2018 Honda CR-V Problems, Recalls & Reliability
2,969 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2018 Honda CR-V, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Fuel system leads the reports, typically around 9,473 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2018 Honda CR-V sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1997–2001, 2009, 2013, 2020–2022.
Avoid
Where 2018 sits among all CR-V years
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2018 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 CR-V
“Oil dilution in 1.5 l turbo engine. Strong smell of fuel outside vehicle. Only have <9000 miles and have had to change oil 3 times as level goes up ans smells of gas. Currently have 300 miles on this oil change and can already see level rising. All driving is 20 plus mile trips.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 CR-V
“The automatic braking system engaged without warning and without reason as I was not within close proximity to any other vehicles or obstructions.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 CR-V
“Sticky steering, steering feels like it is catching or bumping, worse at high speeds”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 CR-V
“My case has only 40k miles on it and the Body Control Module failed costing me $1k+”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 CR-V
“During interstate driving using the adaptive cruise control, the vehicle warning lights for the adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist system, braking warning indicators illuminated and the adaptive cruise control stopped working causing the vehicle to decelerate.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 CR-V
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,167 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 12,716 miles. Half of those reports fall between 4,200 and 36,700 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
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,…
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for…
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…
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall…
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2020 CR-V, 2018-2019 Accord and Accord Hybrid, 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019 Insight, and 2019-2020 Acura RDX vehicles. A manufacturing issue with the front seat belts may cause the seat belt buckle…
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger seat belt buckle release buttons or the buckle assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 18, 2023.…
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit,…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 18, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.…
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Honda Civic and CR-V vehicles. The magnet that controls the torque sensor output signal for the electronic power steering system may not be properly secured, allowing the magnet to become…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gearbox assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.…
Federal defect investigations
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2018 Honda CR-V reliable?
The 2018 Honda CR-V drew 2,969 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2018).
What are the most common 2018 Honda CR-V problems?
The top reported problems for the 2018 Honda CR-V are fuel system (592 complaints), engine (531), and driver assistance (528).
At what mileage do 2018 Honda CR-V problems show up?
Owners most often report 2018 Honda CR-V problems around 12,716 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 4,200 and 36,700 miles.
Does the 2018 Honda CR-V have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2018 Honda CR-V. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.