2004 Honda CR-V LX from North America

Summary:

A solid, reliable, family crossover vehicle. Cheap to own

Faults:

Very few issues:

Driver's side and front engine mounts failed around 80,000 miles.

O2 sensors failed at 105,000 miles.

AC failed (condenser clog, I believe) at 100,000 miles.

Passenger electronic door lock stopped working around 110,000 miles.

General Comments:

A good solid vehicle, the AC is the only expensive repair I have had to make.

The drive is OK, the on demand 4wd works just fine. It was a reasonably cheap car to own.

We shall see how any other issues pop up now that we are over 100K miles.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th April, 2010

2004 Honda CR-V ES 2.0 petrol from Switzerland

Summary:

This is an excellent practical family car

Faults:

Rear axle squeaking noise at 50,000 km, fixed by changing lubricant in axle.

General Comments:

Good all-round family car, with plenty of space for children and luggage. It is amazing how much can be packed into this car.

Easy to drive and safe in winter with automatic FWD.I know this is not really an off-roader, but I make trips to Eastern Europe in winter and was never close to getting stuck in snow or ice (I use winter tyres). In tricky conditions you feel a slight slip of the front wheels and then a push as the rear wheels start to drive. So simple and without drama.

Comfortable over longer distances - at least twice a year I drive 1100 km in one day and arrive without any aches or pains. On the motorway it can easily cruise at 160kmh (in Germany), but then the fuel economy is really hit. In normal driving (mix town and motorway) I average between 10 and 11 litres of petrol per 100 km. The only issue with the engine is that it could do with a bit more low-down torque, but you soon adapt your driving style to use a few more revs than might be normal for an SUV.

Handling is good for what it is. This is not a sports car, but you can still go down winding roads at a good pace without too much body roll.

Quality of the car seems good. The interior is not flashy but the seat fabrics, controls etc. are sturdy, some of the plastics (e.g. boot trim) can get scratched though. The general paint-work on my 6-year old car is excellent. After washing and waxing it looks like new. The only irritation are the plastic rubbing strips on the doors, which are easily chipped or marked by people bumping your car with their doors in car parks.

In 6 years, the car never let me down once. Thanks Honda.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th February, 2010

2004 Honda CR-V LX from North America

Summary:

I would never recommend this car because of the A/C problems

Faults:

The A/C condenser blew up, and now the whole A/C system has to be replaced.

General Comments:

Honda has never been able to build a great A/C system, but on this car they really messed up.

When the condenser locks up it will explode sending metal shavings through out the system, so you not only have to replace a $300 condenser, but the entire system has to be worked on, for a cost of around $2700.00.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 20th October, 2008

14th Apr 2010, 13:04

I also have a 2004 CRV, and the AC is the primary issue that I have had. No explosion, but I suspect that the condenser is clogged and caused the whole system to crap. We'll see what the estimate is and I will update.

15th Apr 2010, 07:32

Lots of Honda's and Acura have lousy AC systems. I think the main reason why is due to having the AC running in the winter time to clear any inside moisture or condensation on the windshield. Honda won't cover anything, as they are allegedly unaware of the problem.

15th Apr 2010, 23:25

I used to unplug the A/C compressor electrical connector in winter. This keeps the compressor from engaging when the defroster is on, and I really couldn't tell any difference in clearing the inside of moisture. In the Spring I'd just plug it back in. This does save a lot of unnecessary wear on the compressor and doesn't hurt anything. And it isn't just Honda that has this feature. Virtually all cars now run the compressor when the defroster is on. It generates extra revenue for dealers replacing the worn-out compressors sooner.

11th Aug 2010, 22:14

My 2004 CR-V compressor locked and the entire system was replaced for $1700. 1 year and a couple of weeks later (124k), the compressor blew (yep, only 1 year warranty on the compressor), and now the repair bill is 2400 because I have to replace some extra hoses that have shrapnel in them.