What are the most common problems with the 2015 Honda CR-V?

NHTSA lists 254 engine complaints and 150 power train complaints out of 672 total. In the small sample of texts we read, owners describe vibration while stopped in Drive.

Does the 2015 Honda CR-V have any recalls?

Yes, 3 recalls: a fuel pump recall (23V858), wrong pistons in replacement engines (17V305) and connecting rod bolts (15V121).

What gas mileage does the 2015 Honda CR-V get?

EPA rates the 2WD at 29 mpg combined and the 4WD at 28 mpg combined.

How safe is the 2015 Honda CR-V?

NHTSA gives it 4 stars overall and 5 stars for side protection.

Is the 2015 CR-V a year to avoid?

Five model years have more complaints than 2015's 672, so it is not the highest on file. Counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat that as a rough guide only.

2015 Honda CR-V Problems, Recalls and MPG

Owners filed 672 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Honda CR-V, and in the small sample of complaint texts we read, owners often describe vibration^[1]^[2]. The car has 3 recalls on file, including a fuel pump recall with a free remedy^[3]^[4]^[5].

672owner complaints^[6]

3recalls^[7]

28–29MPG combined (EPA)^[8]

4★NHTSA overall rating^[9]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

NHTSA lists 672 owner complaints for this model year^[6]. Of those, 38 mention a crash and 4 a fire, and the complaints report 23 injuries in total^[6]. No deaths are reported^[6]. These are unverified reports from owners.

One complaint can name more than one part of the car, so the groups below overlap and do not add up to the 672 total^[6].

Component group	Complaints
Engine^[1]	254
Power train^[2]	150
Unknown or other^[10]	144
Electrical system^[11]	84
Steering^[12]	45
Seats^[13]	39
Brakes^[14]	37
Structure^[15]	35

We read a small sample of complaint texts in four of these groups: engine, power train, steering and electrical system. This is not a measure of how common anything is.

Engine. In the sample of 12 texts we read, 10 describe shaking while the car sits stopped in Drive, often with the idle speed called low^[1]. Owners say they feel it in the seats and steering wheel. In 6 of the 12, owners say the dealer or Honda called it normal or said there was no fix^[1]. Two describe the engine surging or racing at an unexpected moment^[1]. The median mileage at failure is 1,000, which means half of these complaints list 1,000 miles or less^[1].
Power train. In a sample of 12 texts, 9 describe the same shaking at a stop^[2]. Five describe a shudder when accelerating or holding a steady low speed^[2]. One describes the car briefly not responding to the gas pedal. The median mileage at failure is 970^[2].
Steering. All 12 texts we read describe vibration of some kind^[12]. Six say they feel it in the steering wheel^[12]. Five describe vibration at highway speed with worry about keeping control^[12]. The complaints filed under this group look much like the engine and power train ones.
Electrical system. Seven of 12 texts describe vibration again^[11]. Three describe a stall, a loss of power with the check engine light, or a car that would not start^[11]. Two mention a software update or software fix^[11].

Brakes have 37 complaints and 14 of them mention a crash^[14]. We did not read those texts, so we cannot say what owners describe.

Because so many texts about different groups describe the same vibration, the group labels say little about the cause. We have no data on whether Honda ever fixed it.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 3 recalls for this model year^[7]. Newest first^[3]^[4]^[5]:

Fuel pump (23V858). Announced 2023-12-18^[3]. Honda recalled certain 2013 to 2023 Honda and Acura models, and the CR-V is on the list. The fuel pump inside the tank may fail. That can stall the engine while driving and raise the risk of a crash. Dealers replace the fuel pump module for free. Honda mailed owner letters on September 6, 2024^[3]. The unit count in the notice covers every model in the recall, not only the CR-V. Owners can call Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138^[3].
Wrong pistons (17V305). Announced 2017-05-04^[4]. This covers 16 CR-Vs from 2015 and 2016 that recently got a replacement engine^[4]. The replacement engine may have been built with the wrong pistons, which can reduce performance and cause a stall and a higher crash risk. Dealers inspect the engine and replace the incorrect parts as needed, free of charge^[4].
Connecting rod bolts (15V121). Announced 2015-03-02^[5]. This covers 137 vehicles in total, including 2015 CR-Vs built from September 9, 2014 to February 6, 2015^[5]. The bolts may have been tightened incorrectly. The engine can lose power or leak oil. Power loss can stall the car, and oil near hot parts raises the risk of fire. Dealers replace the engine short block for free^[5].

Fuel economy

Both versions use a 2.4L 4-cylinder engine, regular fuel and an Automatic (variable gear ratios) transmission, according to EPA^[8]^[16].

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	EPA annual fuel cost
CR-V 2WD (front-wheel drive)^[8]	27 / 33 / 29	$2,300
CR-V 4WD (all-wheel drive)^[16]	26 / 32 / 28	$2,400

The annual cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices from when the car was new.

Safety ratings

NHTSA gives the front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions the same ratings^[9]^[17]. Both get 4 stars overall, 4 stars frontal, 5 stars side and 4 stars rollover^[9]^[17]. Rollover risk is 17.4% for both^[9]^[17].

