Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Honda CR-V owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH, the rear middle seat belt locking mechanism suddenly became unlocked causing the car seat to become unsecured. While attempting the reattach the seat belt, it was discovered that the seat belt locking mechanism would not remain securely locked. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,000.
The driver's seat belt became stuck in the unused position and we were unable to pull it out to extend it to the locking mechanism. This put the driver at risk in that there was no usable seat belt, and therefore the driver would be unprotected in the event of a crash. The vehicle is currently at the Honda service department, and the technician believes there is something wrong with the ratcheting system, so he has ordered new parts. There were no previous warning systems, however the alert sound did go off that the seat belt was not in use when the car was turned on.
2017 Honda CR-V VIN [redacted]. Vehicle is currently excluded from NHTSA Recall 23V-158 according to Honda. However, both front seat-belt buckles exhibit the failure described by the recall: they intermittently fail to latch, sometimes latch/click and immediately release, and require repeated attempts before remaining latched. No previous seat-belt recall repair has been performed on this vehicle.
2017 Honda CR-V VIN [redacted]. Vehicle is currently excluded from NHTSA Recall [redacted] according to Honda. However, both front seat-belt buckles exhibit the failure described by the recall: they intermittently fail to latch, sometimes latch/click and immediately release, and require repeated attempts before remaining latched. No previous seat-belt recall repair has been performed on this vehicle.
I am unable to seaat five people because the rear seat belt does not fasten. I thought this was a 5 seater car, but it seems to be a four seater. Visitors aattempted to sit in the rear but found the seat belts were not functioning.
"Takata recall" 2017 Honda crv was rear ended by another vehicle on 4/11/18. The seat belts did not retract. The passenger in the car struck her head on the dashboard of the vehicle. This crv has been in the repair shop since 4/17/18. Informed by the service provider that none of the seat belts retract properly.
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 Honda CR-v. While the contact's vehicle was stopped, it was rear ended and caused a chain reaction crash. The contact stated that the front driver and passenger seat belts failed to work as intended. The contact stated that the impact caused the passenger to be thrown forward due to the seat belt failing to securely restrain her. The contact also stated that the front passenger side seat back fractured. The driver was also thrown forward and his chest made contact with the steering wheel. The contact stated that the driver side seat belt failed to retract and the air bags failed to deploy. The passenger sustained injuries to the back and pelvis. The driver sustained a back injury. Both occupants were transported to the hospital for medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent facility. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The left rear and center rear seat belt buckles, are opposite of what they should be. This arrangement makes it impossible for the left rear passenger, to buckle up if the center seat person is buckled in, or a car seat is in place. Contacted my Honda service department and they forwarded my complaint to the district representative, his response was he is aware of the issue but there is no fix for the problem. I did some research and found that the Acura rdx is the same platform as the Honda CR-v. So I visited the nearest Acura dealership, the seat belt buckle arrangement was correct on that Acura rdx. Looks like the anchor point and the buckles are exactly the same as the ones that are in my Honda CR-v. Would be willing to bet that the Acura seat belt assembly would solve the rear seat belt issue on these Honda's, the assembly is only $66.00! …
The rear center passenger's left seat belt buckle anchor is reversed making it nearly impossible to properly buckle 3 passengers in the back seat. This is a safety hazard as my center passengers, finding it a herculean feat when seated, often decline to buckle up. I've included two photos of this buckle showing this condition. As seen when buckled w/o a passenger, the belts overlap. Because of this the center passenger's body prevents access to the buckle as it is hidden behind the strap of the left rear passenger. I understand that Honda designed it this way to provide wider seating for the left rear passenger. However, this design is dangerous and is unacceptable and will eventually lead to fatalities. Also I'm told that the Honda accura's design is correct.
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 Honda CR-v. The contact stated the seat belts for the rear middle and left passenger seats were switched, which made it difficult for the passengers to buckle their seat belts when the middle seat was occupied, especially by a safety seat. The contact took the vehicle to the ralph schomp Honda dealer where it was determined that the seat belts were anchored down, which prevented the dealer from switching the seat belt buckles. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the placement of the seat belts was approved by NHTSA safety standards and could not be altered. The manufacturer opened case number: 06136375. The approximate failure mileage was 293.
Related recalls
Seat belts › Front › Buckle assembly
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2020 CR-V, 2018-2019 Accord and Accord Hybrid, 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019 Insight, and 2019-2020 Acura RDX vehicles. A manufacturing issue with the front seat belts may cause the seat belt buckle channel to interfere with the release button, preventing the seat belt buckle…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger seat belt buckle release buttons or the buckle assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 18, 2023.
Seat Belt complaints in other CR-V years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat belt problems on the 2017 Honda CR-V?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the seat belts of the 2017 Honda CR-V, 2% of the model year's 1,776 complaints. The component named most often is rear/other › buckle assembly (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Honda CR-V seat belt problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 23V-158 (buckle assembly, Mar 9, 2023). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2017 Honda CR-V seat belt problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 17,000 miles, and 75% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 5 injuries to seat belts 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.