2003 HONDA CR-V Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CRV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE AIR CONDITIONER INDEPENDENTLY SHUT OFF. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE IN HIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. THE DEALER ALSO ADVISED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR COULD LOCK AND THE SERPENTINE BELT COULD FRACTURE CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THEY WOULD COVER SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 61,000.

WE ARE WRITING TO REPORT NHTSA IN ADDRESSING A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE IN HONDA AUTOMOBILES AND SERIOUS NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF THE AMERICAN HONDA AUTOMOBILE COMPANY. WE OWN A 2003 HONDA CR-V (VIN: [XXX] ). THIS VEHICLE HAS SERIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECTS THAT HAVE RESULTED IN SEVERAL INSTANCES OF ENGINE RACING, WHERE THE VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY ACCELERATES UNCONTROLLABLY. ONLY MY HUSBAND'S CONSIDERABLE AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE WAS ABLE TO PREVENT POTENTIALLY FATAL ACCIDENTS THAT COULD HAVE KILLED OUR ENTIRE FAMILY. WE HAVE CONTACTED THE AMERICAN HONDA AUTOMOBILE CUSTOMER SERVICE MANY TIMES TO REPORT CRITICALLY DANGEROUS VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONS AFTER THESE INSTANCES OCCURRED, BUT TO NO AVAIL. WE REQUESTED THAT THE HONDA COMPANY ALLOW US TO RETURN THIS CAR TO THEM SO THAT THEY CAN RESEARCH THE PROBLEM. WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR RIGHT NOW, AND WE DO NOT WANT TO RESELL THIS CAR TO OTHERS, AS IT COULD CAUSE FATAL ACCIDENTS FOR SOMEONE ELSE. MY HUSBAND EXPERIENCED ENGINE RACING FOR THE FIRST TIME ON APRIL 28, 2009. THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STARTED REVVING TO OVER 7000 RPM, QUICKLY BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO 75MPH AND OVERCOMING ITS OWN BRAKES. THANKFULLY, HE WAS ABLE TO DISENGAGE THE GEAR, SHUT DOWN THE CAR, AND MANEUVER IT BY UNPOWERED STEERING, BRINGING IT TO A STOP BEFORE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OCCURRED. WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE TO SAFELY CONTROL THE CAR OR THE GOOD FORTUNE OF AN OPEN ROAD AND LIGHT TRAFFIC, HE MIGHT NOT HAVE SURVIVED. WE CALLED AAA TO TOW THE CAR TO AN AAA AUTHORIZED REPAIR SHOP NEARBY. THE REPAIR SHOP CHECKED THE ENGINE AND FOUND THAT THE DEVICE THAT CONTROLS ENGINE IDLING HAD MALFUNCTIONED. BOTH MY HUSBAND AND I MISSED WORK THAT MORNING. AFTERWARDS I CALLED AND EMAILED THE HONDA DEALER AND AMERICAN HONDA AUTOMOBILE CUSTOMER SERVICE TO REPORT A CRITICALLY DANGEROUS VEHICLE MALFUNCTION (CASE #[XXX]). WE REQUESTED THAT THEY REIMBURSE OUR COSTS OF REPAIRING THIS ENGINE CTRL MALFUNCTION AND INVESTIGATE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED IN MY 2003 HONDA CRV AT 42,240 MILES ALTHOUGH I HAD CAREFULLY HAD DEALER SERVICING ON A REGULAR BASIS. *TR

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2003 HONDA CR-V EX WITH 62K MILES ON IT. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR LESS THAN 3K ADDITIONAL MILES THE AIR CONDITIONER JUST STOPPED WORKING. WE WERE DRIVING WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ON AND THEN NEXT THING YOU KNOW IT JUST STOPPED BLOWING COLD AIR. I TOOK IN TO BE DIAGNOSED AND WAS TOLD THE AIR COMPRESSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TOTAL REPAIR COST IS ABOUT $1200. I HAVEN'T HAD IT REPAIRED YET BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE EXTRA CASH. LOOKS LIKE THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH HONDA. *TR

