1999 Honda CR-V Problems

What owners report

Complaints about the 1999 CR-V cluster around two things: engines cutting out without warning, which owners and dealers most often trace to the ignition switch covered by a 2002 recall, and burned exhaust valves that show up as a check-engine light and misfire. Many reports come in well past 100,000 miles, and the model year also falls under a later Takata airbag inflator recall that owners describe as slow to get parts.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Engine stalls or shuts off without warning (ignition switch)

   Mentioned in 19 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the engine dying suddenly at speed, at stoplights, or after starting, sometimes restarting after several attempts and sometimes not at all. Several say a dealer or mechanic traced the stall to the ignition switch or the wiring in the ignition, and several connect it to the 2002 ignition switch recall, including vehicles that had that recall repair done years earlier. A few note other electrical oddities at the same time, such as door locks cycling or warning lights. Complaints describe little warning before the engine quits. Reported from roughly 60,000 to 230,000 miles, with many appearing between 100,000 and 170,000 miles.

   Recall 02V120000Recall 99V282000

   What to check: Ask whether the ignition switch recall (02V120000) was performed and whether the switch or ignition wiring has been replaced since; note on a test drive whether the engine stumbles or quits at idle or under load.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “1999 Honda crv; stopped at a signal; automatic door locks started going up/down repeatedly; then engine just died; I put car in gear and started the car; mechanic determined the ignition was faulty; this was the first and only time it happened; luckily I was able to get it to the mechanic immediately.”

   NHTSA complaint #10357193, filed 2010-09, 67,000 miles

   “My vehicle had a recall for the ignition switch in 2002. My Honda crv is a 1999 that I recently purchased. The previous owner had the ignition switch replaced at the time of the recall. I discovered that the car was shutting off with no warning while I was driving. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10681938, filed 2015-02, 134,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine cooling

   Burned exhaust valves, misfire, check-engine light

   • 15 complaints (12%)
   • median 100,000 mi at 6.8 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $3,265 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2003–2016

   Owners report the check-engine light coming on with misfire codes, rough or low idle, poor acceleration, and occasional stalling, and say a shop then found exhaust valves tight, burned, or chipped, typically on one cylinder. Several describe being told the head or valves needed replacement or an engine rebuild, and some report valve adjustments or tune-ups first that did not resolve it. Complaints describe dealers saying this pattern is familiar on this engine and that valve clearance checks matter. Mostly reported between about 57,000 and 120,000 miles, often with regular maintenance history.

   What to check: Look for a recent valve clearance adjustment in the service records, ask whether a compression or leak-down test has been done, and check that the check-engine light is off and no misfire codes are stored.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 1999 Honda CR-V with approximately 120k miles on it. The #4 cylinder has low compression due to a burned exhaust valve. The owner's manual fails to state that the valves need to be checked every 15k miles (Honda has acknowledged the misprint but fails to assist in repair costs). The vehicle idles very low and stalls occasionally, putting me and my family at risk.”

   NHTSA complaint #10343725, filed 2010-07, 120,545 miles

   “At 71,655 miles, my 1999 Honda CR-V had the engine check light come on. Took it to the dealership who checked it on the cpu and found misfire codes for all of the cylinders. Exhaust valves were very tight. Valves were adjusted. Was told that the valves started to burn. We were told that this is very common with all 1999 Honda cr-vs. Was told that head assembly will need to be replaced for $3265.00. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10060803, filed 2004-03, 71,655 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbag inflator recall and SRS warning light

   • 27 complaints (21%)
   • median 170,000 mi at 16.0 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2021

   Many complaints are about the Takata driver-side inflator recall: owners report receiving notice but being told the replacement part was not yet available, and describe waiting long periods without a loaner vehicle. Others report the SRS warning light staying on, with dealers saying the SRS unit or airbag system had an internal fault and quoting a repair cost. At least one owner reports an airbag that did not deploy in a collision. Recall-related complaints were filed mainly in 2019-2020 on vehicles with high mileage; SRS light reports appear from about 30,000 to 208,000 miles.

