NHTSA Data · Updated May 2026
2023 Honda CR-V vs 2021 Honda Pilot
Side-by-side vehicle safety comparison from NHTSA recall and complaint data. RecallIndex Safety Score, recall counts, crash and fire reports, and component-level breakdowns for both vehicles.
2023 Honda CR-V leads 2021 Honda Pilot by a wide 21-point margin. Multiple factors typically drive a gap of this size: fewer NHTSA recalls, lower complaint volume, fewer crash and fire reports.
For a used-car purchase decision, the right next step is checking VIN-specific recall status on nhtsa.gov for each candidate vehicle. Any open recall is a free repair at the dealer, regardless of vehicle age, so an open-recall flag is a fix-and-buy situation rather than a deal-breaker.
Verdict
The 2023 Honda CR-V dominates the 2021 Honda Pilot on the RecallIndex Safety Score — 25/100 (Grade D) vs 4/100 (Grade F). A spread this large means at least one of the four scoring factors (recall severity, complaint volume, crash/fire rate, or trend) shows a sharp difference. Drill into the breakdown below before treating the headline score as final.
Side-by-Side NHTSA Safety Metrics
Every figure below is pulled directly from NHTSA\'s public Recalls and Complaints databases. Lower is better for everything except the Safety Score.
| Metric | 2023 Honda CR-V | 2021 Honda Pilot |
|---|---|---|
| RecallIndex Safety Score | 25/100 (D) | 4/100 (F) |
| Total Recalls | 3 | 8 |
| Active Recalls | 0 | 0 |
| Total Complaints | 497 | 380 |
| Crash Reports | 20 | 12 |
| Fire Reports | 1 | 1 |
| Injuries | 18 | 8 |
| Deaths | 0 | 0 |
Recall History
The 2021 Honda Pilot has 8 recall campaigns on record vs 3 for the 2023 Honda CR-V. Recall count alone can mislead — a single fleet-wide recall on engines or brakes affects more drivers than several small electrical recalls — but a sustained gap usually points to differences in QA process or supplier risk between the two manufacturers or platforms.
For VIN-specific recall checks on either vehicle, use the official NHTSA Recalls portal. Recall remedies are performed free of charge by the manufacturer\'s authorized dealer network under the federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
Crash, Fire, and Injury Reports
Both vehicles have crash, fire, injury, or death reports flagged in NHTSA complaints. 2023 Honda CR-V: 20 crash, 1 fire, 18 injuries, 0 deaths. 2021 Honda Pilot: 12 crash, 1 fire, 8 injuries, 0 deaths. NHTSA captures these flags from consumer-reported complaints — they don't establish causation but signal which vehicles have generated the most safety-event reports.
Crash, fire, injury, and death tags appear in NHTSA\'s consumer complaint database. NHTSA uses these tags as one signal among many when deciding whether to open a defect investigation.
RecallIndex Score Breakdown
The Safety Score combines four factors. The bars below show each vehicle\'s score on each factor — taller is better.
How This Comparison Is Built
Every figure in this comparison is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Recall counts and active-recall flags come from NHTSA\'s Recalls API. Complaint volume, crash and fire reports, injuries, and deaths come from NHTSA\'s consumer Complaints database. Component categorization uses NHTSA\'s standard taxonomy. The RecallIndex Safety Score weights each input by published methodology weights — read the full step-by-step on the methodology page. We do not adjust NHTSA\'s underlying data; this comparison is a transparent re-presentation of public records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is safer, the 2023 Honda CR-V or the 2021 Honda Pilot?
Based on NHTSA recall and complaint data aggregated into the RecallIndex Safety Score, the 2023 Honda CR-V has the stronger record at 25/100 (Grade D). The score weights recall severity (40%), complaint frequency (30%), crash and fire reports (20%), and trend direction (10%). It is not a substitute for a vehicle history report or in-person inspection.
How many recalls do these vehicles have?
The 2023 Honda CR-V has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns on record (0 active). The 2021 Honda Pilot has 8 (0 active). To check whether a specific VIN is affected by an active recall, use NHTSA's VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
How many NHTSA complaints have been filed against each?
2023 Honda CR-V: 497 consumer complaints. 2021 Honda Pilot: 380 complaints. Complaint volume scales with production, so a high-selling model can show more complaints in absolute terms even when the per-unit rate is normal. The RecallIndex Safety Score normalizes for this.
What is the RecallIndex Safety Score?
The RecallIndex Safety Score is a 0-100 (A-F) score built from four NHTSA-derived signals: recall severity (40%), complaint frequency (30%), crash and fire reports (20%), and trend direction (10%). It does not measure reliability (repair cost or frequency) or insurance claim rates — only NHTSA-reported safety events. The full methodology is on the methodology page.
Where does this comparison data come from?
Every figure on this page comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public Recalls and Complaints databases. RecallIndex aggregates and re-presents the data; we do not modify NHTSA's underlying records. For non-motor-vehicle product recalls see the Consumer Product Safety Commission (cpsc.gov/Recalls); for FDA-regulated items see fda.gov.