Honda CR-V SUV (2012-2018) | owner reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

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Mine had two major breakdowns in 18 months. The Battery packed up on the M5, went completely dead. A gearbox problem still wasn't fixed after a month. I sold the car as I reckon it was inherently faulty. I got little response from Honda UK until I eventually squeezed a bit of compensation out of them, but they were very dismissive of my problems and took no responsibility.

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Great car but owners manual is virtually unusable due to it's complexity . Very disappointed as I am unable to comprehend it at all.

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Previously I had the earlier 2.2 diesel in the same spec and going from one to the other has been a difficult transition. The lack of power low down in the new 1.6 diesel is ruining the car for me. If you live somewhere flat or drive on motorways the new car would be an improvement but the lack of torque from the little engine is terrible. Inside is far more luxurious but the tech is awful. There are three different screens and three different ways to control them, really poor integration for such an expensive car. The road manners were also an issue. The tyres have been inflated to 40psi probably to get an extra 1mpg. On our awful roads this just made the thing jiggly. I deflated them to 32psi (same as previous car with same tyres) and it is vastly improved. I will look into getting the car engine 'chipped' to improve the performance as other wise I will have to change it. Yesterday I rolled into a roundabout in 2nd gear and tried to drive off and the car nearly stalled. That is dangerous in my view. Obviously i need to change the way i drive this car but the overall feeling is the driveability has been compromised for economy.

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No Red thumbs down

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I bought the car mainly to tow my 1,500kg caravan which it does easily. When towing it manages 30mpg and on long solo runs it returns 55mpg, or around 48mpg running about. The car has performed effortlessly and to date I have had no problems. I was called upon to pull a Volvo driver's caravan out of a very muddy field, and it did this with ease after a slight wheel spin before the 4 wheel drive switched in. I am hesitant in buying a newer model as I cannot imagine it being any better for my needs; although Honda are renowned for testing their cars before production. It has lots of space, too. If the car doesnt have a good run for a couple of weeks I take it out just to clean the dpf and I always have it serviced by the dealer with so it gets the latest updates. Great car.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I had 09 ex 2.2 diesel for 7 years with excellent through out then swapped it this 2016 1.6 diesel black edition. Comparing the two for fuel economy, with my driving style 1.6 is about 6 mpg more economical. The new 1.6 engine uses a DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER that annoys especially when you're in a rush, if the dashboard light comes on, don't turn the engine until the DPF light is out. Unless you continue to drive until the DPF light goes out, the filter won't regenerate, and can cause trouble. The light comes on after a few short distance trips or during town driving. I experienced this twice in one month, unluckily.

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I previously had a 2014 model CRV with 2.4 diesel engine and covered 150k miles in it. It was far better at 150k miles than this new CRV with "earth dreams" (nightmare!!) engine. It broke down at 867 miles! Had to be towed to dealer! The steering wheel is narrower and silver paint work on steering wheel looks like a 5 year old sprayed it! The ride is now unnerving as it wallows about about like an old tub,. The seats have been shortened at the legs & are very uncomfortable. Oh yes and new "earth dreams" engine has quite a turbo lag when you put the foot down.

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This is my second CRV, I had the first one for ten years and was so impressed I bought a nearly new one registered July 2014. What a mistake. Despite the new car looking very stylish and being comfortable I have been beset by niggles with warning lights on the dash needing to be reset on a regular basis. Worse than that was the clutch judder when starting from cold. Gear selection was a problem too. Power would suddenly drop off as I tried to pull away sometimes. Took the car back to Honda main dealers and when I tried to explain the problems I was patronised by a service reception chap to such an extent I refuse to even have anything to do with the service reception dept at this dealer, I phone the service manager direct. After checking the car over it was decided the car needed a new clutch and flywheel - these only took eight weeks to be delivered!! Not quite what I had expected. Less than a 1000 miles after these defective parts were replaced the clutch judder is back so clearly the problem was not fully resolved. I have persevered with this car since I cannot yet afford to get rid of it - rest assured it will not be for another Honda. I anticipate another clutch assembly will need to be fitted so that will be 3 clutches in under 20k this car has used. There is clearly a problem for Honda to sort out but once the car is out of warranty I wonder who will pay - I already believe I know the answer and it won't be Honda.

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This is my first Honda, I bought it for a number of reasons, mainly though for load carrying capacity and advanced cruise control. I have to say, its quiet and comfortable, but the fuel usage is higher than I expected. The car appears to be well put together, I have 3 real problems, the Sensing Pack, includes i-ACC, this stands for intelligent advanced cruise control, this is my biggest concern, it is frustrating at best, dangerous in its operation at worst, the car without the i-ACC would be fine. The second thing is the touch screen, it can for no reason stop working, the Honda official fix is to disconnect the battery, leave it for 30 minutes, reconnect the battery and see if it works, if it doesn't, then replace the unit, which alas probably has the same problem, though mine has now been working for 3 months. The panoramic sun roof leaks air and whistles when it gets hot, I live on the Algarve and trust me it gets hot. The "intelligent"cruise control is the worst thing about the car, it has scared me a lot on 2 occasions, I am actually understating my actual feelings on this mater. This car is actually very good, I like it, just stick with the standard cruise control and all will be well. Just do not rely on Honda's customer service, its not too good.

