82 complaints reported

2008 Honda CR-V Electrical System

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
82
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

May 2024

Door actuators ( Front passenger side and Back driver side) does not work. It bothers me by locking and unlocking.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Apr 2024
Oct 2023

Door locks began opening and closing on their own while I was driving. I have replaced battery twice since this began. The auto repair place and AAA were unable to locate a cause for the electrical problem. The car will not stay locked. I was robbed of my personal property while it was parked. It is not really safe to drive since I cannot secure myself in it.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Oct 2023
Sep 2023

Driver door actuator started jamming late July. Door would only look after pressing the lock button from the passenger side. It eventually stopped locking that way and would only lock after hitting the lock button 8+ times on the driver side. Yes it is available for inspection upon request. My own safety is put at risk due to this issue because my doors are unable to lock. As a young woman, who doesn't have access to a garage and sometimes doesn't get home till late, having doors that are completely unable to lock due to a known system issue from Honda makes me uneasy. Yes, the problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. No the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, etc... No, the car provided no warning lamps, messages or any other symptoms of the issue. Issues first appeared in late July and have drastically gotten worse since then.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jul 2023
Aug 2023

Approximately six months to one year ago, a screeching sound was audible anytime I would lock or unlock the doors in my 2008 Honda CR-V. I researched the issue and found out that this vehicle has a known problem with its actuators, and that Honda was successfully sued in 2015 resulting in an extension of the warranty on the part. I inherited this vehicle from my grandmother, and I found out from Honda that she did in fact have the part replaced in 2015, yet it has started to fail again, and Honda is refusing to fix it. The problem is that this failure causes the doors to automatically relock themselves after being unlocked. Obviously, this creates a serious safety concern should it become necessary to exit the vehicle in the event of an emergency. I don't believe it should be the owners responsibility to pay to have this part replaced AGAIN after Honda replaced their defective part with an equally defective one.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jun 2022
May 2023

Auto door locking system attempts to lock all four doors every time the vehicle drops below 10 miles per hour and then goes above 10 mph. All four doors can be manually locked and show they are locked when the motion auto lock system thinks one or more are not locked and attempts to lock after 10 miles per hour. This continues for every trip.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: May 2023
May 2023

My door lock actuator have been malfunctioning in right rear passenger,left passenger and driver sides. It makes a buzzing and gun shooting sound. Recently my door ajar alert has been coming on if I slightly touch driver door. My alarm is also starting go go off by itself due to the door lock actuators malfunctioning.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2022
Apr 2023

The door lock actuators are failing, causing the doors to lock or unlock almost every time I speed up from a stop. The passenger door defaults to lock almost at all times, when unlocked it will relock within 3 seconds.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2023
Apr 2023

My vehicle had the recall of the door locks completed but it has started the same problems again. Doors locking and unlocking at random while driving. Door unlocking once I have got out of the vehicle at a store and I have no idea for how long. Front and Back doors on the driver side is now making a grinding and loud popping noise when locking/unlocking the doors. The back gate tells me it is ajar but is not. The doors may or may not let you out of the car once you have arrived at your destination and placed the vehicle in park. The unlock button does not seem to help this problem. You must move the gear shifter back and forth and finally you can exit the vehicle. SAFETY ISSUE. Another recall needs to done for this issue.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Apr 2023
Apr 2023

When locking the door, there is a loud noise. I was told the lock actuator is bad and needs to be replaced (driver rear). I purchased this vehicle in October 2022 and the warranty is no longer valid. Prior to, the passenger front lock actuator had to be replaced. The vehicle is available to be inspected upon request

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Nov 2023
Feb 2023

Vehicle door locks acting up off & on for several years. Sometimes not unlocking needing to insert key to unlock, other times passenger door not locking when using fob and doors locking & unlocking while driving. Now most recently cannot open drivers door from inside. It can be opened from the outside. This is very dangerous if you needed to get out of car quickly, not to mention the inconvenience of crawling over the center console to get out of passenger door. I am [XXX] and will never buy another Honda as I’ve read about the problems with this. Too bad because I really like my crv. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2023
Oct 2022

