I am filing this complaint regarding a recurring and dangerous loss of engine power in my 2020 Honda CR-V, currently at approximately 80,000 miles. For an extended period, my vehicle has repeatedly experienced multiple dashboard warning lights illuminating simultaneously, followed by severe loss of acceleration. During these episodes, the vehicle enters a reduced-power state and can only travel approximately 10 mph. This creates a serious safety hazard, especially on highways and in heavy traffic, where sudden loss of acceleration could cause a collision. I have taken my vehicle to independent mechanics numerous times for these same issues, but the problem has never been permanently resolved. During one evaluation, a mechanic identified engine-related diagnostic information and showed me Honda Technical Service Bulletin 18-025, concerning misfires and air-fuel imbalance. I subsequently brought my vehicle to Atlantic Honda in [XXX], where their technician diagnosed faulty fuel injectors and quoted $1,800 for replacement. Both Atlantic Honda and Honda Corporate denied warranty or goodwill assistance, stating that my vehicle exceeded the 70,000-mile eligibility limit by approximately 10,000 miles. On XXX, my vehicle again experienced severe power loss in [XXX], limiting acceleration to approximately 10 mph. I was unable to safely continue driving and had to leave my vehicle in [XXX], where it now requires towing. This is not an isolated incident but a recurring problem that has persisted despite multiple visits to mechanics. I am concerned that faulty fuel injectors may represent a broader safety defect affecting other 2020 Honda CR-V vehicles. I respectfully request that the federal safety agency investigate these repeated failures and determine whether additional vehicles should be included in any applicable safety recall or corrective action. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2020 Honda CR-V: sudden loss of power
15 of the 363 complaints about the 2020 Honda CR-V describe sudden loss of power.
- owner complaints
- 15
- of this car's complaints
- 4%
- recalls
- 0
Sudden loss of power by model year
What owners say
When driving on highway, the engine light came on and the car suddenly slowed down causing me concern about traffic around me still going at highway speed. Not understanding what the issue was and afraid the car would lose all power, I was able to shift lanes quickly to get to the breakdown lane. I was able to get the car to Honda Dealer driving at slow speed using back roads. The Honda Dealer confirmed an engine misfire caused the engine light and slowdown. The cause of the misfire was coolant leaking into engine cylinder and would require replacing the head gasket to fix the problem. The car had 75,000 miles and had been running fine until that point.
I got onto the free and accelerated to the speed limit. I glanced at my dash and saw the check engine light start flashing. I could feel the car start to lose power and handle differently than normal. I immediately pulled to the shoulder and had the car towed to the dealership. They diagnosed it as having a blown head gasket and that coolant had gotten into 1 of the cylinders. The adviser informed me that 2018-2022 1.5 turbo and hybrid engines have been having issues with blown head gaskets. I had also been seeing complaints of that on social media before this happened to mine. My vehicle has over 100k miles and it isn’t even 6 years old. I have had older Hondas, acuras and Toyotas with similar mileage or more and no issues like this. If so many drivers are having blown head gaskets Honda needs to be looked into for this and have a recall to repair their defect. The service adviser told me it was nothing I had done to my vehicle to cause this. I get oil changes when the maintenance light comes on and I have completed scheduled maintenance on my vehicle. I also use Costco gas 95% of the time and only use other brands when traveling.
My 2020 CR-v hybrid has suddenly lost power on the freeway a total of 4 times in the 6 years I've owned it. It is always at freeway speeds. The flashing engine light appears and the car loses power. After pulling over, turning off the car, and waiting a few minutes, the car can be turned on and driven with no more flashing engine light and no more problems for months. Each time I've taken it to the dealer and each time they haven't been able to replicate or find the problem. I've been told that error codes were not generated. I purchased my car new in July 2020, and the power-loss incidents were: - Fall 2020 - Summer 2022 - December 2024 - June 2026 A google search shows that many other crv hybrid owner have experienced the same problem, and also have had service technicians unable to find problem. This is a major safety concern.
For the last two years, our CR-V has had random engine failures where the car will lose power and the ability to accelerate. If you're going uphill it will stop entirely, otherwise you can usually limp along at about 20mph. We've taken the car in to the Honda dealer multiple times with no fix. We've had to abandon the car since Honda won't fix it and it's a complete safety hazard. The final incident happened while I was driving in a tunnel in a 60mph zone. The car died and I had nowhere to pull off so I was forced to slowly crawl through the tunnel as cars flew by me going 70mph. I was finally able to get out of the tunnel and pull over in a remotely safe place. Once you turn the car off, the system resets and you can drive again until the issue happens again. Honda diagnosed the issue, reproduced and confirmed the issue and, despite having an 8-year full warranty we bought when we bought the car new, they refused to fix it stating that they simply aren't able to. Their recommendation was to take the car and monitor the issue, despite confirming the extreme danger the car poses to us. We've asked them to replace the car with anything of similar value that won't be a safety threat, or buy the car back since we can't drive it. It's been sitting at the dealership for the last month and a half. We've now been forced to hire an attorney to help resolve this since Honda is refusing to take accountability for selling a completely unsafe vehicle.
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The fuel delivery system and engine power management. The vehicle suffers from sudden "Limp Mode" activation and total loss of acceleration. The vehicle is available for inspection. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My safety was severely compromised when the vehicle suddenly lost power while traveling at highway speeds. This occurred twice in high-speed traffic, creating an immediate risk of a rear-end collision as the vehicle could no longer maintain the flow of traffic or accelerate away from danger. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No. The issue was reported to a dealer in 2024, but because the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) turned off after a restart, the dealer was unable to reproduce the failure or find stored error codes at that time. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, it was inspected by an authorized Honda dealer in 2024, but no repairs or actions were taken as they could not replicate the fault. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No. There were no prior symptoms or early warnings. In both incidents (2024 and yesterday), the engine light illuminated simultaneously with a sudden, localized loss of speed and a total inability to power up or accelerate while on the highway.
