Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
0701200407/01/200410014017Poor a/c cooling during hard acceleration. *eh04/27/2005
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
1101200311/01/200310009278Heater blower motor gets hot or blows a fuse. honda. servicenews. *tt09/21/2004

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
10/25/2011110000
 Honda has a service bulletin (03-038) for a known issue with the cylinder head. in searching online, many honda customers with cr-v's manufactured in 2001 have experienced this issue. the remedy (as defined by honda) is to adjust the valves to specific clearances during routine maintenance, but this information was not passed down to customers & many are finding themselves in my same situation with the entire cylinder head needing to be replaced. a costly repair for a faulty part. honda is aware of this & is unwilling to cover the repair.
04/18/2009680001
 On about april, 2009 in our 2001 honda crv , with 68,000 miles on it. my wife was 60 miles from home when the air conditional blew up. the air compress, reciver dryer, belt all came to $1,600. i asked around and found out that a lot of crv's ac where blowing up. this site showes a lot of other people with this problem. http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=utf-8&rlz=1t4gwya_enus311us311&q=2001+honda+crv+ac+blowing+up. *tr
10/10/20081040001
 Honda cr-v motor valves defect or recall. *tr
07/29/2007890001
 Ac compressor started rattling sound. went to the honda dealer and found out problem with the compressor. replaced by dealer with full labor and 1/2 parts paid by honda. *tr
09/18/20081120001
 Air conditioning compressor imploded. *tr
01/01/200776344108/01/2001
 Check engine came on at 76,000 miles. according to dealer the exhaust vales burnt into cylinder head, #4 cylinder was at 25 psi. according to dealer this happen before to this vehicle. *nm
11/02/200550000100
 My vehicle stalls out, has rough idle, and misfires. it first started to happen only when the engine was cold. once it warmed up it was fine. it progressively got worse. dealer advised me to get a complete tune-up and said it would fix the problem. unfortunately, this was only a temporary fix. it started again when the engine was cold and then at all times. the dealer seemed to be perplexed by the whole thing and advised me again to do a tune-up. once again, problem was fixed for awhile. this last time it went downhill quickly. when engine was cold and then stalling and dying at anytime no matter what the conditions were. the mil light came on everytime i had this problem. honda now tells me i have low compression in cylinder #3 and my car misfires. they advised me to have the head sent to their machine shop to inspect it. nothing was done to correct the failure as of yet. i have found many other complaints. honda corp. knows about the head problem. my own research found valves need to be adjusted/inspected regularly because they have a tendency to tighten which leads and/or results in the valve receding into the cylinder/burnt valve. i am very upset due to the fact that honda has known about this and they have never told me anything about the valves. the dealer still never disclosed this known problem while having me paying over $1000.00 just to start on the repair. in the car manual it states you only need to inspect the valves every 105,000 miles or if you hear a noise. there was absolutely no noise from my valves. they should be checked more like every 25,000-30,000 miles. this is a huge safety issue to have your car die or stall. i asked honda about the valve. now the same people seem to know a lot. at this moment, american honda corp. is offering me a goodwill warranty repair of 25% to repair it, but the case is not settled. i have been lied to, deceived, ripped off, and most of all my safety was put into danger willingly. *jb
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
05/01/201066500
 2001 honda crv, air-conditioner getting ready to explode. i live in southern california, but live in balmy san diego county, so i've used the air conditioner very little, perhaps 25 times all told over the past nine years. i am the original owner, baby my car, and get all maintenance done like clockwork or sooner. about three months ago, the rarely-used air conditioner started making a horrible racket immediately on starting it. i stopped using it immediately, and check periodically to see if it's still broken. it is. i've researched the issue and was stunned to find so many other complaints about the 1997-2001 crv air conditioners exploding, imploding, or otherwise self-destructing. i've repeatedly contacted via email and voicemail the law firm of mazie slater katz & freeman in roseland, new jersey who is handling a class action on this very issue, the honda a/c design defects. both attorneys matthew mendelson and karen kelson are far, far too busy with their busy days to return voicemails and emails, so i'm assuming they're only in it for the fees of the class action, rather than providing any tangible solutions to this problem for consumers, much like honda itself's response to this problem: ignore it. maybe it will go away. i'm disgusted with both firms at this point. otherwise my car is in fine shape, i'm very pleased with it and it's very likely the best car i've ever owned. however, this glaring problem, when it ripens as it has for countless other honda drivers, could destroy my engine, and frankly i don't have that kind of money to fix it. living in southern california, such an event would shut down my life across the board. i would very much appreciate it if honda actually did what adults do, take charge, take responsibility for their design defects with regard to this component, issue an apology, and we can all get on with our lives. as far as the mazie katz law firm, i think their actions speak for themselves.