Door lock actuators failing, makes a loud buzzing noise when locking and sometimes locks and unlocks on its own when I’m driving. There are no recalls coming up, however I was informed of a class action lawsuit against Honda regarding the door lock issues with 2007-2011 Honda CRV’s.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2022
Sep 2022

This did not happen due to an accident. When I park my car and lock the car the passenger door in the front does not stay locked. I have manually locked it and the latch is moving over I believe this is called the Aactuator. I believe there has been a recall and now I see no recalls. This is unsafe for me and it does need to be fixed as it is a issue with how they made the vehicle.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2022
Sep 2022

While driving my front passenger door lock will start unlocking and relocking on my 2008 Honda CRV. I have been told the door locking actuator has failed. While at a stop light my doors became unlocked and I did not know it, and someone opened my passenger door. I was able to drive off but this is a huge safety issue. Also I can lock my doors after exiting vehicle and randomly they will unlock. My car is now left vulnerable to theft. I contacted my local dealership and was told my driver door actuator was replaced under a recall, but not the others. I was told if I want the other defective ones replaced I must pay hundreds of dollars for each. I am an older woman and am afraid to drive my car without working door locks. I do not feel safe and anyone/anything in my car is not safe.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Dec 2022
Dec 2021

THE DOOR LOCKS ARE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. I HAD A CHILD IN MY CARE WHEN AT ONE TIME THE DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN AT ALL. THANKFULLY ONE WINDOW WAS DOWN AND ALLOWED ME TO CLIMB THROUGH AND GET TO THE BABY. I HAD TO CLIMB THROUGH TO THE BACK AND MANUALLY GET THE BACK HATCH TO OPEN. THE DOORS WOULD NOT UNLOCK. THEY WILL UNLOCK NOW BUT THE REAR DRIVER DOOR WILL NOT LOCK AT ALL. THE LOCKS LOCK AND UNLOCK AS I AM DRIVING AND HAVE A HORRIBLE BUZZING NOISE. THESE LOCKS ARE NOT SAFE!

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Sep 2021
Oct 2021

POWER LOCKS, LOCK AND UNLOCK ON THEIR OWN RANDOMLY. THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING AND WHILE PARKED. THIS HAS HAPPENED SO FAST AFTER PARKING, THAT I HAVE NOT EVEN HAD TIME TO OPEN THE BACK DOORS AND GET MY CHILDREN OUT. HAD I NOT GRABBED MY KEYS, THEY COULD HAVE BEEN LOCKED INSIDE THE CAR ALONE! THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE! IT HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING, WHILE PARKED, WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND WITH THE CAR COMPLETELY TURNED OFF AND THE KEY REMOVED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2021
Aug 2021

Rear door lock is malfunctioning. Sometimes it will lock when lock button is depressed. Other times it won't. Sometimes it will lock, but then unlock itself shortly after. This is a safety issue, since we are located in a high-crime area, Berkeley, CA, where car thefts, carjackings and car break-ins are common. There were no warning signs, lamps or other symptoms prior to this problem. Just started happening in the past few months. Started as an occasional problem, but has become persistent.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: May 2021
Jun 2021

Purchased vehicle in 2020. The rear door behind driver locking actuator went out. Honda repaired for $250 since recall stopped. Last month, both the front passenger and rear passenger locking actuators went out (another $250 each door). Doors lock and unlock on their own. Safety issue.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jun 2021
Jun 2021

THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR WON'T STAY LOCKED. NO MATTER IF YOU TRY TO LOCK IT WITH THE KEY FOB OR MANUALLY LOCK IT, IT WILL JUST UNLOCK BY ITSELF. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE 2020 AND IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Mar 2020
Jan 2021

