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Total NHTSA Complaints
62
Owner filings recorded
#1 Reported Problem
Air Bags & Restraints
21 reports (33.9%)
Crash Incident Reports
5
Filings citing a crash
Fire & Injury Reports
5
0 fire • 5 injury filings
Defect Investigation Analysis

Executive Problem Findings

AutoUtility currently tracks 62 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2021 Honda HR-V. Air Bags & Restraints issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 21 complaints (33.9% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 5 filings cite a crash, 5 report one or more injuries.

Methodology Notice: Consumer complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Filings are not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and do not constitute an audited component failure rate.
Incident & Severity Profile
  • • Total Owner Reports: 62 complaints submitted under federal penalty.
  • • Primary Subsystem: Air Bags & Restraints accounts for 33.9% of submissions (21 reports).
  • • Secondary Systems: Electrical System (15), Driver Assistance & Safety Tech (8).
  • • Crash Incidents: 5 filings cite an impact or collision.
  • • Thermal Incidents: 0 filings cite smoke or fire.
  • • Reported Casualties: 5 injury filings • 0 fatality filings.
Category Distribution

Reported Defect Categories for 2021 Honda HR-V

Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records

Air Bags & Restraints
21
33.9%
Electrical System
15
24.2%
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
8
12.9%
Powertrain & Transmission
5
8.1%
Brakes & Traction Control
4
6.5%
#1 33.9% SHARE

Air Bags & Restraints

21 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 2 Crash 🩹 2 Injury
⚠️ 2 Associated Recall Campaigns
#2 24.2% SHARE

Electrical System

15 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

✓ 0 Incidents
#3 12.9% SHARE

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech

8 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 2 Crash 🩹 2 Injury
⚠️ 2 Associated Recall Campaigns
#4 8.1% SHARE

Powertrain & Transmission

5 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

✓ 0 Incidents
Federal Oversight

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (1)

Formal engineering analyses and preliminary evaluations opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

ODI Action #PE22011 CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE)
Opened: 2022-11-28 • Closed: 2024-07-22
Subject / Subsystem
Rear Differential Seizure
Affected Component
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT
Recall Linkage
No direct recall linkage
On November 29, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE 22-011 after reviewing field reports alleging rear differential seizure in 2018-2022MY Honda CR-V and HR-V vehicles equipped with all wheel drive. To date, ODI has not received any consumer complaints. Some of the field reports received alleged the vehicle’s wheels locked up with no warning while the vehicle was in motion. These vehicles were towed to a dealership. Examination of these vehicles showed the driveshaft had broken and the differential unit was completely damaged. The field reports cited a lack of oil due to damaged oil seals as the cause. Honda provided data including consumer complaints, field reports, and warranty claims they received relating to the loss of oil retention and resulting differential damage. Honda’s data cited 1201 incidents with unique vehicle identification numbers (VINs). The rear differential oil seals  prevent the oil from leaking out and protect internal components from contaminants. A loss of oil lubrication results in failure of the vehicle differential.  Honda stated that the oil seal’s lip contact with the driveshaft may become unstable due to intermittent changes in internal pressure. Their review of field report and warranty data indicated that these failures occurred early in the vehicle’s life thus the failures were covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. Honda stated that in November 2021 they changed the seal specifications and improved the packaging process of the parts for transport.  Honda also enacted an enhanced visual inspection process both before and after the oil seal installation on the assembly line. Honda stated that in the event of differential failure, the operator can control the vehicle without stability loss. After the drive shafts break due to differential failure, the operator will hear noises and the vehicle will still function as a 2WD vehicle preventing complete loss of motive power. Based on the following factors, ODI is closing this investigation: ·       Information regarding field failures does not indicate hazardous outcomes ·       The failures are occurring early in the life of the vehicle ·       Repairs are covered under the manufacturer’s warranty ·       The vehicle can continue functioning as a 2WD without loss of stability control in the event of failure The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist, and the agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.
Consumer Filings

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2021 Honda HR-V

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Air Bags & Restraints ODI #11756144
Filed: 08/11/2026
Defect Report

"The contact owns a 2021 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted several times. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of..."

