The Honda CR-V has always been a top pick for drivers seeking a dependable and practical compact SUV, known for its comfort, efficiency, and safe handling that has made it a global best-seller. Its reputation for quality and reliability is well-earned, and many expect the CR-V to uphold that strong legacy.
However, even the most reputable manufacturers can encounter challenges, and the latest iteration, the 2025 Honda CR-V, is proving to be no stranger to owner concerns. Despite Honda Automobiles describing the vehicle as “ready to take on bigger challenges,” it appears that some owners are being forced to take on unexpected challenges of their own due to a growing number of reported issues. Our meticulous research, drawing from extensive NHTSA submissions, rigorous expert analysis, and valuable driver reviews, aims to provide an objective and unbiased look at the most common problems impacting this highly popular model.
This in-depth analysis will meticulously detail 12 prevalent issues that owners of the 2025 Honda CR-V have reported, providing you with the thorough and trustworthy information necessary to make an informed decision. We will examine critical areas ranging from steering difficulties to advanced safety system malfunctions, ensuring you have a clear understanding of the potential pitfalls and the practical advice needed to navigate them. It’s about empowering you, the consumer, with actionable insights directly from the experiences of other drivers and official reports, helping you navigate the complexities of modern vehicle ownership.
1. **Steering System Malfunctions and the “Sticky Steering” Recall**Complaints regarding the steering system top the list of concerns for the 2025 Honda CR-V, with a significant 38 problems reported specifically under this category in initial data and 40 complaints highlighted in a more recent summary. This isn’t an entirely new problem; “Steering issues that have plagued the CR-V for years aren’t going away any time soon,” as noted by reports. Owners describe an alarming “momentary increase in required steering effort,” colloquially known as “sticky steering,” which can make maintaining a straight line, particularly at higher speeds, a genuine struggle, affecting driver confidence and safety.
The severity of this problem prompted a substantial safety recall, dated October 3, 2024, affecting 1,693,199 vehicles manufactured by American Honda Motor Co., including 2023-2025 Honda CR-V models. The recall warns that the “steering gearbox assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly,” leading to “excessive internal friction and difficulty steering the vehicle.” This mechanical defect directly “increases the risk of vehicles crashing,” highlighting a critical safety concern that demands immediate attention from both the manufacturer and affected owners.
The proposed solution involves dealers replacing the worm gear spring and redistributing or adding grease as necessary, all free of charge to the owner. However, the implementation of this fix has been anything but smooth. As recently as June 4, recall repair parts were reportedly still unavailable for many affected vehicles, causing immense frustration among owners. Dealerships have sometimes offered assurances like, “It is safe to drive the vehicle and that there is no danger of the steering seizing up to cause an accident,” an assertion that many owners feel minimizes the true gravity of a safety recall.
Adding to the complexity, some owners whose vehicles exhibit all the classic symptoms of sticky steering have been informed that their Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) are not included in the recall. This discrepancy leaves many drivers in a precarious position, facing a recognized safety defect without official recognition or an available remedy. This ongoing issue, despite an NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) into the “sticky steering” that closed in January 2025, continues to be a primary source of complaint for recent CR-V owners.
The fuel system is causing significant worry for 2025 Honda CR-V owners, with numerous complaints about fuel system malfunctions, including a concerning 17 issues in ‘Other Fuel System’ and 5 in ‘Gasoline Fuel System.’ Even though some recalls are specific to Hybrid models, these problems affect the entire CR-V range and are flagged with a serious ‘risk of fire,’ a grave warning that demands immediate attention.
Two major recalls underscore the gravity of these fuel system deficiencies. The first, issued on October 14, 2024, encompassed 720,810 Honda vehicles, including the 2023-2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid. This recall addressed a high-pressure fuel pump that might “crack and leak,” posing a serious fire hazard. A second, equally critical recall followed on June 6, 2025, for a smaller subset of six 2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid vehicles, warning that “fuel feed hoses may not have been properly installed,” again creating a potential for fuel leaks and an elevated risk of fire, which demand immediate corrective action.
