Is the Honda CR-V reliable?
55% of the 102 we inspected scored 60/100 or higher, with an average of 59/100 — it scores a little below average.
102
Cars inspectedreal pre-purchase inspections59/100
Average conditionall cars we check: 61/10055%
In good shape (60+)all cars we check: 56%Across 102 used Honda CR-Vs we inspected, this model scores a little below average — average condition 59/100 vs 61 for all cars we check. Every number on this page comes from real pre-purchase inspections — cars people were about to buy and paid an independent inspector to go through point by point, engine to underbody, paint depth to error codes. Not owner surveys, not warranty statistics, not forum lore: what we actually found.
What we found
Most common faults
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
60%
Oil leaks · Engine
58%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
30%
Cracked or torn suspension bushings · Suspension
29%
Low coolant / cooling system issues · Engine
28%
Share of inspected Honda CR-Vs where each item was flagged.
How they score
Excellent 18%
Good 37%
Mediocre 22%
Poor 24%
Hidden history
What the seller might not mention — how often we find it on this model.
67%had a repainted or replaced panelall cars: 74%
7%showed structural repairall cars: 4%
27%had fault codes recently clearedall cars: 24%
How long does a CR-V stay good?
Good cars by mileage
Good cars by age
Share of Honda CR-Vs in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; a band under 20 cars follows the nearby bands, so a run above the all-cars line stays above it, and a band of 20 or more uses the rate we measured; where a band has too few cars, the line follows the trend between the bands on either side; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). The dashed grey curve is all cars we check.
More on Honda
Fit
32 cars · 72% good
Odyssey
61 cars · 54% good
Civic
155 cars · 51% good
Pilot
49 cars · 39% good
Accord
125 cars · 38% good
Other Honda models we've inspected — or see the full Honda profile.
Straight from recent Honda CR-V reports
2014 Honda CR-V · 175k mi — flagged: oil leaks, engine control module, abnormal noise. Inspected Oct 21.
2023 Honda CR-V · 39k mi — flagged: oil leaks, dirty or low engine oil, battery condition. Inspected Oct 21.
The bottom line
What should worry you is the engine, not a resprayed door. Fuel trim is out of range on 60% of these CR-Vs, oil leaks nearly match that, and cooling trouble shows up often enough that a quiet idle can still be a bill. Paint runs a bit better than the wider fleet, so a panel job is not the walk-away; structural repairs at 7% are. Check live fuel trims, oil seepage, and coolant, and do not trust a scan cleared recently. If fuel, oil, and cooling all fail, negotiate hard or leave. Tires and torn bushings are common, but cheaper.
FAQ
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What are the most common problems on a used Honda CR-V?
The items we flag most often are fuel trim out of range (60%), oil leaks (58%), tires condition & wear (30%). Have these checked before buying.
?
Should I worry about cleared fault codes?
On 27% of these cars the ECU codes had been erased shortly before sale, which can hide active faults. Ask for a diagnostic scan and start the engine from cold.
Thinking of buying a Honda CR-V? Get the exact car inspected before you pay.
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Based on 102 inspections · updated Oct 23, 2026