Engine and size

The 2.4L 4-cylinder engine is rated at 185 hp in the EPA test car list^[18].

Dimensions below are Canadian-market specifications from Transport Canada, converted by us, and can differ slightly from US models.

	AWD	FWD (LX)
Length^[19]^[20]	180 in	180 in
Width^[19]^[20]	72 in	72 in
Height^[19]^[20]	65 in	65 in
Wheelbase^[19]^[20]	103 in	103 in
Curb weight^[19]^[20]	3,497 lb	3,375 lb

How 2015 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each CR-V model year. The 2015 is highlighted^[7].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
1997	108	2
1998	128	3
1999	127	3
2000	129	2
2001	142	1
2002	515	15
2003	468	13
2004	501	12
2005	479	12
2006	398	12
2007	887	12
2008	962	11
2009	386	12
2010	481	15
2011	554	13
2012	403	3
2013	382	2
2014	587	1
2015	672	3
2016	394	3
2017	1,776	7
2018	2,160	5
2019	1,106	8
2020	440	9
2021	443	5
2022	344	6
2023	633	8
2024	481	5
2025	289	6
2026	171	2

The 2015 CR-V has 672 complaints and 3 recalls on file^[7]. Five model years have more complaints: 2007 (887), 2008 (962), 2017 (1,776), 2018 (2,160) and 2019 (1,106)^[7]. The year before has 587 complaints and 1 recall^[7]. The year after has 394 complaints and 3 recalls^[7].

These counts are not adjusted for sales, so they show where reports pile up and not how likely a problem is.

Should you buy a used 2015 CR-V?

In the small sample of texts we read, vibration at idle came up often, and some owners also describe it while driving^[1]^[2]^[12]. We have no data on whether Honda corrected it, so test drive any car you consider and pay attention to how it feels stopped in Drive. Check that the fuel pump recall (23V858) has been done, because the remedy is free^[3]. Ratings of 4 stars overall and fuel economy of 28 to 29 mpg combined are on the plus side^[8]^[16]^[9]^[17]. This is not a verdict on reliability, since our data cannot measure that.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2015 Honda CR-V?: NHTSA lists 254 engine complaints and 150 power train complaints out of 672 total^[6]^[1]^[2]. In the small sample of texts we read, owners describe vibration while stopped in Drive^[1]^[2].
Does the 2015 Honda CR-V have any recalls?: Yes, 3 recalls: a fuel pump recall (23V858), wrong pistons in replacement engines (17V305) and connecting rod bolts (15V121)^[3]^[4]^[5]^[7].
What gas mileage does the 2015 Honda CR-V get?: EPA rates the 2WD at 29 mpg combined and the 4WD at 28 mpg combined^[8]^[16].
How safe is the 2015 Honda CR-V?: NHTSA gives it 4 stars overall and 5 stars for side protection^[9]^[17].
Is the 2015 CR-V a year to avoid?: Five model years have more complaints than 2015's 672, so it is not the highest on file^[7]. Counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat that as a rough guide only^[7].

Facts and sources

254 complaints name the engine component group (3 crashes, 2 fires, 6 injuries, median mileage at failure 1,000). NHTSA vehicle records
150 complaints name the power train component group (4 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 970). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 23V858, filed December 18, 2023: Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump. NHTSA recall database
Recall 17V305, filed May 4, 2017: Engine. NHTSA recall database
Recall 15V121, filed March 2, 2015: Engine And Engine Cooling › Engine. NHTSA recall database
NHTSA has 672 owner complaints on file for the 2015 Honda CR-V (38 mention a crash, 4 a fire, 23 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Honda CR-V model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for CR-V 2WD, 2.4L 4-cyl, Automatic (variable gear ratios), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 27 city / 33 highway / 29 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,300. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV AWD: overall 4 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 17.4%. NHTSA vehicle records
144 complaints name the unknown or other component group (8 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, median mileage at failure 1,079). NHTSA vehicle records
84 complaints name the electrical system component group (0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 28,750). NHTSA vehicle records
45 complaints name the steering component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 3,450). NHTSA vehicle records
39 complaints name the seats component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, median mileage at failure 780). NHTSA vehicle records
37 complaints name the brakes component group (14 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries, median mileage at failure 15,500). NHTSA vehicle records
35 complaints name the structure component group (3 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, median mileage at failure 2,725). NHTSA vehicle records
EPA rating for CR-V 4WD, 2.4L 4-cyl, Automatic (variable gear ratios), Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 26 city / 32 highway / 28 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,400. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV FWD: overall 4 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 17.4%. NHTSA vehicle records
EPA Test Car List, 2015 Honda CR-V with 2.4L 4-cylinder: rated 185 hp. www.epa.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, CR-V 4DR SUV AWD LX/SE/EX/EX-L/TOURING: length 180 in, width 72 in, height 65 in, wheelbase 103 in, curb weight 3,497 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, CR-V 4DR SUV FWD LX: length 180 in, width 72 in, height 65 in, wheelbase 103 in, curb weight 3,375 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2015 Honda CR-V: problems, recalls and fuel economy