02/10/20091297801
 With out any warning the radiator cracked and had to be replaced. auto repair said it was a common problem with honda. new models are being replaced but not earlier models. why is honda not forced to recall these with so many cars needing costly repairs.? *tr
09/10/2008871851
 A/c compressor for a 2001 honda cr-v. first went out in july 2007; end result was that i was responsible for the parts and honda america footed the bill for labor based on the fact that it is a common problem for all cr-vs but was not recalled. it is now september 2008 and the exact same problem has occurred again. a faulty compressor is absurd after 1 year of service. *tr
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
06/18/200455000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 honda cr-v. he stated that intermittently while driving the engine warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel then the engine misfired. the vehicle was towed to a local repair facility. the mechanic concluded that the engine valves burned and the engine needed to be rebuilt. the manufacturer was notified, and a representative concluded that they were aware of the problem; however, since the warranty expired they would not provide any assistance. no repairs have been made. the vehicle identification number was unavailable. the failure mileage was 55000. the current mileage was 135000.
11/15/20081060001
 Check engine light came on to my 2001 honda cr-v. identified as a misfire in cyl #1, and low compression in that cylinder. the head was removed, and one of the exhaust valves in the #1 cylinder was burned. the valve clearance on that cylinder was zero. a valve job was done and the engine was reassembled. cost was $1450. *tr
11/07/20081103001
 2001 honda crv started to have a rough idle followed by the check engine light turning on approximately one year ago. took the vehicle in for a tune up at a local dealer and problem temporarily went away. recently the problem got worse and the check engine light came back on. the honda dealer evaluated the check engine light reported that there was a problem with the valves. i had the dealer conduct a valve adjustment and they reported that compression on the #3 cylinder only reported 45 psi and recommended replacing the cylinder head at a cost of $4500 dollars. the service representative the honda dealership was aware of problems with the honda crv and honda has not taken any responsibility for the problem nor offered to repair the problem. i believe honda has been aware of problems with the 2001 honda crv. request the nhtsb conduct an investigation. *tr
12/24/200782976206/06/2007
 2001 honda cr-v se check engine light went on, idle became extremely rough and stalling while driving. nothing unusual preceded this incident. took the car into to be diagnosed and was told the 4th cylinder was only holding 15-20% of required pressure, it had gone soft. researched issue and found honda has issued a technical service bulletin #03038 regarding this problem. it is a known defect in the honda cr-v as the honda maintenance guide does not recommend any valve maintenance until 105,000 miles. however, it has been found that the engine's high compression rate causes the valves to warp and become soft unless they are adjusted every 30,000-35,000 miles. have been in contact with honda and all they are willing to do is split the cost 50/50 of this major repair, over $3,000. they are many documented cases of this occurring with the 1999-2001 honda cr-vs that use the b210z engine. *tr
11/01/2006960003512/22/2002
 Tl*the contact owns a 2001 honda cr-v. the contact attempted to start the vehicle and it stalled. she depressed the accelerator pedal all the way down to the floor to restart the vehicle. the vehicle restarted after two to three attempts. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who adjusted the heads in the engine. the contact stated that she was not notified of the technical service bulletin regarding the engine. the engine size was unknown. the current mileage is 109,000 and failure mileage was 96,000.
