2003 Honda CR-V Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
WITHIN THE PAST YEAR I HAVE HAD BOTH FANS GO OUT BECAUSE THE ENTIRE SYSTEM WAS "CONTAMINATED." ALSO, THE FAN UNDER THE DASH (THE BLOWER) HAS QUIT AND I NEEDED A NEW RELAY SWITCH. THEY SPLIT THE COST OF THE TWO FANS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BUT THEY SAID THE FAN UNDER THE DASH WAS SEPARATE. ALTOGETHER IT COST ME OVER 1800 DOLLARS. NOW I FIND OUT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN 35 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM IN THE 2003 CRV. I THINK IT IS A FACTORY PROBLEM AND THEY SHOULD HAVE A RECALL.....AND GIVE ME BACK SOME OF THAT MONEY. 35 COMPLAINTS?? ISN'T THAT ENOUGH TO SIGNAL A RECALL?? *TR
HONDA CRV 2003 EX AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR FAILURE. *TR
AIR CONDITIONING STOPPED WORKING AT ABOUT 70,000 MILES. THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM WITH 2003 AND 2004 CRVS. BE SURE TO COMPLAIN TO HONDA AMERICA AND ASK THEM FOR ASSISTANCE. THEY SHOULD PAY FOR THE COMPRESSOR AND YOU MIGHT HAVE TO PAY ABOUT $400 IN LABOR. *TR
MY AC SYSTEM WENT OUT AT ABOUT 80,000 MI. THE HONDA DEALER SAID BOTH FANS HAD BURNT OUT AND THE WHOLE SYSTEM WAS CONTAMINATED. THEY SPLIT THE COST WITH ME BUT IT STILL COST ME $1600. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A RECALL AND HE SAID THERE WASN'T BUT THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS I AM SEEING MAKE ME FEEL THAT HONDA SHOULD TAKE MORE RESPONSIBILITY. THE SYSTEM FAILED. I DID NOTHING TO CAUSE IT. I FEEL CHEATED AND AM NOW LOOKING AT TOYOTA FOR A REPLACEMENT CAR. *TR
AT APPROX 80,000 MILES AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR WENT (WOULD NOT BLOW COLD AIR). DEALER INDICATED REPAIR WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OF COMPLETE SYSTEM DUE TO CONTAMINANTS - AS I LIVE IN THE NORTH NOT SURE THIS IS WORTH IT. DEFINITELY A COMMON PROBLEM IN CRV'S ALTHOUGH MY DEALER FEIGNED IGNORANCE. *TR
A LOUD RATTLING NOISE SUDDENLY STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHILE DRIVING AND THE AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED COOLING. TOOK THE CAR TO HONDA AND PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAILED A/C COMPRESSOR WHICH CONTAMINATED THE ENTIRE SYSTEM. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR WAS $3500. SERVICE ADVISER CALLED IT THE "BLACK DEATH". CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN ONLY 23,000 MILES. HONDA AGREED TO PAY 90% OF THE REPAIR COSTS AS PART OF THEIR "GOOD WILL WARRANTY" . *TR
2003 HONDA CR-V AIR CONDITIONER/COMPRESSOR BLEW UP AT APPROX 97,600 MILES. MECHANIC SAID BECAUSE OF DEBRIS, FILINGS, ETC., COST FOR REPAIR IS $3800. *TR
2003 HONDA CR-V BOUGHT NEW. AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSER JUST WENT OUT - LOOKS LIKE CLUTCH WENT THEN THE COMPRESSOR BLEW. IN LOOKING AT OTHER SITES, LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. FOLLOWING THEIR ADVICE AND PUTTING THIS IN. *TR
MY 2003 HONDA CR-V A/C STARTS BLOWING WARM AIR ON JULY 7TH, THE SAME DAY AFTERNOON I HEARD RATTLING SOUND IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. HONDA DEALER CHECKED AND CONFIRM THE AC COMPRESSOR BLEW UP INSIDE. THEY RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE THE COMPRESSOR, CLUTCH, COIL SET AND CONDENSER ALL. I CHECKED EDMONDS.COM AND HONDASUV.COM AND FOUND OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2002-2005 HONDA CR-V. CALLED HONDA, THEY WILL NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY. *TR
MY 2003 CRV WAS MAKING A STRANGE FAINT SQUEALING SOUND. SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED WORKING, AND WAS RUNNING FUNNY. I TOOK IT STRAIGHT TO MY MECHANIC. HE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE UNIT, AT AN OVERALL COST OF 1,200.00 A WEEK LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO MY FRIEND WITH HER CRV AND AS I BEGAN TO SEARCH ON LINE, IT HAS HAPPENED TO 100'S OF OTHERS WITH THE '03 AND '04 CRV'S. I AM ANGRY THAT HONDA HASN'T ISSUED A RECALL AFTER COVERING THE COST FOR MOST OF THESE PERSONS. CLEARLY THEY ARE AWARE OF THE CONSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THE AIR COMPRESSOR. I AM CURRENTLY WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM HONDA. *TR
MY WIFE'S 2003 CR-V HAS HAD 3 COMPRESSORS EXPLODE. THE FIRST TIME WAS AT 17,000 MILES, THE SECOND WAS AT 41,000 MILES, AND THE THIRD WAS 3 WEEKS AGO AT AROUND 65,000. THE ENTIRE SYSTEM WAS REPLACED 2 TIMES BY HONDA AT NO COST (ONCE UNDER WARRANTY AND THE SECOND TIME AS A 'GOODWILL' GESTURE). THOUGH THEY DENY ANY KNOWLEDGE OF A HISTORY OF AIR CONDITIONER PROBLEMS WITH CR-VS, THEY HAVE AGREED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SYSTEM THIS THIRD TIME FOR ONLY THE COST OF LABOR ($699). *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CRV. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 25-30 MPH, THE COMPRESSOR SEIZED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO HER DESTINATION. THE DEALER STATED THAT DUE TO A LACK OF LUBRICATION, THE COMPRESSOR SEIZED AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT. SHE WAS FIRST INFORMED THAT THIS WAS AN ISOLATED FAILURE WITH VEHICLES FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY WITH SPECIFIC VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS. HER VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY; HOWEVER, THE DEALER IS WILLING TO PAY FOR HALF OF THE REPAIR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.
