2,148 reports (23%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2018 Honda CR-V?

NHTSA lists 5 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Steering, Fuel system, Seat belts, and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2018 Honda CR-V?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-10-04 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-10-04
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-10-14 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-10-14. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources