2019 Honda HR-V: What to check before buying
Owners have filed 185 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, fuel system, and automatic emergency braking. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2019- Owner complaints
- 185
- Recalls
- 6
- Crashes reported
- 14
- 3 injuries
Your inspection sheet
Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2019 Honda HR-V: inspection sheet
Paperwork and questions
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Cold start, engine bay, and underside
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/2
Test drive
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Which HR-V is it?
EPA figures for each version of the 2019 Honda HR-V. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 4WD, FWD | 29–30 mpg |
- Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A HR-V that averages well under the EPA 29 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.
Check the odometer against these mileages
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Instrument cluster display blackout
5,000–24,000 miles
Fuel pump stalling and hesitation
28,000–69,000 miles
Unintended acceleration while parking
38,500–42,000 miles
Honda Sensing camera failure
40,000–50,000 miles
Why these checks: what owners reported
NHTSA complaints for the 2019 Honda HR-V, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Electrical51No crashes
The right side of the instrument cluster flickers, shows random characters, or goes dark, taking the odometer, fuel gauge, range, and oil life display with it. Cold, damp, or rainy weather sets it off, and the display often returns once the car warms up. Some reports blame cracked solder joints. Dealers call it a known HR-V problem and quote $1800 or more to replace the whole cluster, sometimes at very low mileage. Fewer reports describe highway stalls and a push-button ignition that will not shut the engine off.
Fuel system49No crashes
Most of these reports concern fuel pump recall 23V858000 and the long wait for parts. Dealers confirm the replacement part is unavailable, and many owners say the repair is overdue but have had no failure yet. Others report the symptoms the recall addresses: hard starting that takes several tries, hesitation when pulling away or accelerating, and stalling while driving. One car shut off at 35 mph. Reported failure mileages run from about 28,000 to 69,000.
A failing fuel pump causes surging on hills, hesitation in traffic, and cranking without starting after a short stop. It can also cut power at highway speed, leaving cars stopped in fast lanes. Several owners were stranded more than once. Many reports describe months-long waits for recall parts and dealers refusing outside installation. A few VINs fall outside the recall, and one owner says the pump failed again after the earlier recall replacement. Other complaints mention erratic range readings after the repair and lurching or fading throttle from a stop.
Automatic emergency braking12No crashes
The multipurpose camera behind the mirror fails and shuts down adaptive cruise, lane keeping, road departure mitigation, collision braking, and auto high beams, sometimes with a brake system light. Dealers cite an internal electrical fault, code U3000-49, which one dealer linked to heat. Repair quotes run roughly $1,500 to $2,500, and parts are sometimes back ordered. One owner says the car will not pass inspection without the repair. Separately, the collision braking system brakes hard with no real threat, for example for oncoming cars on curves or a car stopped in an adjacent lane.
Transmission113 crashes
The car loses power suddenly at highway speed with warning lights on. In one case it stopped in a middle lane and an 18-wheeler hit it, injuring the driver. Other reports describe surging when lightly pressing the gas while parking, which caused crashes into a tree and a parked car. CVT complaints include belt deterioration, metal shavings in the fluid, and clunking on take-off, with some failures arriving just after the 7-year extended warranty ended. Hesitation from a stop, harsh shifting, and jerking also appear.
Acceleration and cruise control63 crashes
The car accelerates on its own while the driver is braking at low speed, usually while parking or pulling into a driveway. Three such incidents ended in crashes into a building, an RV, and a parked car. Dealers and a factory inspector could not find a cause. Other reports describe losing speed on the interstate. In one case several brake and engine warnings came on, the gear display flashed, and the car would not go faster no matter how far the pedal was pressed.
Brakes62 crashes
Brake complaints split between driver-assist faults and hardware problems. A failing multipurpose camera can stop automatic braking from working, or make the car brake for no reason. One owner reports a crash when the system did not brake. Another crash followed a hard stop in which the car did not slow as expected. Other reports describe Brake Hold and electric parking brake failure messages, a flashing parking brake light with the car refusing to start, and forward collision alerts that fire at random.
Body and structure61 crash
Paint peels and chips on the roof, hood, hatch, and around the windshield, often starting around three years old and spreading over time. Honda tells owners their VIN is outside the paint warranty extension for 2016 to 2018 models. One car failed inspection for rust at the body-to-chassis mounting points on both sides at 46,000 miles. Other reports include a door handle that broke off and a new car that accelerated into a pole while braking.
