2017–2022

Honda CR-V (5th gen)

One transmission for the whole range — a CVT — and a split engine line-up underneath it. The base grade keeps a 2.4-litre naturally aspirated four rated 184 hp at 6,400 rpm and 180 lb-ft at 3,900 rpm; every grade above it uses a 1.5-litre turbo rated 190 hp at 5,600 rpm with 179 lb-ft held from 2,000 to 5,000 rpm. A 2.0-litre hybrid was added later in the run. The turbo engine carries this generation's documented fuel-dilution history, and the 2.4-litre does not, so which engine a car has is the first thing to establish about it.

This generation record is published without source verification yet. The year range, body styles and engine list have not been confirmed against the manufacturer’s own catalogue. Verify with the VIN and manufacturer data before you buy. How we source data

Production years2017–2022Body stylesSUVEngine options2.4L I4 (K24W9/K24V9), 1.5L I4 turbo (L15BE), 2.0L I4 hybrid (LFB2)TransmissionCVT

By engine and transmission

Vehicle files in this generation

Complaint and recall counts from NHTSA, retrieved 2026-08-13. A complaint count is not a failure rate — it scales with how many were sold and how much attention a problem drew.

Community and source review

Problems reported on this generation

Wear item

Charging system: battery and alternator

The alternator charges the battery while the engine runs and powers everything electrical. Both are consumable parts with a service life, and on a used car at least one of them has usually been replaced already — or is due.

Slow cranking, a battery light that comes on under load, headlights that dim at idle and brighten when revved, or electronics that behave oddly before anything else fails.Electrical
Moderate repair

Air conditioning compressor failure

The compressor is the pump in the air conditioning loop. When it seizes it can send metal debris through the whole system, which turns a component replacement into a system job.

Air that is not cold, a clutch that cycles rapidly or not at all, a rattle or squeal that appears only with the A/C switched on.Climate
Wear item

Suspension and steering noise

Bushings, ball joints, link rods and strut mounts are rubber and grease components that wear continuously. They rarely fail suddenly; they get gradually noisier and vaguer, which is why a test drive on a rough road tells you more than one on smooth pavement.

Clunks over bumps, a knock when turning the wheel at low speed, uneven tyre wear, or a car that wanders and needs constant small corrections.Suspension
Major repair

Turbocharger wear and failure

A turbocharger runs at very high speed on an oil-fed bearing, driven by exhaust gas. Its condition is tied directly to the engine's oil history, which makes service records more informative here than on most components.

A whistle or siren that rises with boost, blue smoke under acceleration, loss of power, or oil in the intercooler pipework.Engine
Major repair

CVT judder, slip and failure

A continuously variable transmission transmits torque through a steel belt or chain running between two variable-diameter pulleys. It depends on a specific fluid and on the clamping pressure between belt and pulley, which makes fluid condition central to its condition.

Shuddering when pulling away or under light throttle, engine speed rising without matching acceleration, a whine that changes with road speed, or a delay before the car moves.Transmission
Moderate repair

Carbon buildup on intake valves

In a direct-injection engine the fuel is sprayed into the cylinder rather than at the intake valve. Nothing washes the back of that valve, so deposits from crankcase ventilation and exhaust gas recirculation accumulate there over time.

Rough or shaky cold idle, a misfire code, hesitation under light load, or gradually worse fuel economy without an obvious cause.Engine
Safety recall

Low-pressure fuel pump impeller failure

A fuel pump supplied to several manufacturers has an impeller that can crack and deform, stopping the pump from delivering fuel. Because the part was bought in rather than designed by any one carmaker, the same failure was recalled by Toyota, Honda and others in the same period — the vehicles have nothing else in common.

A rough or uneven idle, hesitation under load, difficulty starting, warning lamps, and in the case the recall is written around, the engine stopping while the car is moving.Fuel system
Warranty extension

Petrol in the oil on the 1.5 turbo

Fuel works its way past the rings into the sump, the oil level rises, and the oil stops being oil. Honda extended the powertrain warranty on affected cars to 6 years with no mileage limit and pushed a software update — a bigger response than a bulletin usually gets. Two model years for the CR-V, three for the Civic, and both ranges are narrower than the story's reputation.

Honda's bulletins describe it through the codes rather than the cause: misfire on one or more cylinders (P0300–P0304) or "fuel system too rich" (P0172), plus "a whirling noise coming from the engine compartment". What an owner usually notices first is simpler — the oil level on the dipstick is above full and the oil smells of petrol.Engine

Where this comes from

Sources

Manufacturer documents for the year range, body styles, engines and transmissions above. Complaint and recall counts are separate: they come from NHTSA per model year and carry their own retrieval date on the vehicle files.