2003 HONDA CR-V Complaints

2003 HONDA CRV A/C COMPRESSOR BLEW APART WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY @ 65 MPH-A FEW PIECES OF IT ESCAPED ONTO THE ROAD SURFACE-HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING AND FOUND MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE CRV COMPRESSOR FAILING ON 2001-2004 MODELS. PLEASE SEE WEBSITE TOWN-TALK EDMUNDS.COM W/SAME PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO REPORTS ON THAT WEBSITE, HONDA HAS BEEN REPLACING THE COMPRESSOR, FOR MOST, FREE OF CHARGE, BUT SOME VEHICLE OWNERS ARE REPORTING THAT THE PROBLEM IS RECURRING... *NM

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND I HEARD A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING FELL OFF THE CAR. AFTER THE NOISE, THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS BLOWING OUT HOT AIR. I TURNED THE AIR CONDITIONER OFF AND WENT STRAIGHT TO THE DEALER. SINCE IT WAS LATE IN THE DAY,THE DEALER COULD NOT LOOK AT THE VEHICLE, BUT A MECHANIC TOLD ME "OFF THE RECORD" THAT THE CONDENSER PROBABLY FELL OFF THE VEHICLE, AND THAT IT WILL PROBABLY BE EXPENSIVE TO FIX. HE SAID THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR MAKE/MODEL/YEAR. I STOPPED USING THE AIR CONDITIONER AND RETURNED AT A LATER TIME TO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED. AND SURE ENOUGH THE DEALER WANTED ALMOST $3,000- TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED, BUT I HAD TO PAY HALF THE COST WHICH I THOUGHT WAS UNFAIR. MY CAR HAS HAD ALL OF ITS SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE ON TIME AND PERFORMED BY THE DEALER, SO THE CAR WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. WHY DID THE CONDENSER FALL OFF THE CAR...AND WHY DID I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT??? OBVIOUSLY, THE PART OR PARTS ARE FAULTY FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HAVING THE VEHICLE INSPECTED, THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THERE WAS NOISE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE STRUT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY THE DEALERSHIP. UPDATED 06/01/2006. *AK

WITHOUT ANY PRIOR PROBLEM OR INDICATION OF A PROBLEM, SOMETHING DROPPED OFF THE BOTTOM OF MY CAR INTO THE ROAD. AT THAT EXACT MOMENT, THE AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED BLOWING COLD AIR. I TOOK THE CAR TO HAVE IT REPAIRED ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE A/C COMPRESSOR HAD BLOWN (AND THE CLUTCH HAD FALLEN OFF). I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A VERY FREQUENT OCCURRENCE WITH SECOND GENERATION HONDA CR-V'S. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING WITH AMERICAN HONDA MOTORS AS WELL AS MY DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. HONDA KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM, AND THE PART WAS REDESIGNED FOR THE 2004 MODEL. THIS PART NEEDS A RECALL! HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO COMPLAIN BEFORE THERE IS A FORMAL RECALL? *JB

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA CRV WITH 66,000 ORIGINAL MILES. WITH NO WARNING, THE AIR COMPRESSOR LOCKED UP, SENDING SHARDS OF METAL THROUGHOUT THE A. C. SYSTEM AND RUINING THE WHOLE SYSTEM. HONDA CORP. OF AMERICA IS "CHECKING MY GOOD CUSTOMER STATUS", WITH NO RETURN CALL THUS FAR. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP HAS ASSESSED THE A.C. TO CONFIRM THE ENTIRE A.C. NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR $2100.00. ALL THE PARTS ARE IN STOCK TO FIX THE A.C. SYSTEM, AND THE DEALERSHIP ADMITS TO FIXING THIS PROBLEM MANY TIMES. INTERNET FORUMS TARGET THIS VERY PROBLEM, AND HONDA IS NOT ADMITTING FAULTY EQUIPMENT.THE A.C. HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OTHER DAMAGE MAY OCCUR FROM THE A.C. SYSTEM FAILURE. *NM

THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT ON MY 2003 HONDA CRV CAME ON TWICE. FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED DECEMBER 2005, AND SECOND INCIDENT HAPPENED ON MARCH 21, 2006. ON THE FIRST INCIDENT, THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT WENT AWAY AFTER CHECKING THE FUEL CAP WASN'T CLOSED PROPERLY. SECOND INCIDENT, I TOOK THE CRV TO A HONDA TRAINED TECHNICIAN AND HAD IT DIAGNOSED. THE DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED ON 3/22/2006. THE SENSOR INSIDE THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLE IS MALFUNCTIONING. CONTACTED THE DEALER (HONDA STEVENS CREEK, SAN JOSE) AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. THEY NOTED THAT WARRANTLY FOR SUCH PARTS ARE ONLY COVERED FOR 3 YEARS OR 36,000 MILES WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. MY CRV WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW AND CURRENTLY HAVE 38,000 MILES, WHICH MEANS HONDA WILL NOT COVER FOR THE REPLACEMENT. REPLACEMENT OF THE COMPLETE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY COST $800+ AND DOES NOT INCLUDE LABOR AND DIAGNOSTIC COST. *NM

