Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2016-2021 HR-V AWDs with a customer complaint of inaccurate fuel gauge reading; less fuel remains in the fuel tank than indicated on the fuel gauge. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2021 Honda HR-V electrical problems
moderate Owners of the 2021 Honda HR-V have filed 13 NHTSA complaints about the electrical at roughly $850 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See electrical across all vehicles →
Complaints
13
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$850
| Model year | electrical complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 HR-V | 27 |
| 2018 HR-V | 44 |
| 2019 HR-V | 60 |
| 2020 HR-V | 18 |
| 2021 HR-V (this page) | 13 |
| 2022 HR-V | 22 |
| 2023 HR-V | 26 |
| 2024 HR-V | 9 |
| 2025 HR-V | 3 |
When does it fail?
Of the 13 electrical complaints filed for the 2021 Honda HR-V, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Electrical accounts for 21% of all owner complaints filed against this vehicle, across 7 categories tracked.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering electrical on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2016-2021 HR-V AWDs with a customer complaint of inaccurate fuel gauge reading; less fuel remains in the fuel tank than indicated on the fuel gauge. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to collect specific parts from the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2019-2021 Civics, CR-Vs & HR-Vs with a customer complaint of the audio screen turning black, blank or inop. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to inspect the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Service Bulletin - The MIL comes on with DTC U0155 (Lost Communication with Gauge Control Module).
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Service Bulletin - The MIL comes on with DTC U0155 (Lost Communication with Gauge Control Module).
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2021 HR-V has accumulated 13 complaints of electrical failures ranging from nuisance to safety-critical. The most common complaint involves the right-side instrument cluster (fuel gauge, odometer, trip meter) displaying scrambled, incorrect, or no information—sometimes only when temperatures exceed 70 degrees. Multiple owners report this manufacturing defect as cold-weather solder cracking in the LCD display, creating risk of highway fuel starvation without warning. One dealer confirmed the defect exists.
Power-lock failures tied to wet weather have trapped occupants inside vehicles and caused independent door locking/unlocking while driving. Rapid battery drain when doors remain open for 40 minutes has left vehicles unable to start. One owner experienced sudden hard braking with simultaneous warnings for brake failure, electronic parking brake failure, hill start assist, and power steering—all while driving in rain.
Key insertion refusal and vehicle power-off failure both occurred at very low mileage (876 miles). A dealer diagnosed one power-lock case as requiring junction box and headliner wiring replacement, but the repair was not completed before the complaint was filed. Recall parts for at least one electrical issue are reportedly unavailable at dealerships, and most intermittent failures cannot be reproduced by techs during diagnosis.
Same Honda HR-V electrical reports on nearby years: 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2022 · 2023
Failure modes owners describe
Power lock and theft alarm malfunction
Doors lock and unlock independently while driving; theft alarm activates on its own; door locks fail to operate after rain/wet weather, trapping occupants inside vehicle.
When: 9,000 miles; triggered by rainstorm and wet conditions
Symptoms owners cite: Doors lock and unlock while driving; Theft alarm activates spontaneously; Power locks unable to unlock doors; Occupants trapped in vehicle; No warning light
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer diagnosed battery replacement; later diagnosed electrical junction box replacement and wiring replacement under headliner needed. Vehicle not repaired at time of complaint.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No manufacturer notification at time of complaint
Multiple electrical sensor failures and unintended braking
Vehicle experienced sudden hard braking and multiple dashboard warning lights illuminated simultaneously while driving in rain (brake system, electronic parking brake, hill start assist, power steering failures all showing at once).
When: Occurred while driving in rain; no mileage stated
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden hard braking without driver input; Brake system failure warning; Electronic parking brake failure warning; Hill start assist failure warning; Power steering failure warning; Multiple safety sensor warnings simultaneously; Dashboard lights illuminated
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer quoted $230 for diagnosis only; repair status unknown
Instrument cluster display malfunction (fuel gauge, odometer, trip meter)
Right-side instrument cluster display shows scrambled, incorrect, or missing information intermittently. Fuel gauge, odometer, and trip meter fail to display correctly or display unreliable data, creating risk of running out of fuel without warning.
