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 5 complaints against the 2026 Honda HR-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 2026 Honda HR-V complaints directly on the NHTSA complaint database.
The 2026 Honda HR-V has generated 12 NHTSA complaints on file with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If your 2026 Honda HR-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.
Electrical system failures are notoriously difficult to diagnose and repair, which often results in multiple unsuccessful repair attempts — a key element of a lemon law claim. Reported issues for the 2026 Honda HR-V include infotainment malfunctions, battery drain, warning lights, power window failures, and intermittent starting problems. 4 NHTSA complaints have been filed for this category. Owner reports include: “The hands-free Apple CarPlay system is not working properly in 2026 Honda HR-V cars. Numerous posts from fellow owners on forums with the same issue. Using the phone with hands will certainly increase incident risk.” (NHTSA Complaint #11693348)
The 2026 Honda HR-V has generated 4 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: “Car has IPhone Glitch with Honda software. Brand new car does not have the ability to have messsges retrieved. There is an issue with the Honda software for the head unit in 2026 Honda HRV that is rendering the apple CarPlay almost useless as is not working properly and it causes a safety hazard. A 2026 new vehicle that allows for hands free use of CarPlay functions such as reading text out loud and responding to texts allows for safe driving, this is not functional and there are hundreds of people in forums all talking about this. Almost everyone who brings this to the dealer says the dealer claims they know nothing about this, same happened to me, but it certainly seems this is an across the board issue in 2026 HRVs from the research I have done. It sounds like Honda changed the software for the 2026 HRVs and this is happening to people with 2026 HRVs.” (NHTSA Complaint #11692187)
Electrical system failures are notoriously difficult to diagnose and repair, which often results in multiple unsuccessful repair attempts — a key element of a lemon law claim. Reported issues for the 2026 Honda HR-V include infotainment malfunctions, battery drain, warning lights, power window failures, and intermittent starting problems. 2 NHTSA complaints have been filed for this category. Owner reports include: “About 3 hours into a 4 hour drive (while the car was only months old, with just 1800 miles), the sound switched from playing the radio at a normal volume to suddenly extraordinarily loud crackle, static, popping noises. The noise continued at this indescribably high volume for about one minute while I tried anything to help — I tried adjusting the volume knob, unplugging my phone (which was plugged in just for directions), switching inputs, switching from FM to AM, pushing the volume knob in to turn the whole thing off, etc. Nothing stopped the noise. After about 90 seconds, it stopped, but I still do not know why. After that, I could not get any sound to play. My ears rang the entire rest of the drive (another 1 hour). The noise was so loud and so sudden that it made me very upset and scared at what could have happened that luckily didn’t – I could have easily been so startled to swerve into another lane, and if my 4 year old had been in the back, I am really scared to think of how traumatized he would be, how damaged his ears would be, and what else would have happened. My ears are still ringing today, a full day later.” (NHTSA Complaint #11725571)
The 2026 Honda HR-V has generated 2 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: “The driver-side quarter glass shattered for no apparent reason while the vehicle was parked.” (NHTSA Complaint #11683381)
As of the date of this review, no active recalls have been issued specifically for the 2026 Honda HR-V. Recall status can change at any time. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls for the most current information. The absence of a recall does not mean your vehicle is defect-free — many lemon law claims proceed without a recall on file.
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 2026 Honda HR-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 2026 Honda HR-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 2026 Honda Hr 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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