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Honda CR-V Hybrid engine failure problems

10 of the 514 owner complaints about the Honda CR-V Hybrid describe engine failure, most of them for the 2020 model year.

owner complaints
10
worst model year
2020
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.

By model year

  • 2024
    2
  • 2023
    2
  • 2021
    3
  • 2020
    3

Often reported together

Loss of power 5Check engine light 2Warning lights 1Stalling 1Misfire 1Fuel pump 1

Trouble codes mentioned

P0302 1P0300 1

What owners say

Filed Jul 20, 2026 · Engine · SC

My 2024 Honda CRV Sport Touring Hybrid AWD has the very same engine and parts as the Canadian model. So far the Canadian version with the exact same equipment as well as the U.S. version has a poorly designed HEAD GASKET that have resulted in NUMEROUS engine failures with no warning. In CANADA the engines have been recalled for this safety concern and resulting catastrophic engine failure. My complaint is that since there are many drivers in the U.S. that have the EXACT same engine with the EXACT same problem deserve the SAME recall to correct this manufacturing defect that will result in an UNSAFE condition without repair.

Filed Apr 24, 2026 · Engine · MS

Car lost power with catastrophic engine failure with no warning as I was turning into a busy intersection with oncoming traffic. Had it towed 3hrs to Southaven Honda.indicated it was a blown head gasket . They said it loosing power was warning sign. No warning lamps prior to the incident. The vehicle was in the dealership two weeks before and there was no indication from the dealership that I was low on coolant or it was degraded.

Filed Sep 9, 2025 · Engine · CA

Vehicle: 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2.0L engine VIN: [XXX] Mileage at failure: ~73,000 miles Dealer: AutoNation Honda Fremont, California Estimated repair cost: ~$4,200 Issue: Blown head gasket Summary of Complaint: At approximately 73,000 miles, my 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid suffered a blown head gasket. The vehicle began showing symptoms of overheating and coolant loss, and a dealer diagnostic confirmed head gasket failure. The repair estimate from AutoNation Honda Fremont is approximately $4,200. A head gasket failure at this mileage is abnormal and indicates a potential design defect. I am aware of an ongoing class-action lawsuit concerning premature head gasket and engine failures in late-model Honda vehicles with turbocharged and hybrid engines, and my experience appears consistent with these allegations. This defect is a safety hazard because it can lead to sudden overheating, engine stalling, or complete failure while driving, which puts drivers and passengers at risk. It also creates an unreasonable financial burden on owners. I respectfully request that the federal safety agency investigate this issue as a potential widespread defect across Honda CR-V Hybrid and related models. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Apr 19, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · CA

1st incident all failure lights went on while driving on HWy 137 which os a 2 lane hoghway. 2nd i cidenr -All engine failure lights went on and lost power on the fast lane while driving on 15 freeway. Had to be towed hime both times and sat in an unsafe zone while tow truck arrived.

Filed Apr 4, 2025 · Engine · WA

Sudden engine failure while driving on highway with immediate loss of power. Engine failure was due to blown head gasket from failure in sealed coolant system. Engine failure occurred prematurely at 84k miles. Honda allegedly is aware of this failure in their system, and has not addressed it. Safety concern due to sudden loss of power while driving in areas with speeds at excess of 60 mph, no warning prior to failure.

Filed Feb 1, 2025 · Driver assistance, Electrical · OH

On highway, engaged cruise control at 70 mph. Engine light came on, simultaneously with loss of power (pressing on gas pedal did nothing) and Apple CarPlay disconnect. We were near an exit and managed to drift off, at lower off-ramp speed engine again could respond to accelerator however was chugging very badly. Went to nearby oil change place. Mechanic there advised going straight to dealer a short distance further. Drove on to the Honda dealer, car still chugging and stopped the car until I could talk to the service person. When the car restarted it was no longer chugging. Service person diagnosed the following and said i basically needed a new engine: TECH SCANNED VEHICLE AND FOUND CODES P0300 RANDOM CYL MISFIRE, P0302 CYL 2 MISFIRE. TECH CHECKED LIVE DATA AND HAD VERY LITTLE MISFIRE COMING FROM CYL 3, PULLED ALL COILS AND PLUGS AND FOUND CYL 2 AND 4 HAD THE INJECTORS STILL SPRAYING WITH THE VEHICLE OFF INDICATING FAILURE OF THE INJECTORS IN THOSE 2 CYLINDERS, IN CYLINDER 3 TECH FOUND EXCESSIVE OIL BURNING ON THE PISTON, INDICATING OIL LEAKING INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER OF THE MOTOR.

Filed Jan 28, 2025 · Engine, Fuel system · CA

On 1/21/25 I had multiple warning lights appear while driving along the highway @ 60 mph. The error messaging included “transmission failure, loss of power, emissions control…”. I had not seen alerts prior to this incident, and was not aware of changes in performance other than a recent, minor, decrease in fuel efficiency. Fortunately, I was able to safely exit the freeway & park in a nearby shopping center. My vehicle was towed to the local dealer, Marin Honda. After a week of evaluation, and consulting with Honda America tech support, the dealer reports difficulty isolating the problem and determining appropriate repair. At this time a cracked piston has been identified, and the plan is for a technician to use a barescope to evaluate the cylinder for damage, and the potential need to replace the engine. I am concerned that multiple owners of this model & year have reported the same problem, including loss of power while traveling at high speed (see CRV Owners Club) Their vehicles were also determined to have cracked pistons, with and without cylinder damage. It has also been noted that when the fuel injector remains open it may be a contributing factor to a cracked piston. Could this be relevant to the current recall issued for the fuel pump on the 2024 CRV? Whatever the cause, the potential for catastrophic engine failure places drivers and their passengers, as well as other drivers, at great risk of a serious accident.

Filed Sep 28, 2024 · Engine · MI

1 weeks ago the crv over heated once, shut the car off gave it 5min turned it back on and got it home no further issue, never over heated again Then on Monday the check engine light started flashing took to a shop they said it was due to spark plugs and ignition coils. The very next day flashed again, took back to shop they said it was my head gasket, took to a second shop and they confirmed that it was a head gasket but most likely needed the entire engine replaced at over $17,0000 The car is only 3 years old with 145k miles and already needs a new engine.

Filed Jan 2, 2024 · Steering · 10,600 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the power steering functionality was inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel had seized. The contact stated that the dealer was located directly across the street. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed steering wheel rack and pinion. The contact was informed that the steering rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the parts had been ordered and would not be available until April 2024. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the contact was advised that the vehicle could not be released, and no further assistance was provided. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,600.

Filed Mar 10, 2021 · Brakes · 3,000 miles · AZ

New vehicle with approx. 3,000 miles became completely disabled on highway and exposed occupants to extreme danger. Dealership reported that a "faulty brake sensor" was the cause of the vehicle becoming inoperable. Vehicle was being driven at 60 MPH and engine died on an underpass turn barely visible to traffic behind and was almost hit by a semi cruising at 60+ MPH. Failure of all systems resulted and could have killed the honda cr-v occupants.

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Questions about the Honda CR-V Hybrid engine failure

Which Honda CR-V Hybrid years have engine failure problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2020 (3 complaints), 2021 (3 complaints) and 2023 (2 complaints).

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