Most common 2002 Honda CR-V problems
Share of the 515 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 →
2002 Honda CR-V recalls (15)
Visibility › Power window devices and controls
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2002-2006 CR-V vehicles. Moisture may enter the driver side power window master switch, causing the switch to fail or melt.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power window master switch and inspect the wiring harness for damage, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2021.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot and 2006 Ridgeline vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012 Ridgeline vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic vehicles manufactured March 21, 2000, to January 20, 2005, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX vehicles manufactured June 14, 2000, to August 19, 2004, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid vehicles manufactured February 24, 2002, to January 18, 2005, 2003-2007…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Show 9 more recalls
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline, 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2003-2006 Acura MDX, and 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic, 2003-2004 Civic CNG and Element, 2002-2005 CR-V, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2005 Accord, Pilot, Civic Hybrid, and Acura MDX, 2005 Acura RL and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
Electrical system
Honda is recalling certain model year 2002-2006 CR-V passenger vehicles, manufactured from February 19, 2002, through July 28, 2006. The driver-side power window switch may fail or melt.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the switches, as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on November 2, 2012. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Exterior lighting › Headlights › Switch
Honda is recalling certain model year 2002 through 2004 cr-v; model year 2003 through 2005 pilot; and model year 2002 and 2003 civic vehicles. In March 2012, Honda filed a defect report to recall certain model year 2002 through 2004 cr-v and certain model year 2003 pilot vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the low beam terminal harness or replace the lighting switch as necessary, free of charge. The original recall began in April 2012.
Air bags › Frontal
On certain sport utility vehicles, the wire harness of the driver's front air bag was incorrectly wired.
Remedy: Dealers will repair the wiring. Owner notification began on June 16, 2004. Owners should contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
On certain sport utility vehicles, metal particles in the key cylinder body could interfere with the interlock lever operation, making it possible to remove the ignition key without shifting the transmission to "park."
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and test ignition switches for contamination interference. Any switches that fail the test will be repaired. Owner notification began on novenber 3, 2003.
Power train › Automatic transmission
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions, excessive corrosion of the shift cable linkage could prevent the driver from shifting the automatic transmission into park.
Remedy: Dealers will also install a new corrosion-resistant control pin. Owner notification began on August 19, 2003. Owners should contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Seats
On certain sport utility vehicles, the front seat anchorage nut strength is insufficient because the nuts were installed improperly.
Remedy: Telephone calls were made to each owner and the vehicles have been replaced.
Seat belts › Front › Webbing
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles equipped with automatic seat belt pretensions. The cr-v is equipped with two seat belt pretensioners - retractor and buckle - in both the driver and front passenger seating positions. Some buckle pretensioners use a part that restricts the full motion of the mechanism.
Remedy: Dealers will repair both front seat belt buckle pretensioners. Customers will be provided with a rental car. Owners were originally contacted on November 14, 2001.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 8 possible defects involving the 2002 Honda CR-V:
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Low Beam Headlights Stop Working
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 12 reports from consumers alleging the low beam headlights stopped working simultaneously.Several of the complainants reported that the headlight switch and/or its wiring harness connector required replacement to repair the low beam headlight circuit, and also reported that the switch and/or the wire harness connector were damaged from…
Ignition-park interlock system
All odi complaints and crashes are duplicative of Honda complaints.the warranty claim count shown for other represents incidents where Honda's analysis of claim detail indicates the interlock system malfunctioned.the cr-v interlock system utilizes an ECU to control a solenoid driven blocking device that prevents key removal when the shifter is not in park.Honda documents identified a condition where metallic debris…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Low Beam Headlights Stop Illuminating
This investigation was prompted by Preliminary Evaluation (PE) 11-017, and was based on reports from consumers alleging that both low beam headlights stopped illuminating simultaneously.Some complainants also reported that the combination switch (switch) that controls the headlights and turn signals, and/or its electrical wiring harness connector were damaged by overheating.ODI's PE information request letter asked…
Driver's Power Window Master Switch
