Honda Automobiles describes the 2025 Honda CR-V as a “safe and sporty compact SUV crossover” that is fuel efficient and “ready to take on bigger challenges.” However, as NHTSA complaints continue to swell, it is clear that owners with problems are the ones who are being forced to take on bigger challenges. Steering issues that have plagued the CR-V for years aren’t going away any time soon. Ironically, there are also fuel system issues, together with forward collision avoidance malfunctions, and other serious problems.
The most common complaints about the 2025 Honda CR-V to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) relate to steering, the fuel system, forward collision avoidance, exploding sunroofs, and visibility/wiper problems. Other components and systems singled out in complaints include airbags, backover prevention, brakes, electrical system, engine (including engine cooling), exterior lighting, lane departure, powertrain, structure, suspension, tires, vehicle speed control, and wheels.
Additionally, there are three recalls that affect 2023-2025 Honda CR-V vehicles. Two affect only the 2023-2025 Hybrid models.
It should be noted that there are two 2025 CR-V sections on the NHTSA website, one of which is specifically for the Hybrid. While these two recalls are only listed there, there are complaints relating to recall repair parts not being available in the other section. This indicates that many Hybrid owners don’t necessarily list their complaints on the 2025 CR-V section for the Hybrid. For this reason, we have incorporated the fuel system recalls (and the few complaints) in this post.
Fuel System Recall
On October 14, 2024, 720,810 Honda vehicles, including the 2023-2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid, were recalled due to a high-pressure fuel pump that might crack and leak. The recall warns that this can increase the risk of fire.
The second, issued on June 6, 2025, warns that six 2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid vehicles have fuel feed hoses that may not have been properly installed, allowing fuel to leak. This also increases the risk of fire.
While there aren’t any complaints that state the fuel system was responsible for causing a fire, there is a complaint that tells of a vehicle that caught on fire, suddenly, for no reason.
On November 9, 2024, an owner from Arizona was driving on the highway. The 2025 Honda CR-V was brand new, with less than 2K miles on the clock when it caught fire. No additional information is provided in the complaint.
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Sticky Steering Recall
The steering-related recall affects 1,693,199 vehicles manufactured by the American Honda Motor Co, including 2023-2025 Honda CR-V vehicles. The recall, dated October 3, 2024, warns owners that the steering gearbox assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause excessive internal friction and lead to difficulty steering the vehicle. This, in turn, increases the risk of vehicles crashing.
The solution is for dealers to replace the worm gear spring and redistribute or add grease as necessary, free of charge.
However, this is not a new problem, as we reported in our post about the 2023 Honda CR-V. The NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) investigated the problem from March 17, 2023, stating that complaints described “experienced a momentary increase in required steering effort”. They referred to this as “sticky steering”. The ODI closed the investigation on January 28, 2025. Even though only the 2023 Honda CR-V was included in the investigation, the recall affecting the 2025 model year (MY) references it as an “associated investigation,” confirming that the 2025 model is affected.
Furthermore, according to the most recent report on file on the NHTSA website, by April 17, 2025, only 865,582 of the 1,693,199 vehicles recalled had been “remedied.” A further 9,687 were “unreachable,” meaning the owners’ notifications were not able to be delivered; and 15,787 had been removed — with scrapped, stolen, or exported.
Complaints about steering problems top the list on the NHTSA website. Of these, more than half (56%) state that the recall repair is not available. Based on our research, which concluded on June 11, 2025, complaints to the NHTSA reveal that as recently as June 4, recall repair parts weren’t available for a fix.
There are also complaints from owners who state that their CR-Vs display all the symptoms described in the recall, but have been told that their VIN isn’t included. Others just describe issues like stiff steering and an inability to keep the SUV moving in a straight line.
For example, a complaint lodged in February 2025 by an owner in Texas states that it was becoming increasingly difficult to steer the car. “I have sought repair from Honda for months to no avail. My brand new CR-V is almost un-drivable and it is my only car.”
An owner from Ohio states that it took 30 days after he had heard about the recall before he received the notification. Because the parts required to fix the problem weren’t available he was told, “It is safe to drive the vehicle and that there is no danger of the steering seizing up to cause an accident”. He was told that if there were any issues with the steering to call for an appointment — to drive the CR-V in and they would assess the car to determine if it is related to the recall. At that point, they would contact Honda to see if they could expedite the part.