   Recall 20V0260001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check the VIN against open recalls and confirm the inflator recall (20V026000) was actually completed with a receipt; also check that the SRS light comes on briefly at startup and then goes out.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My daughter rear ended someone and her airbag did not deploy. The hood could not even be closed. She was not hurt and we let it go..but now I wonder if there is a real problem with the airbag safety. We still own the car and it has it's original damage. Can you please look into this or how we should proceed?”

   NHTSA complaint #10649509, filed 2014-10, 130,000 miles

   “We received a recall notice on our Honda crv in march 2020. We had previously been concerned about a possible airbag recall and had been assured that our vehicle wasn't affected, now Honda has changed their story. We haven't been using our crv for fear of a deadly accident. We are frustrated that parts for repairing this won't be available for nearly a year. Moreover, there's been no offer of a loaner car or other suitable short term replacement vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11352608, filed 2020-09, 187,842 miles
4. 4
   Latches, locks and linkages

   Rear door latch and power lock failures

   Mentioned in 7 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe rear door latches that become stiff, then freeze shut or refuse to latch, sometimes on both rear doors, and some attribute it to corrosion of the mechanism. Others report the power door locks cycling up and down on their own or locking by themselves, and express concern about getting out in an emergency. In several cases a dealer replaced the latch assembly; in others the repair was quoted at the owner's expense. Reported from roughly 10,000 to 150,000 miles, with several cases at 60,000-80,000 miles.

   What to check: Open and close each rear door several times, including from the inside handle, and watch whether the power locks cycle on their own with the key off.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Rear door lock mechanism on my car rusted to the point that locks/ doors became inoperable and they do not open from inside or outside. Problem occurred in both left and right rear door. Since children ride in the back seats I think this situation is dangerous in case of an accident, significantly limiting chance to quickly leave vehicle. Door locks became difficult to operate approximately in 2001 and failed completely in 2003. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10056267, filed 2004-02, 60,000 miles

   “1999 crv. My wife and I purchased the car new from anderson Honda (now bloomfield Honda; bloomfield hills, mi). My wife drives the car to and from her office. The vehicle now has 70,000 miles on it. It has performed mostly perfectly. About six months ago, the rear door latch would not close securely. I would have to manually set the latch mechanism prior to slamming it shut to secure it. I made arrangements to have the dealer check and correct the problem this week. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10139549, filed 2005-10, 60,000 miles
5. 5
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission and all-wheel-drive noise or failure

   • 11 complaints (9%)
   • median 94,000 mi at 9.0 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 1999–2019

   Owners report sluggish or delayed shifting, noises when the all-wheel-drive engages, and in some cases a transmission that failed and needed rebuilding, frequently at moderate mileage. Complaints also describe noises from the rear differential on four-wheel-drive models and fluid leaks from transmission cooler lines. Some report the dealer serviced the transmission without resolving the complaint. Reported from about 26,000 to 94,000 miles, often around 86,000-94,000 miles.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check transmission fluid condition and service history, listen for whine or moan from the rear while braking at low speed on 4WD models, and drive at low speed to feel for delayed or rough shifts.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Our 1999 Honda CR-V lx required both front axles replaced at 40,900 miles. No explanation from the dealer as to how both front axles would fail (they were bent), let alone at 40,000+ miles. Our own mechanic did some research and advised this is a known problem with this car but would not elaborate further. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10041261, filed 2003-10, 40,900 miles

   “Honda CR-V 1999 doesn't shift into 2 gear or 3rd like it use to. Serpentine belts go out quick. The A/C isn't cool or cool enough and it's been checked. The 'd' drive symbol doesn't appear anymore like a fuse blew out or something. At times it'll appear as though my e brake is on when it's not. When the A/C is on, the vehicle rattles and or jumps like it wants to shut off. I believe it's a wiring issue as well.”

   NHTSA complaint #11229788, filed 2019-07, 98,567 miles

Buying note. On a 1999 CR-V, the practical checks are the recall history (ignition switch and Takata inflator) and valve service records, since stalling and burned-valve reports are the most common themes. A compression check, a scan for stored misfire codes, and a careful look at the rear door latches give a useful picture of condition.

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.