There are 15 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2003 Honda CR-Vin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
BRAKES DO NOT WORK RIGHT, BRAKES GO TO FLOOR, PUT ON EVERYTHING, MOTION4
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA CR-V. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE RESURFACED. THE INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE REAR PADS HAD SEPARATED FROM THE PLATE IN WHICH THEY WERE ATTACHED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PADS WERE PURCHASED WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 31,940 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,840. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE FRONT PADS WERE OK. UPDATED 09/05/07. *JB
I HAVE NOW TAKEN MY 2003 CRV IN FOR THE THIRD TIME BECAUSE OF VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE FIRST TIME THEY MACHINED THE ROTORS AND THE SECOND TIME THEY REPLACED THEM. NOW, AFTER ABOUT 15,000 MILES, THEY ARE TELLING ME THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. SOMETHING HAS GOT TO BE WRONG HERE. *NM
FROM DAY 1 MY BRAKES DID NOT SEEM RIGHT. I HAD A VERY BAD VIBRATION IN MY BRAKES FROM PROBABLY 15,000 MI. AT APPROXIMATELY 17,000MI THE DEALER MACHINED OR TURNED THE ROTORS AND REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS. NOW AGAIN AT 35,000MI THE VIBRATION IN MY BRAKES ARE BACK. DEALER WANTED TO MACHINE AND TURN THE ROTORS ONCE MORE, BUT WE ARGUED THAT THIS IS NOT NORMAL,A ND THEY AGREED TO REPLACE THEM AT 35,600MI. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE A LOT MORE HONDA OWNERS WITH THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE ALWAYS OWNED HONDAS IN THE PAST AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. *JB
MY 2003 HONDA CRV HAS ONLY 27000 MILES ON IT. DURING A LONG DRIVE ON A VACATION, THE REAR BRAKES BEGAN TO FAIL. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION, THE REAR PADS WERE GONE AND THE REAR DISKS WERE DESTROYED. I PAID NEARLY $500 TO REPLACE THE REAR DISC BRAKES. THE FRONT DISC BRAKES SHOW ONLY 50% WEAR. THE ORIGINAL BACK BRAKES WERE CLEARLY DEFECTIVE, ALTHOUGH HONDA WILL NOT ADMIT THIS.*AK
DT: CALLER HAD PROBLEMS WITH REAR BRAKES. CALLER HEARD GRINDING AND SCRAPING WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. DEALER IN AREA SAID BOTH BACK BRAKE PADS WERE SHOT, AND DEALER REPLACED THEM. MANUFACTURER TOLD CALLER TO GO TO LOCAL AREA DEALER TO GET REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS. CALLER SAID SHE HAD THIS PROBLEM GOING FORWARD AND BACKWARD WHEN SHE APPLIED THE BRAKE.*AK
PROBLEMS WITH FRONT BRAKES ON 2003 HONDA CRV.*MR THERE WAS A CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE BRAKES. WHEN THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED THE STATED IT WAS THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SUV AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THE DEALER DID REPLACE THE LOWER BRAKE PAD RETAINER CLIPS AS PER SERVICE BULLETIN. THE CONSUMER WAS OFFERED TO DRIVE ANOTHER 2003 CRV TO PROVE THE NOISY BRAKES WERE A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER WASN'T HAPPY WITH THIS AND WOULD LIKE SOME SORT OF DISCOUNT OR THE DEALER TO PAY OFF THE VEHICLE. THE SEAT BELT WOULDN'T LATCH. CONSUMER HAD THE THROTTLE CABLE REPLACED TO ELIMINATE THE NOISE BUT TO NO AVAIL. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE NOISE WILL NEVER GO COMPLETELY AWAY. *PH *NLM