2003 HONDA CRV A/C COMPRESSOR BLEW DAMAGING CONDENSER AND OTHER PARTS REQUIRING COMPLETE REPLACEMENT. THIS IS A KNOWN HONDA ISSUE PER RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET. HONDA HAS BEEN COVERING 100% OF COSTS. I WAS OFFERED 75% REPLACEMENT COSTS. I ASKED FOR AN APPEAL AS I LIVE IN 100 HEAT (TUCSON) WITH TWO CHILDREN AND CANNOT AFFORD $500/25% TO REPLACE THE A/C AND IS A HARDSHIP TO ME. THEY DENIED THE ASSISTANCE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CR-V. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. WHEN RELEASING PRESSURE OFF THE BRAKE WITHOUT APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE DRAMATICALLY LUNGED FORWARD. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 74,500.
HEAD GASKET OIL LEAK. *NM
WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, MY 2003 HONDA CRV STARTING MAKING A LOUD WHINING NOISE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THEN IT SOUNDED LIKE A METAL PART FELL OFF THE CAR. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND FOUND THAT EVERYTHING WAS RUNNING FINE EXCEPT THE AIR CONDITIONER. THERE WAS STILL FREON IN THE SYSTEM, BUT I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE COMPRESSOR WAS RUINED. OUR CAR ONLY HAD 48,000 MILES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. A REBUILT COMPRESSOR FOR THIS CAR IS NOT AVAILABLE ANYWHERE BECAUSE THE OLD COMPRESSORS ARE NOT REBUILDABLE. THE BILL FOR THIS FAILURE WAS OVER $1,700.00. *NM
THE A/C COMPRESSOR FAILED AFTER ONLY 3 YEARS OF BUYING IT BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE SAME EQUIPMENT FAILURE FROM OTHER BUYERS.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND STARTING HEARING MY ENGINE MAKE STRANGE GRINDING-LIKE NOISES. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS A TIRE, BUT IT WOULD COME AND GO SO I KNEW THAT WASN'T IT. I STOPPED A FEW MILES LATER AND WHEN I PULLED IN THE PARKING SPACE AND STOPPED, THE ENGINE MADE AN INCREDIBLY LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND DIED. I TRIED TO RESTART IT AND IT MADE THE SAME LOUD NOISE AND DIED AGAIN. WHEN I TURNED OFF THE A/C, IT STARTED OKAY, BUT THEN TURNING ON THE A/C KILLED IT AGAIN. APPARENTLY, THE A/C COMPRESSOR FAILED, AND CONTAMINATED THE COMPLETE A/C SYSTEM. THE COMPLETE A/C SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED. I WAS LUCKY IN THAT THE HONDA SERVICE MANAGER AT MY DEALERSHIP APPARENTLY REALIZES THAT THERE IS SOMETHING TERRIBLY WRONG WITH THE 2003 CR-V; HE HAD HAD FOUR OTHER 2003 CR-V''S COME IN FOR REPAIR FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM OVER THE COURSE OF ONLY A FEW MONTHS. HE WAS ABLE TO GET HIS DEALERSHIP TO COVER THE COST OF THE PARTS. MY 2003 CR-V WAS BOUGHT FROM A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP THAN THE ONE WHERE WE HAD THE REPAIRS DONE, SO THERE WAS BASICALLY NOTHING HE COULD DO TO HAVE THEM COVER THE LABOR. WE ENDED UP PAYING $1074.76. I FEEL THAT HONDA SHOULD HAVE COVERED THIS COMPLETELY, AND THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THE SAME THING. MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE CONTACTED HONDA DIRECTLY AS HE SUGGESTED, BUT WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY TYPE OF RESPONSE. THIS IS OUR SECOND MAJOR ENGINE PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. THE FIRST ONE WAS WITH THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM (ALSO COST OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS). BOTH OF THESE PROBLEMS OCCURRED IN OUR NEIGHBOR'S IDENTICAL VEHICLE.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S STEERING FROZE UP WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH DURING WET ROAD CONDITIONS. THE PROBLEM USUALLY OCCURRED WHILE MAKING TURNS. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, BUT COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE CORPORATE OFFICE OF DEALER SUGGESTED THAT THE VEHICLE BE TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE THE BELT CHANGED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND HAD THE BELT REPLACED.