Though no fires have been officially linked to these specific fuel system recalls yet, a distressing account from November 9, 2024, describes a brand-new 2025 Honda CR-V, barely driven 2,000 miles, that ‘caught fire, suddenly, for no reason’ while cruising on the highway. This unsettling incident, while not directly connected to the official recalls, vividly illustrates the potential dangers of unexpected vehicle failures and the critical importance of maintaining fuel system integrity.
Beyond the recall-specific issues, owners have also reported other critical fuel system-related problems, such as “fuel injector failure.” Some owners struggle to have recall repairs undertaken, while others experience the issue causing “spark plug and emission problems.” One North Carolina owner recounted a terrifying experience where their CR-V “suddenly lost power and wouldn’t drive,” diagnosed as a “bad fuel injector system.” These incidents underscore how various interconnected fuel system problems can severely compromise safety and reliability, placing occupants at significant risk.
3. **Defective Forward Collision Avoidance Systems**Even though steering problems garner more complaints, the issues reported for the Forward Collision Avoidance (FCA) system are profoundly serious, with 25 total problems reported and numerous complaints explicitly mentioning crashes. These malfunctions predominantly revolve around the vehicle’s Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist system, and the Automatic Braking System. When these systems falter, they transform from protective aids into potential hazards, often leading to unexpected and dangerous situations on the road.
One particularly concerning malfunction involves the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) causing “sudden braking even though there’s no vehicle or obstacle in front of you.” This unexpected deceleration presents a severe safety risk, especially if a vehicle is following closely behind and its driver lacks sufficient time to react. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into this pervasive issue, which is widely believed to stem from a software error, highlighting a critical flaw in the vehicle’s electronic safety architecture.
Several owners have shared harrowing accounts of crashes attributed to FCA system failures. An owner in Nevada described attempting to park, braking “four times (3 slamming the brakes),” only for the vehicle to inexplicably “not slow down or stop and eventually hit my neighbor’s wall.” Similarly, a California owner described their car continuing forward and hitting a wall “without understanding how or why.” These incidents challenge conventional driver error explanations, pointing instead to a fundamental breakdown in the vehicle’s supposed safety mechanisms.
The aftermath of such collisions can reveal further critical safety shortcomings. In the California parking incident, the owner sustained a burn on their arm from the “steering wheel where the Honda logo is located,” leaving a “visible imprint.” More critically, while “the steering wheel and right-side window airbags were activated,” the “driver’s side window airbags did not deploy,” raising serious questions about the consistency and reliability of the vehicle’s full suite of passive safety features in a collision event. This inconsistency, coupled with the “inconsistent performance of the emergency braking system, which only works sometimes,” underscores a profound lack of confidence in the vehicle’s core safety offerings.
One of the most unnerving issues reported with the 2025 Honda CR-V involves sunroofs that spontaneously shatter and other glass components that crack or break without any apparent cause. While many of these incidents are filed under ‘Unknown or Other’ complaints, their sudden and dramatic nature is deeply alarming, especially when you consider the potential for flying glass at high speeds.
Several owners have recounted frightening experiences. An owner from California was driving on the freeway when their sunroof “exploded,” despite “no overpass/rocks/cars near.” The fact that their “sliding-shade was open when this happened, blowing glass debris all all over the inside of our vehicle,” underscores the immediate danger to passengers. Although, thankfully, no one was injured in this particular instance, the potential for serious harm from flying glass shards, particularly to those in the back seats, is undeniable.
Another Californian owner described hearing “a very loud booming bang like a gunshot” while driving, only to pull over and discover their sunroof was “shattered.” With “no vehicles in front of us” and no apparent external impact, the lack of an external cause points strongly to a manufacturing or material defect. The experience was described as “frightening and stressful,” shattering the owners’ belief that they had purchased “a safe and state-of-the-art car that we could safely drive.”
