What ownership is like, what breaks at what mileage, what the repairs cost, and what to check before you buy one.
NHTSA complaints per catalog listing run from 1.80 for 2011 (554 complaints across 308 listings) to 4.62 for 2007 (887 across 192), against a generation median of 2.40. The highest year, 2007, is 1.9 times that median. No year reaches the 2.0x our rule needs together with an above-median ad share and 30 or more listings, so nothing is flagged.
| Miles | Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| about 17K (CarComplaints average onset) | Engine revs when braking | about $5,000 (CarComplaints figure as reported by MotorRank and CarBuzz) | Both sources call this the most common serious complaint on the generation. We did not open the CarComplaints page itself, so treat the cost as a second-hand average from complaining owners. Ask whether the dealer has done any engine software or throttle work. |
| about 87K (CarComplaints 2011 average) | Excessive oil consumption | $4,000 average repair (CarComplaints: 2011 CR-V, 15 complaints, $4,000 at 87,200 mi) | Signs are a low dipstick, blue smoke and hesitation on acceleration (Samarins). The cost rests on 15 complaints for one year. Check the oil level cold and ask how often the owner tops up. |
| any | Rear trailing arm rust (recall 23V228000, 2007-2011 CR-Vs sold or registered in salt-belt states) | Free at a Honda dealer when open | Honda's recall says an accumulation of road salt may corrode the frame and possibly detach the rear trailing arm. CarBuzz also names this and advises an underbody inspection. Confirm by VIN and look at the rear underbody yourself. |
| any | Other recalls on file: automatic transmission secondary shaft bearing (11V395000, 2007-2010), engine wiring harness connector that can stall the engine (11V004000, 2010), many air bag inflator recalls (16V061000, 17V417000, 18V268000, 19V500000 and others) | Free at a Honda dealer when open | 11V395000: a broken bearing outer race may cause noise, a warning light and contact with a transmission sensor. Confirm each by VIN. |
No year in this generation was flagged. A year is flagged by our rule only when all three hold: (1) its NHTSA complaints per catalog listing is at least 2.0x the median for its generation, (2) the share of ads that mention a problem is above the generation median, and (3) we track at least 30 listings for that year. The cutoff was fixed before we looked. Ad mentions are not failures, and a flag is a reason to inspect harder, not a verdict on any one car. We also re-ran the ad test with the 'rust' flaw left out, because the ad reader counts phrases like 'no rust' as mentions, and publish a flag only if it passes both ways.
| Year | Complaints | Top components | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 887 | Air Bags, Electrical System,latches/locks/linkages,... | |
| 2008 | 963 | Air Bags, Electrical System,latches/locks/linkages,... | |
| 2009 | 386 | Air Bags, Structure, Electrical System | |
| 2010 | 481 | Air Bags, Engine, Structure | |
| 2011 | 554 | Air Bags, Electrical System, Unknown Or Other |
source: NHTSA complaints database (api.nhtsa.gov). Complaints are owner reports, not confirmed failures.
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We don't tell you to skip a year; we flag by a fixed rule, and it flags only 2023, on thin data. Third-party lists commonly name 2007 (CoPilot), 2007 to 2009 (AGT Auto) and the 2017-2019 turbo cars. 2018 has 10.60 NHTSA complaints per catalog listing (2,163 complaints across 204 listings) against a 2017-2022 median of 5.60, 1.9 times, short of the 2.0x cutoff, and ads for it do not mention problems more than the median, so it is not flagged. 2015 has 2.43 (673 complaints across 277 listings) against a 2012-2016 median of 1.54.
On 2017 and 2018 CR-Vs with the 1.5L turbo, owners report the oil level rising above Full with a gasoline smell. CarComplaints lists 89 complaints for the 2017 (average $300 at 12,550 miles). Consumer Reports says NHTSA received complaints about it. In May 2019 Honda extended the warranty for certain 2017-18 CR-Vs to six years with unlimited mileage. CoverageX puts engine damage from dilution at $4,000 to $6,000 or more.
We don't rank generations. CarBuzz ranks the 2007-2011 generation least reliable and the 2017-2022 generation below the 2012-2016 one. Our own numbers: the 2012-2016 generation has the lowest median complaint rate in the catalog at 1.54 per listing, against 5.60 for 2017-2022.
RepairPal puts a CR-V compressor replacement at $1,115 to $1,770 and YourMechanic starts at $1,253. CarComplaints averages $1,860 at 81,950 miles among 23 complaining 2004 owners, whose compressors came apart and damaged other parts.
NHTSA recall 23V228000 covers 2007-2011 CR-Vs sold or ever registered in a list of salt-belt states. Honda says road salt can corrode the frame and possibly detach the rear trailing arm. The repair is free at a Honda dealer. CarBuzz also advises an underbody inspection on this generation.
Yes. NHTSA files it under CR-V HYBRID from 2020 onward. Many hybrid complaints are also filed under the plain CR-V name, so we counted both names and each complaint once.