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2020 vs. 2021 Honda CR-V: What Changed

EPA lists the same engines, transmissions and drive types for the 2020 and the 2021 Honda CR-V. Check the individual trims for equipment and production changes these records do not cover.

Three campaigns cover both years. Four campaigns (equipment, fuel system, seat belts and others) cover the 2020 and not the 2021, while one campaign (seat belts) covers the 2021 and not the 2020.

Fewer campaigns do not establish better reliability. Confirm each car's coverage and repair status by VIN.

The campaigns that separate them

Imported NHTSA recall campaigns that name one of these two model years but not the other, with their component labels. Campaigns covering both years are left out of this list.

Only the 2020

  • 19V865000 structure
  • 22V380000 fuel system
  • 23V158000 seat belts
  • 23V524000 equipment

Only the 2021

  • 21V900000 seat belts
A campaign may cover only part of a model year's production. Use the campaign number to ask an authorized dealer whether the car's VIN is included and what work remains. Our recall tool finds model-year campaigns; this guide explains the vehicle-specific check.

Side by side

2020 2021
Engines listed 1.5L 4-cyl, 2.0L 4-cyl 1.5L 4-cyl, 2.0L 4-cyl
Drive types All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive
Fuel types Regular Gasoline Regular Gasoline
Combined MPG 29–38 29–38
Recall campaigns 7 4
Complaints on file 428 431
Investigations 2 2
Complaint totals reflect different time on the road, sales and reporting. They cannot rank these years for reliability. The categories below identify symptoms to read about, not failure odds. How reporting time affects the comparison.

What owners reported, by system

2020

Other 158 (37%)
Airbag 50 (12%)
Electrical 49 (11%)

2021

Other 139 (32%)
Steering 117 (27%)
Electrical 50 (12%)

Full reports

Open each year's report to read the recall, investigation, manufacturer communication and EPA variant records on file:

2020 CR-V full report 2021 CR-V full report Every CR-V year compared

Sources and methodology