2012 HONDA CR-V Complaints

Complete rear tire assembly came loose from the unibody frame from rust. Not a drop of rust on the body of the car.Thank god we weren’t on the highway. they told me it was unfixable.Thank you Honda.And the recall stopped at 2011? Honda obviously doesn’t care about safety and human life.

The contact owns a 2012 Honda CR-V. The contact called on behalf of her son. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed and exiting a parking lot, the rear axle on the vehicle snapped. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact’s son pulled over, and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was declared a total loss. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

On Monday, April 21, I was traveling down a long hill (2 lanes up, 1 downhill) when my vehicle went into an uncontrolled, broadside skid into 2 lanes of oncoming traffic. I continued to skid back to the right side of the road, back to the left, and finally back to the right where I got it pulled onto the berm. Upon examination, my right rear tire was tilted outward at approximately 30 degrees. The wheel was totally locked up. I called a towing company as the vehicle was completely unable to be driven. A state police officer showed up, apparently called by a passerby, for traffic control and assess the safety of the situation. The car was hauled via tilt-bed truck to my local auto repair shop. One of the mechanics there told me his wife had the same vehicle, only a year older, that he been recalled due to this being and issue for 2011. I called Honda customer care and was informed that the recall was not in effect for 2012 model year. Customer care advised me to have the car taken to a Honda dealership, which was done, again via tilt-bed. Both my local shop and the dealer said the damage was irreparable. Customer care said the case would be assigned to one of their agents, but nothing has happened since April 24, the day they were initially notified.

The contact owns a 2012 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 55 MPH, the suspension failed, and the vehicle started veering back and forth uncontrollably between two lanes. The contact's wife was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that that the rear driver's side trailing arm had detached from the frame due to severe corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a related recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a goodwill assistance could be considered after the dealer had diagnosed the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 230,000.

Upon cold start, the engine makes a loud knocking or rattling noise for several seconds, most noticeable after the vehicle has been sitting overnight. The noise seems to be coming from the timing area of the engine and has been identified by multiple mechanics as likely due to a faulty VTC (Variable Timing Control) actuator. This issue happens consistently during cold starts, then disappears once the engine warms up. There are no warning lights, diagnostic codes, or messages displayed on the dashboard when this occurs. The noise is loud enough to raise safety concerns, as it could indicate premature wear on internal components. I’m concerned that continued driving could lead to more serious engine damage. This problem has not been officially diagnosed by a dealership, but online forums and known service bulletins suggest this is a common issue with the 2012 Honda CR-V. From what I understand, the actuator allows oil to drain when the engine is off, causing a delay in oil pressure build-up and resulting in the knocking noise. This has not yet resulted in a breakdown, but the risk of future failure is concerning. I believe this should be further investigated due to the widespread nature of the problem and the potential long-term damage it could cause.

*Background information: Vehicle was purchased in 2012 from Williams Honda in Elmira, N.Y. I purchased this vehicle from my aunt on [XXX], with 48,301 miles and vehicle has been registered and driven in Florida since 2019. Vehicle’s VIN and sticker is 04/2012 just four months after current recall. American Honda Case Number [XXX]. *Friday, [XXX], while I was driving through a neighborhood the trailing arm became unattached without warning. (See photos attached). *Monday, [XXX] vehicle was towed to Brandon Honda in Brandon, Florida for a diagnostic. I was informed the vehicle was a total loss and to contact American Honda (See attached photos from Brandon Honda). *Tuesday, [XXX] American Honda sent me an email stating that the safety recall for Honda CRV Rear Frame Brace Honda Campaign Number UE3 was VIN specific and did not match my vehicle’s VIN number and closed my case (See attached email). *November 2024 – January 2025 constant phone calls and emails to Brandon Honda and American Honda and completely stonewalling me. Constant contact with Brandon Honda’s service manager Jen who supposedly report issue to American Honda. I requested the service manager’s report, but they refuse to provide me the refusal from American Honda. I have yet to receive a work order for the diagnostic from November 2024 from Brandon Honda and my vehicle is still at the service center today. *Sunday, [XXX] I requested a review of my case with American Honda. This vehicle has a manufactured date of April 2012 only fours months after the UE3 recall with possible parts linked to this recall. My vehicle exhibits the same exact issues as the UE3 recall with the driver side rear trailing arm becoming unattached from the body without notice. American Honda has not responded yet with my request to review the case filed back in November. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2012 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 20 MPH, the vehicle began to wobble after driving over a puddle. The contact's wife pulled over and discovered that the rear driver’s side tire had sunken into the rear axle. The contact had the vehicle towed to the residence and discovered that a portion of the sub frame where the failure had occurred was corroded. The contact called the dealer, and the failure was acknowledged; however, the vehicle was not under recall. The contact was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test and was referred to the manufacturer for additional assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided the same information as the dealer. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.

The frame rusted off where the right Rear Trailing Arm attaches, causing the Trailing Arm to detach. Yes , it is available to inspect. I am was safe, because it happened at a Stop sign. No one other myself has inspected it. ABS and All Wheel drive light came on.

The 2012 Honda CRV with 107,000 miles was making noise on startup and first few minutes of running. This only happened a few times. No Engine light or oil light came on, but planned to bring to repair shop soon. Then the engine stalled driving on the highway. The car completely shutdown. When brought to Honda Dealer, they said it COMPLETELY ran out of oil and the engine, as well as many other components, were destroyed, quoting $11,0000 in repairs to put in another USED (not new) engine. The Oil had been replaced less than 7,000 miles prior to the incident with the recommended full synthetic (which Honda says should last 7,500 to 10,000 miles). Honda dealer said the engine had no compression, which means the piston rings were shot. This is the SAME EXACT issue that the 2008-2011 Accords/CRVs had, and Honda recognized it, extending the warranty to 125,000 on the engine. I requested assistance from Honda - they said NO - despite the fact THAT I HAVE OWNED 8 HONDAs in my lifetime. This will be the Last Honda I ever buy as even the 2018-2019 CRVS now have yet another oil consumption/dilution issue, and HONDA NO LONGER STANDS BY THEIR CUSTOMERS (because they can not afford to with their diminishing quality) !!

The contact owns a 2012 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that the heating system and defroster were inoperable. The contact stated that both the heater and defroster would not function properly as no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the water pump may have failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer for further assistance. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 117,000.