Honda’s most popular SUV is involved in a new recall. The Japanese automaker is recalling thousands of vehicles to resolve a potential safety issue. Here’s how it affects Honda’s best-selling nameplate.

2017-2019 Honda CR-V models are being recalled

Honda is officially recalling close to 450,000 of its vehicles because seatbelts could be faulty. Front seatbelts could have issues latching. Motor1 claims that only about .01% of all vehicles being recalled could have the latching problem, but Honda isn’t taking any chances. Even a few incidents of faulty seatbelts could be disastrous.

The 2017, 2018, and 2019 Honda CR-Vs are part of the 450,000-vehicle recall. It also involves the 2018-2019 Honda Accord, the 2018-2020 Honda Odyssey, the 2019 Honda Insight, and 2019-2020 Acura RDX models. While the risk of bodily harm due to the potential seatbelt issue is small, it’s much better to be safe than sorry. According to CarComplaints.com, the 2017 Honda CR-V is one of the more problematic model years.

The small SUV’s reliability seems to improve year over year for both the 2018 Honda CR-V and 2019 Honda CR-V, based on a chart provided by CarComplaints. So, is the Honda CR-V a safe small SUV?

Is the Honda CR-V safe?

The 2023 Honda CR-V is an IIHs Top Safety Pick+. The 2022 model year is a Top Safety Pick, too, just not at the highest level.

The 2022 CR-V got good crash avoidance and mitigation scores and crashworthiness scores. It got a poor score for seat belt reminders. The moral of the story is, buckle up.

The Honda CR-V isn’t the safest SUV in its segment, but its safety scores aren’t a cause for concern. It has been around since 1995, and Honda usually quickly addresses any potential safety issues through recalls. The CR-V’s most recent recall was issued on February 16th. It affected 98 new 2023 CR-V models. The issue concerned the front passenger seat’s back frame.

Honda offers several advanced safety features on some CR-V configurations. The 2023 Honda CR-V comes standard with safety features like a collision mitigation braking system, a lane-keeping assist system, and a road departure mitigation system. It also includes traffic sign recognition and adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow.

What is the safest small SUV?

Of all the small SUVs that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested thus far, the only models to be awarded the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation are the 2023 Lexus UX, the 2023 Honda HR-V, and the 2023 Honda CR-V. The small SUVs that received the Top Safety Pick designation thus far include the 2023 Mazda CX-30, CX-5, and CX-50, the 2023 Nissan Rogue, the 2023 Subaru Forester, the 2023 RAV4 and RAV4 Prime and the 2023 Venza.

Older Honda CR-V model years are due for a recall, but the latest model year seems to be one of the safest options on the market. The Nissan Rouge and Subaru Forester are among the safest SUVs in their segment as well. Is Honda’s recent recall a reason for concern, or is the automaker taking the best possible approach to driver safety?