How safe is the Honda HR-V?

Drivers of the 2017–2020 Honda HR-V died at a rate of 38 per million registered vehicle years, about the same as the average of 38 for all vehicles. That makes it close to the middle of the pack for driver safety: it ranks 77th of 127 vehicles, safer than 40% of them, whether they're small cars, SUVs, pickups or minivans.

This is the most recent IIHS data for this model, covering 2017–2020 models. It doesn't appear in the newer 2023 study, often because it was redesigned or discontinued.

40Safety score (out of 100)

77thof 127 vehicles, all classes

38Driver deaths per million vehicle years (range 22–53)

Where the Honda HR-V sits among all 127 vehicles

Honda HR-V

Honda HR-V (bar is the 95% range)Every other ranked vehicleDashed line: average of 38

The rate is based on a moderate amount of data, so treat small differences from nearby vehicles with caution.

2WD vs. 4WD

IIHS rates each drivetrain separately. The score above combines them, weighting the version with more data more heavily.

Version	Deaths*	95% range
Honda HR-V 2WD	63	29–96
Honda HR-V 4WD	31	14–48

Vehicles ranked near the Honda HR-V

These are the vehicles just above and below it on the all-class ranking. Notice they aren't all the same type: the ranking compares every vehicle against every other one. Ranks use each rate after adjusting for how much data is behind it, so a rate of 0 from a few vehicles can rank below a slightly higher rate from many. Why.

Rank	Vehicle	Type	Deaths*	Score
74	Jeep CompassSUV · Small	SUV	35	42
75	Ram 3500 Crew Cab long bed 4WDPickup · Very large	Pickup	37	41
76	Subaru WRXCar · Small	Car	38	40
77	Honda HR-VSUV · Small	SUV	38	40
78	Jeep CherokeeSUV · Midsize	SUV	39	38
79	Jeep Wrangler 4-door 4WDSUV · Midsize	SUV	39	38
80	Nissan Frontier King Cab 2WDPickup · Small	Pickup	40	37

How it compares with other SUVs

Among the 37 SUVs ranked, the Honda HR-V is 26th. The safest SUVs are below. See all SUVs.

SUVs rank	Vehicle	Type	Deaths*	Score
1	Toyota C-HRSUV · Small	SUV	2	99
2	Nissan MuranoSUV · Midsize	SUV	6	90
3	Subaru AscentSUV · Midsize	SUV	6	90
4	Ford EdgeSUV · Midsize	SUV	8	85
5	Chevrolet TraverseSUV · Midsize	SUV	9	83
26	Honda HR-VSUV · Small	SUV	38	40

Common questions

Is the Honda HR-V a safe vehicle?

By real-world driver deaths, the Honda HR-V is close to the middle of the pack for driver safety. Its driver death rate of 38 per million registered vehicle years is about the same as the average, and it ranks 77th of 127 vehicles across all classes.

How does the Honda HR-V compare with other SUVs?

It ranks 26th of 37 SUVs. The safest is the Toyota C-HR, with a rate of 2.

Is the 2WD or 4WD Honda HR-V safer?

The 4WD version had the lower driver death rate (2WD: 63, 4WD: 31). Their ranges overlap, so the difference may be down to chance.

Why is this different from the Honda HR-V's crash-test rating?

Crash-test stars only compare vehicles of similar size and weight, so a 5-star small car and a 5-star SUV aren't equally safe. This ranking uses real-world driver death rates, which can be compared across every class.

* Driver deaths per million registered vehicle years. A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year.