YearToAvoid

2018 Honda CR-V Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

100/100

#1 most-complained of 16 CR-V years

The 2018 Honda CR-V ranks worst of 16 model years tracked, with a Complaint Index of 100 and 2,141 complaints, 5 recalls, and 46 crashes reported. Fuel System and Engine issues dominate, each accounting for 28% of complaints, making 2018 the year to avoid most.

Complaints
2,141
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
46 / 2
Injuries / deaths
47 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
28.5
26.5 city / 32.5 hwy

Top 2018 Honda CR-V problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Fuel System599 (28%)
  2. Engine591 (28%)
  3. Collision Avoidance & Cameras398 (19%)
  4. Steering325 (15%)
  5. Electrical System289 (13%)
  6. Brakes220 (10%)
  7. Other214 (10%)
  8. Transmission & Powertrain63 (3%)
  9. Lane Departure45 (2%)
  10. Visibility & Wipers41 (2%)

What owners report

  • Owners report sudden unintended acceleration at low speed, including in parking spots, that jumps curbs or hits fixed objects.
  • Some describe engine stalling on cold start, causing unexpected rollback because the brake pedal feels locked.
  • Drivers report the automatic emergency braking system slamming on brakes unexpectedly at low speed, causing rear-end collisions.
  • Several note the engine surging forward when pressing the gas, making it hard to stop in time.
  • One driver reports sudden loss of engine power at highway speed with flashing check engine and ABS lights, and the vehicle would not restart.
  • A steering complaint describes the electric power steering assist failing while turning sharply, matching the 2018V663000 recall pattern.
2018 Honda CR-V complaints: complaints filed per quarter2862017 Q42019 Q12020 Q22021 Q32022 Q42024 Q12025 Q22026 Q3
2892 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2017 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2018 Q4 (286).

2018 Honda CR-V recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 26V332000May 21, 2026Airbags98,892 vehicles

    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 hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

    Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

    Remedy: 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 this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.

  2. NHTSA 23V858000Dec 18, 2023Fuel System2,490,460 vehicles

    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 vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

    Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: 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 are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

  3. NHTSA 23V158000Mar 9, 2023Seat Belts448,613 vehicles

    Seat belts:front:buckle assembly

    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 channel to interfere with the release button, preventing the seat belt buckle from latching.

    Risk: An unlatched seat belt cannot properly restrain the seat occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.

    Remedy: 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. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are NDA, QDB, BDC, MDD, LD9. TDF, FDG, ODH, YDI, ZDE.

See all 5 recalls for the 2018 Honda CR-V →

2018 Honda CR-V fuel economy and fuel cost

City
26.5 MPG
Highway
32.5 MPG
Combined
28.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,275
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2018 compared with other CR-V years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2016Good27393328
2017Avoid871,768728.5
2018Avoid1002,141528.5
2019Caution671,099828.5
2020Good40353729.5

All Honda CR-V years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Honda CR-V reliable?
Among CR-V model years, 2018 has the highest Complaint Index (100) and ranks worst of 16 years tracked, with 2,141 NHTSA complaints and 5 recalls, so it is rated Avoid relative to other CR-V years.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Honda CR-V?
NHTSA data shows Fuel System (28% of complaints) and Engine (28%) are the top problem areas, followed by Collision Avoidance & Cameras (19%) and Steering (15%).
Does the 2018 Honda CR-V have a steering recall?
Yes, recall 18V663000 covers 2017-2018 CR-V and Civic vehicles where a magnet controlling the electronic power steering torque sensor may not be secured, and Honda replaces the steering gearbox assembly free of charge.
How does the 2018 CR-V compare to other years?
The 2018 CR-V's Complaint Index of 100 is the highest of all 16 tracked years; by comparison 2012 and 2013 CR-Vs score 13 and 0 and are rated Best.
What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Honda CR-V?
EPA rates the 2018 CR-V at 28.5 mpg combined (26.5 city/32.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,275.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.