2008 Honda CR-V Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe door lock actuators that lock and unlock on their own — sometimes while driving — and, separately, rear frame corrosion that in some cases led to the trailing arm or axle separating from the vehicle. Airbag inflator recalls and SRS warning lights also come up frequently. Reports are spread across the life of the vehicle, from low-mileage complaints to vehicles past 200,000 miles.

1. 1
   Latches, locks and linkages

   Door locks cycle or unlock on their own (actuator failure)

   • 361 complaints (37%)
   • median 77,863 mi at 6.0 yrs old (262 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $580 (median of 29 quotes)
   • filed 2008–2025

   Complaints describe doors that lock and unlock repeatedly on their own, or refuse to stay locked after being secured with the fob, the interior switch, or the manual lock. Several owners say the problem starts with a driver's door and spreads to the other doors and the tailgate, and a few report doors that will not open from inside or out. According to complaints, dealers usually diagnosed a failed door lock actuator and quoted a replacement; some owners mention the repair coming out of pocket and the symptom returning on other doors later. Reported from roughly 30,000 miles up to about 220,000 miles, with many complaints filed between 50,000 and 100,000 miles.

   What to check: Lock and unlock each door several times with the fob, the interior switch and the key, and listen for repeated cycling or a door that springs back open. Ask whether any lock actuators have already been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Im driving down the road all of the sudden my door locks all make a terrable startling noise that has happened since the recall on them and I have had the drivers side replace at merced Honda. But now it does it in route and no one can get out of the back passenger seat . It is just locked.”

   NHTSA complaint #11343341, filed 2020-08, 125,630 miles

   “My car door drivers side lock stopped working in may it cost me close to $700 to replace both sides Honda said I had to do both of them. The when I was driving out the end of may to visit my mom in washington state, my sunroof exploded out in the middle of no where. That was $1400 in wa to replace. On the way home in august my AC stopped working just blew hot air when it was 92 outside. I have never had any of these things happen to any other car. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10537528, filed 2013-08, 88,000 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Rear frame rust and trailing arm corrosion

   Mentioned in 11 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe rear frame stiffeners, the rear subframe and the trailing arm area rusting through, in some cases with the brace detaching or the rear wheel assembly coming loose while driving. Owners often learned of it during a state inspection or routine service, and some say the vehicle was then judged not repairable or not safe to put on a lift. Complaints frequently reference a rear frame recall and note that corrosion was found outside the area the recall repair covered. Mostly reported above 100,000 miles on older vehicles, often after many winters of road salt exposure.

   Recall 23V2280005 related service bulletins

   What to check: Have the rear underside inspected on a lift before buying, looking specifically at the trailing arm mounts and rear frame stiffeners for flaking rust or holes. Ask whether the rear frame recall repair was performed and keep the paperwork.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I brought my vehicle to a licensed garage to be inspected.they told me the rear frame stiffeners in my vehicle are corroded and will not pass new york state inspection. I was also warned it is extremely dangerous to continue to drive my car as the rear tire attaches to the rusted out spot on the frame. There is the potential for the rear tire assembly to detach while going down the road and cause loss of control. There is an open recall in canada for this exact problem for the years 2007 to 2011. There is currently no recall in the us.”

   NHTSA complaint #11343461, filed 2020-08, 166,191 miles

   “Rear passenger wheel separated from the vehicle. My wife and daughter were driving approximately 45 MPH when this occurred and were able to control it to a stop. 84,000 of this year vehicle were recalled in canada for the same problem. Hmmmmmm.”

   NHTSA complaint #11350945, filed 2020-08, 189,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbag inflator recalls and SRS warning light

   • 328 complaints (34%)
   • median 86,500 mi at 8.5 yrs old (68 state mileage)
   • 34 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,500 (median of 15 quotes)
   • filed 2008–2025

   Complaints describe receiving airbag inflator recall notices but being told parts were unavailable, sometimes waiting months without a remedy or loaner. Others report the SRS light staying on, including after a recall-related inflator replacement, and say they were quoted a diagnostic or repair cost. A few owners describe frontal collisions in which an airbag did not deploy. Spread across all mileages, including vehicles under 30,000 miles and others past 160,000 miles.