When: Approximately one year after purchase (2022); intermittent throughout vehicle ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Fuel gauge displays intermittently or incorrectly; Odometer displays scrambled or incorrect information; Trip meter displays scrambled or incorrect information; Display shows misleading data; Display turns completely off; No fuel level awareness; Cannot monitor mileage on trips; Low-fuel warning light only marginal solution
Repairs/costs cited: Confirmed by Honda dealer. Owners report solder cracking in cold weather due to lead-free solder manufacturing defect causing poor connections.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Owners indicate Honda aware of defect; multiple complaints online noted. Recall parts unavailable per complaint #12.
Instrument cluster display temperature-dependent failure
Digital cluster display (fuel level, odometer, warning icons) only functions above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Display fails to illuminate in cold weather, eliminating fuel level visibility and mileage tracking.
When: Cold weather conditions; no specific mileage stated
Symptoms owners cite: Display only works at 70 degrees and above; Display fails in cold weather; Fuel gauge unreadable in cold; Odometer unreadable in cold; Warning icons unreadable in cold; Risk of highway fuel starvation without warning
Repairs/costs cited: Mechanic at Honda dealership in Colorado Springs indicated bad connection with LCD display causing cold-weather shorts.
Rapid battery drain with doors open
Battery drains quickly when doors remain open for approximately 40 minutes, leaving vehicle unable to start. Owner unable to start vehicle after extended door-open period, heard rapid clicking and dash light pulsing but no engine start.
When: No specific mileage; occurred during door-open period of 40+ minutes
Symptoms owners cite: Battery drains rapidly when doors open; Vehicle will not start after door-open period; Rapid repetitive clicking from dash; Pulsing of dash lights; No engine start attempt
Ignition key insertion failure and vehicle power-off failure
Key will not insert into ignition; vehicle will not turn off when running. Failures intermittent and not reproducible by dealer.
When: 876 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Key will not go into ignition; Vehicle will not turn off; Failures intermittent and not reproducible
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle towed to dealer; dealer unable to duplicate failures; vehicle not repaired
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer made aware of failure
Instrument cluster display intermittent illumination
Odometer and related gauge display fails to illuminate or turns on after extended running time with intermittent flashing. Display unreliable, creating potential safety risk from inability to monitor fuel level.
When: Intermittent; flashing resolved after ~20 minutes of driving
Symptoms owners cite: Odometer fails to light up; Display does not turn on initially; Display flashes intermittently; Display eventually illuminates after ~20 minutes; Risk of stalling on highway if unable to monitor gas gauge
Repairs/costs cited: Mechanic indicated electrical issue but not fuses; unable to determine if software or hardware problem without proper equipment
Synthesized from 13 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 4 most recent
I have had several issues happen where the battery will drain quickly if the doors are open for 40 minutes. One time recently happened last week when I was trying to take my wife to the hospital for a back pain issue. I tried to get her into the vehicle but the pain was too great so we called the paramedics to come and take her instead. Once they arrived and removed her from the vehicle, I went…
The contact owns a 2021 Honda HR-V. The contact stated that the key would not go in the ignition. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The failure recurred and while taking the vehicle back to the dealer, the vehicle would not turn off. The dealer was able to turn off the vehicle but could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The…
The contact owns a 2021 Honda HR-V. The contact that after a rainstorm, the power lock system would not allow her to open the doors, and that the theft alarm system would activate independently. The contact stated that she had also been trapped in the vehicle when the power locks failed to unlock the doors. Additionally, while driving at undisclosed speeds, the doors would lock and unlock…
Panel flickered on the side where it tells you your milage to empty and how much gas you have in the car yesterday. This morning it was completely blank on that side of panel. My mechanic sade that it was something electrical but not the fuses. And he doesn't have the equipment to tell if it's an software update issue or not.
Had electrical trouble with your 2021 Honda HR-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 electrical problem on the 2021 Honda HR-V?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 13 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $850 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the electrical typically fail?
Based on the 13 complaints filed, electrical issues most often appear around 9,000 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 $850 for electrical 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 electrical?
No active recalls currently cover electrical 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/HR-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.