This unsettling glass problem isn’t limited to just the sunroofs; it also affects other parts like side mirrors and the rear hatch glass, leading to a serious loss of confidence in the vehicle’s overall construction. For example, an owner in Washington found their ‘driver-side mirror cracked because of cold weather’ shortly after buying their new CR-V, and incredibly, an Ohio owner experienced their ‘back hatch’ glass shattering on the very same day they purchased their 2025 CR-V, right after they opened and closed it.
5. **Persistent Mirror Shaking and Visibility Impairment**Beyond spontaneous cracking, another significant visibility-related problem plaguing the 2025 Honda CR-V involves persistent shaking or vibration of the driver-side mirror. This seemingly minor issue escalates into a major safety concern, as it directly impacts a driver’s ability to maintain clear situational awareness, especially at speed. Numerous complaints highlight the severity of this problem, which can compromise both safety and driver comfort, making journeys unsettling and potentially dangerous.
Adding to the driver’s unease, many owners have reported that the ‘driver’s door mirror glass vibrates excessively at highway speed,’ causing unsettling symptoms like ‘dizziness and complete lack of visibility from the mirror.’ One concerned owner from Illinois noted that the mirror ‘gets extremely shaky when driving on the highway at a speed of more than 50 mph,’ distorting the reflection so much that it makes them ‘dizzy while driving,’ fueling their fear that ‘the mirror will crack while driving and we’d have no way (of) seeing.’
The problem’s pervasiveness is further highlighted by reports from owners who experienced the issue from the day of purchase. One owner described the mirror vibrating “terribly when traveling at 35-45 mph,” with the vibration worsening at higher speeds, making the mirror glass visibly shake. The critical safety implication is clear: “It is very dangerous at all times to not be able to see with this side mirror. It is especially dangerous on the highways because it distorts the view so greatly and also makes me feel disoriented and dizzy when I try to use it.”
Perhaps most frustratingly for owners, attempts at repair have often proven futile. In one case, a dealer “confirmed” the problem and replaced the “entire mirror unit.” However, the replacement unit “had the same defect and did the same thing.” When confronted, the dealership allegedly stated that “if they replaced it a third time, it would not make a difference,” and critically, they “also drove another CR-V just like mine off the lot and the mirror did the same thing.” This suggests a systemic manufacturing or design flaw rather than an isolated incident.
6. **Electrical System Glitches and Related Failures**Electrical issues, while often less dramatic than sudden braking or exploding glass, can be equally frustrating and, at times, safety-critical for owners of the 2025 Honda CR-V. With 11 problems reported under the “Electrical System” category and an equal number of complaints, this points to a recurring pattern of electronic malfunctions that can affect various vehicle functionalities. While the context doesn’t provide granular detail for the 2025 model’s specific electrical issues, past CR-V generations offer insights into common electrical problems that could recur.
Historically, Honda CR-V models have experienced electrical issues such as “door actuator problems” and “A/C system malfunctions.” While specific recalls for these issues, such as the 2015 recall for faulty door actuators in 2007-2009 models, point to older generations, the persistence of general “Electrical System” complaints for the 2025 model suggests that new iterations may introduce their own unique electronic challenges or that some underlying electrical architecture remains prone to issues. A faulty door actuator, for instance, could lead to “locking problems,” compromising security.
The context also alludes to broader electrical problems affecting various vehicle components, including “infotainment screens, dashboard warnings, and central locking.” Such issues can range from minor annoyances, like a flickering screen, to more serious concerns, such as erroneous warning lights that obscure genuine mechanical problems or a central locking system that fails to secure the vehicle. These seemingly disparate problems often share a common thread: reliance on a complex and sometimes fragile electrical network that needs to be robust for reliable operation.
Furthermore, some of the more severe warnings like “Critical Power Failure” or “Emissions System Failure,” though directly related to engine or fuel systems, often manifest through the vehicle’s electrical system and dashboard displays. These electronic warnings are the primary interface for drivers to understand serious underlying mechanical faults. If the electrical system itself is unreliable, the ability to accurately diagnose and respond to these critical alerts is severely hampered, adding another layer of risk and uncertainty for the driver.
