2018 Honda CR-V Problems

2018 Honda CR-V problems owners report most

2018 Honda CR-V problems are documented in public: owners have filed 2,156 complaints with NHTSA, the earliest in 2017 and the most recent in 2026. Sorting those by the component the filer named puts the engine clearly first, at 530 of the 2,156 complaints, about a quarter of everything filed.

A complaint is not a repair bill and not a defect finding. It is one owner telling the regulator something went wrong. What makes the count useful is the concentration: when one component takes 25 per cent of everything filed on a car, the pattern is doing more than chance.

Against the 2017 car, this model year has drawn 22 per cent more complaints (2,156 against 1,773). Both years are led by the engine, so this is a fault that carried over rather than one introduced with the 2018 car. A rise is worth more attention than a fall here, because a newer car has had fewer years on the road to accumulate reports.

Of those complaints, 46 describe a crash and 2 describe a fire. Filers reported 47 injuries.

Recalls on the 2018 Honda CR-V

A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator found a safety defect, and the repair is free at a franchised dealer however old the car is. There are 5 recalls on this model year. Your own car may be covered by some, all or none of them, so check the VIN rather than the model.

In owners own words

These are complaints filed about the engine, quoted as written. They are one persons account rather than a diagnosis, and they are here because a symptom described by a driver is easier to recognise than a component name.

In Feb-2020 While driving on [XXX] just south of Altoona, PA experienced sudden loss of power with multiple warning lights on in the dashboard along with engine light. Safely maneuvered the vehicle to the shoulder. Turned it off, waited some minutes and then tried restarting it. To my surprise vehicle started with normal power but lights still present. I continued my driving and after few miles later even the lights went off. Then covid pandemic happened. Did not drove this car much that spring and summer and ultimately took the car to Autozone to read the stored DTC codes on Nov 19 2020. Auto

My 2018 Honda CR-V with the 1.5L turbo engine experienced an overheating condition while being driven. The temperature gauge fluctuated and reached the red zone, creating a potential risk of engine failure and loss of vehicle operation. The vehicle was inspected by a Honda dealership, which reported that the coolant was empty and recommended replacing the engine. I was given an estimate of approximately 7,000 for the replacement. A subsequent inspection by another mechanic included two cooling-system pressure tests that reportedly found no externally visible coolant leak. After the cooling s

The systems affected with failure notifications were Electric Parking Brake, TPMS, Emissions, Brake, Brake Hold, Power Steering, Vehicle Stability Assist, Hill Start Assist, Adaptive Cruise (including regular cruise), Collision Mitigation/Avoidance, Road Departure Mitigation. The stored codes in the vehicle that I was able to read were P0300, P0303, P0304. This failure bears a striking resemblance to that of TSB 21-010, directed at Keihin manufactured fuel injectors, PN: 16010-RLV-315, which was later replaced with updated ...-305 after the failure was determined, and the vehicles were given a

Honda CRV in it’s first signs failed to start. Vehicle ignition would fail to function, there was no respond. I had to shut off for 15 minutes then tried initiating, it would start as if nothing happened. I thought this was due to a battery/electrical issue. At times I thought it would not turn on and I would be left stranded where I was. Second issues began with Honda CRV not responding to gear changes, it would shake in the middle of the road, in between trips. I was praying this was not the transmission. Did have this repaired since I would regularly keep up it’s maintenance and no further

Hello. We purchased this 2018 Honda CR-V new in 2018 from the local Honda dealer, Honda of Lake Jackson, TX. In the Spring of 2025 the A/C stopped working. We took it to a local shop and they had to replaced the following: Blower motor replaced, blower motor replaced, A/C evaporator replaced, A/C expansion/orifice valve replaced, Heater core replaced. This was around a $3,000 repair. A month or so later in May of 2025 we took the car to the Honda dealer because of steering instability issues. We were advised that the entire Steering Column would need to replaced due to known safety issues (d

1. Head gasket leaking into engine, car is overheating now. Told it is a slow leak, not safe for long distance travel, need new car. 2. My car is available for inspection upon request. 3. I am a woman and could have been stranded by this in vulnerable situations. I am a travel worker driving to places like Maine and California and camp alone in remote areas. Starting to overheat has happened on 270 in Maryland during a traffic jam after I had the mechanic tell me I can drive locally as long as the coolant is kept full — which was done 2 days ago. 4. My mechanic looked at the car Friday, Jul

Every component, by complaint count

The full breakdown of what owners named when they filed. Components below the top ten are grouped out of this table.

What parts cost for the 2018 Honda CR-V

Prices read from one AutoZone store for this exact year, make and model, covering 8 kinds of part and 154 products. AutoZone year, make and model catalog prices. Engine, trim, transmission and VIN fitment are not confirmed. They are what the shelf said on the day, not a quote.

The cheapest way to keep it serviced

Taking the lowest listed price in each routine maintenance category, the filters, plugs and wipers for this car come to $61.15 in parts. That is parts alone, before labour, tax and the oil itself, and it assumes the cheapest option fits your engine.

Battery. 9 products listed, from the Econocraft Group Size 51R Battery 51R-E at $99.99 up to the Odyssey Performance Group Size 47 Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) Battery ODPAGM47H5L2 at $356.99. A refundable core deposit of $22.00 is charged on top and returned with the old part. AutoZone's own labels account for 5 of them, starting at $99.99.

Brake rotors. 19 products listed, from the PowerStop Disc Brake Rotor JBR1721SCR at $39.99 up to the EBC Brakes Disc Brake Rotor Set USR7775 at $253.99. AutoZone's own labels account for 4 of them, starting at $90.99.

Brake pads. 28 products listed, from the PowerStop Z16 Evolution Ceramic Performance Brake Pads 16-2037 at $29.99 up to the EBC Yellowstuff High Friction Organic Performance Brake Pads DP43085R at $195.99. AutoZone's own labels account for 6 of them, starting at $39.99.

Fitment is by year, make and model only. Engine, trim and transmission were not selected, so confirm the part number against your own car before buying. Prices change and vary by store.

How other model years compare

The same nameplate across the years we hold. Complaint counts fall naturally for newer cars because fewer of them have been on the road for long, so read the column as a rough signal rather than a ranking. In this set the 2018 Honda CR-V has drawn the most complaints and the 2021 Honda CR-V the fewest.

What to check on the engine

Engine reports range from oil consumption between services to rough running, stalling and a loss of power under acceleration. Oil use is the one owners notice latest, because nothing warns you until the level is already low.

Buying a used 2018 CR-V

Ask for every service record and check the gap between oil changes against the level on the dipstick now. An engine using oil quietly is the most expensive fault on this list and the easiest one to miss on a test drive.

If you already own one

Start a log of oil level between services. A documented consumption rate is what turns a conversation with a dealer from an opinion into a claim, and some manufacturers have covered these repairs well past the warranty.

• Check the oil level and condition yourself before buying.
• Ask for service records covering every oil change.
• Record oil level between services to document consumption.
• Have a compression or leak down test done before a major repair.