This investigation was prompted by Preliminary Evaluation (PE) 10-047 and was based on reports from consumers alleging that smoke and/or fire, as defined in 49 CFR ? 579.4, had occurred inside of the driver's door.The subject vehicles, model year (MY) 2006 CR-V, were manufactured at two different assembly plants.The vehicles manufactured in Japan (Sayama plant) were produced with a power window master switch (PWMS)…
Ignition-park interlock system
All but one odi complaint and all odi crashes are duplicative of Honda reports.all 7 crashes were roll-away crashes that occurred when the interlock system malfunctioned and the vehicles were parked unsecured (not in park, brake not engaged).the 3 noted injuries were relatively minor.the warranty claims shown under other were confirmed by Honda as interlock system failures.in the subject vehicle ignition-park…
What 2002 Honda CR-V owners say
Air bags all 143 →
The contact owned a 2002 Honda CR-V. The contact had received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V501000 (Air Bags) and had the passenger air bag serviced under the recall at the dealer. On July 4, 2022, the contact heard a loud boom which she assumed was a firework; however, her neighbor informed her that her vehicle had caught fire. The fire department was called and the fire was extinguished. A fire report was filed; no injuries were reported and no property was damaged. A fire technician was sent to her home to investigate the fire; his investigation led him to believe that the passenger air bag had caught fire which caused the failure. The technician suggested the contact call an engineer to officially determine the cause of the fire. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. …
The contact owns a 2002 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that SRS air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front passenger's side air bag needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. Additionally, the contact stated that the front passenger's side seat belt and the rear middle seat belt buckles were not latching securely as designed. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 01V351000 (Seat Belts) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Electrical system all 95 →
The contact owns a 2002 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that when his wife opened the driver's side door, the driver's side power window master switch began to release a white smoke. The contact stated that eventually the smoke dissipated. Prior to the failure, the front passenger's side window was rolled down and could not be rolled up after the failure. The contact initially called the manufacturer and was informed that his vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V768000 (Visibility, Electrical System) which he linked to the failure. The contact then took the vehicle to the dealer where they replaced the power window master switch; however, the repair did not correct the failure. The contact was then given an estimate to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Honda CR-v. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, a grayish-white smoke began to emit from underneath the engine without warning. As the vehicle began to smoke, the contact lost complete power steering also without warning. With excessive force, the contact was able to drive the vehicle into an independent mechanic as the contact heard a loud booming sound emit from the vehicle. The independent mechanic discovered that the serpentine belt had snapped in half which the mechanic linked to his defective air conditioner compressor. The contact initially emailed Honda customer service about the defect and a representative called him back to inform him that a letter in regards to the failure would be sent to him. The contact had yet to receive the letter. The vehicle had been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 116,137. …
Engine & cooling all 65 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Honda CR-v. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, a grayish-white smoke began to emit from underneath the engine without warning. As the vehicle began to smoke, the contact lost complete power steering also without warning. With excessive force, the contact was able to drive the vehicle into an independent mechanic as the contact heard a loud booming sound emit from the vehicle. The independent mechanic discovered that the serpentine belt had snapped in half which the mechanic linked to his defective air conditioner compressor. The contact initially emailed Honda customer service about the defect and a representative called him back to inform him that a letter in regards to the failure would be sent to him. The contact had yet to receive the letter. The vehicle had been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 116,137. …
Car in driveway. Not driven for 3 days, just not needed but working. During day, car caught on fire. Fire inspectors was unable to determine the cause due to the extent of damage. They believed it could have been electrical. Fire concentrated in dash and engine area. Windshield blew during fire. Have owned this car since new, for 17 years. 140,000 miles.
2002 Honda CR-V engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 26 / 23 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 20 / 24 / 21 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 19 / 23 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Honda CR-V a good car?
Based on 515 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 CR-V rates average: 17% 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 2002 Honda CR-V?
The air bags — 143 complaints, 28% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the electrical system (95) and engine & cooling (65).
How many recalls does the 2002 Honda CR-V have?
There are 15 recalls for the 2002 Honda CR-V, the most recent from December 10, 2020 (power window devices and controls). 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 2002 Honda CR-V problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 91,000 miles; 26% 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.