Go for a 2012 to 2018 Honda CR-V Mk4 with the 2.0 i-VTEC petrol, checking oil use and rear diff noise, and avoid the 1.6 i-DTEC diesel, whose clutch, DPF and fuel system have known faults.
20 known faults, 15 rated high severity in our database; owners report 39.1 mpg, 92% of the official figure. Everything below is built from that data and the archived owner history, not from a press car.
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Paste the Honda CR-V advert and we read it against its 20 known faults, the MOT history and the DVLA record, then tell you what to ask the seller and what to look at on the day. Free, about a minute, no card.
Check a Honda CR-V advert (free) →A 2012 to 2018 Mk4 with the 2.0 i-VTEC petrol is the lower-risk CR-V, because nearly all of that generation's known faults land on the 1.6 i-DTEC diesel. On manuals, that engine's clutch and dual-mass flywheel can give out between 10,000 and 60,000 miles, its DPF clogs with soot on short journeys, diesel can thin its oil, and metal swarf has wrecked fuel pumps, rails and injectors. The petrol still needs checking, as the 2.0 i-VTEC in the previous CR-V could burn oil.
The Mk3 from 2007 to 2012 is a harder sell, because rust is a known fault on every version. Corrosion in the rear wheel arches spreads under the plastic trim and reaches the rear seatbelt anchorages and suspension mounts. On top of that, the 2.0 i-VTEC petrol can burn around 750ml of oil every 1,000 miles and the 2.2 diesels have known clutch, DPF and fuel system faults, so don't buy a Mk3 without getting underneath it.
Among the older cars, a Mk2 2.0 petrol with receipts for rear diff fluid is the pick, since the Mk2's 2.2 i-CTDi diesel has known turbo bearing failures and cracked manifolds that let fumes into the cabin. 4WD Mk1s and Mk2s both have known rear differential faults, though, and on 1997 to 2000 Mk1s the ignition switch can wear and cut the engine at speed, which a recall put right with a new switch.
The newest CR-V, sold from 2018 to 2023, has too few reports to call it better or worse, so don't assume it's the safest. One owner's 1.5 petrol lost its clutch at 24,000 miles, and another rejected a 2019 hybrid over a rattle from the front gearbox area that appeared after 1,000 miles, then heard the same noise from its replacement.
The 2.0 i-VTEC petrol is the lesser risk, as long as you check it isn't using oil. On 2007 to 2012 cars it's a known fault for consumption to reach around 750ml per 1,000 miles between 50,000 and 100,000 miles, and Honda admitted a manufacturing fault and agreed to replace the cylinder heads. On petrols from 2003 to 2012, a second or two of grinding rattle on a cold start that vanishes once the oil pressure's up points to a worn VTC actuator.
Avoid the 1.6 i-DTEC diesel sold from 2012 to 2018, which has more known faults against it than any other CR-V engine. Manual cars' clutches and dual-mass flywheels have failed between 10,000 and 60,000 miles, sometimes more than once. The DPF soots up on short trips and drops the car into limp mode, and regenerations cut short by those trips can dilute the oil with diesel. Swarf in the fuel has also wrecked the pump, common rail and injectors between 40,000 and 80,000 miles.
Both 2.2 diesels need careful checking. The 2.2 i-CTDi has known cracked exhaust manifolds that leak fumes into the cabin between 80,000 and 140,000 miles, turbo bearing failures on Mk2s at 100,000 to 130,000 miles, and clutch and flywheel failures on Mk3 manuals. On the Mk3, the 2.2 i-DTEC has known DPF faults between 50,000 and 100,000 miles and fuel pump, pressure valve and injector trouble from 90,000 to 130,000. All three diesels use a timing chain designed to last the engine's life, provided the oil's been changed on schedule.
Manual diesels are the gearbox risk: 1.6 and 2.2 manuals from 2008 to 2016 have a known clutch and flywheel fault that slips under load between 60,000 and 100,000 miles. Petrol automatics from 2007 to 2009 have their own known fault, with the air-con compressor seizing, often because its electromagnetic clutch has failed, and throwing the ancillary belt off between 30,000 and 80,000 miles. On any 4WD CR-V from 1997 to 2012, the rear differential's fluid is a known weak point.
Get down and look at the rear wheel arches on any 2007 to 2012 Mk3, because rust there is a known fault that creeps under the plastic trim towards the rear seatbelt anchorages. Look from underneath around the rear suspension mounts too, and don't skip the old MOT certificates, which can show corrosion advisories in those areas. On a Mk1, check the paint for oxidation and work the tailgate, as its side hinge can fail.
On the test drive, find an empty space and turn slowly on full lock both ways. A moan, groan, grind or judder from the back of a 4WD car means the rear differential fluid has broken down or let water in, and it's easily blamed on the steering rack instead. On a manual diesel, pull away from cold and feel for judder, then accelerate hard in fourth, fifth or sixth: revs climbing without the speed following means the clutch is slipping.
