This vehicle has been meticulously dealer-maintained, with 3 documented CVT fluid changes by 85,000 miles. At the third transmission fluid change, the dealer found CVT steel belt shards in the transmission pan. This failure matches the exact manufacturing defect described in Honda Service Bulletin 21-047, yet the manufacturer is refusing to remedy the safety defect. When this belt fails, as Honda has stated it will, it will caused an immediate and complete loss of motive power / acceleration, creating a severe and sudden safety hazard
The worst 2017 Honda HR-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.
- Transmission33
- Electrical28
- Body16
- Brakes13
- Engine12
- Fuel system11
- Acceleration8
- Airbags6
- Steering4
- Visibility3
- Driver assistance2
- Lights2
- Seat belts2
- Seats2
- Locks1
- Suspension1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2017 Honda HR-V
CVT failure 18Transmission failure 13Stalling 7Warning lights 6Water leak 5
Trouble codes owners of the 2017 Honda HR-V mention
B12C5 2
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 2017 Honda HR-V 77
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Due to the possibility of early deterioration of the Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) drive belt,...
- Servicenews article
- Dealer message
- Dealer message
- Dealer message
- Customer letter
- Dealer Message
- Due to the possibility of early deterioration of the Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) drive belt,...
- An incorrect value in the PCM may
- Due to the possibility of early deterioration of the Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) drive belt,...
2017 Honda HR-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4‑cyl | FWD | 25-28 | 33-34 | 28-31 |
| 1.8L 4‑cyl | AWD | 27 | 31 | 29 |
What 2017 Honda HR-V owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The vehicle has experienced extensive factory paint adhesion failure/delamination. The White Orchid Pearl paint is separating and peeling in large sheets across multiple panels, including the hood, roof/roof-rail areas, and multiple doors. The damage is not consistent with isolated rock chips, scratches, or collision damage. The peeling first began approximately 2½ weeks ago, approximately two years after the expiration of an existing Honda paint-related recall/warranty extension. The timing raises concern that the coverage period may have expired before the underlying paint failure had sufficient time to materially manifest. An independent automotive estimator inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the damage was not caused by me, impact, or user damage and determined that it is a manufacturing defect. A September 28, 2026 estimate documents the necessary repairs at $4,172.02, including substantial body and paint work to the roof and multiple doors. There were no warning lights, messages, or mechanical symptoms. The paint began peeling and has progressively worsened and spread to additional areas. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by Honda, and all affected components remain available for inspection. Based on the widespread pattern, independent estimator’s determination, and timing of the failure, my best assessment is premature failure of the factory paint/coating adhesion system due to a manufacturing defect.
In 2020/2021 Honda did a * Honda Service Bulletin 21-046 Honda Service Bulletin 21-047. They knew the CVT on models 2016/2021 had early CVT failure. They had us come in to add a program that was supposed to give us warning if the belt was going to break so we had time to get to a mechanic or the dealer before complete failure ; which I had done. On August 8th 2026 I was driving on the highway doing the speed limit of 60 mph in the middle lane, when the CVT completely failed & I could not move the car ! No warning lights (that program was pointless) no prior warnings AT ALL. I did the trans flush every 30,000 miles as they suggested to extended the life of the transmission. My point is that was a catastrophic failure and could have cause a major accident or even a pile up on the highway. Something has to be done about these vechicals ! It’s a major safety concern.