09/08/200668482205/08/2006
 Events leading up to failure: engine running poor failure: burnt valves, lost 1 cylinder, 2 valves correction: rebuilt head and do valve adjustments sooner than maintenance records require and $1,500 in repairs plus rental car costs. *nm
08/07/200663400108/31/2001
 Rough idle, engine would stumble but recover several times when idling before fully warmed up, poor fuel mileage. no mil (check engine light), and no codes or pending codes detected. dealer tested and strongly recommended valve adjustment. only 63k miles on it and valves were not noisy. owner's manual states, adjust valves at 105, 000 miles or if noisy. neither were true. i researched cr-v message boards and found lots of 1st gen. cr-v's (mainly from '99 to '01) were having problem whereby some valve seats were receding into cylinder head causing need for premature valve adjustments, burnt exhaust valves, or some even needing to replace cylinder head. most people who had the more severe problems also experienced mil lighting up & code indicating engine misfire. i called american honda corp several times. the 1st time was like pulling teeth to get them to admit they knew about this issue, and the corresponding tsb (service bulletin) sent to dealers. they finally admitted it. but after reviewing my case twice, both times they refused to reimburse me for the valve adjustment. they claimed: 1) dealers are franchised & have nothing to do with them, 2) it's a machine, and machines need adjusting from time to time, 3) i didn't purchase extended warranty so they can't help me, 4) maintenance schedule in the owner's manual is just a general guideline, valves should be adjusted sooner, and 5) should i require cylinder head replacement in the future, they might offer me some kind of restitution, but no guarantees. engine runs fine now after valve adjustment, but who's to say in another 10 to 30k it won't need it again, perhaps only to find out it's too far out of spec & will need new cyl. head! it's printed clearly, in black & white in owner's manual: adjust valves at 105,000 miles or if noisy. perhaps we should start class action suit against honda. they need to stand behind their product, redesign the cyl. heads and do a recall! buyers beware! *nm
05/26/2006134000110/16/2000
 Dt*: the contact stated the engine idled erratically intermittently while slowing down at various speeds. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop, where the valve was replaced at 99,000 miles. at 134,000 miles the check engine light illuminated upon initial acceleration. the vehicle was returned to the mechanic, who determined there was a problem with the engine head. the valve melted into the number 3 cylinder. the engine head needs to be replaced. there is a nhtsa action number 10008524 for the engine.
12/20/200582000609/25/2003
 My 2001 honda crv had to have the cylinder head replaced after a flashing engine light came on. a honda dealer stated there was low compression in the #3 cylinder. the repair was to replace the cylinder head (at >3200$). i found that this is a common problem with 1999-2001 honda crvs. i now have at least 5 substantiated cases (my own, a colleague who owns a 1999 crv and, the complaint numbers on your site 10062616, 10124224, 10143720). there are also many unsubstantiated but identical claims on multiple websites that imply a fairly widespread manufacturers defect leading to this problem. the symptoms are the same. honda appears to know of this defect as evidenced by their own tsb #03-038 that states the problem and repair. i asked honda for a goodwill warranty (there is some precedence for this by honda). i was told i would need complete service records ....these were provided. these records include a 60,000 mi service including a timing belt replacement that was done just the summer before (my vehicle had 82000 mi at the time of the engine failure). i was then told to contact honda customer service to file a complaint where eventually i was told by honda that they would not provide any assistance. the reason was that i did not get valve adjustments at the time of my 60000 mi service. these are hydraulic valves and according to my own mechanic and verified by another mechanic, this is not standard practice. this 'valve adjustment' recommendation is also not part of the mitchell oem recommendations also that were followed by my mechanic (tsb 03-038 is also not included). the outcome was to take my vehicle from honda where they did not support their product despite what appears to be a known and widespread defect and bring it to my own mechanic. i have retained the part that appears to have caused much of the problem (damaged exhaust valve). i strongly suggest there be an inquiry into this problem and reimbursement for all costs associated with this repair. *jb
10/01/2004500004010/05/2001
 2001 honda cr-v. car stalls while idling. risk of being rear-ended when it occurs at a signal and the light turns green, or if i am in the #1 lane waiting to make a left-turn. honda corp. is aware that their 99-01 cr-v models have cylinder head problems that cause this, but they are not offering to cover the $3000 needed to replace the cylinder head.
02/01/2004101/18/2004
 Honda crv 2001, air conditioner problems . *bf during an oil change, the consumer was informed that the engine oil dip stick container had detached from the motor and broken at the engine block. the consumer was told the oil dip stick had been tampered with and was not covered under warranty. *jb
03/10/200495000205/05/2001
 I've had two valve jobs done on my 2001 crv, once at around 45,000 miles and than again at 95,000 both times it was the number 3 valve that had to be replaced. the owner's manual i have indicates that the valves need to be adjusted at 105,000 miles but according to the dealer where i had the work done it needs to be done every 15,000 miles. i find that this type of maintenance on a non-performance car ridiculous not to mention expensive and time consuming. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
04/02/20031596002
 2001 honda crv engine valves misfired and burned in 2003 and again in 2006. repair appears costly and i believe this problem has been documented as a recurring issue amongst the 1999-2001 crv vehicles. i am dismayed to hear that this repair may cost $4400 and the honda dealer thus has quoted american honda as saying they will not pay. i understand that service bulletin #03-038 addresses this issue and i don't feel it is acceptable for the consumer to pay for this repair. *nm