2023-2024 Honda CR-V Hood Shaking Problem

Updated on October 16th, 2023 Author: Sergei Lemberg

Lemberg Law is investigating consumer complaints that the hood of the 2023-2024 Honda CR-V flexes, jiggles, and wobbles while the vehicle is on the road. They say it is worse when driving at highway speeds or in windy conditions. Some consumers complain that dealers maintain the movement is normal aerodynamics.    

Is There a Problem with the Hood Shaking or Vibrating?

There is an ongoing problem with hoods of Honda CR-V vehicles flexing and vibrating. Complaints to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and comments on Reddit state that many drivers are concerned that the hood may open suddenly while they are driving. Others describe how the hood flexes, shakes, wobbles, or jiggles while they are driving.

But this is not a new problem for CR-V or other Honda vehicles. A comment in the CR-V Owners Club forum describes how the hood of their 2017 CR-V was “lifting up and down a few millimeters” while driving on a 2-lane road where the speed limit was 65 mph. It happened while passing oncoming traffic and when the wind was very strong. Another forum member says the same thing happened to him in his 2017 CR-V Touring.

You can read more about other Honda models that have the same problem below. They include various model years of the Honda Insight, Pilot, Passport, and Ridgeline.

What Issues are Owners Experiencing with Shaking or Vibrating Hoods?

Owners of the 2023-2024 Honda CR-V describe “terrible” hood movement that results in flexing and jiggling.

Complaints to the NHTSA

A complaint to the NHTSA in June 2023 from the owner of a 2023 CR-V Hybrid Sport talks about “significant hood flexing and movement at high speeds.” This indicates “that the hood may suddenly open while driving (should the latch break).” The complaint states that this always happens at speeds above 60 mph or during high wind conditions. The hood movement gets increasingly worse the higher the speed or stronger the wind conditions.

Every time he drives the vehicle, the owner confirms that the hood is closed. But the issue has continued to happen consistently in the stated conditions.

“I have made an appointment to speak with the dealer about this on this upcoming Friday. But I have read online of many other individuals experiencing this issue and wanted to report it to ensure others are not impacted dangerously by this issue. No warning messages, symptoms, or lights appear. The issue has been confirmed.”

What Do Those on Reddit Say?

Another owner of a 2023 CR-V described the same “hood flexing at highway speeds” issue on Reddit in March 2023. He states that he experiences “several centimeters of flexing” across the hood when the wind blows hard or he passes trucks. Concerned about this movement, he “tried moving the hood bumpers up to put a little more pressure on the back of the hood.” He also confirmed that the latch was fully secured.

Responses include:

• “It seems like (a) poor design on the hood latch. It is quite far back on the hood which allows a lot of leverage on the leading edge.”
• “I was sure I couldn’t be the only one noticing this. When on the highway I see that bad boy jiggling.”
• Another owner states while driving between Wisconsin and Florida, “The hood movement was terrible. The hood would flex up and down a good inch or so between 70 and 80 miles per hour. And when getting alongside a truck I kept thinking it was going to pop up.”
• “Mine is flexing at highway speeds.”

Nearly three months later, the CR-V owner who started the conversation said he had discovered the reason for flexing. It is “due to the adhesive they used being faulty and failing. All the shop needed to do in my case was put a new adhesive in place to secure the hood to the underlying hood frame and it fixed the issue. The hood no longer flexes as it’s not detached from the frame.”

He also advised others in the group that “Honda paid it 100% under warranty.”

But not everyone has been this lucky.

“I took this same issue to the dealer and they said it was normal and that the models have all been having this.” The owner was also told that it was “due to the normal aerodynamics of the hood.” The dealer “refused to fix or do anything and stated (it was) 100% safe to drive. I made them note it in the service log.”

Other Honda Models Have the Same Issue

Honda Insight owners of 2019-2022 models describe similar issues in the InsightCentral.net forum. The owner of a 2019 Insight EX states that the hood vibrates when driving at higher speeds. “Sometimes I wonder if the hood is going to fly open. But then I think surely not, because if it was a real issue then I would have read about it by now or there would be a recall.”

This appears to have been wishful thinking, although some owners accept that it is the way the hood is designed. As another Insight EX owner states: “This hood is designed by the Honda engineers like this. It’s made of aluminum and it’s very light weight which serves two purposes. One is fuel efficiency and the other is related to crash safety. I have about 8,000 miles on my Insight EX and yes I notice it a little, but understand that it’s fine as is.”

Yet another owner states that he has “accepted the vibration as normal. I did ask the dealer to look at it awhile back and they didn’t see anything wrong.”

But not all owners are accepting this. “I just got a 2020 Insight EX and yes… it vibrates enough to make me nervous. More so on the driver’s side than the passenger’s (side).” Additionally, “It seems to me it happens at higher speeds due to wind being able to draft between the front end and hood crevice… it doesn’t look right.”

Members of the Gen 3 Insight forum have an ongoing conversation that started in August 2018 and has continued into 2023. A recent comment states that the hood seems to “bounce around” when the wind gusts from different angles. Another states that installing a butyl rubber sound-deadening mat “helps with the flutter and engine noise.”

Honda Recall for 724,826 Vehicles Not the CR-V

In November 2021, American Honda Motor Co. acknowledged the dangers of “hood vibration at highway speeds,” issuing a stop sale and safety recall for 724,826 vehicles, all of which they believed had the defect. This is astounding as it is very unusual for a manufacturer to estimate that 100% of vehicles recalled are affected. More commonly, automakers estimate that a much smaller percentage than the number recalled are “potentially involved.” Typically, they leave it to the dealerships to do an assessment.

But, despite the large number of vehicles implicated in the recall, it doesn’t apply to Honda CR-V or Insight.

The stop sale/recall applies to:

• 2016, 2018, and 2019 Honda Pilot vehicles manufactured at various times between May 21, 2014 and April 9, 2019.
• 2019 Honda Passport vehicles manufactured between November 8, 2017 and April 9, 2019.
• 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 Honda Ridgeline vehicles manufactured at various times between and August 27, 2020.

The defect is that “Gaps in the front seal between the hood and grill allow for air entry, potentially resulting in hood vibration at highway speeds. Over time the hood vibration could form stress fractures along the hood latch striker and separate the hood latch striker from the hood.” Unaffected vehicles “had adhesive applied to the hood latch striker and the hood latch height and front seal were set to specification.”

The safety recall report, 21V-932, states that “Hood vibration noises or a loose hood are potential warnings of a failing hood latch striker.”

Possible corrective action is detailed in Service Bulletin 21-086. If this doesn’t work, dealerships are instructed to replace the hood.

This is surely more than enough to make Honda CR-V owners concerned that the vibrations and hood movement are warning them that they too have very real hood problems.

What Should You Do if Your Honda CR-V Has Issues with the Hood Flexing or Vibrating?

If your 2023 or 2024 CR-V hood moves, flexes, jiggles, shakes, or wobbles, it is quite possible that you’re experiencing the same fault identified by American Honda Motor Co. in nearly three quarters of a million of its vehicles. But because there’s no safety recall or even a technical service bulletin issued to dealerships, what can you do?

This is why Lemberg Law is currently investigating the issue. So, if you have experienced this kind of hood movement and/or flexing and would like to join our class action investigation, call us at 844-928-4443 or complete our contact form. We will evaluate your case and see if you qualify.

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."

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