AI Damage2011 Honda CR-Z: common problems
Owners of the 2011 Honda CR-Z filed 38 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 38
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 42% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 13% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 6 Seat belts 8% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
- 8 Wheels 5% of all complaints
- Air bags: 16 complaints (42% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 5 complaints (13% of all).
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (11% of all).
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (11% of all).
- Steering: 4 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.5 L · hybrid · 4 cyl
- CVT
- manual, 6-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 38 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 16 | 3 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
My airbags did not deploy in either instances both direct impact with driver's side. The first incident my car had a power surge forward over a curb into my property demage to the car and house the airbags did not deploy. Police asked if my airbags deployed I was just grateful they hadn't.
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.
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.
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 the seat.
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 failure mileage was 155,000.
The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who repaired the front axle. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V256000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included.
When I finished my business and restarted the car, there was an additional alert: "check power steering". The car previously had no issues with steering. I drove the car to another nearby parking spot. There was no power assist at all. I wrestled the car into the parking space and called AAA for a tow.
It looks like the dynamic damper was not adequately sealed and trapped salt and water until enough corrosion happened, causing the failure of the CV shaft.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,094 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).
On average one model year of the CR-Z has 11 complaints (6 years in the data). This year has 38, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Honda CR-Z?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, structure, electrical system. Total complaints: 38. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: door locks, latches, handles (8%), steering or power steering problems (8%), airbags did not deploy (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2011 Honda CR-Z?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2011 Honda CR-Z from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2011 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.