His response: “Honda is minimizing the importance of this safety recall. The point of a safety recall is to remedy the issue across the board, not wait to see if something happens and then assess whether or not to remedy the issue!”
Owners Told Their VINs Aren’t Included
It’s the ultimate frustration when your vehicle displays the signs described in a recall notice, but your VIN is not included. For example, an owner from New Jersey had difficulty steering a leased 2025 Honda CR-V. There were no warning lights and the failure was intermittent. The dealer test-drove the SUV and couldn’t identify the failure, so it wasn’t diagnosed or repaired. Even though the symptoms tallied with the recall, the VIN wasn’t included.
In December 2024, two months after the recall was listed, an owner from California experienced symptoms that seemed to be those described in recall documentation. “Our CR-V Hybrid is experiencing the sticking steering wheel issue. It takes force to move the steering wheel at freeway speeds. It is not included in the recall but clearly has the issue. Our local Honda service dealer blew us off and is unwilling to help.”
Various Fuel System Problems
In addition to the problems Honda confirms relate to the Honda CR-V Hybrid, complaints to the NHTSA indicate that there are other problems related to the fuel system. And they are not only relevant to the Hybrid models.
One problem that stands out is fuel injector failure, with some owners saying they haven’t been able to have the recall repair undertaken. Others say that they have experienced “fuel injector failure” that causes spark plug and emission problems.
An owner from North Carolina tells how the CR-V suddenly lost power and wouldn’t drive. The diagnosis was a bad fuel injector system. “From reviews online, it seems to be a not uncommon problem. Could have caused a major accident if it occurred on the highway.” Luckily, though, this person “was on a lonely country road early in the morning close to home. Honda is repairing at no cost, but (I am) very concerned that a brand new vehicle had such a serious issue without any recall notice.”
Although not identified as a fuel injector system problem, an owner from Michigan tells how the 2025 Honda CR-V displayed a “Critical Power Failure” on the highway twice when there were less than 1,000 miles on the odometer. The SUV stopped accelerating and it coasted down the highway. They were able to pull over and shut off. “After turning on, (the car) displayed an ‘Emissions System Failure’ warning for about 48 hours, which then cleared.”
According to the complaint, this happened twice on the highway, leaving them without power. “It was very dangerous, as one time I had nowhere to pull over while my car slowed to a stop. The children were very scared in the backseat.”
Forward Collision Avoidance
Even though there are three times as many complaints about steering than forward collision avoidance, they are all serious, with several reporting crashes. Problems relate mainly to Cruise Control, the Lane Keep Assist system, and the Automatic Braking System.
An owner from Nevada tells how when trying to align the CR-V to reverse and park, the SUV crashed. “s I was going forward, I braked four times (3 slamming the brakes) and the vehicle did not slow down or stop and eventually hit my neighbor’s wall.”
An owner from California was parking when he “attempted a left turn to pull in front-facing toward the wall. Within seconds, and without understanding how or why, the car continued forward and hit the wall.” The insurance company maintained that the driver had either not braked or braked too late.
“However, the truth is — I do not clearly remember what happened. My mph had to be low. When the car hit the wall, several emergency systems were triggered: an automatic emergency call was made, collision alerts sounded, and the brakes activated. During the collision, my left arm was burned by the steering wheel where the Honda logo is located. The burn left a visible imprint of the Honda logo on my skin.
“Only some of the airbags deployed: the steering wheel and right-side window airbags were activated. However, the driver’s side window airbags did not deploy. My concerns and complaints include:
The failure of the driver’s window airbag to deploy
The burn on my arm was caused by the steering wheel’s Honda emblem
The inconsistent performance of the emergency braking system, which only works sometimes”
Sunroofs Exploding & Glass Cracking
Most of the complaints about sunroofs exploding and glass cracking or shattering are recorded as “Unknown or Other” complaints.
An owner from California states, “I have seen lots of internet posts about exploding sunroofs, well this happened to our vehicle on the freeway. There was no overpass/rocks/cars near and the sunroof exploded, unfortunately my sliding-shade was open when this happened, blowing glass debris all over the inside of our vehicle.” While the driver’s son and mother-in-law were in the back of the CR-V, nobody was injured.
