2020 Honda HR-V Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 28,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

AMENDMENT TO SAFETY COMPLAINT: FAILURE OF RECALL REMEDY / USE OF LEGACY PART Vehicle: 2020 Honda HR-V NHTSA Recall Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Low-Pressure Fuel Pump) [The 2020 Honda HR-V is under an active, massive federal safety recall for low-pressure fuel pump failure.] Chronological Safety History: •January 2025: Mandatory fuel pump…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Car has 22,000 miles and has a bad fuel pump causing multiple cylinder misfire and loss of power. There was a recall on others in the same year but not this one giving the year and millage and the fact that it's the same issue as the recalled other units logically it should have been part of the recall, and the recall needs to be…Owner complaint, filed 2025

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

Instrument Cluster Failure Complaint, 2020 Honda HR-V VIN [XXX] I am reporting an intermittent instrument cluster failure affecting a 2020 Honda HR-V. The digital display that contains the fuel gauge, odometer, and mileage information intermittently becomes heavily pixelated or goes completely blank. I have been dealing with this issue…Owner complaint, filed 2026

I bought my car used when it had around 11,000 miles on it. It didn't take long (maybe a month) before I noticed that the fuel gauge indicator above the steering wheel was malfunctioning. The screen stays off for a period of time and sometimes flickers on with indistinguishable text. There are times that it works just fine, but it is…Owner complaint, filed 2025

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

The CVT is defective and failed while driving, causing immediate loss of motive power. This has been diagnosed and confirmed by the dealer. Honda has a voluntary extended warranty in place for this exact issue for certain VIN's, but because this particular VIN was assembled at a location where less VIN's were assembled with the faulty…Owner complaint, filed 2026

While on the highway vehicles warning light illuminated and the vehicle immediately slowed down and would not go over 20 miles per hour. Prior to the warning lights illuminating there were no warning lights already illuminated and no drivability issues. You could hear a griding noise when driving at low speeds and the vehicle would not…Owner complaint, filed 2026

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH or faster, and while driving uphill, the vehicle suddenly stalled. During the first failure, the message “Emergency, Stop Driving Vehicle” was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was turned off and restarted, and the message was no…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 37,000 miles

As I was driving, the car slowed down and wouldn’t go past 20mph. It also lost power to the radio more than a few times and I just purchased the vehicle on 06/26/25.Owner complaint, filed 2025

Parts named most: Warnings (5).

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

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…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Honda Sensing dash warning lights come on and off during driving which can create an unsafe situation. The Honda Sensing dash warning lights were for Road Departure Mitigation System Problem, Collision Mitigation System Problem, Adaptive Cruise Control Problem, and Auto High-Beam Problem. Per Galpin Honda, the Honda Sensing camera failed…Owner complaint, filed 2024

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while entering the vehicle, there was abnormal white smoke inside the cabin of the vehicle, and the contact stated that a white cakey substance was in the smoke, which the contact inhaled. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the failure could not be…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 53,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact…Owner complaint, filed 2025

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

Brakes failed Yes it is available for inspection (Until Tues Nov 5th as it may be towed from body shop) Car would not stop while trying to park in a parking space and kept moving forward while having foot on break pedal. Therefore the car hit a building wall which is approx. 36ft from the raises parking space curb. The problem has not…Owner complaint, filed 2024

The contact owns a 2020 honda hr-v. The contact stated while reversing out of the driveway, the brakes failed to function. As a result, the vehicle reversed into a parked vehicle that was in the driveway. The contact stated no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic to have it…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 11,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving at a low speed attempting to park the vehicle at park, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated, jumped the curb and crashed into a fence. There were no warning lights illuminated. A police report was filed. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries sustained…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 3,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The steering wheel, ABS, TPMS, and braking system…Owner complaint, filed 2025

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Honda HR-V uses a battery current and voltage sensor (part of the Battery Management System) attached to the negative battery terminal to monitor electrical flow and optimize fuel efficiency. It helps determine alternator output. If the voltage sensor degrades or fails, the vehicle's electrical system voltage may be too low to operate…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The steering wheel, ABS, TPMS, and braking system…Owner complaint, filed 2025

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

Upright seat back locks have often failed to lock upon adjustment of seat back on many occasions and since the vehicle was new. Honda “repaired” the driver seat, when the car was originally purchased, however refused to fix the passenger seat back lock. Their explanation was they checked other cars and they were all like that, which…Owner complaint, filed 2024

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The instrument panel suddenly went out without warning while driving for no known reason. I was unaware of my speed, gas gauge, oil level, etc. and had to return home. I took it to a mechanic who called the dealership. They said it would be $1700 just for the replacement instrument panel. A quick internet search shows that this is common…Owner complaint, filed 2024

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

I have a 2020 Honda HRV and the gas gauge flickers on and off. I have overheard technicians say this is a common problem with the HRV. The dealer wants to charge 177 to hook it up on the computer to diagnose the HRV. This HRV has only 20,000 miles on it. It has struts that are going bad and this HRV has had all the services done. My wife…Owner complaint, filed 2026