1998 Honda CR-V Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 1998 CR-V most often describe the engine cutting out while driving, which many complaints trace to the ignition switch, plus a large group of outstanding airbag inflator recall notices. Complaints mostly arrive at high mileage, well past 100,000 miles, and other reports cover door and hatch locks, automatic transmission slipping, and valve or cooling-system work.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Engine stalls while driving (ignition switch)

   • 37 complaints (29%)
   • median 153,000 mi at 15.4 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2021

   Owners describe the engine shutting off without warning at highway and city speeds, sometimes repeatedly, and restarting after one or several attempts. Several say a dealer replaced the ignition switch, in some cases more than once, and some report the stall returning after the 2002 ignition switch campaign work was done. Others mention power surges, dimming lights, or a key that will not turn fully or come out of the switch. Scattered across the mileage range, from about 33,000 to 200,000 miles, with most reports above 90,000 miles.

   Recall 02V120000Recall 99V2820001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the ignition switch has been replaced and whether the 02V120000 campaign was completed; a stall on a test drive, or a key that sticks, is worth investigating before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This letter is a follow-up to Honda regarding a letter I had submitted on february 26, 2014. June 10, 2014 I was contacted by a Honda customer service representative regarding the letter outlined below and was told that there was no assistance available from Honda despite safety concerns. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10597366, filed 2014-06, 175,000 miles

   “I am the owner of a 1998 Honda CR-V, which I purchased new. The vehicle had no serious performance issues until september 2008. At this time my daughter, who was driving the vehicle, began to experience isolated occurrences during which the CR-V would stall while in motion. These incidents were at first infrequent. My daughter took the vehicle to a local garage. There, the mechanics replaced the battery, believing that to be the problem. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10253432, filed 2009-01, 124,100 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Airbag inflator recall repair not completed

   • 14 complaints (11%)
   • typically at 22.5 yrs old
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2020

   Many owners report receiving notice of the Takata driver-side inflator recall but being told by dealers that parts were not available, sometimes months after the notice. Several say they limited driving or were uneasy about the car while waiting. A few separate complaints describe the airbag light staying on after a battery replacement, or the airbag not deploying in a crash. Most of these complaints were filed in 2020, shortly after the recall notice, and miles are often not recorded.

   Recall 20V0260001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check the VIN with a dealer or the recall lookup for 20V026000 and confirm in writing whether the inflator has actually been replaced, not just scheduled.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This airbag has been recalled 3/20 and as of 8/20 are still not providing the parts for repair, they have been promising free repair for 5 months now, and we have been paying insurance on the car but are afraid to drive it.”

   NHTSA complaint #11343654, filed 2020-08

   “Takata recall. The contact owns a 1998 Honda CR-V. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20v026000 (air bags) however, the part to do the repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. An unknown dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.”

   NHTSA complaint #11360157, filed 2020-09
3. 3
   Engine cooling

   Burnt exhaust valve and engine misfire

   • 7 complaints (5%)
   • median 177,500 mi at 12.8 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2003–2021

   Complaints describe loss of power, rough running and a check engine light, with a dealer finding a burnt number 3 exhaust valve and tight exhaust valve clearances. Others report engine stalling at idle or while driving that shops could not diagnose, and one describes a catalytic converter replacement for a flashing light with clicking and jerking. One owner notes the owner's manual only calls for valve inspection at about 105,000 miles or when the engine is noisy. Mostly reported between roughly 100,000 and 185,000 miles.

   What to check: Ask for records of valve clearance inspection and adjustment, and watch for a check engine light, rough idle or ticking from the top of the engine on a cold start.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving normally, going 47mph & accelerating as I was about to merge into traffic on high way, when my cars engine suddenly died. I dident even notice at first because it happened suddenly and quietly. I only noticed because the steering locked up and I found it very difficult to turn the wheel. I was able to put on my hazard lights and stop the car on the side of the freeway. Car would not run since this happened. Car will start but die on idel. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11390000, filed 2021-01, 199,000 miles

   “While driving with radio on the engine cuts out after sitting for a couple minutes it will start back up however it stalls again if radio is on. This problem only occurs when I have radio on if I leave the radio off it works ok”

   NHTSA complaint #11193644, filed 2019-04, 175,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Automatic transmission slipping out of gear

   • 5 complaints (4%)
   • median 113,500 mi at 8.8 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2002–2017

   Owners describe the transmission dropping into neutral on its own, with no gears engaging until the engine is shut off and restarted, and slipping out of gear under acceleration or on inclines once the car is warm. Some complaints involve a transmission replacement, and one mentions fluid leaking from a cooler line as the kind of repair documented in a service bulletin. Dealers and shops diagnosed transmission faults differently, with some repairs not resolving the problem. Reported from around 53,000 to 210,000 miles, often after the vehicle has been driven for a while.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive long enough to get the transmission fully warm, check for slipping or delayed engagement on inclines, and look for fluid leaks or service records for the cooler line and fluid changes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Intermittently vehicle jerked forward when accelerating. This was due to transmission failure. The insurance adjuster indicated that water got into the transmission. Then, transmission was replaced. However, the problem recurred.”

   NHTSA complaint #10061721, filed 2004-04, 57,000 miles

   “The transmission goes into neutral by itself and no gears work at all until you turn it off and restart it then it will move a short distance and do it again it happened on the freeway and I almost had an accident.”

   NHTSA complaint #10984801, filed 2017-05, 170,000 miles

Buying note. On a 1998 CR-V at this age, the ignition switch history and the status of the airbag inflator recall are the two things worth confirming in writing before purchase. A warm-up test drive that includes highway speeds and a check of valve service records and transmission fluid condition will tell you most of the rest.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.