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Honda HR-V hesitation problems

15 of the 1,890 owner complaints about the Honda HR-V describe hesitation when accelerating, most of them for the 2019 model year.

owner complaints
15
worst model year
2019
typical mileage
36,000
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.

By model year

  • 2020
    2
  • 2019
    7
  • 2018
    4
  • 2016
    2

What owners say

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 May 4, 2026 · Transmission · IL

I own a 2019 Honda HR-V that has been consistently maintained at Honda dealerships, including proactive transmission fluid changes every 30,000–40,000 miles. At approximately 104,700 miles, during a routine maintenance visit, the dealer diagnosed a failing CVT transmission. Technicians identified metal debris in the transmission, indicating internal deterioration. This condition is consistent with Honda Technical Service Bulletin 21-047, which acknowledges CVT-related issues in 2016–2019 HR-V models and provides extended coverage for affected vehicles. However, my vehicle was deemed ineligible for coverage because the failure was identified 27 days after the 7-year in-service deadline. Given that transmission deterioration is progressive, it is likely the issue began within the coverage period. Despite this, Honda declined to provide any goodwill assistance. I was quoted approximately $11,000 for the repair. This issue also raises safety concerns. A failing transmission can result in loss of power, hesitation, or inability to accelerate, particularly when merging into traffic or crossing intersections. These conditions increase the risk of an accident, especially if failure occurs unexpectedly while driving. This failure occurred despite proper and proactive maintenance and at a mileage where a transmission failure would not typically be expected.

Filed Feb 28, 2025 · Transmission · 109,000 miles · VA

The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH with the cruise control engaged, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the driver’s side front-end of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was shuddering and occasionally hesitating while driving. The contact stated that the noise and the shuddering were intermittent but were more frequent. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer twice to be repaired; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that the noise gradually became louder, with the failure occurring at various speeds. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed, and metal fragments were found in the transmission fluid. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was a Warranty Extension for similar vehicles; however, the vehicle was not covered. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

Filed Jan 9, 2025 · Fuel system · 28,000 miles · IN

The contact owns a 2019 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V858000(FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced the failure and the vehicle would not immediately start and experienced acceleration hesitations. The cause of the failures was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Filed Dec 27, 2024 · Fuel system · 42,000 miles · CT

The contact owns a 2019 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that after the initial startup, the vehicle would hesitate before driving, and when accelerating at various speeds the vehicle would display the same hesitation before accelerating. No warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not available in their district as a whole due to the manufacturer not providing any. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 42,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Filed Dec 26, 2024 · Engine · IN

The contact owns a 2019 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine hesitated and sputtered. The dealer was made aware of the failure, however the contact was informed that the parts were not available until August 2025. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure however was unable to confirm when the part was to become available. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Nov 14, 2024 · Fuel system · 13,600 miles · IN

The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that a limited amount of parts was being delivered to each dealer. The failure mileage was 13,600. Parts distribution disconnect.

Filed Jun 18, 2024 · Fuel system · 25,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2019 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that two days prior to the failure, his wife noticed that the vehicle was hesitating when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The battery was replaced but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Filed May 23, 2024 · Fuel system · 36,000 miles · VA

The contact owns a 2018 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Filed Sep 22, 2023 · Fuel system · OR

Since car was new it has surged going up long hills due to fuel pump. Occasionally it would hesitate when pulling out into traffic, causing danger. At 16k miles the fuel pump locked up and left us stranded. After cooling down, the pump worked again well enough for us to get home. This is the same swollen impeller issue affecting around 800k other Honda vehicles of the same make, model, and year in a recall, but the recall does not include our specific VIN. The repair is quoted at the dealership at $1042 for a 1.2 hour repair and an $80 part, according to Honda's own service bulletin (A21-025).

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Questions about the Honda HR-V hesitation

Which Honda HR-V years have hesitation when accelerating problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2019 (7 complaints), 2018 (4 complaints) and 2016 (2 complaints).

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