NHTSA opens probe into 2020–2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid: Loss of Motive Power
On October 28, 2025, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE25016) into 2020–2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid, concerning the engine. A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage of an NHTSA defect investigation: ODI gathers information from the manufacturer and from owner reports to decide whether to close the case or take it further. As of NHTSA’s latest data it is still open.
- Action
- PE25016 (Preliminary Evaluation)
- Status
- Open
- Component
- Engine
- Listed
- 3 make/model/year entries in NHTSA’s file
Vehicles under investigation
| Make | Honda |
|---|---|
| Model | CR-V Hybrid |
| Model years | 2020–2022 |
As listed in NHTSA’s investigation file. Not every vehicle of a listed model is necessarily affected.
What ODI says
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 48 Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) reports and some Early Warning Reporting (EWR) field reports alleging intermittent loss of motive power in Model Year (MY) 2020–2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid vehicles. These incidents are alleged to occur without warning at highway speeds and are accompanied by a flashing check engine light immediately before the loss of motive power occurs. Motive power can be restored by turning the ignition off and back on. However, this action also clears the check engine light and any fault codes that were set. The fault’s intermittent nature, combined with the lack of fault codes, often results in many visits to repair facilities yielding no repairs. Honda indicated it was unaware of any related complaint or repair trends. ODI is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to determine the scope and severity of the alleged fault and to fully assess the possible safety consequences. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Official summary by NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation for PE25016, quoted in full (U.S. government work, public domain).
What owners have reported
Owners filed 262 complaints with NHTSA about the model years in this investigation, reporting 16 crashes, 1 fires, 10 injuries. These are all complaints on file for those vehicles, about any problem, not only this one; complaints are unverified owner reports.
| Vehicle | Complaints | Crashes | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 CR-V Hybrid | 82 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 2021 CR-V Hybrid | 104 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 2022 CR-V Hybrid | 76 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
Recalls and problems for these vehicles
Timeline
- ODI opens preliminary evaluation PE25016
- OpenNo closing date yet
What this means for owners
- An investigation is not a recall. NHTSA has not made a defect finding here, and owners are not asked to do anything yet. If a safety defect is confirmed, the manufacturer recalls the vehicles and the repair is free.
- Check your vehicle for open recalls with a free VIN recall check.
- Had this problem? File a complaint with NHTSA. Owner complaints are the evidence ODI uses to open and expand investigations.
Official record: search PE25016 or your vehicle at NHTSA.gov/recalls, which lists investigations alongside recalls. Data: NHTSA ODI investigations file, updated daily. All NHTSA investigations.