2020 Honda HR-V: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
83 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2023 and 2024 HR-V, which score 37 and 47; the 2023 has 685 complaints at 228.3 per year on the road, the highest rate in the nameplate's record, with Visibility/Wiper at 319 and Steering at 77. Buy a 2017 (92 on 121 complaints), a 2020 or 2021 (81 and 85), or a 2016 or 2018 at 79 each. Read the full note on the model page. 2020 specifically: a year the record favours — 83 complaints, score 81/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Honda Civic, Fit and HR-V: what the record says year by year, including 2020 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 83 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 13.83
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
LKAS lights all came on and ACC warnings. Brake system and auto high beams. Mechanic seems to think it’s the camera, car only has 84,000 miles on it and very well taken care of. This seems to be a big common issue with a lot of HRVs and it’s expensive to fix.
•What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The transmission failed and yes it’s available upon request. •How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My car stop in the middle of the street. No warning or anything. •Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes •Has the vehicle or compon…
The whole radar that controls collision mitigation, steering, lane departure, etc. quit working. The car is only a few years old. All these lights go off in the car often times causing the car not to work properly. When we went to the dealership, the maintenance man said that this is a common issue due to the fact that they put the radar system in a location that gets overheated. We filed a claim, but they only will …
Recalls: 5 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… |
| 23V046000 | Back Over Prevention:Display Function | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Fit and 2019-2022 HR-V vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the engine is started with a key, due to a design error in the audio display power circuit. |
| 23V858000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX… |
| 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… |
| 24V384000 | Back Over Prevention:Display Function | Honda (America Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Fit and 2019-2022 HR-V vehicles that were previously recalled under NHTSA recall number 23V-046. The rearview camera image may not display when the engine is started with a key, due to a design error in the audio display power circuit. |
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 28 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,200
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.
- Electrical System20 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Fuel System14 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Gasoline14 complaints · typical job: Fuel delivery and emissions repair (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,360
- Power Train13 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Fuel/Propulsion System12 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Engine10 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
Other Honda HR-V years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2020 Honda HR-V?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (20 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2020 Honda HR-V a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 81/100, computed from 83 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2020 Honda HR-V's most common problem?
20 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2020 Honda HR-V sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 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 2020 Honda HR-V cost to run per year?
About $3,972 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $19,862 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 2020 Honda HR-V have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2020 Honda HR-V, 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 2020 Honda HR-V 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.
Moderate evidence — 83 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 83 NHTSA complaints on record (13.8/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (22.5/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems