CarComplaints.com Notes: Some vehicles alert you if you fall asleep behind the wheel, but the 2015 Honda CR-V has a different approach: just shake the heck out of you so you never fall asleep in the first place.

Owners have complained that the popular SUV shakes violently at idle and while driving. Buyer beware.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
9,424 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2015 Honda CR-V drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2015 Honda CR-V Owner Comments (Page 1 of 8)

problem #145

Mar 172024

CR-V

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving on highway at 70 mph on cruise control, the transmission went out of gear causing the engine to rev and the vehicle to slow. Pulled over to side of road, turned off engine, turned it back on and could not get transmission to go into any gear. Had to be towed

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #144

Jul 302015

CR-V

  • miles
Car shaking vigorously when stopped in traffic and gears is engaged in drive mode, engine and transmission make loud noises when driving in low RPM between 1000 and 2000.

- Odessa, FL, USA

problem #143

Dec 052023

CR-V

  • miles
I was driving 55 miles an hour on a country road and a transmission completely disengage from the engine. There were no warning signs or messages on dashboard at all about any kind of transmission issue

- Seville, OH, USA

problem #142

Apr 032016

CR-V

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

For a few years now, my 2015 CRV EX has made whinning sounds when driving. At stoplights/stop signs when the vehicle was not in motion, it would shake violently at times. As time has progressed (approx 114000 miles), there is now a grinding and clicking noise that worsens when accelerating. Even in park, the grinding noise has become more noticeable. When going downhill, the gears do not want to change as they should because once I am on level ground, the RPM decreases but does not when car is in motion downhill. At times, my CRV jerks when the transmission finally changes gears. A more noticeable whine/whistling can be heard constantly when my vehicle is in motion. At stop signs/lights, the grinding has become more audible and it shakes to the point of embarrassment. There is a click noise when I start it to let it warm up. As each day passes the symptoms get worse. Additionally, the battery in the 2015 Honda CRV EX must have a bad electrical flaw. I have had consistent battery drainage issues shortly after purchasing it new in 2015. I have had batteries replaced several times. Now, to insure my vehicle will start in the mornings, I have had to disengage the battery terminals overnight and each time I get out of my vehicle. This problem existed basically since I purchased it. There are some serious flaws with this vehicle, and the way it shakes at time along with the straining, clicking, and grinding transmission sounds that something may malfunction and cause me to have an accident while the vehicle is in motion. I have researched where other 2015 Honda CRV EX owners have had the same issues. There is a problem, and these issues need to be addressed to protect drivers and their passengers. As of today, I will never own another Honda. As a driver of the vehicle, when you feel unsafe traveling or wake up to a dead battery that has been drained overnight, the issue should be addressed and cconsumers' concerns should be seriously considered.

- Inez, KY, USA

problem #141

Nov 292022

CR-V 4-cyl

  • miles
Differential problem, converter torque locked up transmission and froze engine. No engine light or warnings were given, this happened in the middle of rush hour traffic where I could have been rear ended from sudden engine failure and was very dangerous for me to exit my vehicle for help. I had the vehicle repaired at Lithia Honda Medford oregon.

- Butte Falls, OR, USA

problem #140

Aug 012015

CR-V 4-cyl

  • 5,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that after completing a routine oil change and tire rotation, the TPMS warning light continuously remained illuminated. While the vehicle was parked, the vehicle moved and made an abnormal transmission sound. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to identify the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

- Manchester Center, VT, USA

problem #139

Oct 282022

CR-V

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Vehicle stalls when in reverse and backing up after it has sat for a period of time, sometimes as little as 16 hours. While backing up, the vehicle stalls and shuts off.

- Dublin, OH, USA

problem #138

Sep 022022

CR-V

  • miles
While traveling approximately 65 mph on a heavily traveled, two-laned interstate portion with minimal emergency lane access, my vehicle suddenly lost all power: first slowing down and struggling for power around 40 mph, then, completely shutting down and losing all power leaving the vehicle completely without any power and minimal control to exit the roadway or move to a safer location. I managed to coast and pull my vehicle over to the side of the interstate just after a busy cloverleaf on-ramp and on an overpass and call for assistance from the State Highway Patrol who in turn called for a tow truck. On-ramp traffic was unable to move over to the left lane as they were on-coming and merging with existing interstate traffic, coming dangerously close to myself and the State Trooper at times. So much so, I truly feared for my safety and the safety of the trooper. Also, because of the location, I was unable to get out of my car and stand to the side out of harm's way. The vehicle was diagnosed at the Honda Dealership in Tucson as a "complete transmission failure" and would have to be replaced with a new transmission for approximately $6,000.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #137

Jul 252022

CR-V

  • miles
I was driving on an expressway on July 25, 2022 and my car stopped accelerating at a speed of 70mph. The RPMs would move but there was no acceleration and the speedometer wouldn-??t go above zero. After pulling over I had to have the car towed. The dealer indicated that the transmission was damaged due to lack of transmission fluid. My safety and the safety of my son were compromised as I was driving on a busy expressway and the transmission just stopped working with no warning. There were no warnings that transmission fluid was low (yet I get warnings for things like tire pressure and oil?). I regularly have this vehicle serviced so I feel like this is some defect and do not understand how this could happen with no warning. The car is still being repaired so I do not know if the parts are still available.