Aug. 27,2026..There has been several episodes of water getting into the interior of my car when it rains. This time the water came rushing down the driver’s side interior windshield & soaked the floor.In July 2026, rain water came in on the roof and went into the rear section of my car, water stains are on the inside roof and soaked the floor. In June 2026, there was water inside the driver’s side that flooded the floor. April 2026, the interior of my car front and back seat on the driver’s side were soaked from rain getting in. I do have a moonroof but there has not been any signs of water or water stains coming in through it. My major concern is the electrical components under the dash that may be affected if this is not resolved. As well as the interior deterioration. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
SAFETY HAZARD NOTIFICATION: INTERMITTENT IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE & STRAND RISK I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a known manufacturing defect in the ignition start/stop switch of my 2017 Honda HR-V. This component is suffering from an intermittent failure that creates an unpredictable and immediate strand risk, compromising driver safety by leaving the vehicle unable to start or power down correctly in potentially hazardous or isolated environments. Manufacturer American Honda Motor Co. is fully aware of this systemic defect, having issued Technical Service Bulletin TSB 20-116 (Diagnostic Trouble Code DTC B12C5) specifically addressing ignition start/stop switch failure. Despite this being a documented engineering flaw admitted by the manufacturer, American Honda Case Management (Case 16436837) is actively enforcing predatory financial barriers to prevent remediation. They are refusing to issue a conditional diagnostic waiver to verify the code, choosing instead to force an upfront out-of-pocket dealer diagnostic fee onto the consumer with no guarantee of goodwill coverage. Furthermore, corporate representatives handling this file on July 1, 2026, actively refused to provide their names or employee identification numbers when requested. I request that the federal safety agency review this case file and investigate American Honda’s bad-faith deployment of cost barriers to intentionally depress the reporting and remediation of a documented, safety-critical manufacturing defect.
The CVT transmission belt is breaking apart which suddenly slowed the car whiles driving on a freeway, american honda quietly sent new bulletin to dealers without informing me as a owner of this car from 02/2019. American honda new anout the belt deterioration and did not took steps to safequard my investment, like advising to change transmission fluis more frequesntly than manufacturer recommendations. This is lack of coporate greed and when I asked for a goodwill repair they denied it without any remorse of their wrong doing. An apology would have been accetable. Since american honda id not correcting therir act, iam requesting nhsa to advise dmv to not renew these unsafe cars until honda fixes its problems.
The car suddenly was unable to move forward or back even though engine was still running. I was able to roll to a stop in the parking lot at work, but moments before had been on the highway. Tow truck driver noted cap to transmission fluid had popped off. The car was towed to Honda dealer which determined new transmission needed. Even though there had been Honda technical service bulletins describing issues with transmissions for Honda HRVs for years 2016 to 2020, both the dealership (not purchased there), corporate Honda and dealer where car was purchased, all refused to pay for the problem.
cVT transmission failure Honda Eatontown diagnosed and gave 8400 estimate to replace/repair it
While driving, starting from a stop sign / or traffic light, the vehicle will stall out upon light acceleration. Going through the recall information, it appears that many 2017 Honda HRV and 2018 Honda HRV have a safety recall for the fuel pump ( located inside the fuel tank / under the drivers seat). For whatever reason, my HRV is not included in the recall but suffers from the exact same problems as the recalled vehicles. This has happened numerous times, in light traffic and in extremely heavy traffic where my life was put in danger by this stalling issue.
BCM module failure. Car controls flash on and off. Vehicle won’t start. Alarm goes off randomly.
Compare the 2017 Honda HR-V
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Other model years
Questions about the 2017 Honda HR-V
Is the 2017 Honda HR-V reliable?
Owners have filed 124 complaints about the 2017 Honda HR-V, fewer than a typical HR-V model year.
What is the 2017 Honda HR-V year score?
The 2017 Honda HR-V scores 79 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Honda HR-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 2017 Honda HR-V?
Transmission and drivetrain, with 33 complaints, typically around 95,000 miles. Next is electrical (28).
How many recalls does the 2017 Honda HR-V have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Honda HR-V have bad transmission?
The Honda HR-V model years with the most transmission complaints are 2016 (77 complaints), 2017 (33 complaints) and 2022 (20 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2017 Honda HR-V get?
Official estimates for the 2017 Honda HR-V range from 28 to 31 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.8L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 25-28 city and 33-34 highway.
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