Vehicle experiences persistent, simultaneous flashing of all dashboard warning lights (Check Engine, Braking System, Traction Control, Steering Assist). This issue blinds the driver from seeing real-time critical vehicle warnings and disables active safety features. Dealer diagnostics confirmed fault codes P0172 (Fuel System Rich) and P0303 (Cylinder 3 Misfire) caused by failing fuel injectors flooding the cylinders. This is a widespread defect on 2018 1.5L Turbo engines that poses an active driving hazard.
The worst 2018 Honda CR-V problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Fuel system608
- Engine545
- Driver assistance448
- Steering335
- Electrical286
- Brakes200
- Acceleration65
- Transmission64
- Visibility43
- Body27
- Seat belts25
- Airbags22
- Lights12
- Wheels11
- Tires9
- Seats7
- Suspension7
- Locks2
Specific symptoms reported on the 2018 Honda CR-V
Fuel smell 218Stalling 146Warning lights 121Collision warning 119Adaptive cruise 104Fuel pump 98Check engine light 84Jerking 84Loss of power 69Lane assist 65Misfire 57Phantom braking 55Engine failure 41Hesitation 35Steering noise 25Sunroof shattered 24Fuel leak 21Battery drain 20Won't start 20Brake failure 19Door locks 17Overheating 17ABS 16Fire or smoke 16Power steering loss 16Screen failure 15Headlights 12Key fob 12Pulling 12Seat belt 11Won't shift 11Grinding brakes 10Oil consumption 10Windshield crack 10Harsh shifting 9Knocking 8Sudden acceleration 8No deployment 7Steering lock-up 6Wipers 6Backup camera 5Ball joint 5Premature wear 5
Trouble codes owners of the 2018 Honda CR-V mention
P0172 15P0303 10P0300 7P0304 5P0301 4P0087 3P0302 3P0299 2P0441 2P16E8 2P219C 2P219E 2
Recalls 5
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
- Risk
- 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 the federal safety agency recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning May 29, 2026.
Recall number 26V332000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
- Risk
- 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 the federal safety agency recall numbers 21V‑215 and 20V‑314.
Recall number 23V858000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: buckle assembly
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2020 CR-V, 2018-2019 Accord and Accord Hybrid, 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019 Insight, and 2019-2020 Acura RDX vehicles. A manufacturing issue with the front seat belts may cause the seat belt buckle channel to interfere with the release button, preventing the seat belt buckle from latching.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 23V158000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 21V215000 · Recall details
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Honda Civic and CR-V vehicles. The magnet that controls the torque sensor output signal for the electronic power steering system may not be properly secured, allowing the magnet to become dislodged. During a full lock turn, the dislodged magnet may cause steering assist to be applied in the opposite direction.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 18V663000 · Recall details
See all 5 recalls for the 2018 Honda CR-V
Defect investigations
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
On February 21, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE22003) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system, in model year 2017-2019 Honda CR-V and 2018-2019 Honda Accord vehicles. The reports allege that activation of the AEB system occurs while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Honda indicated that they were aware of a total of X,XXX reports that may relate to the alleged defect. Honda provided analysis of the alleged defect and alleges that some customers possibly had an inadequate understanding of the CMBS and its limitations.  However, many consumer complaints allege that Honda dealerships were unable to reproduce the condition or state that they were informed that this is considered normal CMBS operation. To date, ODI has received a total of 1,294 consumer complaints of inadvertent activation of CMBS in 2017-2022 Honda CR-V and 2018-2022 Honda Accord vehicles. A total of 31 complaints alleged a crash and 50 alleged an injury. The Total column in the Failure Report Summary removes duplicate reports and shows the total number of reports with unique VINs from all Manufacturer, ODI, and EWR data sources. In some cases, there were multiple reports associated with a particular vehicle in which recurring failures were alleged. In total, there were X,XXX reports, 93 injury incidents and 47 crashes involving vehicles with unique VINs that may relate to the alleged defect. PE22-003 has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety related consequences of the inadvertent AEB activations. The scope has been expanded to include assessment of model year 2020-2022 Honda CR-V and Accord vehicles. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to
EA24002
Rear Differential Seizure
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 vehicleâs 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. Hondaâs 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 sealâs 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 vehicleâs life thus the failures were covered by the manufacturerâs 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 manufacturerâs 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 the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist, and the agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.
PE22011
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
On February 21, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE22003) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system, in model year 2017-2019 Honda CR-V and 2018-2019 Honda Accord vehicles. The reports allege that activation of the AEB system occurs while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Honda indicated that they were aware of a total of X,XXX reports that may relate to the alleged defect. Honda provided analysis of the alleged defect and alleges that some customers possibly had an inadequate understanding of the CMBS and its limitations.  However, many consumer complaints allege that Honda dealerships were unable to reproduce the condition or state that they were informed that this is considered normal CMBS operation. To date, ODI has received a total of 1,081 consumer complaints of inadvertent activation of CMBS in the subject vehicles. A total of 24 complaints alleged a crash and 42 alleged an injury. The Total column in the Failure Report Summary removes duplicate reports and shows the total number of reports with unique VINs from all Manufacturer, ODI, and EWR data sources. In some cases, there were multiple reports associated with a particular vehicle in which recurring failures were alleged. In total, there were X,XXX reports, 84 injury incidents and 40 crashes involving vehicles with unique VINs that may relate to the alleged defect. PE22003 has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA24002) to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety related consequences of the inadvertent AEB activations. Further the scope has been expanded to include assessment of model year 2020-2022 Honda CR-V and Accord vehicles. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to
PE22003
Technical service bulletins for the 2018 Honda CR-V 269
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may
- Owner Notification Letter
- Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may
- Dealer Message
- Honda has developed software updates to the Honda Sensing system to enhance driver experience by modifying...
