Honda HR-V Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2023 Honda HR-V drew the most (671; most-reported area: visibility/wiper) and the 2020 the fewest (9).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 27, 2026

Every model year since 2016 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 31 mpg combined, arrived in 2016.

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2023 HR-V Most reported: visibility/wiper	671	686	3
2016 HR-V Most reported: powertrain	44	239	2
2022 HR-V Most reported: electrical system	41	88	3
2017 HR-V Most reported: powertrain	38	122	0
2019 HR-V Most reported: electrical system	35	235	7
2018 HR-V Most reported: electrical system	34	156	3
2021 HR-V Most reported: air bags	13	63	4
2020 HR-V Most reported: electrical system	9	83	5

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	0	14
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	1	43
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	4	108
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Gas	3	686
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	30 mpg Gas	3	88
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	30 mpg Gas	4	63
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	30 mpg Gas	5	83
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	30 mpg Gas	7	235
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	3	156
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	0	122
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	2	239

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2023: 686 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Honda HR-V
Model year	Complaints
2016	239
2017	122
2018	156
2019	235
2020	83
2021	63
2022	88
2023	686
2024	108
2025	43
2026	14

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 28 to 31 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); highest in 2016.

2026: gas 28 mpg

Show as a table

Honda HR-V best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2016	31
2017	31
2018	31
2019	30
2020	30
2021	30
2022	30
2023	28
2024	28
2025	28
2026	28

Comparisons

Subaru Crosstrek vs Honda HR-VMPG, fuel cost, recalls and crash tests

Questions

Which Honda HR-V years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2023 (671) drew the most, then the 2016 (44). Most-reported area for the 2023: visibility/wiper.

Which Honda HR-V years have the fewest problems?

The 2020 (9) drew the fewest complaints in its first three years. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which Honda HR-V years should you avoid?

Complaint counts can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, but they show where owners reported the most trouble: the 2023, against 36 complaints in a typical Honda HR-V year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Honda dealers.

Which Honda HR-V years have the most recalls?

The 2019 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (7), then the 2020 (5). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. No recall for 2016 to 2026 models tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside.

What are the most common Honda HR-V problems?

Of the 1,837 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2016 to 2026 models, the areas named most are visibility/wiper (19%), electrical system (17%), and powertrain (10%). One complaint can name more than one area. The recalls and problems page for each year breaks this down further.

Which Honda HR-V year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 31 mpg combined, first reached by the 2016 gas version.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.