Honda CR-V vs Honda Element
Head-to-head reliability comparison from 21,919real NHTSA consumer complaints. Year-by-year breakdown, shared problems, crash & fire rates.
Which is more reliable, Honda CR-V or Honda Element?
Verdict from 21,919 NHTSA complaints
Honda CR-V wins this comparison overall. Honda CR-V comes out ahead on 3 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 478% lower complaint rate. The Honda Element edges ahead on fire-involvement rate.
Head-to-Head Metrics
Lower is better on every metric. Bar length = relative magnitude. ✓ = winner.
Honda CR-V wins by 478%
Honda CR-V wins by 33%
Honda Element wins by 10%
Honda CR-V wins by 15996%
NHTSA Crash Test Ratings
Official NCAP star ratings — government crash test data. Most recent rated model year.
Honda CR-V
2025 model yearHonda Element
2011 model yearSource: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Lower star = higher injury risk in that crash type.
Complaint Volume — Year by Year
Sales-volume data not available for both models — showing raw complaint counts. Higher-volume models will appear higher even when reliability is comparable.
Most Reported Problems
Top component complaints for each model. Identical bar lengths = both have the same recurring issue.
Year-by-Year Head-to-Head
Lower is better. Click either model column to see that year's full breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Honda CR-V vs Honda Element — the most common buyer questions, answered from NHTSA data.
Which is more reliable, the Honda CR-V or the Honda Element?
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Honda CR-V wins this comparison overall. Honda CR-V comes out ahead on 3 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 478% lower complaint rate. The Honda Element edges ahead on fire-involvement rate. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation via VinItel.
Should I buy a Honda CR-V or a Honda Element?
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On reliability data alone, the Honda CR-V is the safer bet — but the actual condition of the specific car matters far more than the model average. Check the VIN of any vehicle you're considering for accident history, title issues, and odometer rollbacks.
What problems do the Honda CR-V and Honda Element share?
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Top complaints for the Honda CR-V: Airbags, Electrical Faults, Engine Problems. Top complaints for the Honda Element: Visibility:Windshield, Airbags, Suspension Failures. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
Which has fewer NHTSA complaints, the Honda CR-V or the Honda Element?
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Across all model years, the Honda CR-V has 20,393 NHTSA complaints and the Honda Element has 1,526. Normalized for sales volume (complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold), the Honda CR-V has the lower complaint rate. Raw counts can mislead — a 2× more popular model will naturally collect 2× more complaints. Detailed normalized comparison: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/compare/honda/cr-v/vs/honda/element
Which is safer in a crash, the Honda CR-V or the Honda Element?
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Crash-involvement rate from NHTSA complaints: Honda CR-V 6.0% vs Honda Element 8.0% — the Honda CR-V has the lower crash rate. NHTSA NCAP star ratings (frontal, side, rollover) for both models are also shown on the comparison page. Note: the per-VIN history matters more than the model average — a salvage-title car of any model carries higher crash exposure than the median.
Does the Honda CR-V or the Honda Element have more fires?
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Fire-involvement rate based on NHTSA complaints: Honda CR-V 1.10% vs Honda Element 1.00%. The Honda Element has the lower reported fire rate. Fire complaints are a relatively rare but important safety signal — they often correlate with electrical-system or fuel-system defects. Check specific recall campaigns at vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/honda/cr-v and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/honda/element
What years of the Honda CR-V are worse than the Honda Element?
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The comparison page renders a year-by-year head-to-head table — for each model year (where both models have data), it shows complaint count or per-10K rate side by side and marks which model fares better that year. Buyers cross-shopping a specific model year should always check the year-level VinItel pages: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/honda/cr-v/{year} and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/honda/element/{year}.
Where does this Honda CR-V vs Honda Element comparison data come from?
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All complaint, crash, fire, and fatality data comes from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) consumer-complaint database — the same source insurance regulators and the federal government use. NCAP star ratings come from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. Sales-volume normalization (per 10K sold) uses US annual vehicle sales. Data refreshes every 6 hours. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
Related Reliability Comparisons
Other head-to-head matchups buyers cross-shopping the CR-V or Element also look at:
Comparison data refreshed 2026-05-28 from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.·Source: NHTSA ODI
A model average can't see the car you're buying.
Even the Honda CR-V has cars with hidden accidents, salvage titles, and odometer rollbacks. Check the VIN before you buy — full report $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Deep-dive into either model: