2018 Honda HR-V: CVT failure

Filed Jul 2, 2026 · Transmission · MI

We have a Honda 2018 HRV We purchased it new from Suburban Honda in April 2018 They have serviced the in our ownership The CVT Transmission was serviced and maintained by this dealership The fluid was changed at 29.063 miles and the transmission was updated by Honda at 31781 miles The fluid was changed at 54874 Now at 76081 miles the CVT Transmission has failed and Honda has said its $9500.00 to repair No warning lights just a Cluck on XXX I feel if the transmission completey fail on the road at any time The car has been inspected and is at Honda Dealership in [XXX] now they have confirmed internal Transmission failure Honda should repair at no cost to our family INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed May 19, 2026 · Transmission · IN

•What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? CVT, yes this is a known issue •How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? On Tuesday, April 21st, 2026 our Honda HRV catastrophically and dangerously failed. Our Honda HRV Navi is the all-wheel-drive (AWD) and we are the original owners. It shuddered and dropped speed from almost 70 mph, to about 20 mph, putting us and others at risk for a rear end collision. My wife is traumatized by these events and for being stranded on the side of the road. •Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, it was repaired at a high cost. •Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Honda dealership •Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No. This was the first time there was any indication of a problem. The transmission was serviced on March 6th, 2026 at Honda a Honda Dealership. There were NO warnings of problems (i.e. NO slipping or hesitation during acceleration, NO engine revving without speed gain, NO sudden jerking or shuddering when driving, NO delayed engagement unusual noises (whining, grinding, clunking), NO fluid leaks of transmission fluid, and NO overheating or burning smell. When I queried the servicing dealership, I was told the March 6th, 2026 routine maintenance CVT service found no metal shavings or other issues in the transmission fluid. It was a routine scheduled and dealer suggested maintenance. On Tuesday, April 21st, 2026 our Honda HRV catastrophically and dangerously failed. Our Honda HRV Navi is the all-wheel-drive (AWD) and we are the original owners. It shuddered and dropped speed from almost 70 mph, to about 20 mph, putting us at risk for a rear end collision. My wife (the registered owner) is traumatized by these events and for be

Filed Mar 24, 2026 · Transmission · MI

VEHICLE INFORMATION Year: 2018 Make: Honda Model: HR-V VIN: [XXX] Mileage at Time of Incident: 96,993 Incident Date: 03/10/2026 I am filing this complaint regarding the premature and complete failure of the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) on my 2018 Honda HR-V with approximately 96,993 miles. DESCRIPTION OF FAILURE: The transmission on my 2018 Honda HR-V failed without prior warning. Symptoms included sudden loss of acceleration, vehicle unable to move under its own power, etc. The vehicle was taken to Page Honda of Bloomfield where it was diagnosed with a complete CVT transmission failure. The repair cost totaled $8,873. SAFETY CONCERN: This failure poses a serious safety risk. A sudden loss of transmission function while driving — particularly at highway speeds resulted in loss of vehicle control and created dangerous conditions. This is not a minor mechanical inconvenience; it is a critical safety defect. HONDA'S RESPONSE: I opened a case with Honda Customer Service; Case # XXX requesting goodwill assistance reimbursement for the repair costs. Honda denied my claim. After submitting a formal written demand, Honda agreed to reconsider, but has yet to provide full reimbursement. PATTERN OF FAILURE: I believe this is not an isolated incident. I am aware of other 2018 Honda HR-V owners who have reported the same CVT transmission failure pattern. I urge the federal safety agency to investigate this and help me with resolving this case. I am happy to provide additional documentation, repair invoices, and correspondence with Honda upon request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Feb 5, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · CA

I was driving to work and everything on the dashboard lit up. It actively showed that the car was changing gears while I was in traffic. I pulled over and the car reader gave me error - P0793. We have a 2018 Honda HRV with only 86,000 miles. The car became sluggish and sounded like something went wrong with the engine. There was no prior alarm or lights on dashboard before everything began blinking. There is a service bulletin for this issue by honda - 21-047 CVT belt deterioration warranty extension. Car is currently at Honda dealership and they denied us a good will request because we were 11 months and 29 days out of warranty.

Filed Nov 11, 2025 · Acceleration, Steering · NC

While driving my Honda HR-V under normal conditions around noon on Saturday on NC Highway 54, the vehicle suddenly illuminated multiple dashboard lights and began to decelerate despite pressing the accelerator. The steering became extremely hard to maneuver, the brakes did not respond, and I was unable to activate the hazard lights due to an electrical malfunction—putting my life and the lives of others in jeopardy. My car gave me no prior warning signs of this issue. It had been serviced at Autopark Honda Service Center on September 19, 2025, including a transmission service, and nothing abnormal (such as debris or metal) was noted or communicated to me. After the incident and I had my car towed to Autopark Honda, I was informed that the transmission had failed. I later learned of Honda Service Bulletin #21-047 (April 27, 2021) concerning premature CVT belt deterioration in 2016–2020 HR-V models. Despite this known issue, Honda has refused responsibility because my vehicle is about 10 months beyond the 7-year warranty extension. This sudden failure caused complete loss of power, steering, braking, and hazard functions, representing a serious safety risk that warrants investigation.