“They need to look into a safer glass design so that this does not cause a bigger freak accident, especially on the freeway.”
Another owner from California describes hearing “a very loud booming bang like a gunshot.” When they pulled over, they discovered that the sunroof was shattered. “There were no vehicles in front of us and only a motorcycle and one other vehicle passed in the oncoming lanes a few seconds before the loud boom. This was a frightening and stressful situation. We thought we had bought a safe and state-of-the-art car that we could safely drive without endangering us or our passengers or other drivers.”
An owner from Illinois was driving at 65 mph when the sunroof “spontaneously exploded. There was no rock or hail. We heard a loud bang and glass came into the car through the partially open interior visor.”
Additionally, there are complaints about the side mirrors and back hatch glass cracking.
Back Hatch and Side Mirror Problems
An owner from Washington stated in an April 2025 complaint that the driver-side mirror cracked because of cold weather. The horrifying fact is that this happened just after the vehicle had been purchased. “I purchased (the) car yesterday, brand new. Overnight it was cold and I woke up to a large crack across the side mirror.”
An owner from Pennsylvania states that the passenger side rear window shattered while driving. There was no visible reason why.
An owner from Ohio had an even more dramatic experience, the very day he purchased the 2025 CR-V. “I haven’t had the car (for) 24 hours. I drove home and was showing someone my car. Then I opened the back hatch and shut it and the glass shattered.”
Although not related to glass, the experience of an owner from Virginia is worth mentioning.
“While I was in my apartment parking garage, I had my automatic trunk door opened. While I was standing in range, the door came down and hit me in the head. As a result, I sustained a concussion. I did have the keys in my hand, so I may have accidentally activated the trunk door to close. However, my concern is that there is such a sensor to stop the trunk door from continuing to close, or it doesn’t work. I called the dealer and they told me that there is a sensor, but it only stops once it’s made contact. I believe this is very dangerous and should be evaluated. As I stated earlier I am now suffering from a concussion.”
Mirror Shaking
Apart from cracking, there are many complaints that the driver-side mirror vibrates or shakes.
An owner from Virginia states that the” driver’s door mirror glass vibrates excessively at highway speed causing dizziness and complete lack of visibility from the mirror.”
An owner from Illinois states that the driver-side mirror gets extremely shaky when driving on the highway at a speed of more than 50 mph. “The image gets distorted, which makes us dizzy while driving. We are afraid the mirror will crack while driving and we’d have no way (of) seeing. This is too dangerous.”
Another owner states that from the day of purchase, the mirror vibrates terribly when traveling at 35-45 mph. “The faster the speed, the worse the vibration is. You can visibly see the mirror glass shaking. It is very dangerous at all times to not be able to see with this side mirror. It is especially dangerous on the highways because it distorts the view so greatly and also makes me feel disoriented and dizzy when I try to use it to safely navigate the roads. If the mirror glass were to fly off, this would lead to an even greater danger.”
The problem was confirmed by a dealer, and the entire mirror unit was replaced. However, the second unit had the same defect and did the same thing.
“They stated if they replaced it a third time, it would not make a difference. They also drove another CR-V just like mine off the lot and the mirror did the same thing. This is an issue that needs to be turned into a recall. It is not okay that Honda produced vehicles with something so unsafe, with no ability to fix it.”
Is Your 2025 CR-V is a Lemon…What Can You Do?
If you’re dealing with recurring issues, or if your 2025 Honda CR-V has been out of service for 30 days or more, you may have a lemon on your hands. Each year, automakers like Honda buy back, replace, or offer cash settlements to thousands of consumers facing these kinds of problems.
In accordance with the law, the manufacturer (not you) must cover the legal fees for lemon law cases. That means pursuing a settlement with the help of a lemon lawyer won’t cost you anything.
Lemberg Law has successfully helped many vehicle owners secure settlements from major manufacturers. If you’d like a free case assessment regarding your 2025 Honda CR-V, call our Helpline or complete our online contact form. We’ll respond as soon as possible to discuss your options. We’re on your side!
About the Author:
Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
