1999 Honda CR-V problems & reliability
127 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Honda CR-V, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (7 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 Honda CR-V vehicles were involved in 33 fatal crashes with 23 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 28 | 22% |
| Electrical System → | 27 | 21% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 16 | 13% |
| Tires → | 13 | 10% |
| Power Train → | 11 | 9% |
| Latches/locks/linkages → | 10 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 5% |
| Engine | 5 | 4% |
| Structure | 5 | 4% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 109,500 miles (middle 50% between 82,428 and 150,250 miles), based on 60 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“On my 1999 honda crv electrical contacts in the ignition switch can degrade due to the high electrical current passing through the switch when the vehicle is started. Worn contacts could cause the engine to stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash. Nhtsa campaign id number : 02v120000. Dealer (west hills…”
Electrical System · filed Dec 18, 2023
“The contact owns a 1999 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over safely, restarted the vehicle five times, and drove home. The contact stated that the failure was with ignition. The failure reoccurred…”
Electrical System · filed Jul 25, 2022
“The contact owns a 1999 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the vehicle would lock the doors automatically without warning. The contact stated that she was concerned that they would not be able to open the doors manually during an emergency event. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The…”
Latches/locks/linkages · filed Nov 22, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
91 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Honda CR-V. The 10 most recent:
This SKU is a Front Upper Ball Joint. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for the outer diameter of the ball joint housing being too small. The outer diameter being too small would…
DORE5C4S09 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 11, 2019
Honda: troubleshooting of diagnostic trouble codes (dtc) p1456 and p1457. Dealers are to run evap function test to find if there is a leak so the vehicle can be repaired. *kb
SB-99-075 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 9, 2013
Speedometer shops can transfer odometer mileage. Honda service news. *tt
07012005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2005
Transferring odometer mileage at odometer r&r. *tt
405 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 16, 2005
Diagnostic trouble code p1298 is stored in the ecm/pcm. *tt
05006 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 25, 2005
Rough idle, hard to start, poor engine performance, or malfunction indicator lamp (mil) comes on with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0301, p0302, p0303, p0304, or p0172. *tt *eh
03038 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 5, 2004
Poor a/c cooling during hard acceleration. *eh
07012004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2004
Rear differential moans moans with brakes applied at low speed. (4wd) *sc
06012004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2004
Differential moan when braking at low speed. (4wd) *sc
104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 16, 2004
Audio unit and navigation system anti-theft codes available on interactive network. *nm
05012004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2004
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1999 Honda CR-V has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1999 Honda CR-V?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 109,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.