2004 Honda CR-V Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR FAILED IN MY 2004 HONDA CRV. DEALERSHIP WANTS $1900 PLUS TAX TO REPLACE SYSTEM. THERE SEEM TO BE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE IN ONLINE FORUMS. THE FAILURE CAUSES THE ENTIRE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM TO HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE KNOBS. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE COMPRESSOR WAS TOO SMALL AND THAT THIS ONE REASON FOR FAILURE. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE 2003 AND 2004 CRVS HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH AIR COMPRESSORS. HONDA USA IS ONLY WILLING TO REDUCE THE REPLACEMENT COST FROM $3039 PLUS TAX TO $2537 PLUS TAX. THE DEALERSHIP WAS WILLING TO REDUCE IT DOWN TO $1900. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA CR-V. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE VEHICLE INTO THE DRIVEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, IT SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE PREVIOUSLY OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND NO PARTS WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,894. UPDATED 3/16/09 *CN UPDATED 03/18/09.*JB
THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR ON MY 2004 HONDA CRV INTERNALLY DISINTEGRATED CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE COMPLETE SYSTEM ACCORDING TO MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM WITH THE CRV'S. *TR
HAVE A 2004 CRV. COMPRESSOR LOCKED UP AND BROKE OFF CLUTCH FROM COMPRESSOR. THE COMPRESSOR IMPLODED DAMAGING THE OVERALL AC UNIT. THE HOLE SYSTEM HAS TO BE REPLACED. I CONTACTED HONDA DEALER IN DAYTONA. ESTIMATED REPAIR CHARGES WILL BE $3,000.00. I SURPRISE SINCE THERE HAS BEEN SO MANY COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEB SITE WHY THE NHTSA HAS NOT FORCE HONDA INTO A RECALL . *TR
A BUZZING NOISE SUDDENLY STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHILE DRIVING AND THE AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED COOLING. TOOK THE CAR TO HONDA AND PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAILED A/C COMPRESSOR WHICH CONTAMINATED THE ENTIRE SYSTEM. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR WAS $3600+. CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN 71,000+ MILES. HONDA REP AGREED TO PAY 50% OF THE REPAIR COSTS AS PART OF THEIR "GOODWILL WARRANTY" . SINCE THIS IS OCCURRING ON SO MANY 2001 - 2004 CR-V'S, THERE SHOULD BE 100% COVERAGE ON REPAIRS IF NOT A RECALL. THIS EDMUNDS LINK INDICATES THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM: HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F0D3FB5/808!KEYWORDS=ALLIN%3AMSGTEXT%20HONDA%20CRV#808 NOT BEING A SAFETY ISSUE, THEY WILL PROBABLY NOT RECALL. BEING SO WIDE-SPREAD, THERE SHOULD BE MORE CONSISTENCY IN HONDA'S RESPONSE (ALL OWNERS THAT ENCOUNTER THIS ISSUE SHOULD GET 100% COVERAGE OF REPAIR COSTS). THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT. *TR
2004 HONDA CRV AIR CONDITIONER UNIT CRYSTALLIZED INTO PIECES. THANK GOD I HAD EXTENDED WARRANTY! IF I WOULD NOT HAVE IT WOULD HAVE COST ME OVER $5000.00I AM NOT A HAPPY CAMPER ABOUT THIS BECAUSE A CALL BACK SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BECAUSE THE MECHANIC AT THE HONDA PLACE AT BAKER HONDA IN HOUMA ,LA. TOLD MY HUSBAND ALOT OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE COME BACK WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. *TR
DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, THERE WAS A LOUD POP THAT YOU COULD FEEL THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE. IT SOUND LIKE A GUN HAD BEEN FIRED AT CLOSE RANGE. THE ENGINE DIED IMMEDIATELY AND THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO KEEP UNDER CONTROL BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART UNTIL THE DEFROSTER WAS TURNED OFF. IF THE HEATER, A/C, OR DEFROSTER WAS TURNED BACK ON THE VEHICLE WOULD IMMEDIATELY STALL AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THE A/C COMPRESSOR SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND LITTERED