VEHICLE BRAKES ARE TOTALLY WORN OUT.*MR WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER HEARD A HIGH PITCHED SQUEAL. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE REAR BRAKES WERE WORN. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE BRAKES FAILED PREMATURELY, BUT THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT IT WAS NORMAL WEAR. THE DEALER REPLACED THE REAR PADS AND ROTORS. *NLM
AFTER HAVING THE SHIFT CABLE LINKAGE CORROSION RECALL REPAIR PERFORMED, WHILE DRIVING 30/35 MPH, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM UNDER THE WINDSHIELD. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS UNDETERMINED. *AK THE VEHICLE HAD JUST BEEN SERVICED FOR IT'S FIRST OIL CHANGE AND THE RECALL. ONE MILE DOWN THE ROAD FROM PICKING THE VEHICLE UP FROM THE HONDA SERVICE DEPARTMENT IT BURST INTO FLAMES. THE SMOKE WENT EVERYWHERE AND THERE WAS FLAMES COMING UP FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. *CB ACCORDING TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE MAY HAVE ORIGINATED FROM BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR. *JB
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS BRAKES MADE LOUD NOISE. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE TWICE, AND STATED IT WAS UNDER HONDA SPECIFICATIONS. *AK
BRAKE CALIPER DID NOT RELEASE, CAUSING THE BRAKE PADSTO WEAR OUT PREMATURELY. CONSUME RTOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STRIPPED DOWN THE BRAKES WERE COMPLETELY GONE. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THERE IS A DESIGN PROBLEM IN THE CALIPER SYSTEM IN WHICH BRAKES DO NOT FULLY RETRACT CAUSING BOTH PADS AND ROTORS TO QUIETLY WEAR AWAY. THE CONSUMERS BRAKES WERE METAL ON METAL. DEALERSHIP WAS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS SO THE CONSUMERS WARRANTY WAS NULL AND VOID. *TC
CLUNKING NOISE FROM FRONT BRAKES, WHEN BRAKE IS APPLIED. DEALER SAYS THIS IS A NORMAL SOUND, NO OTHER CAR MAKES IT ONLY THE HONDA CRV. IT APPEARS TO BE THE BRAKE PADS THAT ARE NOT SECURELY FASTENED.
MY MOM'S 2003 HONDA CR-V EX AWD AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS THIS CLICKING SOUND WHENEVER WE DRIVE IT AROUND. ON OCCASION THE CLICKING IS LOUD, BUT IT CAN GET VERY ANNOYING. THE AUTOMATIC, WHEN STARTING AND PUTTING IN REVERSE HAS A VERY UN-HONDA LIKE NOISE WITH A JOLT. WHEN WE TOOK IT FOR THE NHTSA RECALL FOR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION THEY DID THE SERVICE. AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS THE CLICKING WENT BACK. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE HONDA CERTIFIED MECHANIC SAID THAT IT IS NORMAL BECAUSE THE BRAKES ARE ADJUSTING ITSELF. I WANT TO KNOW DO ANY OTHER HONDA OWNERS OF CR-V'S BUILT FROM 2002-2003 MODEL YEARS HAVE THIS SAME NOISE PROBLEM? *AK
WHEN YOU MAKE TURNS AND THE ENGINE IS COLD THE RIGHT BRAKES CREATE A CLICKING SOUND. THIS IS NOT HEAR IN ANY OTHER CAR. THIS IS A SOUND THAT ONLY COMES FROM HONDA CRV. OTHER PEOPLE WHO OWN THE SAME MODEL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, AND HONDA IS YET TO INSTITUTE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *LA
I GOT A 2003 HONDA CR-V, I NOTICED THAT WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE IT'S MAKING A CLICKING SOUND. I WENT TO THE DEALER SO THEY CAN CHECK IT BUT ONE OF THE GUYS SHOWED ME A DIAGRAM OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. HE SAID THAT IT'S BEEN A PROBLEM WITH CR-V AND CIVIC. THEY CAN PUT GREASE ON IT BUT AFTER A WHILE YOU WILL HEAR THAT CLICKING SOUND AGAIN. FOR ME THIS A MAJOR PROBLEM. THEY CALL IT "SLIDING DISC BRAKES". *NLM
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026