The Honda CR-V is a compact crossover SUV produced by Honda since the 1995 model year and has been in constant circulation ever since. Due to the popularity and use of single-car owners to large families, potential car buyers may find it interesting that this model has high expenses. The Honda CR-V engine replacement cost can be as high as $4,000!
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Despite the expensive fixes, the Honda CR-V was made for versatility and everyday use in mind. The platform is an SUV platform and is considered a mid-range utility vehicle in the entire Honda lineup.
Honda CR-V Engine Types
First Generation
In the first generation of the Honda CR-V produced from the 1997 to 2001 model years, the engine types available were either the 2.0-liter B20B l4 or the 2.0-liter B20Z l4 engine. The B20B was a straight-four engine that could produce 126 horsepower and reach 133 pounds per foot of torque at 4800 RPM.
Second Generation
This model year’s new engine options included the 2.0-liter K20A1, 2.0-liter K20A4, 2.0-liter K24A1, and the diesel 2.2-liter N22A2 turbo diesel l4 option. The North American K24A1 can produce 156 horsepower and 160 pounds-per-foot of torque while still maintaining the same fuel economy in the previous model.
Third Generation
The third generation of the CR-V contains the standard K-series 2.4-liter inline-four engine, producing 166 horsepower and 161-pounds-per-foot of torque. Along with the standard option, a diesel choice was offered in some markets. With the higher performance qualities and the diesel option, the Honda CR-V engine replacement cost was typically higher for the third generation than in previous years.
Fourth Generation
In the fourth generation of the Honda CR-V, the engine type used was the 2.4-liter i-VTEC inline-four engine that can produce 185 horsepower and 163 pound-per-foot of torque at 4,400 RPM.
Fifth Generation
The fifth and final generation of the Honda CR-V is what is currently being produced on the market today. This model’s base engine is the Earth Dreams 2.4-liter l4 engine, while the 1.5-liter l4 turbocharged engine is also offered for drivers. The turbocharged engine can produce higher horsepower and peak torque but also comes at a higher Honda CR-V engine replacement cost.
Worst Model Years of the Honda CR-V
To understand why the Honda CR-V engine replacement cost is priced as such, drivers need to know the worst model years of this specific car model to find out which ones have the most severe problems. Across every single model year, the worst years in terms of reliability and onset of issues are the 2007, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2017 years.
The worst problems in terms of overall severity is the unintended acceleration in the 2011 CR-V costing around $5,000, the excessive oil consumption in the 2010 CR-V costing $2,500, and the AC no longer working in the 2002 CR-V costing owners around $1,700.
2007 Honda CR-V Engine Problems
Although Honda redesigned this model year to kickstart this SUV’s popularity, it, unfortunately, led to problems with door locks, tires that wear down prematurely, and a high Honda CR-V engine replacement cost.
Drivers complain of intermittent loss of power, the check engine light turning on, sudden acceleration, engine revving while braking, high pitched noises while accelerating, and a high whining noise while idling in neutral.
Fix: Reset the Check Engine Light
To fix the check engine light from turning on intermittently while driving, you need to know common methods to reset the light and prevent it from distracting you while driving. The first method to rest the light is to use an OBD2 scanner to run for any diagnostic codes using your diagnostic tool.
The second method is to disconnect the battery and remove the negative car battery terminal. Once you have removed the mechanism, reconnect the battery terminals and try switching on your car to see if the light still remains illuminated.
The third method is to turn the ignition on and off. If the check engine light is off, you are ready to drive – however, if it is still on, you will have to use an OBD2 scanner to find the issue’s root cause.
2012 Honda CR-V Engine Problems
The worst engine concerns in the 2012 CR-V focus on the grinding noise while starting, pushing on the pedal without acceleration, vibration while accelerating, excessive oil consumption, chugging, banging noises while driving, and oil leaking.
Fix: Repair Actuator Valve
To fix the grinding noise when starting, owners will have to pay around $440 for the total Honda CR-V engine replacement cost to repair the actuator valve at 46,000 miles. Owners complain of a loud noise while driving, the grinding noise persists over time, and they have had to replace the part numerous times to fix the annoying sound.