THE ENTIRE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM WITH METAL DEBRIS. WE WERE QUOTED A REPAIR COST OF $3500. OUR EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERED THE COMPRESSOR (ALTHOUGH AFTERMARKET) BUT WERE STUCK WITH THE BILL FOR THE HIGH PRESSURE LINES AND OTHER SMALL PARTS THAT STILL TOTALED NEARLY $1000. A SEARCH OF THE PROBLEM PROVES THIS IS EXTREMELY COMMON FOR THIS GENERATION OF CR-V, WITH THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS IN ONLINE FORUMS, CHATS, MESSAGE BOARDS, ENTHUSIAST CLUBS, AND EVEN DOT NHTSA COMPLAINTS. THERE ARE NO SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON OTHER HONDA A/C COMPRESSORS THAT ARE THIS WIDESPREAD. THE FACT THAT THIS PARTICULAR COMPRESSORS PART NUMBER IS NOT USED ON OTHER HONDA VEHICLE INDICATES THAT THERE IS: A) PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN, B) A PROBLEM WITH THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS, C) A PROBLEM WITH THE INITIAL INSTALL OR MAINTENANCE OF THE COMPRESSOR, OR D) SOME COMBINATION OF THE PREVIOUS STATED POSSIBILITIES. THESE SYSTEMS ARE FAILING AT HIGH RATES FOR SUCH LOW MILEAGES, THEY LAST MUCH LONGER ON OTHER VEHICLES (EVEN OTHER HONDAS). IN ADDITION TO THE PROBLEM THERE IS ALSO THE FACT THAT MANY OWNERS GET VARYING RESPONSES FROM THE DEALERSHIPS AND FROM HONDA CORPORATE AS TO HOW THE SITUATION IS HANDLED. SOME OWNERS ARE COVERED 100% BY A "GOOD FAITH" WARRANTY AS THE REPRESENTATIVE ACKNOWLEDGES THE PROBLEM IS COMMON. SOME OWNERS, SUCH AS ME, ARE ON OUR OWN OR HAVE TO RELY ON A LIMITED EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT COVERS THE FAILURE BUT NOT THE PARTS THAT THE FAILURE TOOK OUT WITH IT. PLEASE HELP US! *TR
I'M THE FIRST OWNER OF A 2004 HONDA CRV WITH A 5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. FROM JUNE 2008 TO THE PRESENT (SEPTEMBER 2008) THE VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED A STALL PROBLEM DURING EVERY SINGLE USE. CURRENT VEHICLE MILEAGE IS 115,000. ALL THE STALLS OCCUR DURING THE SAME PERIOD RELATIVE ENGINE STARTUP, BETWEEN ABOUT FIVE AND TEN MINUTES AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, AND WHEN THE VEHICLE COMES TO A STOP. THIS STALL PERIOD BASICALLY OCCURS AT STOP SIGNS FOR A MULTI-MINUTE PERIOD AFTER THE CHOKE COMES DOWN. UNFORTUNATELY THIS STALL PERIOD COINCIDES WITH TYPICAL STOP AND GO DRIVING AFTER DEPARTURE: NEAR HOME, WORKPLACE, SCHOOLS, AND RETAIL OUTLETS. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY CONCERN. THE STALL OCCURS SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. POWER STEERING AND BRAKING SYSTEMS BECOME DIFFICULT TO USE. I HAVE NARROWLY AVOIDED A NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS WHILE TRYING TO RECOVER FROM A STALL. THE VEHICLE OFTEN DOES NOT START BACK UP IMMEDIATELY AFTER STALLING. I'M CONCERNED THE STARTER WILL DEGRADE AND FURTHER INHIBIT TIMELY RESTARTING. REPAIR EFFORTS HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. AN INDEPENDENT SHOP AND A HONDA DEALER HAVE BEEN TRIED. THE HONDA DEALER IN EXETER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, BLATANTLY AVOIDED THE PROBLEM AND CHARGED ABOUT $600 FOR UNRELATED WORK THAT WAS ALSO NOT ORDERED. APPARENTLY THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER REPORTED A VOLTAGE DROP. THE INDEPENDENT SHOP HAS ATTEMPTED TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM AT THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES HAVE BEEN CHANGED AND OTHER REGULAR MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN COMPLETED. AN IMMEDIATE FIX IS DESIRED FOR THIS 2004 HONDA CRV STALLING PROBLEM. MY YOUNG FAMILY IS PUT AT AN ELEVATED RISK EVERY TIME WE DRIVE SOMEWHERE, WE CANNOT EASILY SELL A VEHICLE IN THIS CONDITION, AND WE CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY AN EXTRA VEHICLE. *TR
A/C COMPRESSOR SHELLED/FAILED & SENT METAL SHAVINGS THROUGH-OUT SYSTEM. SYSTEM CONTAMINATED, 3K TO REPLACE WHOLE SYSTEM. IN MY OPINION, HONDA ADMITS LIABILITY W/ "GOODWILL WARRANTY" & AGREED TO PAY 75% TO FIX A/C. A/C COMPRESSOR DEFECTIVE CAR ONLY HAS 50K MI. I WANT FULL COMPENSATION. *TR