Pull the dipstick with the engine cold. On a 1.6 i-DTEC, oil above the max mark means it's been diluted with diesel, while a low level or blue smoke on a 2.0 i-VTEC points to the oil-burning fault. Run the air-con and listen for rattling or grinding from the engine bay, and on a 2.2 i-CTDi sniff for exhaust fumes in the cabin and look for soot around the turbo heat shield, both signs of a cracked manifold.
Ask for proof of the recall work: a new ignition switch on 1997 to 2000 cars, a replacement passenger airbag inflator on cars from 2000 to 2014, new EGR valves on the Mk2 2.2 i-CTDi, and a modified airflow sensor on the 1.6 i-DTEC to stop damp air triggering limp mode. Then look for receipts for rear diff fluid changes, any clutch or DPF work, and oil changes on time, which the diesels' timing chains depend on.
Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.
A Mk1 is only worth buying with a rear differential that stays quiet on full lock and, on a 1997 to 2000 car, proof of the ignition switch recall. Worn switch contacts on those earlier cars are a known fault that stalls the engine at speed or makes it hard to restart, and the recall fitted a new switch. On 4WD cars, water gets in through the diff breather and thins the oil, bringing a grinding noise between 50,000 and 100,000 miles, and it'll wreck the diff if it's ignored.
Caught early, the diff can be cured with a newer type of breather and fresh dual pump fluid. Elsewhere, some Mk1s have suffered paint oxidation, the tailgate's side hinge can fail, and an ECU problem on some later cars led to a service bulletin. Look hard at a car with a tow hook, since towing can leave wear in both the front and rear clutches, and with the centre sunroof open there's heavy drumming above 40 mph unless a window or two is down.
Real-world economy on this generation: Honda CR-V 33.5 mpg.
On a 4WD Mk2, the rear differential is the first thing to worry about: the dual pump fluid breaks down well before its scheduled change, causing a moan or groan on full lock between 50,000 and 100,000 miles. It's easily mistaken for a worn steering rack, but fresh Dual Pump 2 fluid cures it. Left alone, the diff can seize, and one owner of a 2006 car was quoted £260 to drain, heat and refill a diff that water had got into.
The 2.2 i-CTDi diesel brings its own known faults. Inlet manifolds can crack and let fumes into the cabin between 60,000 and 100,000 miles, exhaust manifolds on cars from 2004 can crack between 80,000 and 140,000, and turbo bearings have failed between 100,000 and 130,000 miles when oil pipes block or diesel leaks into the sump. These diesels don't have a low oil light and can drink a litre every 600 miles, so check the level yourself.
Air-con pump failures are a known fault between 80,000 and 120,000 miles, and it isn't always the whole pump that's gone. One owner of a 106,000-mile 2004 was quoted £1,680 by Honda dealers but £480 by an air-con specialist, which pointed to just the electromagnetic clutch. Petrol cars have had electronic throttle sensors fail at three to four years old, and one 2.2 i-CTDi owner needed a replacement engine at 130,000 miles after diesel leaked into the sump.
Real-world economy on this generation: Honda CR-V 33.5 mpg.
Only buy a Mk3 once you've checked the rear wheel arches, because corrosion there is a known fault on every version and it reaches the rear seatbelt anchorages and suspension mounts. It hides under the plastic arch trim and has turned up as MOT advisories and failures on those very points. A car with clean arches and a solid underside is worth a look; one with bubbling paint around the back wheels isn't.
The 2.0 i-VTEC petrol can start drinking oil between 50,000 and 100,000 miles, at around 750ml per 1,000 miles, which Honda accepted as a manufacturing fault. Petrol autos from 2007 to 2009 have a known air-con fault between 30,000 and 80,000 miles, where the compressor seizes, often because its electromagnetic clutch has failed, and throws the ancillary belt, and a rattle from the engine bay with the air-con on is the warning. One owner of a 2008 paid £600 for a new compressor clutch and a regas.
Diesel Mk3s have more to go wrong. Manual 2.2 i-CTDi cars have a known clutch and dual-mass flywheel fault that's struck between 10,000 and 95,000 miles, and one 2007 needed both at 95,000. The 2.2 i-DTEC's DPF can send it into limp mode between 50,000 and 100,000 miles, especially on short trips, and two owners have had engines run away on oil swollen with diesel, one at 84,000 miles. A dealer quoted another owner £3,000 to replace the DPF on a 106,000-mile car.
The 2.2 i-DTEC's high pressure fuel pump, pressure limiting valve and injectors are a known fault from 90,000 to 130,000 miles, and one 90,000-mile 2.2 i-CTDi lost power with its PGM-FI light on until its pressure limiting valve was replaced. 4WD Mk3s have a known rear diff fault between 60,000 and 100,000 miles that shows as judder on tight turns, which a diff flush with new fluid can fix. A squeaking clutch pedal points to the pedal box and master cylinder, which one owner was quoted £360 to replace.
