Took my Honda CRV 2021 EX in because all of my warning lights (Critical Failure) were going off as I was driving. All safety features were failing including AWD control, braking, sensors, cruise control, etc. They replaced the battery and tested the alternator. They reset the system and said it was fixed. I picked mine up today, drove it for 10 mins on the highway and then hit the "MAIN" button…
2021 Honda CR-V brakes problems
severe 19 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $450 · see brakes across all vehicles →
Complaints
19
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$450
2crashes
1injury
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: A 2021 CR-V should be considered unsafe to drive based on these reports: the AEB/CMBS system engages dozens of times without warning or cause, creating serious rear-end collision risk; brake system failure and loss of function have been reported; and dealerships cannot replicate or fix these issues despite multiple visits. Avoid this model and year until Honda issues a recall and corrects the underlying problems.
Owners of 2021 CR-Vs describe a pattern of unwanted automatic emergency braking (AEB) or collision mitigation braking system (CMBS) activation that creates genuine safety hazards. One owner reported over 20 sudden braking events since March 2024 purchase; others describe 3–4 incidents on highways alone. The vehicle slams on the brakes at speeds from 5 mph to 65 mph—on clear days, empty roads, and in multi-lane traffic—when no vehicle, pedestrian, or obstacle is present. Beeping warnings are inconsistent; sometimes there's no alert before the vehicle comes to a near or complete stop. The sudden stops create immediate rear-end collision risk; owners report traffic behind them barely avoided impact.
Dealerships are unable to replicate the issue across multiple service visits and diagnostic tests. One owner had four consecutive diagnostic evaluations (May 18–24, 2025) that found nothing wrong. Dealerships have declined to cover diagnostic fees without reproducible problems and in one case recommended the owner disable the safety features.
Separate from AEB failures, owners report complete loss of braking function at low mileage (under 3,000 miles in two cases). One vehicle failed to stop at 47 mph and rear-ended another car before crossing a gully and stopping on a dirt pile. Another vehicle coasted to a stop under physics alone, with brake pedal flat on the floorboard and no hydraulic pressure. Start-button failures requiring multiple attempts and mysterious electrical system faults affecting multiple warning lights compound the reliability picture.
Failure modes owners describe
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) / Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) unwanted activation
The AEB or CMBS system engages and applies brakes suddenly with force, sometimes bringing the vehicle to a near or complete stop, when there is no vehicle, pedestrian, or obstacle in front of or directly in line with the vehicle. Activation occurs on clear days, on highways and local roads, at speeds from 5 mph to 65 mph. Owners report this has happened multiple times—one reported over 20 incidents since purchase, another 3–4 times on freeway, another 3–4 times total. Most activations occur with no warning; some include a brief beep or warning light (red BRAKE indicator). The sudden stops create serious rear-end collision risk to following traffic.
When: Multiple incidents per owner over weeks to months of ownership; one owner reported instances starting at 3,000 miles; another at 1,040 miles; one at 26,323 miles. Mileage varies; timing ranges from days/weeks after purchase to months later. One owner reported the 3rd incident occurred 9 days after taking vehicle in for service.
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden application of brakes with no vehicle or obstacle ahead; Vehicle comes to complete or near-complete stop unexpectedly; Red BRAKE light illuminates on dashboard; Alarms or beeping sounds (inconsistent across incidents); Brief warning beep sometimes precedes braking (not always present); Vehicle feels out of control or 'floating' during incident; Steering wheel may pull or vehicle swerves; Unable to override with accelerator pedal for a few seconds in some cases
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership service centers unable to replicate the issue in most cases. Multiple diagnostic tests conducted (four tests on consecutive days in one case, May 18–24, 2025) found no issues. One dealership recommended owner disable the safety equipment. One owner reports dealership stated issue is 'normal' and advised keeping distance from front vehicle. No repairs completed in any narrative; one dealership declined to cover diagnostic fees ($175 quoted) without being able to replicate the problem.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda has not issued a recall as of complaint dates. One owner mentions NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA24-002 is open for this issue affecting millions of Honda vehicles. Honda case manager declined responsibility in one case. Honda America stated they will not get involved unless NHTSA issues a recall. Dealerships have stated that unless the issue can be replicated, diagnostic and repair fees are not covered.
Complete brake system failure / loss of braking
Brake pedal becomes unresponsive or ineffective; vehicle does not stop when brake pedal is depressed. In one case, vehicle continued to accelerate forward despite brake pedal application at 47 mph, resulting in rear-end collision with another vehicle and the vehicle driving over a gully, sidewalk, and shopping center before stopping on dirt pile. In another case, vehicle 'coasted' to a stop under physics only; brake pedal laid flat on floorboard with no hydraulic pressure sensation despite full brake fluid reservoir. Third case involved vehicle losing power to brakes (attributed to wiring harness but owner suspects accident mitigation system).
When: Two instances occurred under 3,000 miles; one at 3,000 miles exactly; one at unknown mileage. One case happened early July 2021 (3rd day of ownership) with recurring issues through August–September 2021.
