Honda CR-V has a visibility issue that shouldn’t exist in 2026

Owners of the Honda CR-V are reporting two design flaws in the windshield wipers that may impair visibility in rain, snow, and icy conditions. Complaints are being discussed on forums and posted on the website of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The washer nozzles are mounted on the wiper arms rather than on the hood. According to owners, water only begins to spray after the wipers have lifted approximately halfway up the windshield. As a result, the fluid is distributed less effectively across the surface, and some of it runs down onto the driver’s side window. This design is intended to reduce the impact of wind on the spray, but owners believe it does not work effectively enough in the CR-V.

The second complaint concerns the left wiper: according to owners, it does not reach the edge of the windshield, leaving a noticeable dirty area. Some claim that in normal mode, the wiper covers only 90% of the path, and in heavy rain, 96%. In accessory mode, it allegedly reaches 100% of the edge. Other owners have encountered the same issue, and in some cases, dealers have described the gap as normal.

Users suggest that the cause may be a software error rather than incorrect mechanical adjustment. No recall campaign for this issue has been announced yet. Meanwhile, windshield wiper checks are not part of the safety testing program conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.