2023 Honda HR-V

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2023 Honda HR-V has 814 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 10.2x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is visibility problems (49% of all complaints), specifically: back window shattered with no impact. was told it is a flaw in the rear defrost..

8 crash reports 4 injuries

814

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

10.2x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

VISIBILITY

400 complaints

49%

• Back window shattered with no impact. Was told it is a flaw in the rear defrost.
• UNKNOWN My rear windshield popped/shattered as I was driving on a rural highway at roughly 60 mph. I did not go under an over pass and there were no other cars nearby. The window simply exploded seemingly spontaneously. I believe I had the rear window defroster going at the time or shortly before a
• My car was parking on normal rainy day and my back glass explode

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“Back window shattered with no impact. Was told it is a flaw in the rear defrost.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

213 complaints

26%

• The screen on the car would randomly turn on and off when the vehicle is on and it will do this the whole time . On Dec 2022 Another issue I had was the door wouldn’t unlock on the driver side. I had to get someone to open my door. The door was unlocked but physically wouldn’t open.
• My back window shattered while parked without any impact.
• Back window shattered with no impact. Was told it is a flaw in the rear defrost.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“The screen on the car would randomly turn on and off when the vehicle is on and it will do this the whole time . On Dec 2022 Another issue I had was the door wouldn’t unlock on the driver side. I had to get someone to open my door. The door was unlocked but physically wouldn’t open.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

STEERING

76 complaints

• Rack and Pinion failing. Jerky and hard steering. I took it in to Honda and they told me it was the rack and pinion and the part wouldn’t be in until May 2023. They continued to have me drive it and told me it was safe to drive.
• i have a 2023 HRV AWD. We test drove it and bought it with the lane assist on. We had never had a vehicle with lane assist and thought it was something we needed to get accustomed to using. It grew irritating so I turned it off. We soon realized it was something else. The steering would stick and je
• My car is under 10,000 miles and I've had it since November 2023, and in August 2023, the steering wheel began to feel "sticky" and has ever since then. The steering wheel feels jerky when driving at no particular speed and acts up randomly, but I have noticed it is becoming more pronounced. I notic

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 3 crashes

“Rack and Pinion failing. Jerky and hard steering. I took it in to Honda and they told me it was the rack and pinion and the part wouldn’t be in until May 2023. They continued to have me drive it and told me it was safe to drive.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BODY/STRUCTURE

33 complaints

• My car was parking on normal rainy day and my back glass explode
• While driver 47 mph to work this morning my rear windshield suddenly popped and shattered. I was not under on over hangs or buildings. There were no others cars even around me at the time. I did have the rear defrost on. The whole windshield broke and fell apart.
• The rear window of our 2023 Honda HRV exploded with no incident whatsoever. We had parked the car on Sunday, July 2, 2023 and taken walk on beach at 7:30 in the morning. When we left at 8:15 we heard a noise from the back as we drove off and looked in rear view mirror to see that the back glass wa

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“My car was parking on normal rainy day and my back glass explode”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

31 complaints

• The screen on the car would randomly turn on and off when the vehicle is on and it will do this the whole time . On Dec 2022 Another issue I had was the door wouldn’t unlock on the driver side. I had to get someone to open my door. The door was unlocked but physically wouldn’t open.
• I was driving on the freeway and my rear window shattered. There was no potholes or cars next to me. I had turned off the rear defroster 2 miles before it shattered. Sometimes the driver side and passenger windows wont go all the way up. They stop and go back down.
• Several times a gas smell has come through the vents of this car. It happens generally after running for at least 1hr and 30 min. The last time it occurred, we drove for 30 min, let it idle for around 30 min, and then drove another 30 min back home. The smell came through the vents around 10 min awa

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

VISIBILITY(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

BODY/STRUCTURE(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 814 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
VISIBILITY: Back window shattered with no impact. Was told it is a flaw in the rear defrost.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: The screen on the car would randomly turn on and off when the vehicle is on and it will do this the whole time . On Dec 2022 Another issue I had was the door wouldn’t unlock on the driver side. I had to get someone to open my door. The door was unlocked but physically wouldn’t open.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
STEERING: Rack and Pinion failing. Jerky and hard steering. I took it in to Honda and they told me it was the rack and pinion and the part wouldn’t be in until May 2023. They continued to have me drive it and told me it was safe to drive.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BODY/STRUCTURE: My car was parking on normal rainy day and my back glass explode
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)