WHEN DRIVING, MY DOORS WILL SPONTANEOUSLY LOCK AND UNLOCK - I DO NOT PUSH THE BUTTONS TO DO SO. ALSO, MY BACKSEAT DOORS DO NOT LOCK. THEY APPEAR LOCKED, BUT THE DOORS STILL OPEN NO MATTER WHAT. MY FRONT PASSENGER DOOR ALSO LOCKS IMMEDIATELY AFTER UNLOCKING.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2018
Jan 2021

All 4 Door locks failed. Yes it is available for inspection upon request. The safety of anyone who is inside the vehicle is at risk. Yes the problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. It has been inspected by an ASE certified mechanic. There was not any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the first failure. An OBD2 scanner didn't show the vehicle as to having any issues with it as well. The day after I bought this car, the locks will lock and unlock while driving the car and when the car is turned off as well. I don't have any of the key fobs that go to the car, only the Valet key that doesn't have any buttons on it, and only locks and unlocks vehicle through the keyhole on driver's door. After class dismissal at 10pm, I went to enter the vehicle, but looked inside it just in case, and knowing the locks didn't work properly, and saw a man laying in the back of the car. I walked over to another class member close by and called campus security. The man must have heard us and got out of the car and ran. While running a gun fell to the ground but was reported stolen, he's still out there. I just purchased the vehicle 8 months ago and won't drive it anymore due to the faulty door locks. There isn't a recall on the locks and why should I have to pay Honda to replace them with another set of locks that could have the same issue. I was lucky that I was able to get a ride back and forth to school but lost my job due to lack of transportation. I'm out $5800, a car, a job, facing eviction, and now on psychological medicine due to faulty door locks. This is my 3rd and last Honda I will ever own. Thanks Honda.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2021
May 2020

II PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN AUGUST 2019 WHEN IT HAD ABOUT 142,000 MILES ON ODOMETER. RECENTLY WITH ABOUT 146,000 MILES ON ODOMETER THE RIGHT FRONT DOOR STARTED UNLOCKING IMMEDIATELY AFTER LOCKING IT. THERE IS NO WAY TO LOCK THE DOOR, AS IT ALWAYS UNLOCKS ITSELF. IT UNLOCKS WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS MOVING OR STATIONARY, WITH OR WITHOUT THE IGNITION ON OR OFF OR THE KEY IS IN THE IGNITION OR NOT.. OTHER DOORS STAY LOCKED, INCLUDING THE REAR LIFTGATE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jun 2020
Apr 2020

IM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY DOOR LOCKS ALL MAKE A TERRABLE STARTLING NOISE THAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE RECALL ON THEM AND I HAVE HAD THE DRIVERS SIDE REPLACE AT MERCED HONDA. BUT NOW IT DOES IT IN ROUTE AND NO ONE CAN GET OUT OF THE BACK PASSENGER SEAT . IT IS JUST LOCKED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Oct 2020
Mar 2020

THE LOCK ON THE REAR-PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR WON'T STAY LOCKED; IT WILL CONSTANTLY UNLOCK ITSELF AFTER TRYING TO LOCK IT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Mar 2020
Sep 2019

THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR IS MALFUNCTIONING. IT CAUSES THE DOOR NOT TO LOCK. WHENEVER THE BRAKES IS APPLIED THE LOCKING MECHANISM CLICKS BACK AND FORTH WHILE DRIVING AND PARKED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Feb 2018
Mar 2019

CRV WAS IN PARK, TURNED ON IGNITION, CLOSED DRIVER DOOR AND WENT AROUND TO BACK DOOR TO GET SOMETHING FROM THE BACK SEAT; CAR LOCKS LOCKED WHEN I CLOSED DOOR. WE HAD TO JIMMY THE CAR LOCK OPEN WHILE CAR WAS ON. NOW, ONE OF THE BACK LOCKS SOUNDS LIKE A MACHINE GUN WHEN WE LOCK THE CAR WITH THE FOB OR WHEN THE LOCKS CLOSE THEMSELVES AFTER REACHING A CERTAIN SPEED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 HONDA CR-V, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jul 2018

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Quick Summary

The 2008 Honda CR-V has 82 Electrical System complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.