NHTSA (USA)Critical
At a glance
This page covers 13 recalls, 549 owner complaints, NHTSA crash-test ratings and EPA fuel economy for the 2011 Honda CR-V.
23 mpg combined
10.2 L/100km
Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD
Fuel economy data from fueleconomy.gov (EPA / U.S. Dept. of Energy). Annual cost based on 15,000 mi/yr at 55% city driving and current fuel prices. MPG is U.S. gallons; L/100km converted.
The 2011 Honda CR-V received an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program for US-market vehicles. The CR-V earned 4 stars in frontal crash, side crash, and rollover testing. However, it received a notably lower rating of 2 stars in side pole crash testing. NHTSA applies this rating across model years until a vehicle redesign occurs, so these results represent the safety performance for this generation CR-V during its production run.
4/5 Overall
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating
For the 2011 Honda CR-V, airbag-related complaints dominate the complaint picture by a wide margin. The bulk of these reports center on the passenger-side airbag system, with owners describing wiring faults under the front passenger seat, often surfacing without any dashboard warning lights, and concerns about whether the airbag would deploy correctly. Structural complaints are the next notable cluster, with multiple owners reporting severe frame and trailing arm rust, in some cases describing metal that has corroded completely through. A smaller group of electrical complaints includes issues like a malfunctioning defrost selector switch. A handful of isolated reports mention odometer discrepancies discovered after purchase, though those appear to be individual situations rather than a recurring mechanical pattern.
549
Total Complaints
28
Crash-Related
2
Fire-Related
10
With Injuries
By System
The 2011 Honda CR-V has 13 recalls, the most serious being a widespread airbag inflator defect affecting both the driver and front passenger sides where the inflators can rupture and send sharp metal fragments into the cabin, causing serious injury or death.
The airbag concerns dominate this vehicle's recall list and fall into two categories. The first is inflator rupture: both the driver-side and front passenger-side airbag inflators can explode rather than deploy cleanly, scattering metal shards that can strike anyone in the front seat area. Multiple filings cover this same underlying defect, and prior repair attempts using replacement inflator kits did not fully resolve the issue in all cases. The second category involves incorrectly installed passenger-side inflators, which can occur either from assembly errors at the supplier level or from improper installation at a dealership. In those situations, the airbag may not deploy as intended in a crash, reducing the protection it was designed to provide. Several of these recalls specifically affect vehicles that already had their passenger airbag replaced, meaning the replacement part itself may be the source of the problem.
Beyond the airbag cluster, there is a structural concern limited to vehicles sold or registered in certain northern and mid-Atlantic states where road salt exposure is higher. On those vehicles, the rear trailing arm can corrode to the point of detaching from the underbody entirely. If that happens while driving, the rear suspension loses its connection to the frame, and the driver can lose control of the vehicle.
At a glance
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Ratings from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Based on 2 tested variants; worst-case ratings shown.
Complaints are owner-reported and reflect individual experiences, not confirmed defects. They are distinct from recalls. Data sourced from the national vehicle safety complaint database. See trending complaints →
What can fail
Road salt accumulation corrodes the frame, potentially causing the rear trailing arm to detach.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect the frame and install a support brace or repair it as needed. Honda may repurchase the vehicle if corrosion is extensive.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The driver frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant breakdown from long-term exposure to high humidity, temperature, and temperature changes.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The passenger front air bag inflator may explode due to propellant breakdown from long-term exposure to high humidity, heat, and temperature changes.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the passenger front air bag inflator at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The front passenger air bag inflator may have been installed incorrectly during a previous replacement, potentially affecting its ability to deploy properly.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect the inflator installation and replace the passenger front air bag module assembly if needed, at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Driver air bag inflators installed during previous recalls or as service parts may explode during a crash when the air bag deploys due to a manufacturing defect.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the driver air bag inflator with a different inflator at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The passenger front air bag inflator may explode due to propellant breakdown from long-term exposure to humidity, heat, and temperature changes.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the passenger front air bag inflator at no charge.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The front passenger air bag may have been installed incorrectly during replacement, potentially affecting its ability to deploy properly in a crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect the passenger air bag and replace the module assembly if needed, at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The passenger frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation from long-term exposure to high humidity, temperature, and temperature changes.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Replacement passenger front air bag inflators may have been incorrectly installed at one dealership, potentially affecting proper deployment.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the passenger front air bag module assembly at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Passenger front air bag inflator repair kits may have been assembled with an incorrect wire harness, affecting certain replaced air bags.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect the passenger front air bag inflator and replace it if necessary at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The front passenger air bag inflator may rupture during a crash due to propellant degradation from long-term exposure to humidity and temperature changes.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator at no cost when parts become available.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The passenger front air bag inflator may rupture during a crash due to propellant degradation from long-term exposure to humidity and temperature changes.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the air bag inflator at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Moisture can seep into the dual-stage driver frontal air bag inflator over time, potentially causing it to rupture.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the air bag inflator at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.