If you are considering buying a used Honda CR-V, these are the common problems worth knowing about first. Our garage database tracks 19 known faults for this model, 15 of them rated high severity. Every one below is a repair bill a seller has good reason not to mention.
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Paste the advert and we read it against these 19 known faults, its MOT history and the DVLA record, and tell you what the seller has not. Free, about a minute, no card.
Check a Honda CR-V advert (free) →The Honda CR-V has 19 known faults in our database across 4 generations, 15 of them rated high severity. The most serious are gearbox (premature clutch and Dual Mass Flywheel (DMF) failure) and electrics (the electrical contacts in the ignition switch can wear prematurely). None of them makes the car a bad buy on its own; the risk is a seller who knows and says nothing.
That is a count of the faults we hold, not a reliability score. Popular cars get written about more, and a newer generation has had less time to show its faults.
No year is a write-off on its own. What matters is which serious faults a given year and engine can have, and whether the car in front of you has had them fixed.
Each one is set out in full below, with the symptoms, the typical mileage and a rough repair cost.
One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.
One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.
One owner each, in their own words rewritten as a line, and not counted in our risk scoring. A fault joins the list above once a second report or an editorial source backs it.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
We track 55 specific phrases sellers use in adverts to soft-pedal these exact issues. Paste any Honda CR-V advert and we check it in seconds.
Check an advert now (free) →Recall work is done by the manufacturer, and GOV.UK says you will not usually have to pay for it. These are the 24 DVSA recalls for the CR-V, newest first. They do not tell you whether this particular car has had the work: for that, put the registration into the free GOV.UK MOT history check, which shows a recall status where the manufacturer shares it, or ask a franchised dealer to check the VIN.
On affected vehicles due to decrease of the grease amount in the worm wheel gear meshing area of the EPS gear box during use the sliding resistance at the meshing area increases and the torque fluctuation when turning the steering becomes larger resulting in an abnormal noise or a dangerous sticking occurs when turning the steering.
Put right by: For the Honda Civic (FL4 FE1) CR-V and ZR-V models replace the worm gear pre-load spring with a countermeasure part and add grease. For the Honda Civic Type R (FL5) model replace the Steering Gearbox with a countermeasure part.
Affected vehicles may have been fitted with an incorrectly labelled trailer hitch of the wrong specification which may come into contact with the Integrated Power Unit (IPU) when a rear-end collision occurs and result in a short circuit in the high-voltage power system or a risk of fire. Cracks may also appear on the trailer hitch weld seams when towing excess weight for prolonged periods which could result in a risk of trailer hitch detachment.
Put right by: Inspect and replace the trailer hitch with the correct part if necessary.
On affected vehicles due to manufacturing issues the high pressure fuel pump could leak
Put right by: On the affected vehicles check for leaks and replace the high pressure pump if necessary
On affected vehicles after cancelling the ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) the ISA (Intelligent Speed Assistance) will not alert the driver when over speed.
Put right by: Update Multipurpose Camera Unit with modified software.
Power window switch can accumulate water causing overheat and possible fire.
Put right by: Replace power window master switch with one designed to prevent water accumulation
The absorption of moisture into the drivers airbag propellant could lead to slow deployment or inflator rupture.
Put right by: Replace the airbag inflator or the airbag assembly. Honda is still preparing for the development and production of the remedy parts.
Affected vehicles may be equipped with a fuel pump module manufactured with low density impellers.
Put right by: The affected fuel pumps will be replaced.
The regulatory requirement for emissions levels are not met.
Put right by: Update the software in the Engine Control Unit to improve the performance of the emissions control system
Passenger air bag may not deploy correctly.
Put right by: The inflator inside the passengers airbag module is to be replaced.
Passenger air bag may not deploy correctly.
Put right by: The inflator inside the passengers airbag module is to be replaced.
Driver air bag may not deploy correctly.
Put right by: The inflator inside the drivers airbag module is to be replaced.
Passenger airbag inflators may not operate as intended.
Put right by: Replacement of Airbag Assembly on affected vehicles.
The propellant used in the air bag inflators may degrade over time due to heat cycles and exposure to moisture. In the event that the airbag is activated it may overinflate due to overly aggressive combustion of the propellant. The excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator body to rupture and metal fragments may pass through the cushion material causing severe injury to the vehicle occupants.
Put right by: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the airbag inflator and airbag.
Abnormal deployment pressure may lead to rupture of the passenger's air bag inflator case. In the event of an inflator rupture metal fragments could be propelled into the passenger compartment
Put right by: On affected vehicles replace the inflator inside the passenger's air bag module.
In the event that the airbag is activated excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator body to rupture and metal fragments may pass through the cushion material causing injury to the vehicle occupants and / or in worst cases a fatality.
Put right by: On affected vehicles replace the passenger front air bag module.
Abnormal deployment pressure may lead to rupture of the driver's air bag inflator case. In the event of an inflator rupture metal fragments could be propelled into the passenger compartment.
Put right by: On affected vehicles replace the inflator inside the driver's air bag module.
A possible issue with the software in the Collision Mitigation Brake System (CMBS) can under certain rare driving circumstances cause the incorrect or misdetection of objects or obstacles in front of the vehicle that do not actually pose a collision potential. This can cause the inapropriate application of the brake system even if the object is not present or even moving away from the vehicle and does not pose a rish of a collision. However the sudden application of the brakes may lead to a collision with following vehicles and result in possible injury to the vehicle occupants
Put right by: Recall all affected vehicles to have the CMBS software replaced with a new version.