Steering System ODI #11741789
Filed: 06/03/2026
Defect Report

"My cars had a clunking type noise coming from the front left of vehicle, sounds happens on both left and right turns, and sometimes the steering wheel STICKS. Making a knocking sound and sometimes feels difficult to turn the wheel. I had to have the steering gearbox assembly replaced at cost of..."

Air Bags & Restraints ODI #11741323
Filed: 06/01/2026
Defect Report

"Air bag sensor light is always off even when nobody is sitting in the passenger seat. The sensor has been recalled once before however it’s still having the same issue even after being replaced."

Powertrain & Transmission ODI #11740048
Filed: 05/26/2026
Defect Report

"CVT transmission failed and vehicle lost power while on Interstate I-88 65 MPH speed zone. f Momentum allowed me to reach an exit at which point I needed to push the vehicle by myself off the roadway. Vehicle mileage was slighlty over 60,000 miles and the $10,000 dollar repair was not covered by..."

Air Bags & Restraints ODI #11738853
Filed: 05/19/2026
Defect Report

"The contact owns a 2021 Honda HR-V. The contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags). The contact stated that several appointments were scheduled, however the dealer canceled or rescheduled the appointments. The contact was informed that the parts were..."

Multi-Year Trend

Complaint History for Honda HR-V

Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2016–2026)

Model Year NHTSA Complaints Crash Reports Safety Recalls Detailed Report
2016 Honda HR-V 238 13 2 View 2016 Problems →
2017 Honda HR-V 121 13 0 View 2017 Problems →
2018 Honda HR-V 155 11 3 View 2018 Problems →
2019 Honda HR-V 227 17 7 View 2019 Problems →
2020 Honda HR-V 83 8 5 View 2020 Problems →
2021 Honda HR-V Current Page 62 5 4 Current
2022 Honda HR-V 84 10 3 View 2022 Problems →
2023 Honda HR-V 685 7 3 View 2023 Problems →
2024 Honda HR-V 107 8 4 View 2024 Problems →
2025 Honda HR-V 42 2 1 View 2025 Problems →
2026 Honda HR-V 0 0 0 View 2026 Problems →
Exhaustive System Audit

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2021 Honda HR-V

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 20 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Injury Entries Fatality Entries
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 16 0 0 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11 0 0 0 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 1 0 0 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 5 0 0 0 0
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 3 1 0 1 0
AIR BAGS,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 2 0 0 1 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 1 0 1 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 1 0 1 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,SEATS 1 1 0 1 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,AIR BAGS 1 0 0 0 0
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Common Problems & Reliability Questions for the 2021 Honda HR-V

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2021 Honda HR-V

What are the most common reported problems with the 2021 Honda HR-V?

In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2021 Honda HR-V is Air Bags & Restraints, appearing in 21 records (33.9% of submitted filings).

Secondary reported categories include Electrical System (15) and Driver Assistance & Safety Tech (8).

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Is the 2021 Honda HR-V a reliable vehicle?

AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 62 consumer defect complaints and 4 safety recall campaigns for the 2021 Honda HR-V.

Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.

Source: NHTSA ODI & Safety Recalls Databases

Are there crash, fire, or injury reports associated with the 2021 Honda HR-V?

Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Honda HR-V, 5 filings cite a crash, 0 cite smoke or fire, and 5 report one or more injuries.

Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Consumer Logs

Has NHTSA formally investigated defects on the 2021 Honda HR-V?

NHTSA ODI records list 1 formal defect investigation involving the 2021 Honda HR-V (all closed).

Federal defect investigations are formal engineering evaluations opened when safety defect trends emerge, and do not by themselves establish a confirmed defect or mandatory recall.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Registry
Official US Government Data Provenance

The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.