FAX E-MAIL FROM (MT) RE DEFECTIVE COMPUTER IN THEIR 2003 HONDA CRV, CAUSES THE ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. *TS A COMPUTER READ OUT INDICATED THAT AL FOUR CYLINDERS WERE MISFIRING. *JB

DRIVING TO WORK ON INTERSTATE 89 I HAD MY HOOD FLY UP ON ME AND SMASH MY WINDSHIELD, AND TOTALLY BLOCK MY VISION OF THE ROAD. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO NOT HAVE SOMEONE NEAR ME, SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD....I THEN GOT OUT AND WAS ABLE TO SECURE THE HOOD SO I COULD TEMPORARILY DRIVE IT OFF THE HIGHWAY AND TO MY OFFICE WHERE I THEN PROCEEDED TO LOOK INTO WHAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THIS. ON THE DAY BEFORE I HAD ADDED WINDSHIELD FLUID, SHUT THE HOOD AND CHECK TO MAKE SURE IT WAS SECURE. IT APPEARED TO BE SO. I DROVE AROUND TOWN ALL DAY SUNDAY AND THEN MONDAY MORNING APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES BEFORE THE HOOD BLEW UP INTO MY WINDSHIELD. THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP INDICATED THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE ON HONDA CRV'S AND THAT THE DESIGN FOR WHERE THE HOOD ROD IS PLACED IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE LATCH AND SOMETIMES GETS STUCK IN THE LATCH CAUSING IT TO NOT FULLY HITCH. I'M AMAZED I'M ALIVE AND FEEL LIKE PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS DESIGN FLAW. *NM

HONDA, 2003 CRV 4WD WITH 50,000 MILES. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DIAGNOSTICS REVEALED P0122 THROTTLE POSITION SWITCH LOW VOLT CAUSED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NOT TO SHIFT CORRECTLY, AND WILL PREVENT ACCELERATION TO HIGHWAY SPEED. DEALER QUOTED $950.00 FOR A REPLACEMENT OF THROTTLE BODY WITH THE THROTTLE POSITION SWITCH. DISCUSSIONS WITH OTHER MECHANICS INDICATED OTHER FAILURES WHICH MAY RESULT IN A HONDA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) OR RECALL. *AK

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 HONDA CRV ON THE SECOND DAY OF OUR TRIP FROM OHIO TO FLORIDA. THERE WERE TWO ADULTS, AND TWO SMALL CHILDREN IN THE CAR. WE WERE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. I HAD MY FEET TUCKED NEAR MY SEAT AWAY FROM THE PEDALS. THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN, NEARING THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. I PUT MY RIGHT FOOT DOWN ON THE BRAKE, AND IT WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR WITH NO BRAKING OR SLOWING DOWN. I THEN PUT MY LEFT FOOT ON THE CLUTCH TO MAKE SURE MY FEET WERE IN THE CORRECT PLACE, AND THE CLUTCH WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH MY LEFT FOOT. I TRIED MY RIGHT FOOT AGAIN ON THE BRAKE WITH NO RESISTANCE, AND NO SLOWING DOWN. I THEN TRIED TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL WITH THE HAND CONTROLS ON THE STEERING WHEEL, WITH NO RESULT. ALL DURING THIS TIME,THE CAR CONTINUED TO CONSISTENTLY ACCELERATE TO THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. KNOWING ONLY THAT THE STEERING WORKED AT THAT POINT I JERKED THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT IN ORDER TO AVOID RAMMING THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. THANKFULLY, THERE WAS NOT A CAR TO OUR RIGHT, THERE WAS TO THE LEFT. THE CAR SWERVED VIOLENTLY, AND SHIFTED UPWARDS AS TO ROLL. I PULLED THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT AND SWERVED AGAIN. WE SWERVED SEVERAL TIMES, AND AT THAT POINT I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR BACK IN CONTROL AGAIN. WE TOOK THE CAR TO A HONDA DEALERSHIP IN FLORIDA, AND THEY TRIED TO RECREATE THE SITUATION. GOOD THING THEY COULDN'T. THEY, TOO, MAY HAVE NEARLY DIED. THEY SUGGESTED WE TAKE IT TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP ONCE WE WERE HOME IN OHIO, WHICH WE DID. THEY SAID IT CHECKED OUT FINE. THIS IS A CLASSIC CASE OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION. AT LEAST 4 VERY VALUABLE LIVES WERE NEARLY TAKEN, AND PROBABLY MORE, GIVEN THE INEVITABLE ENTANGLEMENT WE WOULD HAVE CAUSED WITH OTHER CARS NEAR/BEHIND US ON THE HIGHWAY. *AK