Abnormal deployment pressure may lead to rupture of the inflator case. In the event of an inflator rupture metal fragments could be propelled into the passenger compartment potentially causing injury to a vehicle occupant.
Put right by: On affected vehicles replace the drivers airbag module.
Abnormal deployment pressure may lead to rupture of the inflator case. In the event of an inflator rupture metal fragments could be propelled upward toward the windshield or downward toward the front passengers foot well potentially causing injury to a vehicle occupant.
Put right by: On affected vehicles replace the inflator inside the front passengers airbag module with a new one.
The subject vehicles are equipped with front passenger airbag inflators which could have been assembled with improperly manufactured propellant wafers. Improperly manufactured propellant wafers could cause the inflator to rupture and the front passenger airbag to deploy abnormally in a crash. This could result in increased risk of injury to the occupant or in a thermal issue in the interior compartment which may lead to fire.
Put right by: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to inspect and where necessary replace the airbag inflator module.
It is possible that the brake disc or discs installed to the front of the vehicle may not be the correct size. If left unchecked it could have a detrimental effect on the vehicle as it may cause deterioration in brake performance.
Put right by: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to check which brake discs are fitted and where necessary fit brake discs of the correct size.
The subject vehicles are equipped with front passenger airbag inflators which could have been assembled with improperly manufactured propellant wafers. Improperly manufactured propellant wafers could cause the inflator to rupture and the front passenger airbag to deploy abnormally in a crash. This could result in increased risk of injury to the occupant or in a thermal issue in the interior compartment which may lead to fire.
Put right by: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to inspect and where necessary replace the airbag inflator module.
It is possible moisture or other fluids may enter the drivers window and contaminate the main power window switch. If this occurs and the switch is damaged it could overheat and cause it to melt and/or smoke. If this situation is not identified it could result in a vehicle fire.
Put right by: Recall all affected vehicles and check the switch. If the switch is not damaged a waterproof cover will be fitted. If the switch is damaged it will be replaced and a waterproof cover will be fitted.
Tension from the combination switch wiring harness can cause a small amount of movement when the combination switch is operated. Over time the low beam terminal can become worn leading to poor electrical continuity. Ultimately this may cause the low beam headlights to fail.
Put right by: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to replace the low beam terminal harness and where necessary the lighting switch.
Recall data published by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence v3.0. A recall listed here may not apply to every car of this model: the build dates and the registration check are what decide it.
A timing chain has no change interval, which is not the same as lasting for ever. Listen for it on a used CR-V, and check the oil has been changed on time. These are the figures UK specialists work to.
Honda diesel engines use a highly reliable timing chain that is designed to last the life of the engine, provided oil changes are done on schedule.
Always confirm against the vehicle handbook. Intervals vary by engine, and several manufacturers revised theirs after failures in service.
Three stand out. Gearbox: premature clutch and Dual Mass Flywheel (DMF) failure (typically 10000 to 60000 miles). Electrics: the electrical contacts in the ignition switch can wear prematurely. Engine: DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) sooting up and failing to regenerate, especially with short journeys (typically 10000 to 60000 miles). The full list above is grouped by generation, with typical mileage and a rough repair cost for each.
No Honda CR-V year is a write-off, but the Mk3 (2007 to 2012) carries the most serious faults: gearbox, engine, fuel system, bodywork and bodywork and trim. The Mk4 (2012 to 2018), Mk1 (1997 to 2002) and Mk2 (2002 to 2006) have high-severity faults on record too. Year matters less than whether the specific car has had the known fixes, so check the history for them.
Ask the seller about the gearbox, electrics and engine faults on this page and whether they have been fixed, with invoices. On the test drive watch for clutch slipping under load, engine cutting out unexpectedly while driving and DPF warning light illuminated. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories, then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against all 19 known faults before you travel. Check a Honda CR-V advert →
The DVSA lists 24 safety recalls for the Honda CR-V issued between 2012 and 2025. The most recent, from March 2025, is "22-25M Civic and Other Models EPS Gear Box Worm Wheel Swelling Failure 6JP". Recall work is done by the manufacturer, and GOV.UK says you will not usually have to pay for it. This list is by model, so it cannot tell you whether one particular car has had the work: the free GOV.UK MOT history check shows a recall status from the registration where the manufacturer shares it, and a franchised dealer can check the VIN.
Owners report 39.1 mpg on average across the Honda CR-V engines with data, about 92% of the official combined figure. The gap between official and real-world economy varies a lot by engine, so the Real MPG page lists every engine and generation separately, from 3,430 owner submissions. Honda CR-V Real MPG by engine →
Looking at a Honda CR-V right now? Check the advert before you go and see it.
If you used to check the Honest John “Good & Bad” section before the site closed in 2026, this page is where that information now lives. We rebuilt the Honda CR-V owner-report history from the archived Honest John dataset, added our own research, specialist and owner-club sources and DVSA recall data, and we keep it free. Each fault above is badged with its source. The same data feeds our free advert check, which reads a listing against every known fault for the exact engine and year.
CarAdCheck is not affiliated with Honest John or Volkswagen Financial Services. What happened to Honest John, and where each feature lives now.
Knowing what a Honda CR-V goes wrong with is half of it. The rest is reading the advert and checking the car's history before you hand any money over.