The Subaru outgrew its old reputation. The Honda kept its one habit.

Steering is the #1 complaint component: brief resistance turning off-center, most noticeable on the highway. Honda's sticky-steering service bulletin activity targets this symptom family, but the 2021 has no steering recall — test drive with attention and get any stickiness diagnosed before purchase. Recent owner-reported dealer quotes for the full electric-power-steering gearbox assembly run $5,500–$5,700 (2026) — treat $1,000 as the floor, not the estimate.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2021 CR-V · Mechanic channel and owner signal (5th-gen CR-V)

Engine is #2 in the data at low absolute volume. The 1.5L turbo's early-generation problem — gasoline diluting the engine oil, worst on cold-climate short trips — is far rarer by 2021 after Honda's software updates. The 30-second check still applies: pull the dipstick and look for oil above the full mark or a gasoline smell.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2021 CR-V

Honda Sensing phantom-braking complaints continue at reduced volume. Include highway driver-assist behavior in the test drive.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2021 CR-V

The thermal control valve (coolant bypass valve) can still fail on the 2021 — stalling and overheating the engine with codes P26A3 or P2682 — but 2021 is the last year inside Subaru's 15-year/150,000-mile warranty extension, and the replacement uses a redesigned valve (stainless internal shaft, better sensor waterproofing). One 2021-era owner in the file noted the part was free to replace under the extension. Ask whether the updated valve has been fitted; if the coolant system codes, the repair should be free under the coverage.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Subaru Forester (true count 207) · NHTSA manufacturer communications + campaignNumber reconciliation (thermal-valve 15yr/150k, windshield and head-unit extensions; 22V485/24V227 Outback/Legacy-only)

The auto start/stop stalling thread is thinner on the 2021 than on 2019–2020, but a few owners still report the engine not restarting cleanly at stops. It reads as a driveability nuisance rather than a covered defect. On the drive, work through several stop/start cycles in traffic and confirm the engine restarts every time; many owners simply disable the feature each trip.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Subaru Forester (true count 207)

Two owner annoyances on fifth-gen cars carry quiet coverage that includes the 2021: the acoustic front windshield (prone to cracking) has a warranty extension from 3 years/36,000 miles to 8 years/100,000 miles plus a class-action settlement (2019–2022), and the infotainment head unit has its own extension (2019–2023). If the windshield has an unexplained crack or the head unit freezes or reboots, ask the dealer about these extensions before paying out of pocket.

Sources: NHTSA manufacturer communications + campaignNumber reconciliation (thermal-valve 15yr/150k, windshield and head-unit extensions; 22V485/24V227 Outback/Legacy-only)