U.S. public vehicle records

2011 Honda CR-Z problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

38 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

52,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2011 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 24 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 16 of 38 complaints (42.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	6	15.8%
Braking behavior	4	10.5%
Electrical and battery issues	3	7.9%
Engine operation	2	5.3%
Transmission and shifting	1	2.6%
Fuel system concerns	1	2.6%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Air Bags

Unknown Or Other

Electrical System

Steering

Structure:Body

Power Train

Seat Belts

Service Brakes

Air Bags: 16; Unknown Or Other: 5; Electrical System: 4; Steering: 4; Structure:Body: 4; Power Train: 3; Seat Belts: 3; Service Brakes: 2

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 9; 25,000 to 49,999: 3; 50,000 to 74,999: 4; 75,000 to 99,999: 2; 100,000 to 149,999: 2; 150,000 and above: 4

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (9). 14 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2021

2022

2023

2026

2011: 5; 2012: 2; 2013: 2; 2014: 2; 2015: 1; 2016: 11; 2017: 6; 2018: 2; 2021: 2; 2022: 2; 2023: 1; 2026: 2

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 6 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 4 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 3 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10428020 · 2011-09-30 (September 30, 2011)

I WAS RECENTLY INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION IN THIS VEHICLE. 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. BECAUSE OF THIS, WHILE THE SEAT BELT WAS HOLDING ME MIDWAY, THE AIR BAG CAME OUT AT FULL FORCE AND THE CENTER OF THE AIRBAG IMPACTED ME IN THE MIDDLE OF MY CHEST, MORE SPECIFICALLY MY STERNUM. IF I WAS GOING TO COME INTO…

Owner-reported narrative. 17,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10428020 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10428235 · 2011-10-03 (October 3, 2011)

****REVISION TO PREVIOUS COMPLAINT**** I WAS RECENTLY INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION IN THIS VEHICLE. 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. BECAUSE OF THIS, WHILE THE SEAT BELT WAS HOLDING ME MIDWAY, THE AIR BAG CAME OUT AT FULL FORCE AND THE CENTER OF THE AIRBAG IMPACTED ME IN THE MIDDLE OF MY CHEST, MORE SPECIFICA…

Owner-reported narrative. 17,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10428235 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10392455 · 2011-03-22 (March 22, 2011)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HONDA CR-Z. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SPORADICALLY SHUTTER AND SWAY FROM SIDE TO SIDE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE INTENSITY OF THE SHUTTERING WOULD VARY AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ACTING AS IF IT WERE ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT GEARS WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,157. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 500.

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10392455 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10505648 · 2013-04-09 (April 9, 2013)

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. AT APPROXIMATELY 17:17 I NOTICED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME WAS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC I TRIED TO APPLY MY BRAKES AND PUSHED THE BRAKES AND THE CAR DID NOT SLOW FOR AT LEAST 1 1/2 CAR LENGTH. IN A PANIC I TRIED TO PRESS HARDER WITH BUT NOTHING HAPPENED THE CAR NEVER SLOWED. THE CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME WITH THE FULL FORCE OF FORTY-FORTY FIVE MPH AND TOTA…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10505648 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10683095 · 2015-02-12 (February 12, 2015)

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. I TRIED TO GET IT BACK UNDER CONTROL, AND I DID FOR A FEW SECONDS AS IT WAS TRYING TO PULL TO THE RIGHT. THEN IT JUST SUDDENLY TOOK OFF TO THE LEFT, VERY STRANGE, ALMOST LIKE THERE WAS EITHER A WHEEL/TIRE ISSUE, TRANSMISSION, ELECTRICAL OR STEERING WHEEL.. WHATEVER IT WAS IT SEEMED LIKE IT TOOK OVER AND JUST T…

Owner-reported narrative. 41,915 miles reported. Look up ODI 10683095 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10905549 · 2016-09-10 (September 10, 2016)

TAKATA RECALL I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HONDA REGARDING THIS RECALL IN MARCH OF 2016. I CONSIDER MYSELF A REASONABLE MAN BUT ITS BEEN MORE THAN 5 MONTHS AND STILL NO PARTS AVAILABLE. THE LETTER STATES THE PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE SUMMER OF 2016. MY DEALER HAS BEEN LESS THAN HELPFUL. HONDA CORPORATE HAS BEEN EVEN LESS HELPFUL. I AM MAKING PAYMENTS AND PAYING INSURANCE ON A VEHICLE I CAN'T DRIVE. NOW THE VEHICLE WON'T START WITHOUT A JUMP AND THE BATTERY DOESN'T HOLD A CHARGE. THIS RECALL IS A HUGE FINANCIAL DRAIN ON MY FAMILY, NOT TO MENTI…

Owner-reported narrative. 60,016 miles reported. Look up ODI 10905549 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11415545 · 2021-05-07 (May 7, 2021)

2011 CR-Z PASSENGER CARS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS THE ENGINE STALL WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL IS NOT PRESSED, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT (ECU) SOFTWARE MAY CAUSE THE ELECTRIC MOTOR OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM TO MOVE THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE SELECTED GEAR. ADDITIONALLY THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING IS DRAINING NEW 12V BATTERIES WITH LESS THAN A 6 MONTHS USE (SEE ATTACHMENT). VEHICLE MOVEMENT CAUSED BY ENGINE STALL AND LACK OF POWER STEERING COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH OR PERSONAL IN…

Owner-reported narrative. 67,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11415545 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11023661 · 2017-09-15 (September 15, 2017)

TAKATA RECALL, I WAS INVOLVED IN TWO DRIVER SIDE COLLISIONS, THE FIRST HAPPENED JULY THE SECOND SEPTEMBER 13TH THIS YEAR. 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. ON SEPTEMBER 13 2017 MY CAR WAS STRUCK BY SEMI TRAILER WHICH PUSHED CAR INTO THE INTERSECTION- DEMAGE FROM MY GAS TANK TO …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11023661 at NHTSA ↗