NHTSA Complaints · Active Recalls · California Lemon Law Data
The NHTSA tracks consumer complaints, manufacturer recalls, and safety investigations for every vehicle sold in the United States. These publicly available records are a critical resource for California lemon law cases because they establish patterns of recurring defects.
As of June 2026, the NHTSA has logged 482 complaints against the 2023 Honda CR-V. Each complaint is filed by a vehicle owner or lessee through the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline or online portal at SaferCar.gov. You can review all 2023 Honda CR-V complaints directly on the NHTSA complaint database.
The 2023 Honda CR-V has generated 1174 NHTSA complaints and has 3 active recalls. If your 2023 Honda CR-V has experienced a defect that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple visits, you may qualify for a full repurchase or replacement under California lemon law. Honda pays all attorney fees when we prevail. You pay nothing.
Steering defects can create unpredictable vehicle behavior and qualify as safety-related under California lemon law. Reported issues on the 2023 Honda CR-V include pulling, vibration, loss of power steering, and electronic steering warnings. 666 NHTSA complaints have been filed in this category. Owner reports include: “ON FEB172026, I PULLED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND CAR STEERING WOULD NOT TURN AND HIT MY PROPERTY.IT CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO MY PROPERTY POLICE REPORT WAS MADE AND CAR END UP IN BODY SHOP. STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND CAR WOULD NOT TURN. FRONT END IS COMPLETELY DAMAGE.” (NHTSA Complaint #11720016)
The 2023 Honda CR-V has generated 44 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. If your vehicle has experienced recurring issues in this area that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple attempts, you may have a qualifying lemon law claim under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Owner reports include: “Windshield wipers have inconsistent force causing it to hit the pillars of of the driver side periodically. Damage could occur to both the arm and the vehicle frame due to repeated impact. Visibility is also affected since the wiper does not clear all of the rain water and causes chattering.” (NHTSA Complaint #11725694)
Steering defects can create unpredictable vehicle behavior and qualify as safety-related under California lemon law. Reported issues on the 2023 Honda CR-V include pulling, vibration, loss of power steering, and electronic steering warnings. 40 NHTSA complaints have been filed in this category. Owner reports include: “Yesterday, Thursday February 29, 2026, the steering wheel and/or lane assist feature of my 2023 Honda CRV Sport Hybrid seemed to try to force my car over a cliff on a mountain road. I was driving from Crystal Mountain Ski Resort in Washington state returning to my home in Seattle WA when the steering wheel of my Honda seemed to stiffened or lock up at a curve in Crystal Mountain Blvd several miles from the ski resort. At the curve in the road I needed to turn left to avoid driving over a steep mountain embankment and the steering wheel required unusual force to turn left. Steering was problematic for the next 40 miles on State Route 410 driving northwest toward Enumclaw WA. I had to fight the steering wheel continuously as it seemed to direct the car left and right when the path of the road was straight. Unusual force was needed to control the steering. It felt like the car was being forced by the steering to move in directions that did not follow the course of the road. There was a sense of lack of control of the steering wheel, and in the instance of the curve in the road coming down the mountain, it felt like the car was trying to drive over a cliff. It was a sense of loss of control, and that the car was by itself driving off the road.” (NHTSA Complaint #11719356)
The 2023 Honda CR-V has generated 34 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. If your vehicle has experienced recurring issues in this area that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple attempts, you may have a qualifying lemon law claim under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Owner reports include: “nothhing…”
The 2023 Honda CR-V has generated 28 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. If your vehicle has experienced recurring issues in this area that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple attempts, you may have a qualifying lemon law claim under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Owner reports include: “Hood wobbles crazy while driving highway speed as if it is going to open or come out. Seem the outer panel of hood has rust by the joints where it is joined to the inner panel of the hood. Almost all the joints seem to be not joined well together. This is a structural body issue, car is less than 3 years old. And Currently I have about 55K miles on it. Noticed the hood wobble when it had less than 30,000 miles but upon checking under the hood there were no visible signs of defect. But recently(51K mile roughly) after a car wash I opened the hood to see the inside of the car, that’s when I noticed that the hood inner joints have rust and are not joint together properly with inner panel of the hood. Reached out to the dealership but they