DRIVING ON LOCAL HIGHWAY WITH MY WIFE, TWO YEAR OLD AND THREE YEAR OLD IN THE BACK WHEN LOUD RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD, FOLLOWED BY AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR BLOWING OUT, CAUSING HEAVY METALLIC PIECES TO GO ROLLING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEEDS. THANKFULLY, NO OTHER CARS WERE IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. WHOLE A/C UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO EXPLODING PARTS AND, AFTER MUCH COMPLAINING , WAS ONLY GIVEN PARTIAL CREDIT TO COVER COSTS. HONDA KNOWS ABOUT PROBLEM AND KNOWS ALL A/C COMPRESSORS MADE WITH DURING CERTAIN YEARS WILL FAIL BUT IS HANDLING ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS AND IS NOT UPFRONT IN TELLING CONSUMER ABOUT PROBLEM. PLEASE CHECK SITE LISTED BELOW TO NOTE HOW COMMON THIS PROBLEM IS. HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/HONDA-CR-V/TU0OKFJGV9V3F3FGL. *TR
HEARD A "POP" SOUND WHILE DRIVING. A/C STOPPED WORKING, WARM AIR, HEATER ONLY. AFTER BEING CHECKED BY MIDAS, A REPLACEMENT COST OF THE COMPRESSOR/CONDENSER (SAME PART) WAS QUOTED FOR OVER $2,000. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT AC SINCE (HAPPENED IN 2007). HONDA QUOTE IS OVER $2,000 AS WELL. *TR
AIR COMPRESSOR "EXPLODED" ON 2004 HONDA CR-V. CAR BOUGHT NEW. 68,500 MILES. TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP LAST YEAR A/C PROBLEMS. PROBLEM NOT UNCOMMON WITH CR-V. HONDA RESPONSE INCONSISTENT. SOME CUSTOMERS REIMBURSED 100%,SOME 0%. MY CAR TO BE REPAIRED THURSDAY(IF PARTS IN). COST TO ME $1400 +.RECALL NEEDED. *TR
AIR CONDITIONER BEGAN TO RATTLE, THEN RUPTURED AND FELL OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY, SENDING DEBRIS OUT ON THE ROAD IN THE PATH OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA CR-V. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD REVVING NOISE THAT DID NOT STOP UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE AIR CONDITIONER AND HEARD A LOUD RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM EVENTUALLY FAILED. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE CLUTCH ON THE AIR COMPRESSOR FAILED. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $1,500. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND IS WAITING FOR A RESPONSE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 41,000.
PLEASE VISIT THIS LINK AS IT SHOWS HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE: HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/HONDA-CR-V/TU0OKFJGV9V3F3FGL/P16#LASTPOST. HONDA IS SELLING A FAULTY AIR COMPRESSOR AND THEY ARE CHARGING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX IT. A LOUD BANG OCCURS, WHICH THROWS METAL FRAGMENTS THAT MECHANICS SAY COULD SEIZE THE ENGINE, THEN THE AIR CONDITIONER BLOWS HOT AIR. SOME OF THESE COMPRESSORS HAVE GONE THREE AND FOUR TIMES PER VEHICLE. AMERICAN HONDA DOES NOT OFFER TO RECALL THE PART; INSTEAD, THEY ONLY PAY SOME OF THE CHARGES TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM IF THE CUSTOMER TELLS THEM THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS FAULTY PART. EVERYONE IS BEING CHARGED DIFFERENT PRICES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, AND MOST OF THESE BREAK DOWNS ARE HAPPENING ON PRACTICALLY-NEW VEHICLES! PLEASE VISIT THAT LINK AND LOOK AT SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS. SOMEONE HAS TO HELP ABOUT THIS. THANKS MUCH. *TR
DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND A/C QUIT WORKING....COMPRESSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED QUOTED $1400 TO REPLACE...HONDA WHAT IS GOING ON WITH ALL THESE??? *TR