THE AC COMPRESSOR ON MY 2003 HONDA CR-V, 60917 MILES, DESTROYED ITSELF INTERNALLY CAUSING THE ENGINE TO CUT OFF. I HAD DIFFICULTY PULLING THE CAR OFF THE ROAD SINCE THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. LOCAL HONDA DEALER SAID THE COMPRESSOR CAME APART SENDING METAL SHAVINGS THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM. THIS WILL REQUIRE A COMPLETE A/C SYSTEM REPLACEMENT, COST $3300. AFTER CHECKING ON THE INTERNET, THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE CR-V. *TR

COMPLETE LOSS OF LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ON 2003 HONDA CR-V CONNECTOR IN STEERING COLUMN APPARENTLY EXPOSED TO HIGH HEAT OR FIRE, CAUSING MELTING OF PLASTIC PARTS IN CONNECTOR AND CORROSION TO METAL PINS IN SWITCH. *TR UPDATED 05/02/11 *BF AFTER REALIZING NEITHER HEADLIGHT WAS WORKING, THE CONSUMER PURCHASED AND INSTALLED TWO NEW BULBS. IT APPEARED THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED. BUT A FEW DAYS LATER, THE LIGHTS WERE OUT AGAIN. THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, HE OPENED THE STEERING COLUMN PANELS AND LOOKED AT THE WIRING HARNESS. HE FOUND A GREY CONNECTOR HOUSING WITH ONE OF THE SLOTS CHARRED AND MELTED. THE CORRESPONDING PIN LOOKED CORRODED. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND ATTEMPTED TO DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM. THEY CHANGED THE BULBS AGAIN, AND REFUSED TO LOOK IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE BULB CHANGE WORKED TEMPORARILY. THE CHANGING OF THE BULBS MOVED PROBABLY MOVED THE WIRING ENOUGH TO COMPLETE CONTACT SO THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WORKED. FURTHER DRIVING WOULD LOOSEN THE WIRES AND THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD GO OUT. THE CONSUMER FIXED THE PROBLEM BY USING A LIBERAL APPLICATION OF SILICON DI-ELECTRIC GREASE AT THE CONNECTION POINT BETWEEN THE BURNT CONNECTOR AND THE CORRODED PINS. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT EXPERIENCED ANY MORE PROBLEMS. UPDATED 08/29/11

GRINDING NOISE FROM REAR DIFFERENTIAL ON SLOW, TIGHT TURNS BOTH IN FORWARD AND IN REVERSE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CRV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOCKS ON EACH DOOR, EXCLUDING THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR, HAD FAILED AND THEY COULD ONLY BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 139,663. UPDATED 07/19/10 *BF UPDATED 07/21/10*JB

HAD TROUBLE ALSO WITH THE REMOTE, UNABLE TO UNLOCK DOORS, HAD TO REPLACE SENSOR AT MY EXPENSE IN ORDER TO WORK. 2003 CRV HONDA. *TR

THERE IS TWO PROBLEMS WITH MY 2003 HONDA CR-V. WHEN CAR HAS SAT OVERNIGHT OR WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ON FULL AND THE CAR WAS OFF WHEN WE WENT TO START THE CAR IT SOUNDED LIKE THE MAIN STARTER HAD BEEN CORRODED NOT ALLOWING THE CAR TO START IT'S NOT THE BATTERY NOR THE ALTERNATOR AND WHATS KEEPING THE STARTER FROM STARTING THE CAR ONLY HAS 92,000 MILES. THE BIGGER SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT THE TILT STEERING IS NOT LOCKING ALLOWING IT TO STAY LOOSE WHILE DRIVING, THIS IS A BIG ISSUE WHEN IN MOTION AND CANNOT FIND A SOLUTION. MY TWO REQUESTS ARE WHY IS THE STARTER GOING BAD SO EARLY AND WHY WONT THE TILT LOCK INTO PLACE? *TR