Faults:

I've owned 5 Honda's and this one is not typical of Honda quality. By 32,000 miles, all 4 struts were replaced with the right front and left rear being replaced twice. The driver's door lock was difficult to put the key in after 2 years. I bought a keyless entry system to get around the expensive lock assembly. The support strut on the back cargo door failed at 42,000 miles. Around 50,000 miles, it became difficult to shift into reverse. I was told there was a service bulletin, but at owner's expense of $800. The air bag light would come on if the front seats got wet (side air bag option). The dealer was kind enough to reset it at no charge. The left front tie rod link broke and the starter went out at 100,000 miles. The engine check light came on twice within 1000 miles at 102,000 miles. I finally got rid of it.

General Comments:

I loved what it did as an SUV.

Great highway mileage at 27 MPG.

It was fun to drive especially with the 5 speed.

It was comfortable on trips, but was more noisy than I would expect.

It was a maintenance nightmare.

Faults:

My wife loves this car. I appreciate the good mileage 27+ mpg. It has a few rattles and had to go back to the dealer twice for some recall items. Also it had the air bag light on. All the above covered by warranty. And then recently I noticed a noise coming from the engine. The noise, clanking on startup, had me very concerned. A local repair shop confirmed my worse fears, rod knock (connecting rod to crankshaft interference). Worse the logical repair (suggested by our local Honda specialist) is a very expensive short block replacement $5,000 to $9,000 depending if an independent shop does the work or a Honda dealer (where the warranty is better).

General Comments:

How can an engine from Honda fail like this with such little mileage (62,000)? This car received very good service and is adult owned and driven.

Faults:

Steering wheel was seriously worn at 50000 miles.

A/C compressor went out at 75000.

The car would sometimes not start for several minutes. Honda mechanics could find no reason for this, and it's continued to happen every couple of weeks since I bought the car new.

The paint on the radio buttons faded.

General Comments:

I feel more at ease to know that I am not the only one with serious problems with my CR-V. I bought a Honda because I thought they were ultra-reliable.

A few days after I bought it, it wouldn't start. The dealer couldn't find anything wrong with it. It started up fine later. It does this every few months, and I've had this car almost three years. Can you imagine having to guess whether or not your car will start every time you get in it. I wanted to return it after a month, but couldn't.

The interior noise is horrible at highway speeds. The car also needs a bigger gas tank, because though it is pretty good on gas, it is hard to go a day or two without needing a fill up.

Three days after the extended 75000 mile warranty ended, the A/C compressor went out. Honda quoted me $1900 to fix it. I traded it in the next day for a Mercedes.

E.M.

Houston, TX.