2004 Honda CR-V Engine Problems

I own a 2004 Honda CR-V, a vehicle that has served me well over the years, but I recently faced a harrowing experience that left me quite shaken. While cruising along the highway, I was startled when the engine abruptly shut down. The ominous P1349 code indicated an issue with the Variable Timing Control (VTC) actuator, a crucial component for maintaining optimal engine performance. Just two years ago, I replaced the VVT solenoid, investing time and resources to ensure my vehicle’s reliability. Yet, here I was again, grappling with the same frustrating problem that, in a split second, nearly caused a catastrophic accident with a speeding truck tailing closely behind me. With my heart pounding and adrenaline surging, I managed to steer my CR-V into the emergency lane, narrowly avoiding disaster. In my quest for answers, I discovered that I’m not alone in this struggle; many other Honda CR-V owners have reported similar incidents of sudden engine shutdowns while driving on the highway. This alarming trend raises serious safety concerns, highlighting the urgent need for a major recall to address the underlying issues with the software and the VVT solenoid assembly. I find myself pondering whether Honda made significant redesigns to the VVT system in models post-2006 to rectify the issues faced by earlier versions, all without triggering the need for a recall. It’s a troubling thought, but one that underscores the importance of safety in our vehicles as we navigate the roads.

My vehicle is been consuming very large amounts of oil, every 450-500 miles I have to add a quart of motor oil.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 HONDA CR-V. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER SON WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, SMOKE WAS SUDDENLY SEEN COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AFTER STOPPING THE HOOD WAS OPENED AND FLAMES WERE PRESENT COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. AN UNKNOWN REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE IF IT WAS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AT INVER GROVE HONDA (4605 S. ROBERT TRL, INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, MN 55077) WEEKS BEFORE THE FAILURE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 198,000. *LN*JB

I WAS DRIVING ALONG ,THE CAR STARTED MAKING A NOISE LIKE AN AIRPLANE ,I PULLED OVER ,THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. ON INSPECTION IT WAS FOUND THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THE JOB INVOLVED REPLACING THE COMPRESSOR,THE CONDENSER,RECEIVER/DRYER,EXPANSION VALVE, CONTAMINATED DRIVE BELT, COMPLETE FLUSH OF THE SYSTEM, EVACUATION AND RECHARGE OF SYSTEM. QUITE A COSTLY REPAIR AT $2737.02 THERE HAVE BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS FILED ON THIS ISSUE, AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE,UNLESS IT HAD HAPPENED AT SPEED ON A BUSY FREEWAY , IT WAS CLEARLY A DEFECTIVE COMPONENT, THAT SO MANY CRV OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA CR-V. WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THERE WAS A SUDDEN INCREASE IN ENGINE RPMS AND THE OIL AND BATTERY WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE IMRC VALVE WAS AT FAULT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000. UPDATED 01/09/15*LJ UPDATED 9/6/2017*CN

WHILE DRIVING FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, THE AC WAS WORKING JUST FINE WHEN A HIGH PITCHED SQUEAL STARTED COMING FROM THE ENGINE. LIFTING MY FOOT OFF THE GAS SEEMED TO HELP AND THE NOISE WENT AWAY, BUT THE NOISE CAME BACK, AND A THUMPING SOUND STARTED TO COME THROUGH AND A SMALL POP HAPPENED, SENDING SOME SORT OF BLACK CANISTER SHOOTING OUT FROM UNDER MY CAR AND ONTO THE FREEWAY. I PULLED OVER AND CHECKED THE CAR FOR DAMAGE, NOT SEEING ANY MAJOR MARKS ON THE ENGINE AND NO LIQUIDS LEAKING FROM THE CAR. ONLY WHEN I REACHED MY DESTINATION AND THE CAR WOULD BLOW BOILING HOT AIR OUT OF THE VENTS DID I NOTICE AND ISSUE. THE DEALER DID AN INSPECTION OF THE CAR, AND TOLD ME THE AC HAD LITERALLY FALLEN OUT OF THE ENGINE BLOCK. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A MAJOR PIECE OF A VEHICLE CAN FALL OUT, AND NOT BE ABLE TO BE REPLACED WITHOUT PAYING $2,000. *TR

AC COMPRESSOR STOPPED WORKING. HONDA DEALER SAID THE COMPRESSOR IS CRACKED. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 HONDA CR-V. I HAD MY AC ON AND IT BEGAN TO GRIND. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS MY MOTOR, BUT SOON REALIZED IT WAS MY AIR CONDITIONER UNIT. I TOOK IT TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP, AND THEY CHECKED IT OUT. COST FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC - $106.00 COST TO FIX IT: $4000.00 DIAGNOSIS:A/C COMPRESSOR FAILED. ALL THE A/C PARTS ARE INTERNALLY CONTAMINATED WITH METAL FROM THE COMPRESSOR. NEEDS A/C KIT (C) AND CLUTCH AND COIL. I HAVE BEEN CHECKING ONLINE AND MANY 2003 AND 2004 HONDA CRV'S HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM, BUT NO RECALL. I DON'T HAVE THAT MONEY TO SPEND, YET NEED AIR CONDITIONING. IS THIS FAIR FOR HONDA TO IGNORE THIS ISSUE AND COST THEIR FAITHFUL CUSTOMERS SO MUCH MONEY WHEN THIS PROBLEM DID EXIST IN THOSE YEAR MODELS? CAN YOU HELP? *TR