Airbags54 crashes
Several crashes end without the air bags deploying. Reports include front-end impacts, a multi-car highway collision with two hits to the driver side, and a chain-reaction crash in which the driver's face struck the steering wheel, causing injuries. After one rear-end crash, an air bag sensor was found loose with its wire dangling. Separately, a faulty SRS sensor lights the air bag warning along with lane departure and collision braking warnings, reported at about 99,829 miles.
In owners' own words
Excerpts from complaints HR-V owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
The gauge cluster display will go in and out. There is apparently a faulty solder joint that gets affected in cold weather and until the car is warmed up the gauge cluster stays blank. I was informed that I need a new one at the cost of $1800+ for a 2019 HRV with 24000 miles. It seems very wrong that this part has failed.
Filed with NHTSA, July 2024
The dashboard digital display of the mileage, fuel amount, date and temperature will intermittently go either completely blank or will glitch to the point of being unable to clearly read it. As I have done research online into this issue, there are many other 2019 Honda HR-V owners that are reporting/having the same issue. This is a safety issue due to not being able to rely on being able to consistently read the amount of fuel in the tank.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2023
A few days ago several lights and warning items came on: Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist Problem, Collision Mitigation System Problem, Road Departure Mitigation Problem, Auto High Beam Problem and the Break System Light is on. I took it to my local Honda dealer- they said the Monocular camera needed replacing and the break hold/emergency parking break switch needed replacing. Then 2 days later my low battery on my fob came on.
Filed with NHTSA, February 2024
Several warning lights came on. No collision or glass damage occured. Took it to the dealer. DIAGNOSIS was CODE U3000-49 "multipurpose camera unit/millimeter wave radar internal electric failure due to heat. They said fix it would be $2237.49. However, they said they could not fix it then because the part is back ordered. Due to so many cars with this problem. I went online and see other 2019 hr-v owners having the same issue.
Filed with NHTSA, September 2025
My 2019 Honda HR-v CVT failed due to premature belt deterioration exactly as described in Honda Service Bulletin 21-047. The failure happened only two months after the 7-year extended warranty period. Honda has denied a goodwill assistance despite this being a known safety-related defect. The belt failed while my elderly mother drove. They refuse to provide any assistance in the matter.
Filed with NHTSA, November 2025
How the 2019 compares with other HR-V years
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2019 ranks second for owner complaints among 9 HR-V years, about 1.3 times the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
- Electrical5115
- Fuel system497
- Automatic emergency braking121
- Transmission114
- Acceleration and cruise control62
- Brakes63
Where the 2019 fits in the HR-V's history
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2019 is the fourth model year of the HR-V's second generation (2016–2022).
It is also the first year of a mid-cycle update.
What changed for 2019
- Revised chrome bar grille
- New headlamp design
- Updated bumper design
- Introduction of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Honda Sensing standard on EX trims and higher
Recalls to confirm (6)
Recall repairs are free at any Honda dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
24V384000Backup cameraMay 2024
Honda (America Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Fit and 2019-2022 HR-V vehicles that were previously recalled under NHTSA recall number 23V-046. The rearview camera image may not display when the engine is started with a key, due to a design error in the audio display power circuit. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility.".
Risk: An inoperative rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the display audio unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 8, 2024. Owners may contact Honda service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are TIQ and DIR. Vehicles previously repaired under recall 23V-046 will need to have the new remedy completed.
23V858000Fuel systemDec 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
23V046000Backup cameraFeb 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Fit and 2019-2022 HR-V vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the engine is started with a key, due to a design error in the audio display power circuit. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility.".
Risk: An inoperative rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the display audio unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 13, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is 6DW. This recall has been superseded by NHTSA recall number 24V-384. Vehicles previously repaired under recall 23V-046 will need to have the new remedy completed under recall 24V-384.
21V215000Fuel systemMar 2021
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 18, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-314.
20V314000Fuel systemMay 2020
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura NSX, 2019 Acura RDX, RLX and RLX Sport Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R and HR-V, 2019-2020 Insight and 2019 Fit vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 22, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
18V777000BrakesNov 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Acura MDX, 2017-2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda HR-V and Honda Odyssey, and 2016 Honda HR-V vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating, causing gas pockets to form, reducing brake performance. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems.".
Risk: A reduction of braking performance increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners will be notified, and Honda or Acura dealers will bleed the brakes, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are C31 and L30.
Also looking at these instead of a HR-V?
Cars shoppers compare with the Honda HR-V, with their own 2019 checklists.
2019 owner complaints, side by side
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