2014 Honda CR-V Engine Problems
Unfortunately for Honda, this model year has a trend and reputation for hesitating while accelerating, causing user dissatisfaction and a lack of reliability. The most serious engine problems deal with a grinding noise on startup, delayed acceleration, engine rattling on startup, excessive oil consumption, unintended acceleration, whining noises, and oil leaking.
Fix: Replace VTC Actuator
To fix the rattling and shaking upon startup, owners will have to pay between $806 and $969 to replace the VTC actuator valve. Labor costs are typically between $613 and $773, while the cost of the parts is around $195.
2015 Honda CR-V Engine Problems
The engine category has the highest number of complaints from car owners and the NHTSA in the 2015 Honda CR-V. Owners state the car excessively vibrates, the engine dies in reverse, the car hesitates at acceleration, the engine idle speed is too low, knocking sounds come from the engine, and the engine will not start.
Fix: Trade in Your Car
Unfortunately for the 2015 CR-V, there seems to be no quick or easy fix for the car vibrating like crazy while idling and driving. Thousands of owners have complained this popular car shakes violently and cannot be fixed even when the noise is silenced. This issue’s average mileage of occurrence for this issue is extremely early at just below 10,000 miles, showing how this problem is extremely severe and can lead to a high Honda CR-V engine replacement cost.
2017 Honda CR-V Engine Problems
The final year of the Honda CR-V that had the most severe issues is the 2017 model, with a reputation for having a gas smell, the heat not working, a tendency to overfill oil levels due to fuel in oil and no heat from the vents after warming up for over 30 minutes.
Along with these issues, owners complain about a high oil level with gas in the oil, emissions system issues, excessive oil consumption, hesitating while accelerating, chirping sounds from the engine, and the engine dying prematurely.
Fix: Change Oil Frequently
For the high oil level with gas in oil, owners state that there is no solution, and Honda tells drivers to check the oil every 500 miles – requiring owners to have to keep up with their maintenance very frequently.
Replacing the ECU and changing the oil for around $50 is a low Honda CR-V engine replacement cost, but only works in some cases to remedy the high oil levels in the 2017 CR-V model.
Honda CR-V Engine Recall
Honda was forced to recall nearly 400,000 CR-V vehicles and Honda Civics in February of 2018 after owners reported that the car would not accelerate over 20 miles per hour and the car had to drive in limp mode. With the inability to accelerate, the Honda CR-V is unsafe to drive on any roads.
When brought to a local dealership or mechanic, Honda owners were told that the gas was improperly leaking into the oil. Even though they could diagnose the issue, mechanics were not sure as to how to safely and permanently fix the problem. Even after an oil change, the problem continued in most Honda CR-V and Civic cars.
Unfortunately for current Honda Civic and CR-V owners, Honda did not do anything for their vehicles, and they did not say how exactly they would repair the broken SUVs. Ths Honda “recall” didn’t claim that the inability to accelerate was a safety issue, but more of a nuisance, so they didn’t feel the need to claim a recall for the affected cars.
The Problem
The problem’s mechanics involves engine concerns in the 2017 and 2018 Honda CR-Vs with the 1.5-liter turbo engine. Affecting over 500,000 CRVs in the United States alone, the high oil level condition can cause the engine system’s inability to accelerate and overheat.
The problem of the fuel mixing with the oil is the result of either two things in the CR-V – poorly-designed fuel injectors that spray fuel into the cylinder walls or the engine not getting hot enough to vaporize the gas vapors remaining in the engine cylinder. One of these reasons could cause the fuel and oil to mix when it shouldn't, leading to the inability to move the engine’s parts and accelerate the vehicle.
The Bottom Line
The expensive Honda CR-V engine replacement cost can significantly deter potential car buyers from purchasing this vehicle. The unreliability combined with the danger of the malfunctioning fuel-injection system in certain model years makes buying the 2007, 2012, and 2014-2017 Honda CR-V production years not a smart choice for car shoppers.