Symptoms owners cite: Brake pedal unresponsive or non-functional; Vehicle does not decelerate when brake pedal depressed; Vehicle accelerates forward despite brake application; Brake pedal lays flat on floorboard; No hydraulic pressure in brake system; Vehicle coasts to stop under gravity only; Loss of power to brakes (partial failure); No warning indicators before failure in some cases; multiple warning lights after failure in others
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership reproduced one complete brake failure incident and labeled vehicle 'DO NOT DRIVE.' Brake fluid reservoir was full in one case. One instance involved replacement of rear-view mirror wiring harness, but dealer unable to explain root cause. Vehicle damaged in collision case (police report filed); towed; not diagnosed or repaired as of complaint date. Vehicles not repaired in other cases.
Brake warning light (red BRAKE in box) with no clear cause or unclear meaning
Dashboard warning light displays a red rectangular box with the word 'BRAKE' in black letters. Dealer interpreted this as 'there were cars in the way' but owner found online that the warning states 'BRING YOUR CAR TO A DEALER. TO CONTINUE DRIVING COULD WELL BE DANGEROUS!' Light appeared three times in one narrative (July 11, August 6, August 17) despite no collision imminent.
When: July–August 2021 in one case; multiple instances reported in others (timing varies).
Symptoms owners cite: Red BRAKE warning light illuminates on dashboard; Light appears in a black-letter, red rectangular box format; Light appears without obvious trigger (vehicles miles away, multi-lane traffic, empty road); Inconsistent or incorrect dealer interpretation of warning
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer told owner this warning was 'not a problem' on multiple occasions and found nothing wrong after 9-day diagnostic hold (September 3–11, 2021). No repairs made.
Start-button failure and 'TO START ENGINE: BRAKE + PUSH' error message
Vehicle does not start when driver depresses brake pedal and presses start button. Multiple attempts required to start engine. Vehicle displays repeated error message: 'TO START ENGINE: BRAKE + PUSH' even when brake is depressed.
When: July 2021 (days 1–3 of ownership); recurring through July and into August 2021.
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle fails to start on first attempt; Multiple attempts (up to five) required to start engine; Error message 'TO START ENGINE: BRAKE + PUSH' appears on dashboard despite brake being depressed; Brake light warning also appears in conjunction
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership unable to duplicate issue despite 9-day diagnostic hold. No repairs completed. Owner continued to experience start failures.
Multiple warning lights and electrical/sensor system failures (ABS, ACC, cruise control, AWD control, sensors)
Multiple warning lights illuminate simultaneously on the dashboard (described as 'Critical Failure'). Multiple vehicle systems fail at the same time, including anti-lock brakes (ABS), adaptive cruise control (ACC), cruise control, AWD control, and sensors. One owner reports all safety features failed—braking, sensors, cruise control—while driving on highway after hitting the 'MAIN' button on steering wheel to enable cruise control. Occurs in vehicles 7,000+ miles over warranty.
When: One case at unknown mileage; another occurred 10 minutes after leaving dealership following battery replacement and system reset; vehicle was 2 years old, 7,000 miles over warranty.
Symptoms owners cite: All or multiple warning lights illuminate simultaneously; ABS warning light; ACC warning light; Cruise control failure; AWD control failure; Sensor failures; Braking system failure concurrent with warning lights; Systems fail again shortly after dealership repair/reset
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership replaced battery and tested alternator, then reset system in one case. Issue recurred within 10 minutes of leaving dealership. Owner noted this is a known issue affecting hundreds of 2020–2022 Honda CR-V EX models per Honda forums. Honda declined service because owner is 7,000 miles over warranty, despite owner asserting issue is manufacturer defect.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda declined to service or investigate due to vehicle being out of warranty, despite owner's assertion that this is a known manufacturer defect affecting multiple model years.
Vehicle rolling backward while in Park with no driver input
Vehicle parked in driveway with slight incline; owner exited vehicle and car began rolling backward without being shifted out of Park or any driver input. Vehicle picked up speed rapidly and rolled across street, striking neighbor's car and truck.
When: Timing and mileage not specified.
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle rolls backward while in Park; Backward motion accelerates unexpectedly; No driver input on pedals or gearshift; Vehicle gains speed beyond what driveway incline alone would produce
Repairs/costs cited: No diagnostic or repair information provided. Neighbor's vehicle and owner's vehicle sustained damage.
Synthesized from 19 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 2 most recent
Phantom emergency braking. Vehicle slamming on brakes at intermediate times when there is no emergency.
Had brakes trouble with your 2021 Honda CR-V?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the brakes problem on the 2021 Honda CR-V?
It's a meaningful issue. 19 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $450.
At what mileage does the brakes typically fail?
Based on the 19 complaints filed, brakes issues most often appear around 10,108 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $450 for brakes repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to brakes?
No active recalls currently cover brakes issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2021/Honda/CR-V.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.