Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 57 MPH, the vehicle suddenly shut off causing the driver to lose control of the steering and crash into several rocks which caused the vehicle to rollover several times. During the incident the air bags deployed. The driver sustained an injured right leg, head, and chest injuries, the front passenger sustained a neck injury and the child seated in the rear passenger seat suffered a head injury. All occupants in the vehicle required medical treatment for their injuries. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was later towed to an undisclosed location and later deem destroyed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were both notified of the failures. …
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while reversing into her driveway at 1 MPH, the vehicle accelerated, the brake pedal was applied but locked up, and the steering wheel locked up. The vehicle crashed through a guardrail and crashed into a tree. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number 23V844000 (Electrical System). The driver sustained injuries to her head, neck, back, and body, and emotional distress and medical attention were provided at the scene. There was no reported fire or airbag deployment. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop. The contact called the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a case, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
On highway, engaged cruise control at 70 mph. Engine light came on, simultaneously with loss of power (pressing on gas pedal did nothing) and Apple CarPlay disconnect. We were near an exit and managed to drift off, at lower off-ramp speed engine again could respond to accelerator however was chugging very badly. Went to nearby oil change place. Mechanic there advised going straight to dealer a short distance further. Drove on to the Honda dealer, car still chugging and stopped the car until I could talk to the service person. When the car restarted it was no longer chugging. Service person diagnosed the following and said i basically needed a new engine: TECH SCANNED VEHICLE AND FOUND CODES P0300 RANDOM CYL MISFIRE, P0302 CYL 2 MISFIRE. …
While driving on the highway, my Honda CR-V Hybrid flashed an error for "12 Volt Battery Charging System Problem." I was stunned to receive an error on a vehicle with less than 2000 miles, and while my passenger was attempting to assist me in determining what to do next, the vehicle began to slow on its own. I was able to engage my emergency flashers and pull to the shoulder before causing a collision. I turned the vehicle off, and it returned to normal operation. After I made it home safely, I contacted the Honda dealership via their website to schedule an appointment. After engaging with them through the chat feature, my contact information was taken for a return call to schedule an appointment for review and repair. I was never contacted by the dealership.
On or about Sep 25th 2023, automatic brake system invertedly activated while driving 40mph with no traffic. Dealership could not find any codes or errors. On or about Apr 01st 2024, automatic brake system invertedly activated while driving 40mph with no traffic. Dealership could not find any codes or errors. On or about Apr 03rd 2024, vehicle turned on all by its shelf with no key fob around. Open door and sat in driver's seat and about 15 second later, the vehicle turned off by its shelf. Step on brake, pushed start button and vehicle displayed "need key fob". Dealership could not find any codes or errors.
The battery voltage of the car goes down to 2 bars, the the check engine light comes on. Sometimes the car/engine shakes and the loses power and won't accelerate anymore. This happens even if the car is already on the road going up to 70 mph. We took it to the Honda service center and they spent 3 hours on it, but couldn't find the issue. This is not safe, very scary when it happens and has been happening every few days. This could cause an accident especially when it just loses power and we have to pull over to shut off engine to restart to get battery power again.
This has happened twice at highway speeds only. Check engine light comes on and car dies. After pulling to side, car is turned off and then runs again when turned back on. This is a huge safety hazard at highway speed in traffic, with the instant deceleration and the possibility of being rear ended. The car was inspected by Honda and Motorwerks Barrington without them being able to identify any issue. As stated, this has happened twice and there appear to be similar issues posted throughout the internet of the exact same issue on these cars.
Within the past 3 months, twice now, the battery indicator goes to zero and engine loses power and you can't accelerate. This is very dangerous where we live as it is a 2 lane mountain highway with few spots to safely pull over. There are a number of posts about this know issue, all stating the same scenario and that no Honda dealerships will fix it as they "can't determine an issue". I called our dealer after this happened the first time and was instructed to not restart the vehicle and just have it towed in. That is not realistic.
First occurrence happened in October 2022 when I was on the freeway at speeds over 65mph. The vehicle suddenly lost speed, all dash lights came on, a loud helicopter like sound started and would not go more than 40mph. I was lucky enough to exit the freeway without causing a collision. Dealer could not duplicate the incident and no computer codes. Second time was almost identical to the first time and occurred approximately 6 months later. Dealer had vehicle for 3 days and could not duplicate problem. Very very unsafe!
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V844000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and opened a case. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Related recalls
Electrical system › 12V/24V/48V battery › Cables
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid vehicles. The 12-Volt battery cable routed outside of the body frame is missing a fuse on the power circuit, which can allow the battery cable to short circuit or overheat during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the battery cable, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 29, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is FGB.
NHTSA investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles.
Electrical complaints in other CR-V Hybrid years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the electrical system of the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 23% of the model year's 105 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery › cables (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 23V-844 (cables, Dec 13, 2023). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 5,000 miles, and 67% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.