2007 Honda CR-V Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2007 CR-V most often report power door locks that buzz, click or cycle on their own and will not stay locked, and rear subframe or control arm rust that lets the rear suspension separate from the frame on higher-mileage vehicles. A large share of complaints involve the Takata airbag inflator recalls and long waits for parts, while a smaller group describes intermittent no-start conditions. Mileage in the complaints ranges widely, but the lock and rust reports cluster well past 50,000 miles.

1. 1
   Latches, locks and linkages

   Door lock actuators cycle and unlock on their own

   • 365 complaints (41%)
   • median 84,000 mi at 6.8 yrs old (294 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $400 (median of 34 quotes)
   • filed 2008–2026

   Owners describe door locks that hum, buzz or click repeatedly and then unlock themselves seconds after being locked, often as the vehicle pulls away from a stop or slows down. In other cases a door will not stay locked at all, or stays locked and cannot be opened with the fob, the master switch or by hand. Complaints say dealers usually diagnose failed lock actuators, and several owners note a repair was once covered by an extended warranty that has since expired. Reported from roughly 40,000 to 190,000 miles, typically starting with a hum or click from one door before other doors follow.

   What to check: Lock and unlock every door several times with the fob, the master switch and by hand, and listen for buzzing or repeated clicking. Ask whether any lock actuator has already been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Passenger side door automatic lock malfunction. At times would not open/ at times would not lock. When I use the master control (on the drivers side door) or the key fob, the passenger side lock continually clicks. Also the locks continue to click open and locked as I drive (especially when I speed up from a stop.) I have heard that many other people have the same type of problems.”

   NHTSA complaint #10490940, filed 2013-01, 84,000 miles

   “The rear and front passenger door locks will automatically unlock after being locked. The lock button also will not consistently lock any of the doors in the car. Therefore I have 2 doors in my call that will never lock. This poses a safety issue for not only myself but also any passengers that I have with me. It also put any of possessions that are left in the car vulnerable to theft. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10609458, filed 2014-07, 103,000 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Rear subframe and control arm rust-through

   Mentioned in 16 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the rear control arm or subframe separating from the frame, sometimes letting the rear wheel fold into the wheel well or detach at low speed. Owners frequently link it to rust in the rear frame area on vehicles driven where road salt is used, and some say a dealer or inspection station judged the vehicle beyond repair. A 2023 recall addresses this area on vehicles registered in certain states; some complaints mention a corroded fastener that prevented the recall work from being done. Nearly all reports come in above 130,000 miles, often on vehicles driven in states that use road salt.

   Recall 23V228000

   What to check: Have the rear subframe and trailing-arm mounts inspected from underneath for flaking rust, bubbling undercoating or holes, and check by VIN whether the 23V228000 recall applies and whether the inspection or repair was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “As I was driving down a city street, the right rear suspension control arm came loose from the frame. The right wheel tire subsequently became lodged against the rear of the wheel well at an angle. I was able to maneuver the car to the side of the road. Police arrived to block off the nearest lane so I could safely be towed from the scene, as the car was undrivable. I am fortunate that this did not happen at high speed, as I do not believe I would have safely been able to maintain control of the vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11360669, filed 2020-09, 197,400 miles

   “Driving down a secondary road at 40 MPH, the car made a loud crashing and scraping spud. This made the driver duck and cover as it felt that the car had seen struck by something. The car then began to veer out of control. The rear end began to fishtail left into the opposite lane then back again. The car then quickly came to a laid scrapping stop on the side of the road. When exiting the vehicle the drivers side rear tire was facing perpendicular to the road exposing broken metal and frame rail. Luckily no one was killed.”

   NHTSA complaint #11396253, filed 2021-02, 240,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbag inflator recalls and airbags not deploying

   Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

   Many complaints concern the Takata inflator recalls, describing waits for parts, limits on loaner cars and difficulty getting the passenger-side repair scheduled, along with letters advising against carrying a front passenger until the inflator is replaced. Other owners report airbags that did not deploy in a collision, with the SRS light staying on afterwards and seat belts that locked or failed to retract. Reported at mileages from about 10,000 to 165,000, with most involving recall notices rather than a particular mileage point.

   Recall 16V061000Recall 16V346000Recall 17V030000Recall 17V417000Recall 17V545000Recall 18V268000Recall 19V182000Recall 19V378000Recall 19V500000Recall 19V5020006 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether both the driver and passenger inflators have been replaced and have the VIN run for any open recalls; confirm the SRS light comes on briefly and then goes out with the engine running.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Three days ago my daughter has a car accident. Her car was hit and the other driver left the scene. Since then the airbag light is on and the seatbelt is not working. I took the car to a dealership and there's no recall. We are worried because my daughter could have been seriously hurt and the airbag didn't protect her. The car was stationary when it was hit.”

   NHTSA complaint #11301281, filed 2020-01, 165,110 miles

   “Takata recall. On april 29, 2016, I brought this car to my local Honda dealer. I was informed that because of the takata airbag recall, that this car was dangerous and I should not drive the car. However, they provided me with a loaner car, under the program approved by Honda motors, at no cost to me. Therefore I did not drive the car until the driver side airbag was repaired. This was done on august 12, 2016. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10896402, filed 2016-08, 140,000 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Intermittent no-start and electrical shutoff

   • 65 complaints (7%)
   • median 75,799 mi at 6.7 yrs old (52 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $647 (median of 12 quotes)
   • filed 2007–2024

   Owners describe turning the key with no response from the starter and no lights, then having the car start normally after locking and unlocking the doors. Others report losing power or stalling while slowing for a stop, with repairs to the starter and starter relay that did not resolve it. Some complaints mention the radio asking for its security code afterwards, as if the battery had been disconnected. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 120,000, and usually intermittent rather than constant.

   What to check: Start the car several times from cold and after warm-up, watch for flickering lights or a radio that resets, and ask whether the battery, starter relay or ignition switch has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “1) the car fails to start occasionally. I already had repair shop changed to new battery and alternator. 2) the driver's front door handle (outside) sticks and do not go back, after it's been pulled. This causes the car's doors locks to lock and unlock during driving, stops and gos.”

   NHTSA complaint #11320410, filed 2020-04, 60,000 miles

   “Vehicle failed to start..key turned to start position, no response from starter motor. Retried, vehicle did start; starter turned over slowly. Battery connections appear/feel tight; condition indicator shows blue (full charge) has occurred about six times...”

   NHTSA complaint #10181204, filed 2007-01, 3,798 miles

Buying note. This generation is old enough that rust in the rear frame area matters more than mileage, so an underneath inspection and a VIN recall check are worth doing before anything else. Confirm the airbag inflator recalls were completed and test every power door lock, since lock actuators are the most common complaint on this model year.

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.