2012 Honda CR-V problems & reliability
403 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Honda CR-V, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 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 components.
19 complaints report injuries (24 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2012 Honda CR-V vehicles were involved in 103 fatal crashes with 48 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine → | 89 | 22% |
| Electrical System → | 68 | 17% |
| Unknown / Other | 52 | 13% |
| Power Train → | 48 | 12% |
| Steering → | 35 | 9% |
| Air Bags → | 30 | 7% |
| Structure → | 29 | 7% |
| Suspension → | 26 | 6% |
| Service Brakes → | 23 | 6% |
| Visibility/wiper → | 23 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 24 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 262 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 40,000 miles (middle 50% between 17,850 and 70,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2012 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle pulled to the left. The driver pulled over, and the vehicle was towed to the residence. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the rear driver's side wheel suspension assembly had detached and the…”
Suspension · filed Aug 31, 2026
“Driving on the interstate, my moonroof exploded. Sunny day April 30, 2025. Nothing hit the roof. Thankfully I had the shade closed. I purchased a replacement roof from a local salvage yard and no issues with the replacement.”
Unknown / Other · filed Aug 31, 2026
“2012 Honda CR-V - I've had to replace my battery multiple times. I would go out the car and it would be dead. I even tried replacing the alternator. I am replacing batteries at an average of every 2.5 years. Honda tells me I can do a diagnostic test for $189. I see there are repeated complaints about the Honda CR-V…”
Electrical System · filed Aug 28, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
- Electrical overstress
Engineering Analysis EA19001 · opened Apr 19, 2019 · closed Sep 19, 2024 · led to recall 20V024
- Autoliv Air Bag Propellant Mixture
Investigation EQ12002 · opened Feb 14, 2012 · closed May 8, 2012
Technical service bulletins
105 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2012 Honda CR-V. The 10 most recent:
ServiceNews Article - When removing and installing a cable reel, you need to keep both the cable reel and the steering angle sensor in position. If you don't , the VSA indicator may come on along with one or more VSA…
A19050B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 16, 2019
Service Bulletin - This bulletin has been cancelled because the collection is now complete. If you did the collection in this Service Bulletin on or before February 26, 2019 (RO date), use the Warranty Claim Information…
A18-138 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 26, 2019
Service bulletin - 2012 CR-V Driver?s Airbag Inflator Collection. This bulletin has been cancelled because the collection is now complete.
A17-028 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 24, 2018
Service bulletin - This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators. American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any manufacturing defects…
A18-057 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 15, 2018
Service bulletin - The tailgate won?t open from the outside handle in temperatures near freezing or colder, but will open in warmer temperatures. There is an internal failure of the tailgate outer handle switch.
A16-063 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 11, 2018
Service bulletin - The tailgate won?t open from the outside handle in temperatures near freezing or colder, but will open in warmer temperatures. There is an internal failure of the tailgate outer handle switch.
A16-063 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 25, 2018
Dealer message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is investigating certain 2012-2016 CR-Vs with a customer complaint of the front wiper motor inop completely or inop on certain speed setting. To fully understand the…
APaS01032018904 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 3, 2018
Dealer message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is investigating certain 2012-2016 CR-Vs with a customer complaint of the front wiper motor inop completely or inop on certain speed setting. To fully understand the…
APaS11272017907 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 27, 2017
Dealer message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is investigating certain 2012-2016 CR-Vs with a customer complaint of the front wiper motor inop completely or inop on certain speed setting. To fully understand the…
APaS11102017902 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 10, 2017
Service bulletin - The electric differential pressure solenoid (EDPS) in the rear differential has excessive oil pressure, causing the AWD indicator to come on and DTC C-1858-73 (differential fluid pressure deviation…
A15-016 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 12, 2017
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 2012 Honda CR-V has 3 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 2012 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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 40,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.