Transmission complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 20 | 12% | — |
| 2025 | 7 | 3% | 3,000 miles |
| 2024 | 17 | 4% | 5,000 miles |
| 2023 | 14 | 3% | — |
| 2022 | 11 | 4% | 18,000 miles |
| 2021 | 12 | 4% | 15,000 miles |
| 2020 | 20 | 6% | 12,000 miles |
| 2019 | 20 | 2% | 11,000 miles |
| 2018 | 64 | 3% | 10,000 miles |
| 2017 | 144 | 8% | 21,000 miles |
| 2016 | 45 | 11% | 22,000 miles |
| 2015 | 150 | 22% | 1,000 miles |
| 2014 | 68 | 12% | 45,000 miles |
| 2013 | 95 | 25% | 42,000 miles |
| 2012 | 48 | 12% | 57,000 miles |
| 2011 | 14 | 3% | 18,000 miles |
| 2010 | 30 | 6% | 18,000 miles |
| 2009 | 11 | 3% | 108,000 miles |
| 2008 | 37 | 4% | 60,000 miles |
| 2007 | 36 | 4% | 65,000 miles |
| 2006 | 25 | 6% | 67,000 miles |
| 2005 | 25 | 5% | 35,000 miles |
| 2004 | 13 | 3% | 115,000 miles |
| 2003 | 23 | 5% | 41,000 miles |
| 2002 | 24 | 5% | 36,000 miles |
| 2001 | 6 | 4% | 44,000 miles |
| 2000 | 15 | 12% | 86,000 miles |
| 1999 | 11 | 9% | 90,000 miles |
| 1998 | 8 | 6% | 170,000 miles |
| 1997 | 5 | 5% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Honda CRV was parked on the driveway with a little bit of downward slope. The car was started cold in the afternoon in summer time, the gear was shifted to R (reverse). We could see the backview in camera which confirms that the car was in R mode. It move ahead and did not stop. Despite giving acceleration, car keeps moving forward. The remedy for now is to stop the car, open the door, close the door, restart the car and the problem goes away. This has happened twice. We took it to the Honda dealership and the technician did not find any issue which is surprising. We expect Honda to look at the issue in detail, find the root cause and fix.
While accelerating on an on ramp to an interstate highway, in normal drive mode, at approximately 45 mph, the drive train lost power for 4 to 6 seconds and the car slowed. The power meter dropped from approximately 35% to 15%. I depressed the accelerator pedal further but the car continued to slow. Eventually, the car accelerated normally.
The contact owns a 2025 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the contact slammed on the brakes to make an emergency stop. The vehicle stopped, but the engine revved to 500-800 RPMS. The contact stated that upon releasing the brake pedal, the vehicle lurched forward, and the RPMs were significantly higher than normal. The contact depressed the brake pedal, and the contact released the brake pedal again; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the failure persisted. The contact pulled into a parking lot and turned off the vehicle for an hour. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as needed. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.
Car was leased on 2/2025, at the end of May 2026 I drove the car for a couple of days when I began to notice there was an issue when turning left. Anytime I made a left turn, the car would get stuck and would pull back to the right. When the left turn was being made, there would be a clicking sound from the front left side of the car. When driving straight, the car felt like it needed to pull to the right and I would need to hold on to the steering wheel tight. At the beginning of June, I took the car into Honda where they checked it and recommended the steering column to be replaced and advised my husband that the car was no longer safe to drive. The car is 1 year and 4 months and has had no issues until now. Honda is no longer giving me warranty on the car due to the high mileage and they are quoting me $5048.67 to replace the car. …
The contact owns a 2024 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while attempting to park while the vehicle was in drive (D), she collided with bushes, and while she depressed the accelerator pedal, the gears inadvertently changed from drive (D) to reverse (R), causing the vehicle to reverse at a high speed. The brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle did not slow down as intended. The vehicle continued to accelerate in reverse, crossed a roadway, went down a slight incline, and the rear of the vehicle collided with a tree, stopping the vehicle. The contact did not sustain any injuries. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop, where the physical damage would be assessed and repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
The contact owns a 2024 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH on the highway, the vehicle lost automotive power. The vehicle failed to properly accelerate but remained running. The vehicle was restarted and returned to normal operation. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be inspected; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure or determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V588000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 3,000.
First incident. 9/20/2025: car went forward when gear shift was in reverse. I had pulled my car into space on a slight incline in a parking garage. The space inclined downward toward a wall. I needed to back my car back a few inches away from the wall. I put my car into Reverse and applied light pressure on the accelerator. The car moved forward. I applied the brake, visually inspected the shift lever to make sure it was in reverse, and applied light acceleration again. Again the car moved forward. I put the car in Park, turned it off, restarted it, and put it into Reverse again, at which point it worked. Second incident, 9/24/2025: car lurched forward when I removed my foot from the accelerator. In a different parking garage, on level ground, I was driving under 7 MPH when I needed to slow down as another car approached from the side. …
In early August 2025, driving on the highway with my car behaving entirely normally, my entire dashboard lit up-- all error lights, check engine, transmission, emissions, blind spot- everything. After reading on the internet a bit i read that there could have been a 12v battery power surge, and to disconnect and reconnect the battery. All lights cleared, car behaved normally. During the last week of August, my car began revving unreasonably high on a long drive (at the 300 mile point) and it seemed as though gears were slipping- I was hitting the gas to accelerate and the car was not accelerating equally. This is a huge safety concern- particularly when going uphill on a highway and the car can just barely make it up the hill (i'm basically flooring the gas) and also a safety concern when switching lanes- the power is not there. I went to the dealer immediately after this. …
Related recalls (3)
Power train › Automatic transmission
Honda is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 CR-V, Odyssey, and model year 2013 Acura RDX vehicles. During sub-freezing temperatures, the brake-shift interlock blocking mechanism may become slow and allow the gear selector to be moved from the Park position without pressing the brake pedal.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Honda or Acura dealer. The dealer will install an updated brake shift interlock blocking mechanism free of charge. The recall began on May 13, 2013.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
Honda is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 accord, 2007-2010 cr-v, and 2005-2008 element passenger cars manufactured from July 1, 2004, through September 3, 2010. The outer race of the secondary shaft bearing May be broken during certain driving styles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners and dealers will update the automatic transmission control module software free of charge. The safety recall began on August 27, 2011.
Power train › Automatic transmission
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions, excessive corrosion of the shift cable linkage could prevent the driver from shifting the automatic transmission into park.
Remedy: Dealers will also install a new corrosion-resistant control pin. Owner notification began on August 19, 2003. Owners should contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
NHTSA investigations
Rear Differential Seizure
On November 29, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE 22-011 after reviewing field reports alleging rear differential seizure in 2018-2022MY Honda CR-V and HR-V vehicles equipped with all wheel drive. To date, ODI has not received any consumer complaints. Some of the field reports received alleged the vehicle's wheels locked up with no warning while the vehicle was in motion.
Frequently asked questions
Which Honda CR-V years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2015 (150), 2017 (144), 2013 (95), 2014 (68) and 2018 (64) model years. Transmission complaints make up 22% of all complaints for the 2015.
Is there a recall for Honda CR-V transmission problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 13V-143 (automatic transmission, Apr 15, 2013); 11V-395 (control module (tcm/pcm/tecm), Aug 4, 2011); 03V-274 (automatic transmission, Jul 29, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Honda CR-V transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 33,000 miles; 68% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (74 mentions), followed by the driveline (10).
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.