2021 Honda HR-V Problems, Recalls & Reliability

79 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2021 Honda HR-V, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 15/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports.

One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2021 Honda HR-V has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.

79Complaints
15/100Trouble index
4Recalls

Better year

Where 2021 sits among all HR-V years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Airbags 21 complaints (27%)
Electrical 16 complaints (20%)
Driver assistance 10 complaints (13%)
Other 9 complaints (11%)
Transmission & drivetrain 5 complaints (6%)
Brakes & stability 4 complaints (5%)

Recalls (4)

AIR BAGS 26V332000 2026

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…

BACK OVER PREVENTION 24V384000 2024

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…

Fix: Dealers will update the display audio unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 8, 2024. Owners may contact Honda service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for…

AIR BAGS 24V064000 2024

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…

Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at…

BACK OVER PREVENTION 23V046000 2023

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. As such, these…

Fix: Dealers will update the display audio unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 13, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's…

Federal defect investigations

Rear Differential Seizure PE22011 opened 2022, closed 2024

Technical service bulletins

41 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on fuel system and visibility & wipers — are on file for the 2021 Honda HR-V. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2021 HR-V TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2021peak 23 in 20242026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2021 Honda HR-V reliable?

The 2021 Honda HR-V drew 79 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 15/100, scored against the model's worst year (2023).

What are the most common 2021 Honda HR-V problems?

The top reported problems for the 2021 Honda HR-V are airbags (21 complaints), electrical (16), and driver assistance (10).

Does the 2021 Honda HR-V have recalls?

4 recall campaigns apply to the 2021 Honda HR-V. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

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Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

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.