THE HONDA CR-V TRUCK HAS AN AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR THAT IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND THEY REFUSE TO DO A RECALL ON IT, EVEN THOUGH MECHANICS REPEATEDLY SAY THAT THE METAL FRAGMENTS IT THROWS AFTER IT BREAKS CAN CAUSE AN ENGINE TO SEIZE. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS AT THIS LINK. HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/HONDA-CR-V/TU0OKFJGV9V3F3FGL/P16#LASTPOST. THERE ARE MANY POSTS BEFORE THIS PAGE; I SENT THE LINK TO THE LAST POST. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT IN MY CASE, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE GETS KILLED, THEN THEY'LL DO THE RECALL OUT OF FEAR. HONDA WILL NOT DO A RECALL ON THIS, BUT THEY ARE REFUNDING MONEY ONLY IF CUSTOMERS TELL THEM THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. OTHERWISE, THEY CHARGE $800-$2500 FOR THIS FAULTY PART OF THEIRS. IT IS CRIMINAL! THANKS, IF YOU CAN HELP. *TR
AIR COMPRESSOR FAILURE. COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. STILL IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS. *TR
WHILE DRIVING IN MY HONDA CRV 2004 WITH THE A/C RUNNING, I NOTICE THAT THE AIR WAS NOT GETTING COOL. ABOUT 2 MINUTES LATER, I HEARD A BUZZING AND THUMPING SOUND. I SHUT THE AIR CONDITIONER DOWN AND TOOK MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE THE NEXT DAY. I WAS TOLD THE COMPRESSOR AND CLUTCH WERE GOING BAD AND IT WOULD BE $1500 TO GET IT FIXED. AFTER SOME RESEARCH ONLINE I FOUND THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM. I HOPE HONDA IS LOOKING INTO THIS ISSUE. I KNOW IT'S NOT LIFE THREATENING BUT IT'S CERTAINLY EXPENSIVE TO HAVE FIXED. *TR
2004 CR-V EXPERIENCED GRINDING NOISE WITH AC UNIT THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY FROZE ALL OCCURRED WITHIN TWO DAYS. REPAIR WAS COMPLETED THAT REQUIRED THE ENTIRE AC SYSTEM, COMPRESSOR, EVAPORATER AND CONDENSER WERE REPLACED. ALL OCCURRED AT 72,000 MILES. TOTAL COST OF REPAIR AT NON-DEALER LOCATION USING ALL NEW PARTS $1,059 DOLLARS. FIRST HONDA I'VE EVER OWNED THAT NEEDED A COSTLY REPAIR. THEN AGAIN THIS ON IS ASSEMBLED IN ENGLAND NOT USA OF JAPAN. *TR
A/C COMPRESSOR FAILED. CLUTCH BROKE OFF FROM COMPRESSOR. *TR
A/C COMPRESSOR WENT BAD. AC WAS WORKING GREAT ALL OF A SUDDEN ON ONE HOT DAY, IT JUST STOPS WORKING WHEN IT WAS WORKING PERFECTLY FINE. THOUGHT I NEEDED TO GET THE AC CHARGE, TOOK IT, AND THEY TODAY ME THE AC COMPRESSOR WENT AND I WOULD NEED TO CONTACT HONDA SINCE THEY ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO DEALS WITH THIS. CALL HONDA AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD 1200.00 TO START. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS WITH A KNOW PROBLEM. THERE SHOULD BE SOME TYPE OF RECALL ON THIS, IF HE HAS HAPPENED TO SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE. *TR
2004 HONDA CRV. BEGAN DRIVING IN 98 DEGREE WEATHER, HEARD LOUD CLATTER IN ENGINE, A/C BEGAN RUNNING WARM AIR, CAR STALLED. TOOK IT TO HONDA DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE A/C COMPRESSOR "BLEW UP" AND IT SENT SHARDS OF METAL THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE A/C SYSTEM. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIR COST WOULD BE $3500. *TR
A/C CONDENSER ON 2004 HONDA CRV IMPLODED WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE. SERVICE STATION TOLD ME THAT I WAS VERY LUCKY B/C THERE WAS NOTHING HOLDING ON A CERTAIN BELT OTHER THAN TENSION. IF THE BELT HAD COME OFF, I WOULD HAVE LOST POWER STEERING AND ALTERNATOR WOULD HAVE DIED. FOUND THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL VEHICLE AND HONDA SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND ISSUE RECALL. BESIDES IT BEING A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR, THERE ARE OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUES HERE. *TR
LOUD RATTLING NOISE FROM ENGINE UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE; HAD CR-V TOWED TO LIA HONDA IN ENFIELD, CT; LIA SAID EITHER ENGINE FIRE OR MISFIRED SPARK PLUG - COULDN'T TELL FOR SURE, BUT THAT IT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED AND THAT I DID NOTHING TO CAUSE IT; MACHINE SHOP IS INVESTIGATING TO DETERMINE IF CYLINDER HEAD, WHICH WAS MELTED, CAN BE REPAIRED, OR IF REPLACEMENT IS NEEDED; CHECKING FOR ADDITIONAL ENGINE DAMAGE; INVESTIGATION BY LIA IS UNDERWAY - SO UNSURE HOW THIS WILL END. *TR
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Quick Summary
The 2004 Honda CR-V has 135 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.