I am experiencing intermittent loss of motive power. Without warning at highway speeds I get a flashing check engine light immediately before the loss of motive power occurs. Motive power can be restored by turning the ignition off and back on. However, this action also clears the check engine light and any fault codes that were set. I drive with a code reader in the car and have received a P0302 code. This has happened at least five times since May 2024. It is available for inspection. I have brought it into a Honda dealership for repairs, they have changed the fuel injectors and pistons and it is still occurring. I was told this time that they did not know what was wrong so they could not repair anything. The safety of myself, my husband, and my seven month old daughter was out at risk as it occurs when traveling over 55 miles/hour and we lose power. We have to try and navigate to the side of the road to turn on and off the car. This problem was reproduced by a dealer this last time it went into the shop and it is there currently. The vehicle has only been inspected by Keeler Honda in Latham, New York. There were no other warnings prior to this failure. It has occurred multiple times, May 2024, November 2024, Feb 2025, March 2026 I have a video of what happens but I cannot upload it. This is exactly what is happening in the federal safety agency Action Number: PE25016
While driving, multiple warning lights suddenly illuminated on the dashboard and the vehicle immediately began running sluggish with significantly reduced engine power. The vehicle was unable to maintain normal driving speed and was operating below the posted speed limit, creating a potential traffic hazard and increasing the risk of a rear-end collision from faster-moving vehicles. I was able to carefully drive the vehicle home, but the condition persisted. After arriving home, the vehicle required multiple attempts to start, indicating an ongoing issue. I scanned the vehicle using an OBD diagnostic tool and retrieved diagnostic trouble code P0087 (Fuel Rail/System Pressure Too Low), indicating a malfunction in the fuel delivery or fuel pressure system, which may involve the fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator, or related components. There were no prior warning signs before this incident; the warnings and loss of performance occurred suddenly while the vehicle was being driven under normal conditions. The sudden reduction in engine power created a safety concern due to the inability to maintain normal traffic speed. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, dealer, police, insurance representatives, or other third parties, but the vehicle and affected components are available for inspection upon request.
Driving at highway speeds in passing lane. Car lost power immediately and all dash lights came on. Very dangerous and almost got hit trying to pull over. dealer diagnosed High pressure fuel rail pump. Honda dealer charging $1800 to replace high pressure fuel pump
At approximately 75,000 miles, my 2020 Honda CR-V began experiencing serious engine performance issues, including jerking, hesitation, and rough operation while driving. The check engine warning light began flashing, indicating an active engine misfire. During these events, the vehicle’s acceleration and engine response became unpredictable. Only traveling at 5 mph. The ignition coils and spark plugs were replaced, and then replaced again, by an independent mechanic. After the most recent repair, the vehicle was test driven and the issue persisted. A diagnostic scan shows the engine is running rich, which mechanics stated points to a fuel injector malfunction. Based on diagnostic results, repeated test drives, and elimination of ignition components as the cause, the fuel injector system is the component believed to have failed. This malfunction poses a safety risk because a misfiring engine can cause sudden loss of power, hesitation during acceleration, and unpredictable vehicle behavior, especially during merging, passing, or driving in traffic. The issue has been reproduced and reviewed by multiple mechanics, who reached the same conclusion regarding a fuel injector related failure. Prior to and during the failure, the vehicle exhibited jerking, hesitation, rough operation, and a flashing check engine light. These symptoms have continued despite repairs. The fuel injector failure is the subject of an active recall affecting this make, model, and year, however my VIN is not included in the recall. Despite this exclusion, my vehicle is exhibiting the same symptoms, misfire behavior, and diagnostic indicators addressed by the recall. The exact reason my VIN is excluded from the recall is unknown, but the evidence indicates a fuel injector related defect affecting safe operation of the vehicle.
While driving down the freeway at around 60 mph, I sharply accelerated to negotiate traffic and my vehicle lost power and the check engine light was flashing. I was able to roll to an exit ramp where i could barely get up a slight incline. I was able to get out of traffic but at speed of less than 5 mph. It sounded like the vehicle was running on two cylinders. I pulled over and turned the car off. I was able to re-start the car after which it ran normally. I went directly to the dealership where they were unable to reproduce or diagnose the issue.
The fuel injectors failed and were leaking. All warning system lights displayed and scrolled thru dash. We took to Honda dealership and are awaiting repairs. A fire hazard was present from leaking fuel and hazardous condition from lose of power as engine running rough and misfiring.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may
- Under certain conditions, the cylinder head gasket effectiveness may be reduced which may
- Dealer Message
- Oil leak at timing chain tensioner inspection cover due to possible insufficient sealant adhesion on...
- Dealer Message
- Dealer Message
- Dealer Message
- The vehicle message "All Wheel Drive System Problem" is shown on the dash
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2020 Honda CR-V loss of power
Is sudden loss of power a common problem on the 2020 Honda CR-V?
15 of 363 owner complaints about the 2020 Honda CR-V (4%) mention sudden loss of power. The model year with the most reports is 2017.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2020 Honda CR-V?
There are 0 recalls and 24 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2020 Honda CR-V
Check engine light 25Fuel pump 21Warning lights 20Collision warning 12Stalling 11Airbag light 9Jerking 9Phantom braking 9Sunroof shattered 9Adaptive cruise 8Misfire 8Seat belt 8No deployment 7Engine failure 6Lane assist 6Won't shift 6Headlights 5Steering noise 5Won't start 5
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