- Dealer Message
- American Honda has identified a condition that may affect Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) operation
- Oil leak at timing chain tensioner inspection cover due to possible insufficient sealant adhesion on...
- Dealer Message
- Dealer Message
2018 Honda CR-V fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5L 4‑cyl | FWD | 28 | 34 | 30 |
| 1.5L 4‑cyl | AWD | 27 | 33 | 29 |
| 2.4L 4‑cyl | FWD | 26 | 32 | 28 |
| 2.4L 4‑cyl | AWD | 25 | 31 | 27 |
What 2018 Honda CR-V owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The steering wheel sticks then breaks free with a jerk. It usually shows up at highway speed. When trying to make a small lane corrections, extra force is required and often causes overcorrection. A ticking or clunking noise also occurs when the wheel sticks or releases. I contacted a dealer and they knew of the problem but said my vehicle wasn't part of the recall. I don't understand why my vehicle can have a known problem and not be covered. I've read of people with this problem having the steering wheel lock completely and running into things. Right now I don't even feel safe driving the car to a dealer for repair.
While driving on a very busy highway the vehicle lost power all waring lights came on in the vehicle and it lost power steering wheel became hard to move and I had to get over leave highway pull into gas station where vehicle continue not to function properly I called family for assistance called a tow truck and had it towed home because all dealers were closed at 10:30 pm (which cost 480 dollars . My vehicle had been called for a fuel pump recall which I did take to big star Honda and they repaired in August 8 2026. This incident happen on Nov 4 2026 took car back to Big Star Honda and they said it was the fuel pump now Honda refuses to make this right because the already replaced the fuel pump and I have to pay 1287 for a new fuel pump
During a long road trip from [XXX], to [XXX], I started hearing a loud clunking noise coming from the rear suspension whenever I drove over potholes or uneven pavement. I also felt a strong vibration while driving. I pulled over to check the noise, but because it was dark, it was too hard to see anything. The next day, I continued driving and decided to inspect the rear suspension more closely. I noticed a visible gap between the nut and the frame on the stabilizer bar, and the threads were completely stripped out. After consulting the vehicle service manual for guidance, I ended up replacing both rear stabilizer bar links. A few days later, the exact same issue returned—the passenger-side link was coming loose again. This time, I torqued the nut to the manual's exact specifications and applied threadlocker to the bolt, which finally put an end to the problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
On 10/30/2026, I drove over a metal roadway plate at 30 mph and the car automatically activated the collision mitigation braking system and skidded to a complete stop in the middle of the road.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost power with the fuel pressure failure, causing the vehicle to decelerate, and there was heavy smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact pulled over safely and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode while driving back to the residence. The check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact became aware of an abnormal burning rubber odor prior to and during the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was towed to a local dealership, where it was diagnosed with a blown engine head gasket, lack of oil in the engine, and other internal engine damage. The failure mileage was 244,372.
The front brake line from the master cylinder to the ABS hydraulic control valve has failed from what appears to be corrosion failure directly related to electrolyte fluid leaking from the battery. The failure caused brake fluid to drain from the master cylinder reservoir and resulted in brake failure while the vehicle was being driven. Multiple warning lamps and warning messages turned on after brake application failure was noted by the driver. The vehicle use was terminated at the time the warning messages appeared and towed into our repair facility.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving, the steering wheel was sticking in mid turn. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the battery needed to be replaced due to the power steering failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the battery failure persised. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.
At approximately 57,200 miles, the electronic power steering (EPS) rack assembly failed due to internal mechanical binding. When straightening out from turns, the steering wheel sticks in place and requires deliberate manual force to unbind, creating an overcorrection and lane-departure safety hazard. The issue was confirmed by an authorized Honda dealership technician on Repair Order #51151, who verified the internal binding and recommended full replacement of the EPS rack assembly (Part #53620-TLD-A03). No dashboard warning lamps illuminated before or during the failure.
My CRV has been having issues with the steering wheel "sticking" and making a clicking noise when turning. I have had it looked at multiple times and Honda dealerships claim they aren't "feeling" or "hearing" what I am. It's concerning when driving at high speeds on the highway with a steering wheel that is sticking during turns.
Compare the 2018 Honda CR-V
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2018 Honda CR-V
Is the 2018 Honda CR-V reliable?
Owners have filed 2,169 complaints about the 2018 Honda CR-V, 4.5 times a typical CR-V model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2018 Honda CR-V year score?
The 2018 Honda CR-V scores 18 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the Honda CR-V: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Honda CR-V?
Fuel and propulsion system, with 608 complaints, typically around 8,250 miles. Next is engine (545).
How many recalls does the 2018 Honda CR-V have?
5 recalls, covering air bags, fuel system, gasoline and seat belts.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Honda CR-V fuel system?
Yes, 2 recalls: 23V858000, 21V215000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Honda CR-V have the most fuel system problems?
The Honda CR-V model years with the most fuel system complaints are 2018 (608 complaints), 2017 (379 complaints) and 2019 (265 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2018 Honda CR-V get?
Official estimates for the 2018 Honda CR-V range from 27 to 30 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.5L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 28 city and 34 highway.
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