WHILE DECELERATING ON A HIGHWAY EXIT RAMP, I HEARD A LARGE WHIRRING NOISE COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THEN A LARGE BANG FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FOLLOWED BY A THUMPING NOISE WHICH STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND ENDED BOUNCING UNDERNEATH THE BODY OVER SEVERAL SECONDS. STOPPED THE CAR AND LOOKED UNDERNEATH AND ON THE ROAD, BUT COULD NOT FIND ANY BELTS OR MATERIAL. TOOK THE CAR INTO A HONDA DEALERSHIP WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE AC WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE ESTIMATE TO FIX WAS OVER $4300 FOR THE COMPLETE SYSTEM WHICH OVER $3000 WAS IN PARTS. THEY INFORMED ME THE BANGING NOISE WAS THE COMPRESSOR CLUTCH LOCKING THEN FLYING APART SENDING PIECES THROUGH OUT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF A THOROUGH INSPECTION OF THE REST OF THE ENGINE OR BODY FOR DAMAGE FROM THE FLYING DEBRIS OF THE BROKEN COMPRESSOR CLUTCH. THE DEALER INDICATED THE ALIN HONDA CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT WAS NOT SETTLED AND COULD NOT GIVE ESTIMATES OF POSSIBLE PAYMENTS. *TR

AIR CONDITIONING QUIT IN HIGH TEMPERATURE 100 DEGREE..$1200 DOLLARS TO FIX SOMEWHAT..SHOP AID SHARDS OF METAL SENT INTO SYSTEM...HAD TO CONTINUE TRIP WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING WITH AN ELDERLY PERSON BECAUSE SEATTLE HONDA UNABLE TO FIX. PARTS HAD TO COME FROM PORTLAND... IF WHOLE SYSTEM REPLACED OVER $2300.. *TR

MY AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSER EXPLODED. I TURNED ON THE AIR CONDITIONER AND AT FIRST HOT AIR WAS COMING THROUGH..THEN NOTHING. TOOK IT TO THE HONDA DEALER IN MANASSAS AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSER EXPLODED AND THERE WERE SMALL METAL PIECES THROUGHOUT THE LINE. THEY WANTED OVER $4000 TO REPAIR IT. THEY LATER COUNTER OFFERED TO FIX IT FOR $2600. AFTER I DID RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR CRV'S 2002-2004. I WAS TOLD NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE THE CONDENSER COULD LOCK UP AND CAUSE OTHER PROBLEMS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT IS CLEARING A DAMAGE AND DEFECTIVE PIECE OF MACHINERY THAT WAS INSTALLED BY HONDA. THIS IS MY CAR THAT I NEED SO THAT I CAN CONTINUE TO SERVE MY COMMUNITY AS A VOLUNTEER AND AS A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING, WITHOUT WARNING I HEARD A LOUD "METALIC" NOISE THAT SOUNDED AS THOUGH I HAD RUN OVER SOMETHING. AS I WAS SEEKING A PLACE TO TURN OFF OF THE ROAD, THE SOUND STOPPED FOR A FEW SECONDS THEN RETURNED. AT THAT TIME, I LOST MY POWER STEERING AND HAD DIFFICULTY PULLING OFF TO A SIDE ROAD THAT I FOUND SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET FROM WHERE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR, I NOTED THAT THERE WAS A CHUNK OF METAL PROTRUDING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR NEAR THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE. WHEN THE CAR WAS FINALLY TOWED TO A HONDA DEALER, I WAS TOLD THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR HAD EXPLODED! I UNDERSTAND WEARABLE PARTS BREAKING BUT EXPLODING! I WAS WITHIN A MILE OF APPROACHING AN ON-RAMP TO A 3-LANE HIGHWAY AND SHUDDER TO THINK OF WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED ON THE INTERSTATE! BEYOND THE INCONVENIENCE AND COST (APPROACHING $2,000), THIS TYPE OF CATASROPHIC INCIDENT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THE EXPLOSION CAUSED ME TO LOSE FULL CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE AND MOST DEFINITELY COULD HAVE CAUSED A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TT