- Galesburg, MI, USA

problem #136

Mar 152022

CR-V

  • miles
no engine light, honda dealer misdiagnosed the issue and told me the car was safe to drive. I broke down and then was told I needed a new transmission, there is only 87k miles on

- Cumberland, RI, USA

problem #135

Oct 252021

CR-V

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This vehicle shakes pretty badly at idle. We took it to Honda for repairs, there is no recall for this but they did have a service bulletin for the issue. They replaced the headrest and two mounts, one was for the transmission and the other I think was for the condenser unit and recalibrated the idle. The car did improve although the shaking was still there at idle. This was done in October and in the last two weeks the problem has gotten worse then when we first took it to Honda. The car shakes very badly and doesn't feel safe for my kids. I have resorted to putting the vehicle in Neutral at stop lights which helps.

- Garden Grove, CA, USA

problem #134

Dec 262021

CR-V

  • miles
Purchased used at 64,000 miles. Second day of ownership/operation vehicle began stalling while in operation on the road. This happened when coming to a stop, when accelerating from a stop and while at high speeds on the highway. I am not sure if th problem is caused by drivetrain, fuel delivery, engine, or electrical issues.

- Vista, CA, USA

problem #133

Jul 192021

CR-V

  • 123,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the vehicle lost motive power but did not shut-off. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal were depressed but failed to respond. The contact veered to the side of the road where she attempted to drive the vehicle again but was unsuccessful. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 123,000.

- Middletown, CT, USA

problem #132

Feb 242021

CR-V

  • 59,925 miles
The automatic transmission in my 2015 Honda CR-V AWD touring edition automatically downshifts into a lower gear when I start driving down a hill. This causes the engine to rev high and whine loudly until I reach the bottom of the hill when it finally upshifts and works correctly. The engine is working too hard to maintain a slow speed during the descent. Can the transmission be adjusted so it doesn't downshift and hold the vehicle back" or is this a defect with this transmission that will be covered under my extended warranty? if so, how can I get a replacement transmission installed"

- Brevard, NC, USA

problem #131

Oct 072020

CR-V

  • 87,000 miles
Driving the vehicle on straight stretch of the freeway at about 60mph when the vehicle lost power and I coasted to the side of freeway. Placed the vehicle in park and then turned off vehicle. Started right up but when I shifted the engine would rev but not engage the transmission. None of the gears would engage. Vehicle was towed to Goodyear tire and auto in davis, ca and assessed for problem. They contacted the local Honda dealer and it was determined that the transmission had failed and would need to be replaced at a cost of about $4600. The vehicle had 87,000 miles on it and the power train warranty expired at 80,000. We contacted Honda but they said the warranty was expired and there was nothing they would do. It seems that this year Honda had a software recall which was completed on this vehicle after several thousand miles of use in 2016. The software recall fixed a problem that would lead to this exact failure in the transmission. If damage had occurred prior to the software fix then it seems likely it could shorten the expected life of the transmission and contributed to this transmission failure.

- Vacaville, CA, USA

problem #130

Sep 282020

CR-V

  • 35,000 miles
When I pulled the car out from garage, the car stopped. It has happened to me twice in two weeks.

- Arlington, MA, USA

problem #129

Jul 082020

CR-V

  • 130 miles
Engine is a lemon I paid $40000 and the 3 rd cylinder of the motor is bad my mechanic said I need a new motor but Honda will not help me I don't recommend it to my family and friends

- Poughquag, NY, USA

problem #128

Sep 012018

CR-V

  • 2,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Honda CR-V. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission slipped out of drive into reverse or neutral independently, without warning. The contact also stated that the vehicle would shutoff without warning while traveling at various speeds. The contact took the vehicle to valley Honda (4173 ogden ave, Aurora, il 60504) where they were unable to duplicate or diagnose the failure. The contact's son checked the VIN for recalls however, no recalls were discovered. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.

- Plainfield, IL, USA

problem #127

Aug 062020

CR-V

  • miles
Loud rattle noise on cold start and lasts for 1-2 seconds. My local Honda dealership told me that it's the vtc actuator and currently there's no fix for it. If replaced, it will eventually comes back again.

- Burnsville, MN, USA

problem #126

Jul 192020

CR-V

  • 39,900 miles
Vehicle stalls while reversing in a parking lot while in motion. I believe this to be related to Honda/service bulletin 18-072 as attached. This has been observed 3 times. On cold start after about 5-10 seconds the engine dies. Additionally no diagnostic error code or check engine light illuminates giving no indication there is a problem. The car does start after this happens although it has in the past, not the last time this issue occurred, I did heave to choke the engine to get it to start. During the last incident the ambient outside temperature was ~70F. The car was started and put into reverse within the first 5 seconds of ignition. The vehicle was on a flat surface during the incident. No accessories were running except for the headlights. I was not turning but backing up straight into a parking spot before loss of power and control.

- Kirkland, WA, USA

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