Real-world economy on this generation: Honda CR-V 36.9 mpg, Honda CR-V 42.1 mpg.
A Mk4's reliability hinges on the engine, and nearly all its known faults sit on the 1.6 i-DTEC diesel. Its manual clutch and flywheel can fail between 10,000 and 60,000 miles: one 2015 owner needed two replacement clutches, another rejected a car after two replacements failed, and one owner who towed a caravan with a 2017 was quoted £2,400 for a clutch and flywheel. One dealer blamed a cold pull-away judder on condensation on the clutch that cleared once the car had warmed up.
The 1.6 i-DTEC's DPF is a known fault for sooting up on short runs, and owners have reported it refusing to regenerate after just 1,800 and 2,100 miles. One owner of a 59,600-mile 2015 spent around £970 on a forced regeneration and a new DPF, and the warning light was back within 10 days. Check the oil isn't rising above the max mark, a known sign of diesel dilution, and look for work on the fuel system, where metal swarf has ruined pumps, rails and injectors.
The 2.2 i-DTEC and 2.0 i-VTEC have fewer reports, but they aren't trouble-free. One owner's 2013 2.2 i-DTEC auto needed a new common rail and high pressure pump at 44,865 miles, which cost £5,290, and a 2014 one began burning through oil at 50,000 miles. On the 2.0 i-VTEC, a garage blamed the rear differential for an AWD warning light that kept coming on in one 2012 auto at 69,000 miles, and a 2013 manual burned out two clutches 3,000 miles apart.
Smaller Mk4 faults owners have reported include front damper gaiters splitting at 33,000 and 44,000 miles, front discs and pads worn out by 18,800 miles on a 2016, and an electromechanical handbrake that stuck on. Headlamp washer seals have leaked, the driver's seat height adjuster has crept down on more than one car, and 1.6 i-DTECs were recalled for a modified mass airflow sensor because cold, damp air could put the engine into limp mode.
Real-world economy on this generation: Honda CR-V 42.1 mpg, Honda CR-V 43.0 mpg.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
Paste any Honda CR-V advert and we check it against the faults, the MOT record and these figures in seconds.
Check an advert now (free) →Owners report 39.1 mpg across the Honda CR-V engines with data, about 92% of the official figure, from 3,430 submissions.
Honda CR-V Real MPG by engine →The Mk1 built a strong reliability record, with very few breakdowns in its day, and the Mk2 carried that on, with hardly any young cars breaking down. From January 2005 the facelifted Mk2 also got sharper handling and a better interior, so it's a nicer thing to drive than the early versions.
The 2007 Mk3 is lighter and handles better than the CR-V before it, yet it's slightly roomier inside. From 2010, better fabrics and plastics plus extra sound deadening made it quieter and more relaxing to drive, and the diesel's five-speed automatic, which Honda built itself, is smooth and refined.
The CR-V sold from 2018 to 2023 is a refined and comfortable car, and there's a practical, versatile cabin inside that's finished in quality materials. The hybrid's the standout version of that generation, and it's the one that shows the newer CR-V at its best.
Go for a 2012 to 2018 Honda CR-V Mk4 with the 2.0 i-VTEC petrol, checking oil use and rear diff noise, and avoid the 1.6 i-DTEC diesel, whose clutch, DPF and fuel system have known faults. Our database holds 20 known Honda CR-V faults, 15 rated high severity, and the sections above say which generation and engine carry them.
A 2012 to 2018 Mk4 with the 2.0 i-VTEC petrol is the lower-risk CR-V, because nearly all of that generation's known faults land on the 1.6 i-DTEC diesel. On the fault record the Mk1 (1997 to 2002) carries 2 known faults against 10 on the Mk3 (2007 to 2012). Each generation's section above gives the detail. Honda CR-V faults by generation.
Get down and look at the rear wheel arches on any 2007 to 2012 Mk3, because rust there is a known fault that creeps under the plastic trim towards the rear seatbelt anchorages. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories and ask for invoices for any work the seller mentions. Then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against every known Honda CR-V fault before you travel.
Owners report 39.1 mpg on average, about 92% of the official figure, from 3,430 submissions. Chain (1.6 I-DTEC, 2.2 I-CTDI, 2.2 I-DTEC): no fixed replacement interval, so budget for it if the history does not show it done. The known faults page lists a rough repair cost against each fault. Honda CR-V Real MPG by engine.
If you used the Honest John car-by-car reviews before the site closed in 2026, this is where the Honda CR-V buying advice now lives. It is written from the archived owner reports and model notes (archived page, 253 items read for this model), our own known-faults database, the confirmed service intervals and the Real MPG figures. Every number on the page comes from that data, not from the text. The same data feeds our free advert check.
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The Honda CR-V is one decision. Reading the advert, the history and the seller are the rest, and these cover them.
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