Faults:

The car is an import from the US, badly exposed to salt and badly taken care of. Resulting in a rusty undercarriage, which was coated by the importer as a deception, which worked only temporarily.

Worn transmission (front and rear) rubber parts, which resulted in them being almost impossible to replace, due to rust and broken screws and other parts. Major reconstruction required to fix new parts.

Worn U-joints. Ended up removing the shaft, thus, disabling the vehicle's 4x4 capabilities (if any).

Transmission not working properly. New torque converter needed.

General Comments:

We bought it as a first car for my wife. We chose it for its looks and (known) limited 4x4 capabilities, as well as its roomy cargo area, since we have two small kids and often need to haul around all their gear.

Aware of its high mileage, we found the engine to be running nicely, and so far, no repairs have been needed in this regard. However, the transmission has given us some problems (difficult to downshift, OD not engaging after cold nights, difficult to upshift while going uphill and reaching 3000+ RPM, others...)

The suspensions were badly worn. We thought replacing the worn parts would be an easy task, but due to excessive rust, this turned out to be a real pain.

Since replacing U-joints is almost impossible, I decided to remove the driveshaft, which means now the car is a front wheel drive only.

The interior is fine. Upholstery is okay and the car is quite roomy, definitely a small family car for small trips. Nevertheless, it has become our lemon (by choice, I know), and we are so tired of all the trouble, that we are now seriously considering selling it and buying another type of car, with a manual transmission, probably a Suzuki Aerio.

No, I'm not blaming the brand. I know I'm the one responsible for what I bought, but it has been just too much hassle and our previous Honda was as problematic as this one. I wonder if buying a manual transmission CRV would have been a different story.

Faults:

Radiator started leaking as soon as I got it. Got a new radiator and replaced it myself. It wasn't leaking much, but better to be safe than sorry.

Brake pads were in bad condition when I got it; got new ones and replaced them myself. Braking was fine, but they were making annoying sounds.

The engine layout is very easy to work on. That's all I have done to it.

General Comments:

When I first got the CR-V, I had doubts, but I needed a bigger car, so I bought it cheap from a friend. I have the LX FWD model; where I live I don't need the AWD. I get about 26 MPG on the highway and 23 city.

The CR-V handles like a car, a high car. It is very roomy inside and comfortable for short distances. I took a 1500 miles trip with it, and I realized how bad the seats are for traveling. Also road noise is a bit high. I don't think the car is underpowered, however when going uphill, the CR-V struggles.

Overall it's a good vehicle, perfect for a small family or a student. It is roomy, reliable, and versatile.