THE AIR CONDITIONER DASH BOARD OF MY 2004 HONDA CRV STOPPED WORKING ONE DAY, WITH NO SIGNS OF PROBLEMS BEFORE, THE AIR WAS ON AND TRIED TO TURN IT OFF AND CONTROLS DIDN'T WORK COULDN'T LOWER THE LEVEL OF AIR EITHER, TRIED TO MOVED THE SWITCH BACK AND FORWARD UNTIL FINALLY STOPPED, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUE FOR MONTHS UNTIL THE POINT OF NOT BEEN ABLE TO TURN IT OFF; I HAVE TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE SO MY A/C WILL TURN OFF. ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON ONE DAY AND WENT OFF IN A DAY OR TWO THEN HAPPENED AGAIN LIKE A MONTH LATER TURNED ON AND THEN OFF IN A COUPLE OF DAYS , THE PROBLEM CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS WAS HARD TO GET DIAGNOSE SINCE BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO TAKE IT TO CHECK LIGHT GOT OFF, IT GOT TO A POINT WHEN ENGINE LIGHT PERMANANTLY STAYED ON- I TOOK MY CAR TO GET THAT CHECKED AND GAVE A VERY GENERIC CODE THAT NOT SPECIFYING THE PROBLEM. *TR

THE AIR CONDITIONER AND ALL COMPONENTS STOPPED WORKING SUDDENLY - I HAVE AROUND 110,000 MILES ON THE CRV. THE DEALER SAYS THE WHOLE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO METAL AND CONTAMINATION IN THE LINES, COST IS AROUND $2200.00. I SEE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH CRV'S. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL? I THINK WE SHOULD GET IT REPLACED FOR FREE. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 HONDA CR-V EX WITH ALMOST 69K MILES. I HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED MY CAR TO THE GILLS AND JUST YESTERDAY MY A/C COMPRESSOR BLEW UP, LEAVING METAL SHARDS ALL THROUGH MY AC LINES. THE PULLEY AND CLUTCH (AC CLUTCH) WERE ALSO DESTROYED, LEAVING ME WITH A 2100 DOLLAR ESTIMATE. I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND IT SEEMS THAT IT IS HAPPENING A LOT IN THE 2002-2004 MODELS. I HAVE ALSO READ THAT THEY KNEW THE PART WAS FAULTY AND STILL CONTINUED TO INSTALL IT. THIS IS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AND THE PART HAS SINCE BEEN REDESIGNED. I HAVE ONLY GOTTEN AN ESTIMATE, I REFUSE TO PAY FOR THIS DAMAGE WHEN IT IS CLEARLY HONDA'S FAULT. THERE HAS BEEN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST THIS PROBLEM AND IF I CAN FIND A WAY TO ADD MY NAME, I WILL DO IT. LACK OF AC CAN LEAD TO HEATSTROKE AND OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS. ALSO, THE AC IS NEEDED IN THE WINTER FOR THE DEFROSTER, AND I CAN CLEARLY SEE A FOGGY WINDSHIELD LEADING TO ACCIDENTS. HONDA NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND OWN UP TO THE FACT THAT THIS PART/PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. *TR

MY A/C COMPRESSOR EXPLODED AT AROUND 47,000 MILES SENDING SHARDS OF METAL THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COOLING/HEATING SYSTEM. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST ABOUT $3000 TO REPAIR. THAT IS NOT A CASE OF NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE PART IS FAULTY. IT EXPLODED. HONDA SAYS IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT, SOMETIMES PARTS WEAR OUT. *TR

HONDA CRV 2004, AC DEFECTIVE, 82,000 MILES JUST QUIT WORKING. *TR

AIR COMPRESSOR FAILURE AT 100,000 MILES ON 12/22/10 AFTER THE TOTAL A/C UNIT WAS REPLACED ON 9/24/07 INCLUDING EXPANSION VALVE, CONDENSOR, EVAPORATOR, COOLING FAN, AND COMPRESSOR AT 75,265 MILES. THIS IS MY SECOND A/C UNIT THAT DIED. *LN

WHILE DRIVING, CAR BEGAN MAKING LOUD WHINING NOISE. THEN A LOUD BANG, AND SOME BIG PIECE OF METAL FELL OFF THE CAR ONTO THE ROAD. AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED BLOWING COLD. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE PART THAT FELL OFF WAS THE A/C COMPRESSOR CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. ENTIRE SYSTEM MUST BE REPLACED AT GREAT COST. WE HAVE NOT YET REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. *TR

WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AS A HONDA CERTIFIED VEHICLE IN OCT 2007, WITH 47,250 MILES. ON SEPT 7, 2010, WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, MY 19 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER (WHO DRIVES THE VEHICLE AT COLLEGE) HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THE THEN THE AIR CONDITIONER BEGAN BLOWING JUST HOT AIR. UPON HEARING THE CIRCUMSTANCES, I TOLD MY DAUGHTER TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME FROM COLLEGE. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO OUR INDEPENDENT AUTO REPAIR SHOP WHERE HE DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AS A BLOWN A/C COMPRESSOR. WE HAD THE REPAIRS COMPLETED IN ONE DAY AT COST OF $757.00 AND MY DAUGHTER WAS BACK AT COLLEGE THE NEXT DAY. THE OLD PART IS AVAILABLE IF NEEDED BUT THE MECHANIC WILL ONLY HOLD IT FOR ONE WEEK. *TR