2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
423 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Read the guide
Used Honda CR-V: the years to buy and the years to avoid, including 2021 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 423 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 84.6
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Car suddenly fails to accelerate and dashboard lights all go off. Multiple repairs of fuel pumps have not fixed the issue. Mechanics cant find why it's not being solved
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and turning left, the steering wheel was making a clicking sound and became difficult to turn the steering wheel back to center. The contact associated the failure with Technical Service Bulletin: 24-011 (that addressed a sticky steering, increased steering effort, or clicking noises caused by excessive internal frictio…
Gently used car, the steering wheel makes strange noise, sticking and clicking, not felling safe when driving. There are a lot of complaints about steering wheel problems. Why there is no recall on it, I cannot spend $5000 for fixing and is all about 2021 crvs. defected? Need to be recalled or replaced. So sad it is only 5 year old car. My 2011 honda crv lasts 11 years with no problems. Very disappointed.
Recalls: 3 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 24V064000 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger… |
| 23V844000 | Electrical System:12V/24V/48V Battery:Cables | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid vehicles. The 12-Volt battery cable routed outside of the body frame is missing a fuse on the power circuit, which can allow the battery cable to short circuit or overheat during a crash. |
| 26V332000 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 38 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $1,600
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Steering115 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Forward Collision Avoidance108 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Engine66 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System58 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other49 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Fuel/Propulsion System36 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
Other Honda CR-V Hybrid years
Honda CR-V Hybrid years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Steering (115 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 38/100, computed from 423 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid's most common problem?
115 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid sit in the Steering group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement: about 5.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,020–$2,500 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid cost to run per year?
About $4,577 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $22,885 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 01/02/2024. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other compact suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 423 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 423 NHTSA complaints on record (84.6/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (27.6/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems