2018 Honda HR-V: complete transmission failure

Filed Oct 20, 2026 · Electrical, Transmission · 110,000 miles · MD

The contact owns a 2018 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly failed to operate properly, causing the vehicle to decelerate to 35 MPH. The contact stated that the right side of the instrument panel became inoperable. The contact was unable to see the mileage, and the battery life indicator failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The instrument panel failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was later taken to a service center, where the transmission failure was confirmed, and the transmission was replaced. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

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 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 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 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 Jun 10, 2020 · Transmission · 5,000 miles · CT

The cv transmission on my 2018 hr-v exhibits an oscillatory increasing and decreasing speed behavior at around 2500 engine RPM when under minimal load, I.e.; going up a small hill. This is prominent on the highway when going up a very slight grade under steady state throttle, but also noticeable at low speed, like 15 MPH, when going up a little bit steeper hill, like my driveway. I had complained repeatedly to honda dealers and the factory about this, but the techs were just driving the vehicle around the neighborhood and didn't notice the issue because they weren't in the regime where it happens. This will cause excessive wear in the transmission components due to the sliding of the connecting chain across the variable diameter drums it rides on, eventually leading to premature transmission failure which can easily be a major safety issue from multiple considerations. The case number that american honda generated for this transmission "hunting" issue was 09398275 reported to honda on 3/5/19 (I used that date below because the condition has been constant with no specific failure point)

Filed Mar 16, 2020 · Transmission · 55,000 miles · CT

At around 55k miles I was on the highway when my car bucked twice and then switched into neutral, I pulled over and turned the car off then on again and all the lights on the dash stayed on but I could switch gears, I called honda they told me to bring it in and they said it was something to do with the parking brake sensor and pulley system, they replaced it and sent me on my way. Now 4 months later at around 65k miles I'm driving on the highway again and my car just starts revving like crazy and switches into neutral. I pull off the highway again, turn the car off and turn it back on and all the lights stay lit up again. I call honda and they say to bring it in again. This time they tell me metal shavings got into the transmission (due to the same parts that were just replaced) but that I am now not under warranty and will have to pay 40% of the cost to replace the transmission on my car that is just over 2 yrs old. I looked it up and this is such a common issue that they have even changed the transmissions in the newer models and when they replace my transmission they will be putting the newer version in. But they still don't want to recognize that it is an issue with the car itself and want me to pay for the repairs.