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Honda CR-V Reliability by Year

Every CR-V model year from 2004 to 2025, scored on reported failures weighted against how many were sold — and ranked against every other Mid-Size SUV of the same year.

The short answer

Best model year
2011
#6 of 39 that year
Year to avoid
2018
#39 of 42 that year
Latest scored
2025
#47 of 66

Across 22 scored model years the CR-V needs fixing more often than its class, but when it does, repairs cost about what you would expect. The spread between years is what matters: 2011 is its strongest, 2018 its weakest.

Every model year, scored

Longer bar is better. Rank is against every Mid-Size SUV sold that same model year.

YearRelative standingClass rankPctl
2004#9 /2668th
2005#7 /2777th
2006#6 /2881th
2007#14 /3663th
2008#13 /3868th
2009#5 /3989th
2010#6 /4087th
2011#6 /3987thBest year
2012#13 /3968th
2013#13 /3767th
2014#14 /3764th
2015#23 /4044th
2016#16 /3859th
2017#32 /3714th
2018#39 /427thAvoid
2019#30 /4534th
2020#15 /4971th
2021#20 /5363th
2022#21 /5966th
2023#49 /6727th
2024#59 /7218th
2025#47 /6629th

The line has moved around across 22 model years, with its weakest stretch in 2017–2019. Recent years have been slipping. This 2025 car falls in a weak stretch.

What tends to break

All 12 systems, measured against the class average for each model year.

Every CR-V model year is scored across 12 separate systems — engine, transmission, brakes, electrical, steering and suspension, structure, interior, and five more. Each system is compared against how often that same system fails on the average Mid-Size SUV of the same year, so a common failure is judged against how common it is everywhere else.

Across the last three model years (2023–2025), the trouble concentrates in one place: steering & suspension. That system draws issue reports more often than the same system on the average Mid-Size SUV of its year — which changes what you should be inspecting before you buy.

🔒 System-by-system breakdown
All 12 systems scored for the CR-V year you are looking at — which ones fail more often than the class, by how much, and on how many reports.
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How it compares to the class

All 66 Mid-Size SUVs from 2025, plotted by how often they need fixes and what those fixes cost.

🔒 The whole class, plotted
Where the CR-V lands against every other 2025 Mid-Size SUV — and which rivals beat it.
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Common questions

What is the best year for a used Honda CR-V?

2011 is the strongest CR-V model year on record, ranking #6 of 39 Mid-Size SUVs that year.

Which Honda CR-V years should I avoid?

2018 is the weakest year in the model's history, ranking #39 of 42.

Is the latest CR-V reliable?

The 2025 CR-V ranks #47 of 66 Mid-Size SUVs — the lower half of its class.

Where does this data come from?

Failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes so a high-volume model is not penalised for selling well, then benchmarked within segment and model year.

See the full picture for your CR-V

All 12 systems scored, the whole class plotted, and a downloadable Full Model Report for any year — 6,000+ vehicles in the dashboard.

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How this was built. Scores derive from failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes and benchmarked within segment and model year. We measure two separate things: Fix Frequency — how often a vehicle needs fixing — and Fix Severity — how costly those fixes are. These figures describe a model line, not the specific vehicle in front of you; trim, mileage and service history still decide an individual car.