   Recall 19V500000Recall 19V502000Recall 19V378000Recall 18V268000Recall 17V545000Recall 17V417000Recall 17V030000Recall 16V346000Recall 16V0610006 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the VIN against open airbag recalls and confirm both driver and passenger inflators were replaced, keeping the repair records. Make sure the SRS light goes out after the bulb check at start-up.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The srs light came on I took it to Honda to diagnose the problem and was told that the system is failing this is not normal I bought the vehicle for its safety reviews and now only 5 years old I'm being told that my air bags may not deploy in an accident I was quoted $1,200.00 to fix the system.”

   NHTSA complaint #10500676, filed 2013-02, 25,256 miles

   “I have called 2 different local Honda dealerships in the hartford area and both have not called me back in regards to getting a rental vehicle or receiving the airbags for the recall. I do not feel safe driving my vehicle with my 3 year old son in the car knowing there is a defect.”

   NHTSA complaint #10918484, filed 2016-10, 165,000 miles
4. 4
   Steering

   Power steering rack leak and stiff steering

   • 60 complaints (6%)
   • median 73,100 mi at 8.4 yrs old (49 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,413 (median of 18 quotes)
   • filed 2010–2023

   Owners describe being told during routine service that the steering rack was leaking, with quotes around the cost of a full rack and pinion replacement plus an alignment. Others report the steering wheel becoming stiff or hard to turn, in one case after the fluid level dropped again within days of being topped up. Complaints describe the work being done at a dealer or independent shop. Typically reported between about 12,000 and 135,000 miles, with several cases in the 50,000 to 85,000 mile range.

   What to check: Check the power steering fluid level and look for wetness on the rack, boots and lines, and ask whether the rack has been replaced. Turn the wheel lock to lock with the engine running and listen for noise or uneven effort.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving my vehicle and making a turn in a residential area the steering wheel got stiff and felt as if the steering wheel locked I was able to turn but very slowly as if the car were in neutral almost felt like idling. I checked my steering fluid level and it was at the proper level so I'm not too sure what is going on but I've been reading up on this issue and find it to be common with this generation of Honda cr-vs. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11372339, filed 2020-10, 102,000 miles

   “The 2008 Honda CR-V has issues with the power steering system. I purchased my car new car and recently brought my car into the dealer for a door-lock actuator recall at david mcdavid Honda in texas and I was told by the dealership that I have a leak in my rack and pinion that cannot be fixed. I have to replace the entire power steering/ rack and pinion system with an alignment for about a cost of $1500. This is a significant problem/defect with the 2008 CR-V and Honda should recall the model. This is a safety issue due to a fire hazard. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10711814, filed 2015-04, 11,637 miles
5. 5
   Electrical system

   Engine shutoff or loss of power while driving

   • 59 complaints (6%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 6.1 yrs old (44 state mileage)
   • 9 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,070 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2008–2023

   Complaints describe the engine stalling or briefly losing power while driving, with the accelerator pedal feeling unresponsive, and some say it restarted after a wait but recurred. One owner also reported the transmission hesitating and the vehicle bouncing. Complaints referencing the automatic transmission control module recall note that the vehicle identification number was not included in it. Reported from about 70,000 to 190,000 miles in the sampled complaints.

   Recall 11V395000

   What to check: Ask whether the transmission control module recall was completed, and check that no warning lights stay on after start-up. A scan for stored codes during a test drive is worth doing.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Car with 49,925 miles and vsa light that repeatedly illuminates and brakes suddenly engage. Additionally, the car when restarted sometimes will not shift from park to neutral or drive which causes me to have to restart several times.”

   NHTSA complaint #11022502, filed 2017-09, 49,925 miles

   “The contact owns a 2008 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly lost motive power before returning to normal functionality. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11552930, filed 2023-10, 190,000 miles

Buying note. Inspect the rear frame and underside carefully for corrosion before buying, since that is the item most likely to affect whether the vehicle can be kept on the road, and confirm open airbag and transmission recalls were completed with the repair records. Door lock actuators and a leaking steering rack are common and worth budgeting for if they have not already been addressed.

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.