Problems to Look Out for When Buying a Used Honda CRV

Greg - Your Car Angel- talks about the problems in each generation of the Honda CRV. Air Conditioner failure (A/C problems) in the 2nd generation which ran between 2002-2006. Suspension issues in the 3rd generation which ran between 2007-2011, including sway bar links and weak struts. The 4th generation which ran between 2012-2016 had issues with vibration in the drivers seat and steering wheel and the finally the 5th generation with oil dilution issues on the 1.5 liter turbo engine in the Honda EX and EXL models.

Other videos in this series:

Problems to Look Out for When Buying a Used Toyota RAV 4

Problems to Look Out for When Buying a Used Toyota Prius

Problems to Look Out for When Buying a Used Toyota Highlander

Problems to Look Out for When Buying a Used Honda Civic

Problems to Look Out for When Buying a Used Subaru Forester

10 Problems to Look Out for When Buying a Car from a Private Party

[puertoriconnect]

2nd Gen 2002 - 2006 (2:11)
3rd Gen 2007-2011 (2:46)
4th Gen 2012 - 2016 (6:00)
5th Gen 2017 (6:59)

[ScientificallyStupid]

I love my 2011 CRV and it's still going strong. Keeping it for as long as humanly possible. I think we CRV owners are a pretty loyal bunch!

[Ckbe]

I was planning to sell my 2011 CRV and after reading most of the positive comments here ... I changed my mind ... I’m keeping it :)

[LandNfan]

We bought a very low mileage 2008 in 2010 to pull behind our motorhome. The motorhome is history. The Honda is still going strong as our daily (only) driver. It’s the best car I’ve ever owned. Regular oil and filter changes and one set of tires have been the only maintenance needed. It’s still under 100K miles. Since I’m 76, it’s looking like the CR-V will outlast me.

[bobd]

209, 000 miles on my 3rd generation 2009 LX and going strong. Basically trouble free. Engine and transmission are rock solid smooth and amazing. Never had the valves adjusted. As others have noted, it just keeps going. At 200, 000 I replaced all the shocks/struts with new Honda OEM parts. The ride had gotten a bit floaty and the new struts brought back the old taut but comfortable feel and tight handling. I am expecting it will hit 300, 000 easy. It is just been an amazing vehicle.

[virginiathomp]

I have a 1999 CRV, you can't kill it! We have over 300, 000 miles on it and it is still going strong.

[agarryking]

Still driving my 1997 CR-V, haven't even had to change a single light bulb. The car has been nothing short of amazing.

[PaulNardone-sr]

Boy, Greg absolutely nailed my 2008: locking mechanism, struts, rubber trim, and sway bar. 238, 000 and going strong.

[costenc]

Got a 1998 CR-V with 417, 000 miles. Still running perfectly. These cars are so well built.

[shad]

I work at a mechanic workshop in Australia. Every single RD/RE CRV we service has developed oil leaks from the VVT spool valve. You can replace the seal but it will start leaking again eventually. Replace the whole valve assembly to start with is my advice and while you’re at it, do the valve cover gasket and oil filter housing seal.

[Maleekus]

I have 320K miles on my 2003 CRV awd. ac still works great. Still get 27 mpg.

[allisongarcia]

Thank you for this video! My uncle is graciously giving me his 2014 LX AWD next month! It has 80, 000 miles on it and he takes such meticulous care of his cars. I know I will get longevity out of it and I’m thrilled. I’ve always driven beaters that are 15+ years old. This will be the newest car I’ve ever owned.

[emilyc]

I’m a 6’ 1” female and it’s amazing for tall ppl like he said easy sit down and stand up perfect for ppl with joint problems

[susanod]

Great explanation overall but I’d like to expand on the 3rd generation door lock issues. I had an 08 LX and around 110k miles, the rear passenger door lock actuator failed, leaving it stuck between lock/unlock and couldn’t be adjusted manually. That triggered an auto-lock for all 5 doors, and left it either unresponsive to the remote or would unlock and immediately re-lock. Key entry was difficult because 1) only the driver door was equipped and 2) the auto-lock was always engaged making it difficult to turn the key to unlock, and often didn’t work at all. Plus, the remote key fob isn’t designed for that and would easily break. I had two babies in car seats making this situation incredibly dangerous. I had to roll all the windows down before exiting just to make sure I could get my kids out. My choices were to get it fixed ($2000+) or disable the locks by removing the door panel and unplugging the locks, making it impossible to secure my vehicle which is what I did. The rear lift gate wouldn’t unlock at all. Honda was no help at all, probably because it was a widespread problem and should have been subject to a recall. I even contacted CPSC about it. It was 10k past the warranty window. So... if you’re test driving a 3rd generation CR-V, make sure to put those locks to work or be handy enough to know how to replace them.

[seanharvey]

My parents bought a new 2006 CRV EX-L in October of 2005 days before I was born we still have it to this day we have replaced the whole ac system so it’s great! It’s over 210, 000 miles! Great car!

[yenig]

Great breakdown of generations watched it twice and I don’t even have a Honda

[harleyworm]

Have a 2002 CRV. A/C did implode resulting in a 1500.00 repair bill. Other than that and a leaky valve cover gasket, it has been a GREAT vehicle. Currently has 163k miles and is running STRONG!

[patrickrivard]

We have 6 Hondas on our driveway. Among them we have a 2007 CRV and a 2014 CRV. Both have been reliable with regular maintenance and the odd problem easily repaired. These two generations are solid choices. However in 2015, things changed, and in my opinion not for the good. The introduction of the CVT transmission in 2015 was done to decrease the cost of manufacture, however the long term reliability of them is still in question. The other problem is with the direct injection introduced in 2015. This is a not problem initially, however over time, the intact valves become dirty and coated with carbon, causing the combustion process to get affected, resulting in decreased gas mileage, idling issues, reduced efficiency. The cost to clean the intake valves is expensive and complicated, and the emphasis is on complicated. Mechanics are not prefect, and when ever you require a complicated service, you open the door to mistakes being made (costly ones!). If Honda reverts back to port injection, this problem is solved. In Honda's newer turbo models, the issues of direct injection is amplified. If Honda did like Toyota and designed both port and direct injection on the same engine, lots of these issues would be resolved. It's a matter of cost and design. Till they fix this, I cannot recommend a Honda that has only a direct injection (turbo is not the problem) and I'm concerned with the CVT transmissions being not a good choice as well.

[Charles-pseo]

One issue I didn't see brought up is the frequency of oil changes that the car needs to have. Been informed by lead Honda tech not to let it drop below 30% on oil percentage to keep a screen in the engine clean to avoid future issues with service life.

[eamonob]

We had a 2006 CRV and absolutely loved it. However, around 100k, we did have the AC go out like he mentioned. Then around 119k, we had a major electrical issue that no one, including the Honda dealership, could figure out and fix. We needed a minivan at that point anyway and ended up trading it in. I still love the CRV...just wish it hadn't had those problems.