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I bought the the car new from our local Honda dealer ,the engine has always been noisy and we have pointed this out, even took it to one dealer to check over, they said it was how its meant to be. After its first service we were told there was a problem with the cam shaft and cylinder head, but they didn't know what to do with it, they wanted us to have the car back until it was decided what would be done. We rung customer service and was told it would take 3 working days for someone to get back to us, this didn't happen, so we rang again, we were told to accept the car back and continue using because they don't know how to fix the problem, the customer service person was rude and unhelpful and her response was to ask why don't we buy another car??? so may as well have had a conversation with my cat. In the end the dealer is going to fit new cylinder head and cam shaft but they know this is not a long term fix and the that the problem runs deeper and it is happening to all 160 horse power diesel engines at around 10000 miles. This our second CRV, think it will be the last, not because of the car thats fine but the treatment by customer service and them expecting us to drive round in a faulty car. We asked the woman if she would accept a faulty car to drive her kids round in she was like a record the only thing she could say was "no comment" . Feeling totally let down and feeling like we have wasted hard earned money, we thought Honda had a good reputation for customer service but think they need to rethink this we have been treated very badly.

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This car is extremely comfortable. Great to drive, roomy and practical. With every extra you could need. Glad I chose the EX - it is worth every penny extra. You miss out on nothing. Build quality is superb as well.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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The Honda CRV is a reliable SUV with proven pedigree. Pros: 1) The auto gearbox is smooth, but can be sluggish when acceleration is required. This is easily resolved by understanding the paddle shift. This will improve the driving experience. 2) The cabin is comfortable for both the driver and passenger. 3) The ride is good and does absorb the uneven roads etc. 4) The boot system is very flexible for luggage and moving goods etc. 5) Great SUV in the £25-30K bracket with good discounts available with dealers via various websites!! Cons: a) The petrol autobox averages 22-25 mpg. b) Parts and accessories can be expensive. c) SUV is not as high others e.g. Nissan X-Trail

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1st time buying a Honda Approved car from main dealer. Chose CRV EX Auto. Had an issue with the pre-sale check of very worn brakes, but Honda head office very supportive & helped negotiate dealership contribution to the replacements. I've driven autos for years,it took a while to get used to this auto box as the Honda felt so sluggish up even a mild gradient. But understanding the paddle shifts work better than kick down on this car. The S mode (Sequential, not Sport!) is fabulous for a bit of oomph and using those steering wheel paddles to make the changes bring the car alive and it has excellent acceleration when you need safe, quick motorway overtakes etc. The rest of the time cruising around in D on the box letting it do all the changes for local trips or motorway journeys is great. I'm managing 36mpg from this petrol auto & that's a lot of London driving included, so I think that's good. Steering took a bit of getting used to, car feels a little vague, you have to work with it a bit. Build quality seems very good. I like the seat support and sitting high in an SUV gives clarity, great for reading roads well ahead. Has an advantage that you don't get so dazzled by saloon cars' headlights too. Slightly bumpy ride sometimes. Local Honda dealership seems very efficient. I like the useful rear camera, parking sensors, sat nav: the, dials & knobs all easy to reach. The car is quiet inside and I'm really enjoying it. Boot space with seats up vg. with seats down- cavernous. I like the privacy glass, feels safe to leave an almost invisible grocery bag on the back seat. The big mirrors make the car feel wider than it is, they add about a foot. I've learnt to gauge it now, also, if a humping great truck is heading at you in a narrow space, or a motorbike is weaving closely between stationary cars at lights you can simply 'button' the mirrors to retract for a few seconds, VERY useful.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Very luxurious & practical car with many useful gadgets. The Active Cornering Lights are particularly useful in dark car parks. The SATNAV and premium audio systems are also very good. The car is fast on motorways, but the petrol engine feels a little weak. The trade off however is that the engine is very smooth and quiet which makes the car ideal for city driving. Fuel consumption is 22mpg in central London traffic, 31mpg on long motorway trips and 28mpg combined. All these figures are with both air conditioning and economy mode switched on. The car has only done 3,000 miles so I am hoping the mpg will get better as the car is run in. For a petrol automatic, I think these figures are good, especially that I don't do many miles. I also don't have to worry about the diesel filter. Overall, I am very pleased with the car.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I shall start with the good points - 1. The performance - I find that with a steady right foot, this SUV returns 60 plus mpg constantly. Acceleration is smooth and its happy driving A roads and motorway. Good ride height so the car feels bigger than it is. 2. Room in the car - easily seats 5 adults with too much discomfort, and plenty of space in the boot. Don't go expecting the little cubby holes to tuck things away though. Unlike most cars I have had, the only place to hide you de-icer, mini compressor, etc is in the spare wheel well. Ride comfort is very good. 3. Build - solid build, nothing fallen off yet. 4. Service support - I can't fault my Honda dealer. Friendly and helpful all the time (See Not so good point 1) Also took out the 5 yr service plan, which is now free with all new cars. The not so good points 1. I have a minor electrical fault that re-occurs. It relates to a sensor in the air/exhaust system, and keeps putting the fault light on the dash. So far it has been reset twice with no fault and had a sensor replaced twice. Honda seem to think it will fail again in about 5K-7K, so that's not so good. Whilst the car is covered by the warranty I am not gonna worry too much. 2. Tyres - not sure what the average is for a good set of tyres now days, but I have just clocked 13K and I have about 20% tread left on the front. We shall see how much more I get out of them. 3. Cost of Honda approved accessories - There too are well made but three times the price of the "motor factor" outlets. Get what you pay for I guess.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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We were really pleased to buy this car, until we had done a moderately long journey, (20 - 30 miles). It then became apparent that we both (driver and passenger), found the seats very uncomfortable. Seats, of course are personal for comfort, but we have never had seat comfort problems with any other car. We have no back problems or physical ill-health. The lumbar support of the seat back is far too firm, pushing the mid/lower back forward in the seat, causing backache up the whole back. The seat does not wrap around the body as other car seats do, because of the forward sitting position. Feeling very disappointed , we visited showrooms of other car makes and found that other car manufactures can make ergonomically comfortable seats. We feel so let down by Honda. How can they make such a well engineered motor system and fall down on basic seat comfort? Before buying the modern CRV (the older models are more comfortable!), do check that the seats are right for you. This is fundamental and can ruin an otherwise great relationship with your car.

