Honda HR-V 2021 Problems

Honda’s HR-V hasn’t been a consistent member of the local new-car community. While Honda launched the original HR-V in early 1999, before 2002 was out, the badge had disappeared from showrooms. And it wasn’t until 2015 that the HR-V made its return to Australia.In the meantime, the local market had changed with the cult of the SUV sweeping all before it. Which meant the new HR-V, rather than trading on the novelty of its 1999 original, hit the market as just another compact SUV.Mind you, this wasn’t just an HR-V thing, the whole aura around the Honda brand had also pretty much dissipated during those years, making the new HR-V’s job even more difficult.With its hidden rear door handles, the CR-V at first glance looked like a three-door, but was actually a five-door in line with buyer expectations in 2015. Even so, the rear seat was pretty cramped and if the HR-V is destined for family-car duties it will suit younger families with smaller kids best.There was only one driveline offered, a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The engine did not feature turbocharging as many did by then, but instead used Honda’s 'V-Tec' variable valve timing system which helped boost output. But the numbers tell the story and with just 105kW of power and 173Nm of torque, the HR-V was definitely on the mild side. All HR-Vs were front-wheel drive.Trim levels started with the VTi, VTi-S and the flagship VTi-L. Honda updated the vehicle in 2017 to include sat-nav, but the basic car remained unchanged.Within Honda, this model HR-V is known as the 'RU5'.The HR-V is a good car generally, although the accommodation has come in for some criticism over the years. The main complaints are that tight rear seat, but the front seats have also been criticised for a lack of comfort.But all is forgiven when the HR-V shows off its party piece, its clever rear seat which sees the cushions fold up to meet the backrest and you suddenly have a space wide and tall enough to swallow a push-bike.Reliability seems to be up to Honda’s usual high standards with very little in the way of known, recurring faults.The HR-V seems to follow Honda tradition here by being a pretty solid deal. Some owners have reported problems with the electronics, however, so a close check of all the buttons and switches is important before handing over the money.The biggest shadow is the one that lurks over every car with a CVT - the prospect of transmission woes in the future.The most common mechanical issue we uncovered concerns the HR-V’s CVT. But it’s worth noting even though the CVT is the main contributor to repair bills, it’s by no means a big chance to run amok. In fact, compared with the CVTs used by many other manufacturers, the Honda’s unit is a much better durability proposition.This is possibly because, unlike many carmakers, Honda doesn’t just buy in its CVT. Instead, the company designed and engineered its own CVT to take advantage of its efficiency potential without the long-term reliability hassles. And it seems to have worked.That said, some HR-V owners have reported juddering on take-off, a whining noise from the CVT and even slippage as the car tries to accelerate or travel up a hill. In some cars, these symptoms would symbolise the beginning of the end. But in the Honda’s case, the good news is the fix is usually quite simple.Those problems are very often caused by nothing more challenging than contaminated transmission fluid. This is crucial stuff in a CVT as the fluid not only cools the transmission, but also provides the driving force and the friction the steel belts need to make the whole thing work. Which is why a change of fluid in a HR-V has often fixed all these problems at once and for good.For the record, the experts reckon changing the fluid in your Honda CVT every 40,000km at the outside is the way to go, and should keep any problems at bay.Beyond that, some owners have reported the multimedia system freezing, but Honda dealers can usually fix that with a re-boot or a re-flash of the computer.The RU5 Honda HR-V is almost completely clear of safety recalls. The only one listed for the car was for examples built between 2018 and 2020 which could have had a faulty fuel pump. The pump had the potential to suddenly fail without warning, leaving the vehicle stranded wherever it was when the failure occurred.A Honda dealer will be able to tell you whether a particular HR-V was affected and whether the pump has been replaced as per the recall.Since Honda left the mechanical package alone as the HR-V aged, there’s not much to choose between the various years of manufacture. Instead, the HR-V we’d avoid would be one with a tow-bar fitted.The CVT lacked sufficient cooling for the HR-V to be a tow-vehicle, although there’s a chance (a very slight one) some owners added a transmission cooler to get around this. In any case, a tow-bar is not what you want to see on a second-hand HR-V.Hondas have long had a reputation for going the distance and the HR-V seems to echo that. There are plenty still getting around with 200,000km-plus on their odometers and performing well.As with any second-hand car, however, you need to buy one with a complete and up to date service history, or you’re taking a bigger punt than you need to. Modern Hondas seem to follow the dictum that they’ll be good long-term prospects provided they’ve been serviced correctly, and potentially problematic if not. Fortunately, Honda owners seem to understand this.The price difference between the various specifications was a decent chunk of change when new, but these days, the difference between a VTi and a VTi-L is much less. So the smart money says buy the highly specified version and enjoy the trinkets and convenience items.On a more practical level, the VTi-S and VTi-L were fitted with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) which worked up to 32km/h, while the VTi didn’t have this feature. That makes the higher-spec models even more appealing if it’s a younger driver who is going to be using the vehicle.The cheapest RU5 HR-Vs around now will be relatively high-milers with an early build-date. The starting price seems to be around the $10,0000 to $12,000 mark, but be prepared for the car to have covered 200,000km or more. Clearly, though, the HR-V is capable of this sort of mileage without becoming too much of a gamble.A late-build example in decent specification with very low kilometres on board can be had for around the $30,000 mark, or perhaps a little more.As well as traditional parts stores, Hondas are generally very well looked after by online sellers when it comes to repair and service parts. The Honda brand also has a huge enthusiast following, making parts and service even easier in this country.Just be careful when buying from overseas online sellers you haven’t dealt with before. But that goes for any make and model, not just the Honda.Honda’s changes to the way it retails cars a few years ago, also came with a slashing of the number of dealerships. In Melbourne alone, 10 dealerships were closed leaving just three at the time. These days, there are about 90 Honda dealerships across Australia, with around 60 of those in regional areas which is a high percentage for a brand like Honda.The HR-V was never a huge seller here, although you will find anything up to 300 for sale on the bigger online websites. The problem is its stablemate, the larger CR-V with the option of seven-seats, was seen by many families as the better way to go, leaving the HR-V somewhat ignored.