Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, backup camera).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2020 Honda CR-V owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while her husband was driving 5 mph, the brakes were depressed by mitigation braking system. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was depressing the accelerator pedal but failed to accelerate causing the vehicle behind him to rear end their vehicle. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention. A police report was not filed. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer but they were unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and the driver deactivated the forward collision on the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a collision shop and had the rear bumper replaced. The manufacturer has been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 6,028.
I was in an accident this morning on the freeway where they are doing road construction. The lanes are VERY narrow due to cement wall placed for construction. The vehicle in front of me slammed on their brakes suddenly so when i did the Automatic brakes kicked in on my car surpassing the level of my own braking and took over. The car came to a compelete stop. IT was terrifying because i didnt have control to keep moving to try and get out of the way from the semi driving behind me. I moved over as much as i could even with a cement wall so close. I ended up getting rear ended by the Semi. This automatic braking system is DANGEROUS. With the car taking over my brakes lost me time to try and get out of the way even more which ccould have possibly prevented the accident from happening.
When I was driving my vehicle on 7-21-22 at approximately 4:20pm my emergency breaking system was flashing and breaking on it's own. There was nothing in front of my vehicle at the time. Later at approximately 4:25pm a woman hit my passenger side after running a red light. My passenger side airbag did not deploy. However, about 5-10 seconds after impact my steering wheel airbag deployed and hit me in the left side of my face. The delayed reaction has caused lacerations on my face, burns on my hand, bruising and loss of part of my tooth. I am also suffering from head issues and pain in my chest from this delayed airbag deployment. Vehicle had to be towed away to a garage and is not drivable.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH the brakes independently activated. The contact stated that the vehicle slowed to approximately 15 MPH. The contact stated that the "brake" warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was no longer braking, and the contact continued driving to his destination. The contact stated that the failure occurred one more time. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.
The contact stated that his granddaughter owned a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while his granddaughter was driving approximately 40 MPH, the automatic braking system activated on the instrument panel and the vehicle stopped immediately after the failure. The driver had to wait several minutes before being able to continue driving. The failure recurred twice. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000. The dealer adjusted the cameras and sensors. The repairs were made at the owners expense.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the collision mitigation braking system (CMBS) engaged inadvertently while there were no vehicles or objects nearby the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure as there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle independently stopped. The contact stated that the brake pedal had not been depressed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE22003 (Forward Collision Avoidance). The failure mileage was approximately 39,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the Collision Mitigation Braking system engaged and the vehicle stopped abruptly. There were no other vehicles or objects nearby. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and resumed normal driving. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred on four different occasions. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH with the cruise control engaged, the vehicle began to brake suddenly. The contact deactivated the cruise control and the vehicle began to function normally. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly came to a complete stop. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle home safely. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.
NHTSA investigations
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
On February 21, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE22003) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system, in model year 2017-2019 Honda CR-V and 2018-2019 Honda Accord vehicles.
Collision Avoidance complaints in other CR-V years
Frequently asked questions
How common are collision avoidance problems on the 2020 Honda CR-V?
NHTSA has 75 complaints about the driver assistance of the 2020 Honda CR-V, 21% of the model year's 356 complaints. The component named most often is automatic emergency braking (65 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2020 Honda CR-V collision avoidance problems?
No. NHTSA lists no driver assistance recall for the 2020 Honda CR-V, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2020 Honda CR-V collision avoidance problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 26,000 miles, and 38% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to driver assistance 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.