Owners have filed 60 complaints on the Honda CR-Z, covering 2011–2016. The system named most often is Air Bags (35 reports). Worst years by volume: 2011, 2013, 2012; cleanest: 2016, 2014, 2015. 7 reports describe a crash. On average the car was 5.5 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Honda CR-Z
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 60 CR-Z complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Air Bags 35 Read
In the accident airbag fractured my forehead in 3 places broke my nose,l was hospitalized 2 days
Revision to previous complaint**** I was recently involved in a frontal collision in this vehicle. I am fine, however, the seat belt did not hold me to the seat properly. As the impact happened the seat belt locked and held me midway, from the back of the seat to the steering wheel, and did not 'pretension' me…
Note: this is the second frontal based crash listed on this site for a honda 2011 crz perhaps the driver that was involved with the previous crash did not realize the brakes failed. At approximately 17:17 I noticed the vehicle in front of me was stopped in traffic I tried to apply my brakes and pushed the brakes and…
Electrical System 4 Read
Back in november of 2016 I had an accident, which I believe was caused by a malfunction in the car. Right before loosing control of the vehicle my traction control light flashed rapidly on the dash causing my car to jolt and loose traction. I had spun and hit head on to the side of the mountain. A few more feet to the…
HONDA CASE 16244298. HONDA SERVICE BULLETIN 20-030. 2014 Honda CRZ Ex. They used the EXACT SAME PART in 2014 with the honda civic and the honda crz. The problem is INSIDE THE PART with a bad solder. I get the exact same problem, exact same code. The problem is INSIDE the inverter used on both cars, but Bulletin only…
Same issue as the 2012 CRV recalls of the passenger aide lock actuators. The passenger door lock works sometimes but the car will constantly try to lock that door if it is unlocked, because it won’t always lock. The dealership isn’t sure, I wonder if it’s a fuse because I hear the entire mechanism when it works. Also,…
Steering 4 Read
I had just bought this car in september, and on the morning of wednesday november 26, 2014 it crashed. I was driving on the highway, i495-south. It was raining and I think the car hit a water puddle or sleet, and started fish tailing. I tried to get it back under control, and I did for a few seconds as it was trying…
Vehicle has periodically started exhibiting strange and dangerous issues with the electronic power steering (while stopped and at various speeds) and, of greater concern, when the computer is detecting issues it is not shutting down the EPS system as it should but, instead, sporadically turns on and off even while in…
2011 cr-z passenger cars with automatic transmissions the engine stall while the brake pedal is not pressed, there is a possibility that the engine control unit (ECU) software may cause the electric motor of the hybrid system to move the vehicle unexpectedly in the opposite direction of the selected gear. Additionally…
Structure 4 Read
My driver’s side door handle has broken. I have the broken handle if you need it. It’s a safety issue because it delays entering the car from the driver’s side, which could endanger an owner or a passenger who needs to get inside the vehicle. Apparently, this is a known problem in CR-Zs and is often blamed on the car…
In 2010 to 2016 Honda CR-Zs the exterior door handles will fail without any symptoms. Leaving the driver unable to unlatch the door without being inside. The problem has not been addressed by Honda, but many owners have reported it being a common problem. The door handle latch tends to break under hot or cold…
Both door handles have malfunctioned and I have no way of entering the car!
Power Train 4 Read
Just bought a honda crv-touring, vibrations have started around 600 miles, when in a stoped position, in drive, after it has heated up, bought this because we needed a smooth ride (which seemed at first drive), vibrations aggravate my spasticity, and can cause seizures in some people. Do not know if it is from engine…
Front driver side axle rusted and snapped in half - in line with safety recalls #20V769 & #20V770. Currently, it is available for inspection. I am hoping to begin repairs within the next 3 days. I will save the defective parts and take photos for inspection, upon request. This occurred from a complete stop, turning…
The contact owns a 2011 honda cr-z. While driving approximately 35 mph, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle jerked forward abnormally. Also, the contact stated that the vehicle would exhibit an unusual clunking noise when accelerating and was a constant occurrence. The vehicle was taken to the…
Service Brakes 2 Read
I entered I 40 w. From the entrance ramp at exit 150 in statesville n. C. And traveled approx. 23 miles to exit ramp 128 I 40 w. At clairmont n.c. I had the cruise control on and had actuated the econ. Button. As I exited the interstate I applied the brake but got no braking response. I applied the brake again but…
The contact owns a 2011 honda cr-z. The contact stated that the vehicle would sporadically shutter and sway from side to side when the brakes were applied. The intensity of the shuttering would vary and caused the vehicle to stall. The contact stated that the vehicle was acting as if it were attempting to shift gears…
Seat Belts 1 Read
I was recently involved in a frontal collision in this vehicle. I am fine, however, the seat belt did not hold me to the seat properly. As the impact happened the seat belt locked and held me midway, from the back of the seat to the steering wheel, and did not 'pretension' me properly (pull me back and hold me sung to…
Visibility 1 Read
The contact owns a 2011 Honda CR-Z. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the trunk was opened and the windshield unexpectedly shattered. There was no impact to the windshield to cause the failure. The vehicle was not taken to be inspected or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The…
CR-Z years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Structure | — | — | |
| 2015 | Air Bags | 1 | — | |
| 2014 | Air Bags | — | — | |
| 2013 | Air Bags | 1 | — | |
| 2012 | Air Bags | — | — | |
| 2011 | Air Bags | 5 | — |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 45 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.3 |
| Worst single series | 4 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 5.5 years |
A model average of 1.3 hides a worst series at 4. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the CR-Z?
By complaint volume, 2011, 2013, 2012 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which CR-Z years are the cleanest?
2016, 2014, 2015 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Honda CR-Z have?
60 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2011–2016. Of those, 7 describe a crash and 0 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.