FAX E-MAIL FROM (MT) RE DEFECTIVE COMPUTER IN THEIR 2003 HONDA CRV, CAUSES THE ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. *TS A COMPUTER READ OUT INDICATED THAT AL FOUR CYLINDERS WERE MISFIRING. *JB
DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED THE STRIKE PLATE FOR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS HANGING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE. THE ENTIRE EXHAUST SYSTEM RUSTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO INDICATORS OF A PROBLEM WITH THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT IN A SALT BELT STATE. *JB
FAULTY EMISSIONS SENSOR SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY WAS UP. 2003 HONDA CRV HAS 38,000 MILES ON IT. HAD TO PAY FOR THE LABOR. WAS ABLE TO GET DEALER TO GET THE MANUFACTURER TO PAY FOR THE PART. *JB
OUR HONDA DEALER SERVICED OUR 2003 HONDA CR-V THE LAST WEEK OF JUNE IN PREPARATION FOR A ROUND-TRIP FROM MIAMI TO SOUTH CAROLINA. AFTER SPENDING A FEW DAYS IN SC, WE LEFT THE CAR SITTING FOR 4 DAYS AT AN AIRPORT, THEN DROVE IT AROUND IN SC FOR TWO DAYS PRIOR TO STARTING RETURN TRIP TO MIAMI. ABOUT 3 HOURS INTO RETURN TRIP, THE AIR CONDITIONING BEGAN BLOWING WARM AIR. I READ THE ENTIRE OWNERS MANUAL AND TRIED ALL OF ITS SUGGESTIONS. THE GREEN ON/OFF LIGHT REMAINED ON REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY TIMES I PUSHED IT, AND THE AIR REMAINED FAN RATHER THAN AIR CONDITIONING. ABOUT A HALF HOUR LATER, WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THOUGHT THAT ANOTHER VEHICLE HAD HIT ROAD DEBRIS THAT BOUNCED AGAINST OUR CAR. IN THE SIDE MIRROR, I SAW A BLACK PLASTIC PIECE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A MEDIUM SIZED PANCAKE. WE DROVE FOR APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER HALF HOUR BEFORE THE HEAT BECAME UNBEARABLE, SO I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALER THAT HAD SERVICED THE CAR AND ASKED FOR ADVICE. HE SUGGESTED THAT WE PULL OVER AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. THE AIR CONDITIONING STILL WAS ON FAN, BUT THE CAR HEATED UP. HE THOUGHT THAT WE HAD HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE COOLING FAN MOTOR OR THAT WE HAD BLOWN THE COMPRESSOR'S DRIVE BELT / CLUTCH. APPARENTLY, THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 33,400 MILES ON IT AND WAS STILL UNDER THE 36,000 WARRANTY. DURING SERVICE PRIOR TO THE THE TRIP, WE REQUESTED THAT A NEW AIR CONDITIONING FILTER BE INSTALLED BECAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION DIRT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
'RECALL CAMPAIGN' CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL FOR SRS CABLE REEL AND CR-V SHIFT CABLE UPDATE. *BF THE VALVE COVER GASKET WAS LEAKING IN THE RIGHT FRONT CORNER OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE MANY OCCASIONS IN WHICH THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE NO OIL. THE VEHICLE WOULD BURN OIL EVERY 500 MILES OR LESS. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED A NEW ENGINE OR A NEW VEHICLE DUE TO HER FEAR THAT OIL MAY DRIP AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO CATCH FIRE. THE PROBLEM REMAINED THE SAME. *SC *JB
ON MARCH 2,2005, I HAD A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE PERFORMED ON MY 2003 HONDA CRV EX ( 27000 MILES) AT SACCUCCI HONDA IN MIDDLETOWN ,RI . UPON NEXT STARTUP (FOUR DAYS LATER) , MY WIFE NOTICED A OIL & SMOKE SMELL COMING FROM THE VEHICLE AFTER A FEW MILES. THE SMOKE WAS APPARENTLY FROM OIL DRIPPED ONTO THE TAIL PIPE. THE OIL ALSO DRIPPED ONTO MY GARAGE FLOOR. THIS IS THE SECOND INCIDENT AT THE SAME DEALERSHIP WITH THIS SAME ISSUE ( SEE ODI ID NUMBER 10090704). NOT SURE IF THIS IS FRESH OIL OR OLD OIL SPILT DURING CHANGE. DEALER IS CLEANING FRAME RAIL. *AK
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Quick Summary
The 2003 Honda CR-V has 75 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.