2013 Honda CR-V problems & reliability
381 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 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.
11 complaints report injuries (13 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2013 Honda CR-V vehicles were involved in 100 fatal crashes with 54 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 | 97 | 25% |
| Power Train | 95 | 25% |
| Unknown OR Other | 48 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 38 | 10% |
| Exterior Lighting | 32 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 27 | 7% |
| Service Brakes | 25 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 25 | 7% |
| Structure | 18 | 5% |
| Steering | 15 | 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 30,000 miles (middle 50% between 14,000 and 65,172 miles), based on 233 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I was driving then I shut off like I shut the car off and restart it while I was driving then my electric power steering symbol keeps coming on.”
Steering · filed Jul 8, 2026
“While our 2013 Honda CR‑V was still drivable, we began experiencing a brief but loud rattle or grinding noise at cold start, especially after the vehicle had been sitting. Several years ago the dealer replaced the Variable Timing Control (VTC) actuator because of this cold‑start rattle. After a period without noise…”
Power Train · filed Jun 24, 2026
“The contact owns a 2013 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30–40 MPH, the transmission shuddered. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed it with transmission failure. The independent mechanic flushed the transmission fluid; however, the failure reoccurred. The…”
Power Train · filed Apr 20, 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
Technical service bulletins
113 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 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 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 water pump seized or the drive belt shredded. The water pump bearing is out of specification.
A17-063 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 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
Service bulletin - A surge, vibration, or judder may be felt while driving under light acceleration. To minimize the possibility for the judder to occur, a software update for the transmission is available at the…
A17-040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 25, 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 2013 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 2013 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 30,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.