Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Honda CR-V owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained illuminated on the vehicle. The contact stated that over time she became aware that the oil level was gradually getting lower than normal. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be disassembled for additional diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced Customer Service Program: 12-089; as the possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to lock or unlock while using the key fob from outside the vehicle, or while pushing the unlock button inside the vehicle. The contact also stated that the vehicle would repeatedly lock and unlock independently while driving. The contact attempted to notify the dealer but was unable to reach a representative. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000. The VIN was not available.
I was driving down a road on the way to take my son to his swim team training. I got about f 5 min away from our home and I felt a large clunk, almost as if I ran something over that was large. I had difficulty steering my vehicle, had a loud weird noise coming from the vehicle, and pulled over. I inspected the vehicle outside, I hit nothing. wheels looked fine. I popped open the hood and started to inspect, it was getting dark so it was difficult to see. I found that the engine mount bolts had sheared clean off of the engine, causing the engine to drop, cracking the engine bracket and the engine almost falling out of the vehicle onto the ground. It it was not for the cross member below it may have completely fallen out.. the vehicle had to be towed as it was not drivable at this point. I had the vehicle towed to Schlossmanns Honda in Greenfield WI for repair. …
I bought my car in 2021, and starting immediately I had issues with my tires going flat, my suspension jolting any time a bump was hit, my gear shift does not fully shift into park which makes it nearly impossible to get my key out of the ignition, I was given a spare key to someone else's car and was never issued a new one, and dealership (CarMax) has not made an attempt to help with repair on current safety recall.
Oil consumption is exaggerated with to obvious observed signs, I.e, no visible leaks, no blue smoke from tailpipe, no smell behind vehicle. Oil needs to be added every ~70 miles as per the dipstick. Engine light will illuminate when oil too low. Car running fine otherwise. Is this happening to others? Respectfully, Careful Driver
The oil consumption of this vehicle is extremely high and has progressively gotten worse to the point it has become undrivable. I have to put oil in every other day. It's completely not okay to make and sell faulty vehicles
Was at very low speed and attempting to park my car in a mall parking spot. As I tried to slow down further and park the car and turning into the spot, the car accelerated even though I applied maximum pressure to the brakes. The car continued to accelerate and I side swiped one car on my left and rammed the car in front of my space---my car continued to accelerate. The car finally stopped because of the impact to the other vehicle and I finally could turn the car off as it was still running. This is the second time this has happened. Both instances were very similar as I was parking the car in a space at low speed. The first instance was very minor (occurred in mar 2013) but this instance is very major--serious damage to my car and the other cars--I was lucky I did not get hurt in either case--something is wrong with this car and maybe 2011 CR-vs.
On March 11, 2018 I backed into my driveway, turned off the engine and parked next to my porch. Before going into the house, my grandson told me to look at the car which was smoking under the hood. Within seconds the smoke turned dark gray. The fire department arrived in 3 minutes. I could see fire underneath the engine on the bottom at the driveway. The front door windows were busted to put out the fire on the dashboard, too.
Our 2011 Honda CR-v is part of the extended warranty issue with Honda vehicles for excessive oil consumption. We have our car serviced regularly at a local Honda dealership and go by the oil life monitor when it reaches approximately 15-20%. We had the car serviced in December, 2015. On a relatively short trip in early April, 2016 we noticed something odd about the car. Took the car into the regular place when we returned to find out it was completely out of oil. We had oil changed again in August, 2016 -- again completely out of oil. We took the car numerous times to Honda for protocol testing of oil usage at measured mile markers. Was told repeatedly that the car was not within protocol limits for fixing, even though it completely went through the oil twice in a span of eight months. The car was serviced again on October 17, 2016 and we have put in 2.3 quarts of oil since then. …
Our 2011 Honda crv is using 1.4qts of oil per 1,325 miles. We have had it to the dealer 3-4 times checking for leaks and cracks and found nothing and stated that this within normal Honda ranges in oil consumption. The dealer finally did an oil consumption test on the vehicle and asked Honda corporate if they would cover the repairs to replace the pistons and rings under the 8 year, 100,000 mile exteneded warranty that Honda has purposed as a "fix." corporate denied the dealer's request to fix the repair under the warranty. I called corporate myself and the case manager took the information down, but was denied again by the same executive that talked to the dealer with the same response. I questioned the "warranty" and stated that if it was a true warranty, they would correct the problem. …
Engine complaints in other CR-V years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2011 Honda CR-V?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2011 Honda CR-V, 8% of the model year's 554 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2011 Honda CR-V engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2011 Honda CR-V, though it has 13 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2011 Honda CR-V engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.