deny to fix this as it has been more than 36000 miles. At the dealership there was another person with 2025 Honda crv, I checked with the owner to let me see if his car had similar issue or not. Upon checking the hood his car’s one of the joint was loose ( given that car is less than an year old so there was no rust.) Seems Honda is used some adhesive to stick the metal panels of the hood together which start to deteriorate over time. There are many crv owners who are having similar issue but the dealership resolves the issue for them given that they have less than 36000 miles on it. Honda does have “Rust Perforation Limited warranty” which is valid until 5 years, But for them to fix the car there has to be rust perforation aka hole in the panel inside out to fix it. Does this mean I have to wait for another 2 years and 5 months for the rust to progress and cause a hole in the panel inside out?? What if i start seeing the rust perforation right after 5 years. Honda will fix this for me or I have to pay out of my pocket to get it fixed. Also my car has never been in any kind of accident, it has the panel which came from the Honda Factory. Also it is not a flood vehicle either for it to start getting rust. Please see attached pics.” (NHTSA Complaint #11677800)
The following 3 recalls have been issued for the 2023 Honda CR-V by the NHTSA or Honda. If your vehicle is affected, the manufacturer is required to provide a free remedy. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls.
Component: SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: A seat back position that fails may not adequately restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front passenger seat back frame assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 27, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda’s number for this recall is 6PK.
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Component: STEERING
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: Difficulty steering can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the worm gear spring and redistribute or add grease as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2024. Owners may contact Honda Customer Service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda’s numbers for this recall are SJS, MJU, QJT and VJV.
California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1790–1795.8) is one of the strongest lemon laws in the United States. It protects buyers and lessees of new and certified pre-owned vehicles that develop substantial defects the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, a lemon law presumption is triggered when any of the following apply to your 2023 Honda CR-V:
Once the presumption is triggered, the burden shifts to Honda to prove the vehicle is not a lemon. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Honda must pay your attorney’s fees if you prevail — meaning qualified representation costs you nothing out of pocket.
If your 2023 Honda CR-V qualifies as a lemon under California law, Honda may be legally required to:
Step 1: Document every repair visit. Keep all repair orders, work orders, and dealer invoices. Each visit counts as a repair attempt, even if the dealer says nothing is wrong.
Step 2: Keep returning for repairs. You must give Honda a reasonable opportunity to fix the defect. Visit different authorized Honda dealers if needed and ask for written documentation of each visit.
Step 3: Contact a California lemon law attorney. Once you believe the threshold has been met — 4 attempts for non-safety defects, 2 for safety defects, or 30 days out of service — contact an attorney for a free case evaluation. Under § 1794(d), Honda pays your fees if you win.
Step 4: Send a demand letter. Your attorney will send Honda a formal demand letter. Most California lemon law cases resolve through negotiation without going to trial.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, four or more repair attempts for the same non-safety defect, or two attempts for a safety-related defect, triggers the lemon law presumption. Additionally, 30 or more cumulative days out of service qualifies regardless of the number of repair attempts.
Yes. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Honda is required to pay your reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs if you prevail in a lemon law claim. This means qualified lemon law representation is free to you if your case succeeds.
Yes. A recall is not required to file a lemon law claim. The Song-Beverly Act covers any substantial defect that impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle that the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts. NHTSA complaints support the claim by establishing a pattern, but are not a prerequisite.
California lemon law claims are generally subject to a four-year statute of limitations from the date you discovered or should have discovered the defect. However, you must still be within the manufacturer’s original warranty period when the defect first appears. Contact an attorney promptly to preserve your rights.
If your 2023 Honda Cr V has a recurring defect, California’s Lemon Law may entitle you to a full refund, replacement vehicle, or cash settlement — at no cost to you.
Our attorneys answer the questions we hear most from California vehicle owners — fully updated for 2026.
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