Filed Sep 30, 2025 · Transmission · FL

We initially chose this Honda vehicle as we are Honda owners and valued their reliability. While driving with my six year old son in the car our HRV it started shaking anytime I accelerated. No check engine lights or other lights came on but I turned back home and drove my husbands car before taking my car into the shop where they diagnosed it as a CVT transmission failure. There was a recall issued for this vehicle due to transmission issues tied to the CVT and in 2022 we did have the software update that was supposed to resolve this issue. It did not and this transmission failed, our case for good will assistance was denied and we are left with a $9,000.00 problem in addition to the nearly $7,000.00 still owed on this vehicle that we purchased in 2021 (we are second . Any Honda owners looking to purchase the 2018 HRV should consider their probability of failure due to the CVT transmission that no longer falls under their extended recall warranty. It really is a disappointment to know that Honda does not standby their product seeing as their customers invest thousands of dollars into these purchases. In summary Honda acknowledged this CVT defect, extended coverage, and even performed their product update on my vehicle. Despite that, my CVT failed prematurely from the same issue, only months outside the time window but far under the mileage limit. Honda denied assistance for reasons unrelated to the defect itself (service history and number of Hondas in their system), refused to provide a written denial, and blocked escalation to higher review. My case number is 15868599.

Filed Sep 17, 2025 · Transmission · SC

2018 Honda HRV EX AWD premature CVT transmission failure at 68,314 miles. Problem diagnosed and confirmed by an independent mechanic on July 10th and by a Honda Dealership on July15th. I had to pay the Honda dealership to replace the transmission. I do not know where the old transmission was sent or if it was inspected, could contact Honda Dealership for further information. Safety of myself, passengers and other vehicles were at risk due to sluggish excelaration, jerky movements and at times unable to get the vehicle to move at all. These actions could have caused a rear end crash, front end crash or side crashes due to other vehicles not knowing what was happening. I did not have the control or the ability to move the vehicle off the road. July 3, 2025 dash lights unexpedtedly came on with no prior warning. Dashboard lights were a yellow P(parking) with an exclamation point, Red PARK light, yellow brake system light and a yellow check engine light. All lights led me to believe there was a problem with the braking system or the emergency brake was engaged. No lights indicating a transmission problem.

Filed Sep 3, 2025 · Transmission · 112,000 miles · NY

The contact purchased a 2018 Honda HR-V for his daughter. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The driver became aware of several unknown warning lights illuminated before the vehicle unintendedly decelerated to 15 MPH. The driver was able to pull over and stop the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to a mechanic. The contact stated that the mechanic advised that there was a known issue with the CVT transmission and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that there were metal shavings found inside the transmission fluid. The contact called the manufacturer about a warranty coverage program for the CVT transmission. The contact was advised that his daughter's vehicle was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified about the failure and filed a case for the contact. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.

Filed May 5, 2025 · NJ

Complaint to the federal safety agency – Honda HR-V Transmission Failure and Safety Risk I purchased a used 2018 Honda HR-V, and the day after purchase, I noticed unusual noises coming from the vehicle. I took it to a certified Honda dealer, where they updated the transmission software without my consent or prior notice. After the update, the car suddenly stalled on the highway, creating a serious safety risk. The dealership then informed me that the transmission is failing, and that this is a wider issue among HR-Vs. There is a known extended warranty (7 years/150,000 miles) on the CVT transmission, but my vehicle is only 6 months past the time limit and still under 110,000 miles. Honda Corporate has denied a goodwill claim, despite the safety issue and my history as a loyal Honda customer. I currently own four Honda vehicles, and this situation has raised major concerns about the safety and reliability of the HR-V’s transmission. I’m filing this complaint because I believe this is part of a systemic transmission defect that has not been adequately addressed, and the sudden failure after a dealer-initiated update poses a significant safety hazard.

Filed Feb 18, 2025 · Transmission · 97,639 miles · TX

I was driving on the highway and suddenly my 2018 Honda HRV had a power failure, with the dash flashing and loss of acceleration. Luckily, I was able to coast off the highway with hazards on. After numerous power cycles, I was able to get the car into limp mode but could not go over 30mph. I took it to the dealer and was diagnosed to be the known Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) issue. My car is in great condition, with only 97k miles. I was at the dealership only a week before for the fuel injector recall, and this transmission issue was not mentioned. According to Service Bulletin 21-0467, the extended warranty to cover the CVT defect covers 7 years and 150k miles -- unfortunately, my car was is an 7 years and 1 month old according to the "delivery date" in Honda's system. I am still trying to verify this claim. I was denied all warranty and goodwill from Honda and quoted over $10,000 for the repair. I called the corporate contact (America Honda Motor Co.) to no avail. Both the dealer and corporate offices deny any liability for a known defect, after having brought the car to their service center just days before the warranty allegedly ended.