The contact owns a 2017 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated and the messages "Parking Brake Failure", "Transmission Failure”, and "ABS Failure" were displayed with an audible alarm. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the failure might be associated with the battery. The contact replaced the battery; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel injectors had failed and needed to be replaced; however, the repair was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to apply for goodwill assistance. The contact provided an application form to the dealer and was informed that the form would be completed and submitted to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
Honda CR-V transmission failure problems
61 of the 16,122 owner complaints about the Honda CR-V describe complete transmission failure, most of them for the 2015 model year.
- owner complaints
- 61
- worst model year
- 2015
- typical repair cost reported
- $4,300
- typical mileage
- 57,000
By model year
Often reported together
Shudder 8CVT failure 7Slipping 5Loss of power 5Hesitation 4Check engine light 4Won't shift 3Stalling 3
What owners say
In November 2025 a new transmission was installed Curry Honda in Atlanta GA on my 2020 Honda CR-V. The new transmission came with a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. In March 2026 my vehicle broke down and was towed to Tameron Honda in Daphne Al where a speed sensor was replaced at my expense of 388.44. The adaptive cruise control was not working prior to this repair. Within two weeks the vehicle experienced further issues and had to be driven in a compromised condition back to Curry Honda in Atlanta where the transmission wire harness was diagnosed as corroded and replaced at a cost of 1696.99. My vehicle has been garage-kept its entire life except when in the care of a dealership. Corrosion on a recently replaced transmission in a garage-kept vehicle cannot be attributed to environmental exposure or owner neglect. It points directly to a defective part of improper installation at Curry Honda. These failures occurred within months of a new transmission installation with no prior history of issues. I believe this is a safety defect as the vehicle broke down unexpectedly and had to be driven in a compromised condition posing a safety risk.
The contact owns a 2013 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30–40 MPH, the transmission shuddered. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed it with transmission failure. The independent mechanic flushed the transmission fluid; however, the failure reoccurred. The failure was persistent. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to a dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 25 MPH and turning left onto another street, the instrument cluster illuminated with several unknown warning lights, and the vehicle lost motive power. The driver was able to coast the vehicle off the road. The engine was still running, but while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact and her husband picked her son up and saw a trail of dark fluid leading up to where the vehicle was stopped. There was a puddle and another trail of dark fluid underneath the vehicle, draining from the front of the vehicle. The contact’s son had heard an abnormal popping sound when the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. The local dealer was contacted and advised to tow the vehicle to their location. The vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and advised the contact that there were no other options to repair the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact’s friend owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. While the friend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The contact stated that the transmission sounded clunky while shifting. The vehicle lost functionality. Additionally, while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle was shaking erratically. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission shift solenoids(#3) failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the failure was an internal failure with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. In addition, the contact stated that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle; however, the failure was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 60,500.
This 2024 Honda CRV only had 24k miles and experienced total transmission failure. I was traveling and started experiencing problems. Two factory Honda dealers (Dahl Honda rhinelander and a Duluth Honda dealer) turned me away for repairs, even though they said it was the CVT. The cvt would make loud clunking and clanging noise. During driving it would hesitate and then surge creating a drivability safety hazard. Finally OMalleys in Wausau said cvt needed to be replaced. Dahl and Duluth Honda had me continue driving despite have factory original warranty and extended bumper to bumper 100k which covered car rental. Disappointed in Honda quality and potential safety issue,
CVT complete transmission failure consistent with Service Bulletin 16-053 from Honda, dated September 9, 2016. I was not the owner of the car at this time, so a recall notice was never received by me. Currently, Transmission is being fully replaced at 94,000 miles at a cost of $5700. It is a safety issue, due to the car not being able to drive over 30mph, nearly stalling at traffic lights and stop signs. A rear end collision would be imminent.
Vehicle began making noise when driving. Took to Honda and they discovered a bad bearing in the transmission. Car is regularly serviced and at 78K miles. Car needs a new transmission.
Electrical System Failure Battery Drain Issues Infotainment/Navigation Freezing Persistent Check Engine Light Excessive Oil Consumption Transmission Failure Brake System Failure Steering Issues Unintended Acceleration Airbag Malfunctions Fuel System Leak Increased emissions Misfires
Per dealer service department, cylinder one (1) rocker arm/lifter was getting stuck and caused a system and transmission failure.
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Honda is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 CR-V, Odyssey, and model year 2013 Acura RDX vehicles. During sub-freezing temperatures, the brake-shift interlock blocking mechanism may become slow and allow the gear selector to be moved from the Park position without pressing the brake pedal. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
- Risk
- If the gear selector is moved from the park position without pressing the brake pedal it can allow the vehicle to roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Honda or Acura dealer. The dealer will install an updated brake shift interlock blocking mechanism free of charge. The recall began on May 13, 2013. Owners may contact Honda at 1‑800‑999‑1009. Honda's campaign recall numbers are S96, S97, and S98.
Recall number 13V143000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
- What is wrong
- Honda is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 accord, 2007-2010 cr-v, and 2005-2008 element passenger cars manufactured from july 1, 2004, through september 3, 2010. The outer race of the secondary shaft bearing may be broken during certain driving styles. A broken outer race may cause abnormal noise, the malfunction indicator light to turn on, and allow contact between the transmission idle gear and an electronic sensor housing within the transmission.
- Risk
- This could result in a short circuit causing the engine to stall. Additionally, broken pieces of the outer race or ball bearing from the secondary shaft may become lodged in the parking pawl resulting in the vehicle rolling after the driver has placed the gear selector in the park position. Engine stall and unexpected vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash or personal injury to persons within the path of a rolling vehicle.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners and dealers will update the automatic transmission control module software free of charge. The safety recall began on august 27, 2011. Owners may contact honda automobile customer service at 1‑800‑999‑1009.
Recall number 11V395000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions, excessive corrosion of the shift cable linkage could prevent the driver from shifting the automatic transmission into park.
- Risk
- If the vehicle operator fails to engage the parking brake, the vehicle could roll and a crash could occur. Dealers will inspect the shift cable linkage for corrosion. If corrosion causes binding, they will replace the shift cable.
- Remedy
- Dealers will also install a new corrosion-resistant control pin. Owner notification began on august 19, 2003. Owners should contact honda at 1‑800‑999‑1009.
Recall number 03V274000 · Recall details
Questions about the Honda CR-V transmission failure
Which Honda CR-V years have complete transmission failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2015 (13 complaints), 2017 (8 complaints) and 2002 (4 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix complete transmission failure on the Honda CR-V?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $4,300 (median of 12 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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