Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2021 Honda CR-V owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated she attempted to start the ignition but was having difficulty and was able to start on the fifth attempt. The contact stated shortly after while driving at 47 mph, when depressing on the brake pedal and the vehicle failed to stop and rear-end another vehicle but continued to accelerate and drive forward over the gully, sidewalk, and shopping center sidewalk/street. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle came to a stop on a pile of dirt. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries but did seek medical attempt due to her blood pressure was high. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The contact called the local dealer and was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repairs as of yet. …
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH into the garage, the vehicle inadvertently started to reverse. The instrument cluster lights went blank. The brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond, and the vehicle drove over some rocks in the yard. The contact continuously depressed the brake pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact pulled the parking brake, and the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case and encouraged the contact to call again if the failure recurred, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 16,500.
Pulled into driveway and put car in park. I had to close gate and lock it up and when returning to the car to turn off I was standing outside the car and it started rolling backwards. I tried to jump in the car to stop it and it was picking up speed. Driveway has a slight incline but nothing like the speed was on the car. I was in between the car door and the car seat running with the car. I am shocked I didn't get ran over. Car went across the street and hit my neighbors car and my car and well as his truck was damaged. This could have been worse and this is a huge safety feature.
The contact owns a 2021 HONDA CR-V. The contact stated that while seated inside the vehicle, the vehicle was started, and the ACC and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer two additional times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle back to the dealer to be diagnosed again. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the brakes activated independently. The contact immediately depressed the accelerator pedal and continued driving and the brakes released independently. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,323.
2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE I have a lemon with Honda CR-V year of car 2021 bought it in October of 2021. The 3-year warranty is about to expire. I have taken the car several times to two different Honda dealerships because they are the closest to my home and I don't have anyone to pick me up or take me back. They claim there's nothing wrong with the vehicle but lights in the dash come up every other day then disappear after several hours then return the next time, I use the vehicle. the vehicle also has an issue with the acceleration; sometimes I step on the gas pedal but after trying to drive the car, the MOTOR does NOT move faster but rather the force of the vehicle decreases and doesn't allow for me to go faster than 20 MPH. The odometer is also inaccurate; one month after driving the vehicle about 80 miles-the vehicle odometer increased around 10 miles. …
Driving on the highway going 55 mph when the car in front of me in the left lane more than 5 car lengths began to break, recognizing this I put my blinker on and tried to switch to the right lane when suddenly the automatic breaking kicked in and slowed the car down to a near stop. I was unable to deactivate with the break or the gas for a few seconds and by that time I was stuck between the lanes nearly getting t-boned in the right lane before the car swerved to avoid my vehicle. Had there been someone behind me in the left lane I would have surely been in a terrible and fatal accident. I was in complete control of the car and received no more than a one second warning (in the form of a short beep) that the automatic breaks would kick in suddenly. This put myself and my passenger in serious danger. …
My 2021 Honda CR-V has experienced incidents where it suddenly and unexpectedly applied the brakes while I was driving, despite: - No vehicle, pedestrian, or object is present in front of me - No driver input on the brake pedal - Not using cruise control at the time My car occasionally jerks or shows warning lights before stopping, sometimes without any warning. I suspect an issue with the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) or related driver-assistance components. These braking incidents occurred under normal driving conditions and pose a high risk of being rear-ended. My car's issues remain unresolved, and I feel unsafe while driving my vehicle. Two dealerships conducted four diagnostic tests (on 18, 19, 21, and 24 May 2025) to evaluate the Honda Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) and the associated driver-assistance components. …
Purchased car on July 7,2021. That same day the car did not start when stepped on brake and pushed start button. Happened again on July 8, 2021. called dealer. Took it in on July 9th,2021. They could not duplicate problem. Assured me it was not a problem. Drove to CT on July 10, 2021. Did not start several times during the trip. On July 11th, while returning from CT. a warning light came on dashboard. in Black Letters in a Red Rectangular Box - BRAKE. I called dealer on Monday the 12 and reported this. He said it meant there were cars in the way. The BRAKE IN A BOX occurred 2 more times (8/6 and 8/17). I called dealer who said it was not a problem. I subsequently searched the message on line - it says " BRING YOU CAR TO A DEALER. TO CONTINUE DRIVING COULD WELL BE DANGEROUS!" I left the car with dealer for 9 days, Sept 3, 2021 through September 11, 2020. …
During the short time I have owned this vehicle the automatic emergency braking system has engaged 3-4 times when there was no object in front of the vehicle. The vehicle can be made available upon request. All incidents happened when driving on the freeway. Fortunately no one was following me which could have resulted in my being rear ended for a sudden stop. I took the vehicle into the dealership service center today (8/8/25) where they told me it is normal and I should just be a good driver, keeping my distance from vehicle to the front of me. They stated that if they were to replace it the same thing would occur. The problem has not been reproduced by the service center. When these issues have occurred on one occasion the braking alert sounded ( beeping noise) and then the car started braking. On the other occurrences I do not recall the alert. The car just started braking. …
Brake complaints in other CR-V years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2021 Honda CR-V?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the brakes of the 2021 Honda CR-V, 8% of the model year's 338 complaints. The component named most often is antilock › abs warning light (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2021 Honda CR-V brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2021 Honda CR-V, though it has 4 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 2021 Honda CR-V brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 3,000 miles, and 80% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to brakes 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.