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No Red thumbs down

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This is my 3rd CRV. They have all been super-reliable. This new one is the best as it is smoothest, quitest and most comfortable. Wish they still had the sliding rear seat. Mine is auto so it is not really economical - I never see more than about 38mpg. I ruled out the opposition because I couldn't get the advanced cruise or rear camera with the others without paying a fortune! The others are catching up in this dept so I might have a change next time! It is a really good car and marvellous towing and in the snow.

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Best SUV out there. Very practical, fuel efficient, reliable and comfortable car.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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No Red thumbs down

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no issues to date with the car

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No Red thumbs down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No problems

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Never missed a beat!

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Yes Green thumbs up

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It's Brilliant

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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No Red thumbs down

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faultless

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No Red thumbs down

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outstanding

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No Red thumbs down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Surprising for Honda it has had failed aircon, failed airbag system, and loose connection of dash instruments

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No Red thumbs down

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Doesn't breakdown but the engine management light comes on a regular bases due to low fluids even if the oil/water is a mm below rec level.

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A well engineered, well equipped and comfortable car which delivers all that is promised.

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Since purchasing I have had no problems.

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Excellent

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OK apart from rear brakes binding

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Very good apart from rear brake callipers binding

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Yes Green thumbs up

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120000 only tyres required and then only two sets so far

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Yes Green thumbs up

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NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT WHICH IS WHY I HAVE KEPT IT SO LONG

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NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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All wheel drive dual pump fluid had to be changed due to knocking noises on full lock. Two central locking actuators have failed.

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Fantastic

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Have not had any problems with reliability to date.

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No Red thumbs down

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never a problem

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Its a Honda It will never brake down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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never had any problems

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Never had any problem.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Regular service,and have replaced tyres

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Good on many but less on tyres, clutch, sensors and brakes.

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so far faultless

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Only visit garage for service/mot

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Has not broken down in the past 18 months since purchase

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Yes Green thumbs up

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quite good never let me down inspite of many minor niggles

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very reliabe

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ex on fuel always starst first time and great in the snow

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starts frirst time comfortable to drive easily fixed when there is a probloem

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Disappointing number of faults given Honda's reputation for reliability

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No Red thumbs down

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Never lets me down.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I have not had a reliability issue.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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V reliable so far

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Extremely Reliable

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Very pleased with Honda realiabilty

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No problems with it to date. Had the same model for three years before this one and never had anything go wrong with it

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Too new for problems

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Superb - Honda quality

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100% reliable!

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What I would expect from Honda - excellant

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Never ever put a foot wrong

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Outstanding reliability - very satisfied

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No Red thumbs down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Never had a problem apart from a failed battery

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very happy

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No major problems, just the normal replacement of rubber bushes etc every now and then.

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excellent reliability a few minor trim issues[dealer fit bits

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NOTHING GONE WRONG AFTER 22000 MILES

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Yes Green thumbs up

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been on muddy fields at agricultural shows - no problems pulling of. very comfortable never been back to garage for anything

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No issues.

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no problems at all

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Never failed,

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Too soon to tell really, but no sign of problems and have had good experience with Honda in the past.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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A FEW NIGGLES, PARKING SENSORS HAVE RUSTED UP AND THERE IS A NOISE WHEN CHANGING GEAR

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Yes Green thumbs up

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no problems to date

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Yes Green thumbs up

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It's a Honda! Nothing has gon wrong with it. Nothing has fallen off it. it keeps on going strong.

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No Red thumbs down

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Had to replace front drive train

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No Red thumbs down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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very good

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Honda CR-V SUV (2012-2018): owner reviews

“The Honda CR-V is a spacious SUV that’s reliable and comfortable, but isn’t quite as desirable as some rivals”

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