Most common 1997 Honda CR-V problems
Share of the 108 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Honda CR-V complaints by model year
Best CR-V years: 2001, 2000, 1999. Years to avoid: 2018, 2017, 2025, 2024, 2023. Compare all years →
1997 Honda CR-V recalls (2)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 1998 Acura 2.2CL, 1998-1999 Acura 2.3CL, 1998-1999 Acura 3.0CL, 2001 Acura 3.2CL and Acura MDX, 1998-2000 Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Sedan, Odyssey and Acura 3.5RL, 1999-2000 Acura 3.2TL, 1996-2000 Civic Coupe, 1997-2000 CR-V, 1997-1998 EV Plus, and 1998-1999…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver frontal air bag inflator, and replace it if necessary, with an inflator of a different design, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020.
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
On certain sedans, coupes, hatchbacks, and sport utility vehicles, electrical contacts in the ignition switch can degrade due to the high electrical current passing through the switch when the vehicle is started.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the ignition switch. Owner notification began June 14, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
What 1997 Honda CR-V owners say
Electrical system all 31 →
My CR-v will stop running suddenly and without warning. I found that other CR-v's had a recall for the ignition switch which is exactly the same as what my car has.(a faulty ignition switch. Even though the car has 200500 miles it has been garage kept and serviced regularly and is in excellent condition. It seems that my car having the exact same symptoms of the same year ignition switch recalls should be covered as well. While driving anywhere between 30 and 55 m.p.h. The car stalls because engine stops running without any warning. I put it into neutral and it starts right back up. It will keep doing the exact same thing once or twice a week now. It started out once or twice a month.
Car will stop suddenly while driving at any speed all lights will come on power steering will go out and car will not run I will turn it off and a few minutes later it will start again usually but this last time it stopped and wouldnt start again iv had the battery altogether and starter checked at auto zone and all are strong iv had them run a device on it to see if it has any error codes and it has non they said it was the fuel filter and it wasnt iv changed my main relay and ran fine for 2 days then it stopped again with no warning and that's when it wouldnt start again all lights come on stereo works but car wont turn over
Air bags all 27 →
The contact owns a 1997 Honda CR-V. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the SRS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 168,470.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Honda CR-v. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, the frontal driver and passenger air bags deployed without impact. The air bag warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
Speed control & acceleration
Was driving 65mph when accelerator stuck. Tried braking & they locked up. When vehicle was shifted into neutral the engine revved up. Had vehicle towed to dealer & mechanic could not locate anything wrong.
Cruise control does not maintain speed while driving up inclines. Honda stated that this was due to limited vacuum availability. The dealer indicated that this was a design flaw.
1997 Honda CR-V engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD | 19 / 23 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Honda CR-V a good car?
Based on 108 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 CR-V rates better than average: 78% fewer complaints than a typical year of the CR-V at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Honda CR-V?
The electrical system — 31 complaints, 29% of all complaints for this model year, most often about ignition › switch. Next are the air bags (27) and speed control & acceleration (9).
How many recalls does the 1997 Honda CR-V have?
There are 2 recalls for the 1997 Honda CR-V, the most recent from January 17, 2020 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Honda CR-V?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2001, 2000 and 1999. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2018, 2017, 2025, 2024 and 2023. See the full Honda CR-V years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Honda CR-V problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 130,000 miles; 4% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.